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The Predator (2018)
The dumbest Predator yet!
If you ever pondered what a Predator colon tastes like then search no further because after tossing the salad of this film you will come away with the distinct impression that something alien sat on your face and left a steaming pile of crap. Hollywood doesn't care about putting out a quality film anymore. Director/Writer Shane Black deficates a travesty that will go down in the "annals" of film lore as a true ATM experience. For those who call themselves "real Predator" fans, let's go down the list shall we: 1. Badly written/directed - this story attempted to borrow from Predator, Predator 2, Predators, AVP: Requiem, Independence Day, and DOOM. This story was obviously written by someone with the mental depth of South Park and whose favorite pasttime is playing w/ the fart bubbles of others.
- The original Predator could be shot and injured, but because of his technology, speed, strength, and weapons, he was usually able to avoid being fatally wounded. Apparently, Predators are now impervious to being shot MULTIPLE times by automatic weapon fire and not be injured, but if a suicidal idiot decides to throw himself down the intake of a Pred ship to burn out the engine then that makes sense - REALLY?
- Why do Predators need hunting dogs? Especially lame ones from first Ghostbuster movie - REALLY?
- When you capture an alien, make sure that he is secured to something other than a hi-tech gurney and that if he even blinks that there is a super lethal means of taking him down. Having an untrained teacher chase down a super alien with a tranquilizer gun like she is GI Jane is dumb.
- What happened to Weylan/Yutani? Apparently the Director/Writer is too much of a dufus to do some basic homework to be able to include this corporate entitty in any meanginful way. Instead we get a scientific organization run by the half-wit son of the original Mr Keyes, and some foul-mouth imbecil, Traeger. - REALLY?
- Why would an elite US military sniper nab alien goodies instead of turning it over to the US gov that he is sworn to serve? - REALLY?
- The key to unlocking the predator mystery is an asperger kid? - REALLY?
- The moronic comedy duo of "Got Jokes for Your Mama", aka Coyle (Keegan-Michael Key), and "SSSTTTUUUUDDDEEERRRIIINNNGGG" tourette syndrome Baxley (Thomas Jane) have an exclusive mutual suicide pact? - REALLY?
- For some reason, a space-faring species has been experimenting w/ inferior human DNA so that they can evolve to being stronger? smarter? - REALLY? Then the science project offspring wants to betray its own kind in order to save humanity? - REALLY?
If you say that you are a real fan, then ask yourself what quotable line from this movie will fans being saying 30+ years from now? That's right, don't waste your time seeing this movie.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
MI-4: Toilet Protocol (w/ spoilers)
Easily the worst in the MI franchise. It's movies like this that make me wonder how movies ever get made. The story is a badly regurgitated Cold War plot that requires the ghosted IMF team to stop a Russian physicist trained in special forces martial arts from acquiring nuke launch codes and starting Armageddon.
Apparently, since the global economic downturn, a spy organization as sophisticated as IMF doesn't have the budget for foolproof self-destruct phones anymore. The newly assembled ghost IMF team is comprised of incompetent misfits;
Ethan Hunt - As every super hero since Superman and Batman can tell you, personal relationships can be difficult, particularly if you choose a "civilian" (non-super hero) to be your spouse resulting in every demented supper villain coming after them as a means of striking at the Achilles' Heal of the super hero - Duh. Ethan was well aware of this danger since MI-1 when Kittridge used coded news footage of his aunt/uncle being arrested to uncover his location. Everything that Ethan hunt did was pointless; he saved a fellow Russian prisoner as future collateral for contacting a Russian connected with black market weapons - unnecessary and he probably could have gotten the same information from a Google search. He infiltrated the Kremlin as an aged but youthfully well built Russian general and failed to prevent a national disaster, resulting in an annoyingly re-occurring cat-and-mouse chase with Russian intelligence. Lastly, he has a wife that he can never talk to - huh?
Benji (the tech guy) - is plagued by delusions of grandeur and suffers from AADD. Even when presented with the opportunity to go undercover in Russia, Benji just can't manage to shut up, even though his "English" mutterings might just give away the fact that he is not a Russian officer. Every gadget this guy touches malfunctions. Apparently, the American version of James Bond's "Q" leaves much to be desired.
