Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome

Battlestar Galactica is a great series and Blood and Chrome is a worthy prequel to it. I won't go as far to say that it's perfect, the dialogue while mostly fine could have done with more polish, it did have some cheesiness, the story does drag a little towards the end and Lili Bordon shows little charisma. However, it is well made, the special effects are generally well-crafted and not too overused, the photography is solid and the interiors are striking. Credit must be made for the attempt to make it true to the series. The music is rousing and atmospheric, while the story is fun, doesn't take itself too seriously and maintains attention throughout(again doing a good job trying to respect the series) and the characters are written into the story well and are interesting. The acting I was very impressed by, Ben Cotton is the best of the lot, very charismatic and successfully bringing maturity to the story. Luke Pasquallino is likable in the lead role. John Pyper-Ferguson is under-utilised but not enough to still make an impression.

All in all, not on the same level as the series but still quite good. 7/10 Bethany Cox

I was happy with the prequel web-miniseries "Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome" (2012) – it really seemed like a return to form to the immensely popular first two seasons of the TV show. I'd give it an 8 out of 10. Gone are the weird and confusing plot lines involving divine intervention and … (sigh) angels. Instead we're treated to a decent, escapist and gratifying sci-fi war-adventure story, with a few gritty horror elements thrown in to remind us that this is still Ron Moore's unique Battlestar Galactica universe. It seemed to consciously emulate "Aliens" (1986), which is a direction I think a lot of BSG fans would have been thrilled with. (I'm a little confused about whether the SyFy Channel intended this as a possible pilot for a regular TV series … it seems that way, from how it's written.)

There are also nice nods to the series, its followup prequel series, "Caprica," and even the original 1970's TV show. I loved how one key actor/actress appeared to lend his/her voice to really nail a nice surprise in the finale. That's some damn fun continuity right there, and awesome fan service.

It's a shaky pilot (?) in some ways. Young William Adama is a two- dimensional clone of "Starship Troopers'" Johnny Rico, though he does grow a bit by the end of the story. There are also other clichés – at one point a commander states something along the lines of "the fate of the entire war hinging on this battle!!" Ugh. Another flaw was its inclusion of actors from the series – in different roles. It was probably cool for Moore to keep it in the family and give these talented people additional high-profile work. (My personal favorite is the great, underused character actor Ty Olsson.) But it's jarring, and takes you right out of the story – sometimes you're too busy saying, "Hey! It's THAT guy!" to get immersed in the show.

Still, this was cool and exciting and fun. What a shame it's (apparently) not turning into a regular series.

Blood and Chrome is the weakest piece of the modern Battlestar Galactica universe. Battlestar Galactica was brilliant because it combined superb acting, writing, direction, cinematography, special effects, and music. It was satisfying both intellectually and emotionally, probing compelling issues while also delivering adrenaline.

Caprica wasn't quite at the same level, or at least not as consistently successful. Like all prequels, it had to be both engaging in its own right and merge neatly with the existing narrative. It set up an intriguing world, populated with a somewhat uneven cast of characters, but the gap between where it began and where it would have to end if it was going to leave off where BG began was too great. That gap might have ultimately been spanned over the course of four or five seasons, but Caprica wasn't strong enough in its own right to be sustained for that long. Given how well any series must do in order to avoid cancellation, the producers of Caprica would have done better to plot out a two- or three-season series that would feel throughout as though it was building momentum toward BG itself. That was a tall order and they didn't manage it. Caprica is worth watching but feels unfinished. (Then again, the last season of BG itself wasn't nearly as good as what came before it.)

Blood and Chrome looks like a member of the BG/Caprica family but only superficially. It's weaker in almost every way, except perhaps visually. As a piece of generic space-based sci fi it's quite average: you've got space ships, good and evil, battle scenes, tension, death and destruction. But it's not actually interesting. It lacks any of the exploration of compelling questions that animated BG and, to a lesser extent, Caprica. BG and Caprica were series that might just appeal to viewers who didn't ordinarily care for sci fi. Not Blood and Chrome. It has nothing to say about the human condition, doesn't ask any questions, doesn't provoke any thought. In short, it lacks the critical core qualities that made Battlestar Galactica unusual and wonderful.

For something that was made to air over the internet and be released on disc a few months later, Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome is a spectacular and valiant effort that comes out on top. There isn't much for me to say about the series, besides its great music, astounding visuals, and intense action, but that fans of the series MUST see this! Purchase the full extended cut when it's released in February; it'll be worth it, especially since the series is getting better with every segment released on Machinima.

P.S. To anyone that is or is going to watch this, try to get more viewers to see it because if there are more, then they might greenlight the full series

I love this and think it's a fantastic start too what could have been another great series, but wait, enter SyFy so they can over-think it again. I love Caprica, I loved BSG, and I love this and I cannot believe the intellectual void that would not put this on the air, in favor of plenty of wrestling, what does wrestling have to do with Science Fiction anyway? Would someone please help me understand that one.

Anyway, I am rambling, and my review is becoming pointless. Please SyFy, if you have an ounce of intelligence, don't wave this one under our noses like you did Caprica and then yank the carpet out from underneath our feet.