Blu-ray Review: Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome on Blogcritics.

Now on Blu-ray and DVD, and downloadable, is Universal's Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome. Set 10 years into the First Cylon War, after the events of Caprica, and several decades before the reimagined Battlestar Galactica, Blood & Chrome follows young William Adama (Luke Pasqualino, The Borgias, Skins) on his very first mission, which goes horribly wrong.

For those BG fans who complain that Caprica isn't action-packed enough (I am definitely not one of them), Blood & Chrome swings to the opposite extreme, a high-octane thrill ride with simulated battles filling in the gaps where "not enough" is happening in the real world. It's a dark, at times scary, war story, taken to the front line and behind enemy lines.

Unfortunately, that means there isn't a lot of time for character development. BG works because of the actors, and the nuance with which they play their dealings with one another. It is as much about politics and religion as interpersonal relationships, and the fights with the Cylons come as secondary. Blood & Chrome moves the latter to center stage, making it fun when you're watching, but a bit hollow in retrospect. This works well for a web series, which one can tell Blood & Chrome is, edited together now into a not-quite-seamless television movie.

I'll be honest, I'm torn on Pasqualino as Adama. He is the fourth actor to tackle the role in the official franchise, and I see a bit of the Caprica take in some of his dialogue and mannerisms, when he isn't being way too cocky. I don't, however, see the grown up Adama at all. Perhaps that is intended to come later, in the unlikely event this project is pushed forward as a series, but it's missing here.

Blood & Chrome is sold to us as a potential pilot, but it's not clear what the series would feel like from this first episode. Rather than setting up the full cast or what the characters will be doing, it follows only three people for a large part of the movie: Adama, his co-pilot Coker (Ben Cotton, Hellcats), who is near the end of his tour of duty, and just wants a calm last few weeks, having lost the fighting spirit, and Dr. Becca Kelly (Lili Bordan, Cherry.), who has a secret mission for them, and claims she can turn the tide of the war. One of those three, I won't reveal which, wouldn't even get to continue if the story went on.

For the most part, I enjoy the hour and a half, even if it doesn't make me miss Battlestar Galactica less. But there are enough hokey missteps, like Adama hooking up with Becca, the creepy half-machine cave worms, and yet another new Cylon soldier, as well as a glimpse at an early attempt of a human-model Cylon (interestingly voiced by Six herself, Tricia Helfer), that prevent this from being quality entertainment. Adama is close enough to events in Caprica to understand what the Cylons actually are. Why doesn't that play a role here?

What really kills Blood & Chrome for me is the reuse of BG and Caprica alum as new characters. Cotton only has a bit part in BG: Razor, so that's not too bad, but most of the rest of the cast, including Adrian Holes, Leo Li Chiang, Mike Dopud, Carmen Moore, Allison Warnyca, Sebastian Spence, Zak Santiago, Colin Corrigan, Jill Teed, Ty Olsson, Brian Markinson, and John Pyper-Ferguson are already present in other stories as different characters, and still recognizable from their previous roles. This really destroys any believability, and is definitely the absolute worst thing about Blood & Chrome.

On the positive side of the chart, for those keeping score, are the special effects. One would swear previous BG sets have just been upgraded, but pretty much this entire movie is green screen, so they've actually been digitally re-created. It's OK that the hanger bay and control room are busier and fuller than in the previous series, because this is Galactica at the height of her service, fully manned and equipped. It all looks so real, if they hadn't included an intriguing twenty-two minute featurette as an extra, showing how they created the sets, I wouldn't believe it. I can't think of another series that has done effects this good.

Which means that Blood & Chrome looks and sounds spectacular in high definition. Much care goes into every detail of the design, and with all the computer work, they are able to make everything super sharp. The colors are mostly of a dark palate, but there is such a broad spectrum represented that one could easily forget that, seeing how rich it looks. The soundtrack is not as sweeping as its predecessors, but again, is flawless.

Blood & Chrome is made by design and programming nerds, and it shows. Story takes a back seat to effects, and the visuals are mind-blowing. It's an example of what a new BG could look like, and is definitely an argument to bring some incarnation of the show back. Just not this one, because we need the story part of it, too.

Besides the aforementioned featurette, there are about ten or so deleted scenes. That's it on the extras, sadly.

Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome is available as a Blu-ray / DVD / Digital Copy / Ultraviolet combo pack now.

Hellcats Fall 2010 Overview

     The CW's Hellcats is not just Bring It On: The Series. Nor is it another 90210. It's a teen (or just past teen) drama, sure, with all the usual affairs and scandalous twists. But it's also an inspiring sports series, as those cheerleaders are very much athletes, and there's some legal mystery tossed in for flavor. Plus, a few unnecessary, but fun, dance numbers a la Glee. I guess that's what makes it worth watching. There are plenty of elements to keep things interesting.