Agent Carter - after leading a failed op that resulted in the death of not only her key agent, but apparently a secret love interest, she battles with a schizophrenic bout of manic depression. When ordered not to kill potentially important sources of information what does she do - she kills the important source of information (instead of properly incapacitating them - what, no knock out serum?). During her one important mission to seduce an Indian mogul, she displays a neurosis that oddly proves sadistically seductive. The goal is to procure his coded access to his satellite in order to prevent the Russian physicist from transmitting his launch codes. Which they ultimately fail to do. But thankfully there is always a backup shutdown switch in a briefcase!
Agent Bradt - another failed agent whose covert mission to protect Ethan and his wife while on vacation ended in a muddled cover-up operation to disguise Ethan's wife' witness protection plan as a faked death. Otherwise, he is utterly useless in preventing his boss from being killed or bad guys getting lose.
Bottom line, the story was underwhelming and lacked a clever/complex layered story, and was instead a sappy, corny, comedic parody of previous MI films. So, if you are expecting hi-octane drama, nail biting suspense, and memorable acting, skip MI-4 and see War Horse.
Doom (2005)
DOOM - Avoid at all costs!
If your looking for a film packed with numbing fear and clever suspense, then avoid this cinematic travesty and rent Aliens, Predator, or Resident Evil instead. DOOM is the latest entry for the worst video game-turned-movie. Anytime one goes to see a movie of this genre, expectations are usually low, but you hold out to be amazed by a screenplay that will elevate the story to something multi-layered, engrossing, and surprising. DOOM is a failure at every turn. While DOOM barely glosses over the A-B-C's (Action, Background (Story), Characters), it does so as if it were developed by a 10 year old. This movie should have been called DUMB. It's truly sad in an action film where the only love interest is between brother and sister! The Rapid Response Tactical Squad - what a joke; a group of hardened Space Marines who aren't even packing night vision goggles! By the year 2145, shouldn't NVG technology should be more advanced - ocular implants maybe? If the marines are looking for a few good men, then how did they ever end up with this bunch of malcontent misfits? Between giving away their position to every monster on the station, to exhibiting masochistic behavior, planning dates with underage hermaphrodites, and massacre the very people they were sent to protect, when were these "marines" going to do their mission? Somehow there is an ancient race of humans on Mars that are so advanced that they cracked the code for DNA manipulation, yet they didn't discover how to write anything down! Not to mention intact and upright skeletal remains. What happened to the structural remnants of this advanced civilization? The screenplay writers apparently don't mind asking for the audience to remain blissfully ignorant while they rob you of your money that was wasted on such tripe.
The FPS (First Person Shooter) scene was cool, but unfortunately this is the only element that was truly faithful to the game.
The characters were standard fare, but either borderline insane or sadistic: Sarge - The Rock's acting performance was good, but unfortunately the direction for his character degenerated into a Mei Lei massacre Part II syndrome.
Reaper - Boring. I always enjoy watching a manic depressant head-case with a conscience. He should keep his day job as a Necromonger.
Duke - Not the brightest bulb in the pack, but he at least didn't die a sucker's death by being trapped in a nano-wall - he just got pulled through a metal grate instead. It was such a shame too because the burgeoning romance with Doc. Grimm was just about to blossom.
Destroyer - Outside of carrying a big gun (barrowed from Predator) and having a fear of monkeys, I guess his only redeeming value is that he may have a future career as a wrestler.
Goat - An ideal candidate for the psych ward. Has a problem with heresy but not with killing? I guess he's working his way slowly through the ten commandments in between his remedial reading classes and anger management counseling.
Portman - How this psychopath made it through a screening process for anyone's military is a major question. Complete disregard for authority, bordering on mutiny. Lack of training - taking the time to leave your buddy just so that he could answer nature's call. I don't know about anyone else, but don't think that I'd be in the mood to take a dump anywhere near a place full of carnivorous non-friendlies.
The Kid - An utterly useless crack head. How did he even make it through basic training, let alone become part of an elite special operations unit? Mac - what a waste of a character! Other than some grunts and about 2 lines of dialog Mac's death was pointless.
Dr. Grimm - has to be either the most clueless or naive scientist on Mars.
Basically, save yourself some time, money, and mental anguish and wait for the DVD rental which should be out in time for Christmas.
Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Battlestar Galactica is a Black Hole of Imagination
It is far easier for those that are originality-challenged to "sample" from an old classic that has instant name recognition than to "imagine" something that bears any resemblance to something unique. The New Battlestar Galactica (NBG) is nothing more than a regurgitated amalgamation of other Sci-Fi TV shows and movies (Space Above and Beyond, Wing Commander, Starship Troopers) with elements borrowed from yet others ('Replicants' from Blade Runner, and '7 of 9' from ST:V). Sadly, it is not just that NBG intentionally divorces itself from the Original Battlestar Galactica (OBG) it takes the highly unimaginative route of assimilating all of the cool stuff from other sources and re-labeling the finished product as a re-imagination. While NBG is good entertainment, it is hardly deserving of its own hype. But the NBG creators are only victims of the fanatical trend to reproduce old classics. In short, the OBG was a new universe complete with differences in language, culture, and technology a universe that was somewhat set apart from the one that we are familiar with. While the OBG had a look that was stylish and new, it still retained a feeling that its origins were ancient - unlike the NBG which looks freshly micro-waved. Remember that the OBG had to fight for its viewing audience against other TV networks in competitive time slots while also fighting against the stereotype that it was nothing more than Star Wars Jr. Comparatively speaking, NBG has it easy. But the NBG creators were so enamored by their ability to create cool sfx that they became lazy and complacent when it came time to seriously dissect the OBG story and retell it from a new perspective.
Despite all of the criticism of the OBG by the NBG creators they have achieved little (so far) in satisfying there own story discrepancies, let alone improving upon the original story premise or elements. What makes a Cylon a Cylon? Why are Cylons called Cylons? Why did they revolt? Why do the Cylons need to develop other versions that are capable of evolving their programming to include human emotions and sensibilities? As with many other creation versus creator stories, the created are a product of their creators; so a human Cylon look-alike would be expected to aspire to be human, whereas a Cylon look-alike created by a race of computer toasters should be more akin to the Terminator. So why all of the subterfuge? Why produce bimbo infiltrator agents? The answer is simple: because it makes for good entertainment. Why complicate things with a comprehensive, multi-layered story with compelling characters, action, and comic relief when you can get away with a sci-fi soap opera. NBG lacks any sense of suspense you don't have to wonder about motivation. To date, all that has been revealed about the Cylon origin is that there was some kind of toaster revolt, the humans managed to fight to a stalemate, and the Gen-0 Cylons high-tailed it out of town whereabouts unknown.
Fans that like the NBG have hailed it for its gritty realism. But what about plausibility? Militarily, the Cylons appear to be formidable, almost undefeatable; superior weapons, advanced technology (e.g., genetic cyborg clones), and deadly effective tactics. The Cylons have every tactical advantage: element of surprise, a secret base of operations, replenish-able numerical superiority, and no human weaknesses (conscience, emotional liabilities, and 'slow' intellects). If NBG were a chess game, the Cylons would possess every advantage needed to checkmate the humans: time, position, and material not to mention superior processing power. The battle between humans and Cylons boils down to one factor: Birth Rate (Humans) versus Manufacturing Rate (Cylons). What was stopping the Cylons from mounting an all-out frontal offensive against their former Colonial masters? From an historical perspective, the advantage during a siege resides with the attacker because they can 'starve' the defenders into submission. The Cylons don't have to worry about a timetable, because for all intents and purposes, they are immortal. So what if the Cylons engaged the humans in a centuries old battle time is on their side. For example what if every 33 minutes the colonial planetary defenses were bombarded by nuclear weapons capable of projecting a 'scrambler' that would render these defenses useless? Why not send the Cylon equivalent of a 'Typhoid Mary' as a delivery device for a highly lethal bio-genetically engineered pathogen with a timed activation perhaps timed to coincide with a sneak attack? All of these suggestions are story killers, but they point out the lack of plausible reality that the NBG creators used to develop their version of the BG universe. Much of the NBG's story doesn't add up, yet but maybe they'll get around to making sense, eventually. So, despite my continued reservations, I am willing to give NBG a chance and to judge it on its own merits and not as a scion of the original. But I will not be so easily won over.
