Caprica

Title: Caprica
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Drama, Sci Fi
Starring: Esai Morales (NYPD Blue), Magda Apanowicz (Kyle XY)

For those of you familiar with the remake of the TV show ‘BattleStar Galactica,’ the name is probably ringing alarm bells, and rightly so. For less rampant fans, allow me to elaborate. Following the demise of BSG, the ‘sci-fi channel’ was quick to recruit writer Ronald D. Moore for a spin off, chronicling the birth of the cylon – at this stage rather akin to a ‘Terminator’ in its military purposes – closely following the Graystone family and Adama family 58 years before the start of BSG. What is presented is a drama set on Caprica exploring what gave rise to the war between man and machine. Set to debut some time next year, this 90 minute pilot episode can be considered a teaser film for what to expect in the future.

Whereas before the writers already had a framework to work with, here he is creating an entirely new situation, with new characters, and for the most part they have done a remarkable job, creating enough of a tie-in with his previous work whilst capable of being unique enough to stand on its own two feet. In particular, the plot feels strong, not necessarily through the main story which feels simplistic compared to many films, but rather in the manner he creates a rich and well thought out backdrop. The inclusion of the race of Tauron’s, treated with disdain and distrust by the citizens of Caprica with racial slander making a prominent appearance (there are numerous references to ‘dirt-eating Taurons’). Then there is the inclusion of religion ranging from an unnamed religion worshipping the goddess Athena, amongst others to ‘The brotherhood of the One,’ a sort of extremist monotheistic religion. There are even references to other planets, most notably ‘Geminon’ which appears to be a highly religious planet, and it is known there are multiple other planets, all of which allow ample breathing space for elaboration in the future.

The acting itself feels for the most part mediocre, with particular performances from the two aforementioned ‘stars,’ but where the universe has been well thought out, the character development feels minimal. They currently stand as rather 2-dimensional, with obvious and simplistic emotions, and no actor can accurately pin a particular scene without first understanding the motivation behind their actions. This, in particular, is a major concern of mine, especially considering the manner in which BSG worked, where the characters would drive the plot. A relatively minor event would spark a chain reaction amongst the characters, each behaving differently, creating an interesting array of ethical dilemmas, and a major event would be capable of rapidly shaking up the entire story. This unfortunately hasn’t occurred here, and it currently feels very plot driven, and ultimately suffers for it.

The use of CGI was for the most part well utilised, particularly considering it is all done in-house with the minimal budget the channel is able to afford, only feeling poor during a couple of scenes, and the use of technology at no point felt overwhelming. Everything used became readily apparent as to what it was for, and its use didn’t detract from the earthy and realistic nature of the story. Things aren’t crisp and perfect, the trains look advanced from our own technology but still felt dirty and worn, the use of holographic glasses was quickly perverted from its original intention and is mainly used for piracy and porn (you can’t tell me *that* isn’t realistic), everything is worked in such a way to stay grounded.

The writers manage to tastefully include plot elements from religion, ethics and race into a cohesive situation, and this is a good first step in recreating something that lives up to his past reputation. It is largely the characters themselves that cause me concern; their back story desperately warrants attention, and I have a suspicion that many of the actors will need to improve their performances before this can be considered a success. This pilot film shows a great deal of promise, but its not there yet.