     After eleven episodes, I'm still not particularly impressed with the cast. They're decent, but not above average. I am most enjoying Matt Barr as Dan Patch. Dan is certainly the most likable, and the most in touch with who he is of the central characters. He also carries the Memphis accent pretty much by himself; even the other characters who are from the area seem to have shed it. Perhaps it's because he's a townie, while the rest are integrated with the college students, who arrive from all over. Lead Alyson Michalka is also one of the better ones, as many of her emotional scenes are played on her face, rather than dialogue. Her disconnect from others is part of the character trait, so her tendency to underact at times seems like a choice rather than a failure.

     I do have to give credit to Heather Hemmens's Alice. While she was established as the villain from day one, her motivations have been made clear, and even made viewers sympathetic to her bitterness. As the episodes this fall unfolded, it was clear that Alice did have lines she would not cross, even if she went further than most characters would. She's not completely disloyal to those around her, even if she often puts herself first. It's the subtleties that make her character successful, and Hemmens does accomplish those with grace.

     One quick criticism. Marti joined the Hellcats as a replacement for the injured Alice. Alice healed from injuries several episodes before the fall finale, and yet, how they both fit on the team now has never been dealt with. There are only a certain number of flyers the Hellcats can accommodate at once. It appears to me that Marti kept the flyer position, and Alice just dances now. But is that how it is? It would have been nice to have dealt with that on screen.

     As mentioned before, there is some legal plot going on, with Marti investigating an old case for an inmate named Travis (Ben Cotton), whom she has come around to believing innocent. I will certainly not knock the series for trying something different, and adding such an odd element to their show. Odd, considering that most of the scenes deal with college cheerleaders. However, it almost feels like it should be its own spin-off. It's like there are two different series going on at once. Should Hellcats continue for a few years, I could totally see Marti and Morgan Pepper (Craig Anderson) doing their own law-based series, leaving the other characters to the cheering. It could be quite enjoyable.

     I guess that subplot, though, demonstrates a level of realism that imbibes Hellcats. Life is complicated, and people are involved with several different things at once. Keeping the principal cast small (only six), and using supporting characters as support, rather than giving them their own plots (for the most part), has allowed Hellcats to do what other shows cannot, as they are too involved trying to serve everyone, and don't allow any one character too much depth.

     Yes, I did say in the preceding paragraph that there are six main characters, even though seven names appear in the opening credits. Wanda (Gail O'Grady) might as well be supporting, as she really only pops up in Marti's arcs. I know O'Grady is a talented actress from her previous work, and could handle a larger piece of the Hellcats world. But I really like Wanda in her current space, and there is something to be said for someone who can play that type of character and do it so engrossingly. As such, I would not lobby for a change in Wanda's part, other than perhaps a few more one-liners every now and then.

     A large part of this fall has concerned getting the Hellcats to qualify for the national championships. Yet, the cheerleading saga has not choked out the other story. It's something that has hung over everyone, but not consumed them except when it needed to. It justifies the title of the series, but does not define it. I like that.

     I love, love, love the Bill Marsh (Aaron Douglas, Battlestar Galactica) character. Having grown up in a town and a high school where football players were often above the rules that applied to everyone else, it's thrilling to see such a corrupt athletic department, with emphasis on the football program. It's so bad that one of the athletes, Lewis (Robbie Jones), actually quit the team in protest. Sure, other shows have toyed with the idea, but I can't remember one that delivered so evil a character as Bill. I personally believe football players and the game are often too glorified, and like seeing them taken down a peg. Well, at least in viewers of the show's opinions of them, as no one can watch Hellcats and like what's happening under Bill's leadership.

     That being said, there are plenty of great coaches in the real world like Red Raymond (Jeff Hephner). Introduced as a thorn in Vanessa's (Sharon Leal) side, he, like Alice, has grown into something more complicated. He's a truly moral coach, trying to keep the crap away from his players and his team. The one time he did cross that moral line was to help out Vanessa, and so his action can be excused. Red has power, but not enough to change the system. More coaches (and athletic directors) like Red could change the sport, and keep experiences like the one in the show from happening too often.

     On top of all of that other stuff, the series still takes time to work on religion. Savannah (Ashley Tisdale, High School Musical) was home schooled, and originally attended a very religious college. She transferred to Lancer, but her younger sister, Charlotte (Emma Lahana) remains at home, in the religious school, and in the church. Charlotte is pregnant, go figure, while Savannah remains a virgin. It's a commentary on the stifling affects that can be had being raised in uber-religious families. But Savannah is a positive role model for the faithful, and shows that a balance between the holy and the secular produces great individuals. The series doesn't demonize religion, but provides several different viewpoints into how faith affects people, and the children they raise.

     Overall, it's a pretty good show. I can't point to many weak points that need fixing, and they've covered a lot in eleven episodes. As I said, all of the actors are at least decent, and will surely grow better with time. The story arcs are excellent, and the different elements coming to the table are pretty well mixed. While not life-altering, it earns a season pass on my TiVo, and is worth watching.

     Hellcats is currently taking a winter break, but will return January 25th to the CW.

For frequent mini-reviews and occasional tv news, follow Jerome on Twitter.

Article first published as TV Review: Hellcats - Fall 2010 Overview on Blogcritics.