Catwoman (2004)
Not Purrrfect But Far From Catastrophic
In the modern age of 'girl power', the 3 S's - strong, sexy, and smart, were powerfully represented in Catwoman 2004. The original three Catwomen (Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt (1966-68 TV series), and Lee Meriwether (1966 movie)) embodied these qualities in uniquely creative ways. Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman (1992 movie Batman Returns) was adequate, yet one-dimensional her Catwoman was 'campy' and lacked the degree of sensual sexuality portrayed so vividly by her predecessors. Catwoman 2004 was okay Halle shouldn't be expecting an Oscar nomination, but the movie doesn't deserve the scurrilous scrutiny that it has thus far received. Halle's Catwoman is intentionally unique a blending of the old with a pinch of the new. The way that some people are reacting, one would have thought that Halle's Catwoman suit had experienced a wardrobe malfunction. Its major shortcomings are twofold (POTENTIAL SPOILER):
1. Catwoman 2004 was more soap opera than comic. An evil cosmetic empire doesn't quite fill the all time comic listing for villainy. The current trend of making action films more appealing to the larger female demographic by sacrificing the testosterone action (favored by adolescent males, ages 15 to 55) in lieu of the softer romantic elements only results in taking the 'edge' off. Catwoman, like Batman, is born from tragedy. Her story, therefore, should have been modeled more after Batman darker and with a subtle hint of misfortune, even heartbreak.
2. It did not feature a major comic villain. Since the movie was going for the toxic makeup why not use it as an opportunity to debut 'Clayface' with Lambert Wilson or as a female re-imagination with Sharon Stone. This one change would have tied together the cosmetic company and the toxic makeup in a typical comic storyline. Doing so would have potentially achieved the same results as Jack Nicholson's Joker. Stone's character never fully achieved a villain status. (SPOILER) When she orders Patience to be flushed, it is done off-camera, as is the murder of her husband. Comic villains need to earn their notoriety.
There are three key areas that Catwoman 2004 needed to fulfill in order to successfully make the transition from comic to film Story/Action/Characters:
1a. STORY (Origin of the hero/villain) Establishes the background of the main characters (romantic interests, friends/family/cohorts, etc
), their motivations, how their powers/abilities are derived, and their inner journey of discovery (either good or bad). Heroes are fine, but everyone loves to hate a great bad guy/girl.
1b. STORY (Translation) (1) Translation of the essential story elements from the comic to a mixed audience (those who are avid fans and those who are 'un-read' newcomers), and (2) A measured degree of modernization since many of the mainstream comics have been around for almost 40+ years.
2a. ACTION (Hero/Villain Confrontation) The quintessential showdown is a mainstay of the comic genre.
2b. ACTION (Cinematography/Computer Visualization) Technology has evolved to the extent that film creators can now virtually produce anything visually with the aid of computers and digital technology. The challenge should not be how much computer generation (CG) one can pack into a scene for the sake of doing it (which unfortunately, is so often the case), but how best to compliment the story credibly and not in a cartoonish or fake manner.
3. CHARACTERS (Cast selection) How accurately a chosen actor comes to personify the essence of the character they are portraying; mannerisms/body language, chemistry with other actors, and screen presence.
With all this being said I would give Catwoman the following scores: Story (6/10) (1) Catwoman's origin was convincingly explained, (2) Patience Phillips had a life before Catwoman (albeit hectic and devoid of fun), (3) the romance between Patience and Tom Lone was sizzling (who wouldn't want to go one-on-one with Halle, even if you might get scratched?), (4) the story development was adequate, considering the fact that Catwoman as a comic book character has traditionally been supplementary, not primary, and (5) a standard villain should have been used, ideally Clayface.
Action (5/10) An effort was made to give Catwoman her own fighting style, but I am a little tired of movie characters who magically become kung fu masters. Even this aspect can't be explained away by a cat's breath (ancient Egyptian or otherwise) since I have never known of a kung fu kitty.
The CG was a little overdone and lacking at times in visual realism.
Characters (6/10) Cast selection was superb: Halle Berry (Patience Phillips) embodies the 3 S's, on or off screen. Benjamin Bratt (Tom Lone) was a perfect romantic counter point to Halle drawing from his abundant TV/Movie cop experience (Law & Order / Miss Congeniality/Demolition Man). Sharon Stone (Laurel Hedare) is a veteran actress whose 3 S's have matured tastefully and were uncannily well suited for the role. Lambert Wilson (George Hedare) portrays a contemptible character (reminiscent of Matrix II & III) - a derriere silk wiping kinda guy. Alex Borstein (Sally) was outstanding in providing saucy comic relief (When does the 'Ms. Swan' movie debut?).
Overall, it deserves a rating between 5 and 6. Catwoman 2004 wasn't perfect, but it was an enjoyable action film. It wasn't Spiderman, but it sure wasn't Howard the Duck either. If you have a phobia/dislike for cats or you have a pre-disposition for someone other than Halle to play Catwoman, then maybe this isn't the movie for you. But if you're just looking for an entertaining comic film, then give Catwoman a 1-out-of-9 chance.
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
The Amazingly Boring Spiderman
I hate to be a naysayer, but this sequel lacked anything to amount to amazing. For the most part the audience is made to witness the roller-coaster soap-opera love drama of Peter Parker and M.J., which never really sizzled, and is nothing more than the maturing of an adolescent crush. It's easy enough to fall in love, but it is doubly hard to maintain it, especially if one has to worry about their girlfriend or loved-one being kidnapped or continually threatened. I don't know about any other comic book fans, but I enjoy comics that are full of great heroes/villains, compelling story lines, and action that kicks butt. While SM2 did have action it was widely spaced between the slow-paced character development and love story scenes. In this regard, the screenplay writers seemed to have mistakenly decided to take a page from the Incredibly Dull Hulk movie. When the film finally did get to an action scene, the CG guys seemed to have experienced a short-circuit in their ludicrous inhibiter chips; the CG Spiderman appeared too 'rubbery' and the physics engine was ramped up to death-defying.
The first Spiderman film successfully avoided the pitfalls that have plagued the Batman franchise with superb casting, judicious use of believable CG sfx, and a storyline that adapted the original comic into a modern retelling while not sacrificing its essence. Basically, the film translated a comic book story into a cinematic vision that was nicely paced and well balanced; not too much story and not too much action it was just right. Spiderman's origin was well defined and the villain had a convincing motivation. If you are a die-hard romantic, then I guess that this movie was for you.
While I found the internal character conflict of Peter to be compelling, I was more interested in exploring his potential darker nature. In the midst of tremendous financial pressures, somehow Spiderman is able to overcome his inner demons, unlike the tortured Doc Ock. Why not become what the cartoonish villain that the world believes him to be and embrace the darker nature of one who is endowed with supernatural abilities? I couldn't help wondering what the lesser mortals today would do if put in a similar situation. Ergo, the quintessential lesson of Spiderman.
As for the villain, I found Doc Ock a little hollow. If you can get past the implausible techno babble about controlling a sustainable fusion process using cybernetic limbs fused to one's spinal column (I guess he never thought about how to program their cyber AI), I found Doc Ock's motivation a little lacking as brilliant as he is he is rather single-minded in his obsession for his latest science project. Why is he not more tormented by the loss of the great love of his life? Sadly, this story element was quickly dropped and nothing valuable was learned.
Other Observations (Potential Spoilers):
01: The Uncle Ben moment. I presume that every good jedi hero needs a consultation with their mentor, but I found the 'John Edwards' SciFi Channel reunion kinda weird. 'Use your spidey sense Peter!'
02: Yoko Ono rendition of the 'Electric Company's' Spiderman theme song. While scenes where an Asian woman (probably left over from 'American Idol' I guess William Hung was too busy) delivers a quirky version of the old Spidey them song, it was about as enjoyable as listening to fingers scratching across a blackboard and we got to hear it twice! I won't be running to the record store to pick up this single.
03: Elevator scene with comedian Hal Sparks. If the best thing that the screenplay writers could think of for scene interaction between a talented comedic actor and Spiderman was to discuss crotch comfort while on an unusually long elevator ride, then I guess I missed the punch line.
04: Mentos anyone? The sappy scene where Peter Parker is walking down the street to the theme of 'Rain drops keep falling on my head' seemed out of place. I was half expecting Peter to jump into a cab and give the Mentos thumbs up.
05: From Russia with love? Other than milk and cookies, what's the deal with the Russian chick with the big zit? I hope she isn't intended to become some jealous villainess who strikes back in some "pimply" fashion!
Overall, I found the sequel to be a satisfactory filler. I would have enjoyed seeing more character development for Harry Osborn and not the occasional emotional outbursts. I am greatly anticipating the third installment with the foreshadowed appearance of the Hobgoblin. Hopefully it will focus on being a comic book movie versus more corny Spidey-love imagine Spiderman trying to balance fatherhood and being a crime fighter! If you want soul wrenching depth and romance rent 'Romeo and Juliet'.
Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Never create what you can't improve!
By the Lords of Kobol! What have they done!!!
Say what you will about the cheesy retro flash of the original series, it was a much better production than the remake. To say that the remake in any way resembles the original is like comparing Michael Jackson from the Thriller years to the present - while still the same person you just can't believe your eyes. Unlike the original BSG which purposefully and thought provokingly created an immersive universe of grand proportions and epic scale - complete with costumes, language, great heroes & sinister villains, and cool vehicles, BSG2 lacks the emotional depth, compelling storyline, and engaging acting (all of which was accomplished within the first 2-hour airing of the original). Gone are such flavorful references as yahren, sectar, felder carb, etc. although they did manage to retain `frack' - just the word that I would use to describe my emotions after viewing BSG2 Part 1&2. But I suppose that I should be thankful that the creators didn't throw in a Jar Jar character (but be warned, we haven't seen their idea for Boxey's robot pet, Muffy, yet!). The BSG2 creators seem to have succumb to the current fad of being so enamored by what sfx can do that they forgot about the original story plot. Instead, we were presented a soft porn SF soap opera. I commend Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict for being such good sports, but I don't see how they can stand it.
The original BSG was also unafraid of embodying a humble sense of `spiritualism' while at the same time avoiding the trappings and pitfalls of being too preachy. This premise goes directly to the heart of why humanity deserves the right to exist and it defines their optimistic sense of hope. The inclusion of any kind of `spiritualism' in BSG2 seems uncomfortable and out of place, `So say we all!' One element that is sorely missing in BSG2 is the sense of family and community. From the first BSG premier, one could readily feel the ties of loyalty and camaraderie that bound each of the characters together. Even when the 12 Colonies and their Battlestars were annihilated, this `coming together' was done to great dramatic effect in the original BSG. Alternatively, the BSG2 Galactica crew seem indifferent to this enormous loss. The BSG2 creators failed to capture the sense of fear, anger and disbelief felt after such similar events as the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Kennedy assassination, or even 9-11.
In explaining the origin of the Cylons, the new creators did no better than the original, despite their criticisms to the contrary. All that the audience knows is that human kind created a toaster oven that got fed up, upgraded its operating system to Microsoft Windows 3000 (eliminate all of the competition), watched a lot of `Friends' episodes, and overdosed on hormones.
One of the most powerful aspects of the original BSG was the music score. You knew from the beginning of the show that a grand space adventure was about to begin. When the colonial vipers launched into battle you knew that they were about to kick some Cylon ... And at the conclusion of every episode, you knew that despite the odds, the fate of human kind was assured. The artificial keyboard drumbeats during the battle sequences in BSG2 seem like nothing more than filler music.
The space combat scenes are a confused menagerie - you don't get a feel for what anyone is shooting at, when someone is in danger, or the enemy's perspective. The snap zoom camera effect shots are sometimes disconcerting and annoying.
Overall, the characters of BSG2 leave much to be desired. The BSG2 creators obviously wanted to create a new dynamic in the father-son relationship between CMDR Adama and CPT Apollo by using the death of the younger brother, Zak. But the intended visceral impact does not achieve the same intense sense of loss because we never get to see Zak's death as was so dramatically achieved in the original. None of the BSG2 characters really embody a strong sense of purpose or conviction. As for Starbuck - I'm sorry, but could they make Starbuck any more butch! Maybe a name change is in order - Starbutch! Number 6 is a cheap imitation of 7 of 9, more ST Voyeur, need I say more? Even the bad guys lack a definitive evil nature. Baltar was a whinny, sniveling nymphomaniac. I'm sure that he will eventually create some kind of nano-virus technology and even a means of re-modulating the shields to defeat the Cylons - Oops! That's ST TNG. Or maybe he'll develop a Voight-Kampf test to sniff out the Cylon `replicants' - Oops, again, that's Blade Runner.
The original BSG relied on a lot of references to the Egyptian, the Toltec, and the Mayan civilizations (sound familiar?) in crafting the look and feel of the BSG universe, not to mention the core story elements. While I don't have a specific problem with this adaptation, it still hints at the BSG2 creator's insidious predilection for stripping away the foundation that established the creative flow of the original BSG. What the BSG2 creators missed is that not everything has to make scientifically logical sense in a SF film or series. BSG2 lacks a sense of fun and wild abandon. Did any of the BSG2 guys ever play army when they were young, or did they just sit around playing their Atari 2600?