‘Caprica’ aims to pick up where BSG left off, Tony Jaa returns for more spectacular Muay Thai kung-fu action, and two very non-asian-robot guys get set to release a very human record.

This week we leave our beloved Battlestar Galactica behind with what we only hope will be a fitting final episode. Tears may be shed, questions may be answered, something will almost certainly explode. Whether or not it’s a satisfying conclusion remains to be seen. But love or hate how it all wraps up, where do we turn next for a sci-fi show of the same caliber? (Or is that Syfy?) I’m sure its makers are hoping we stay tuned for the upcoming spin-off, Caprica.

Get your first taste of the future-past with this trailer on SciFi.com if you haven’t already.

Two potential issues come to mind immediately. It isn’t slated to begin until some time in 2010 — which already sounds like the future, doesn’t it? Are any cylons reading this right now? — with only a feature-length prequel DVD coming out next month to win us over. Fans will probably all buy, download or Netflix it to see if the creators can deliver in a way that fulfills the colossal expectations they’ve built up with Battlestar. If the debut doesn’t fire on all cylinders though, the former faithful may not wait til next year to write it off. Especially since the key elements of cool space battles and man vs. robot firefights would appear to be wholly absent. Without the traditional mainstays of science fiction action sequences, some of the draw may be missing as well.

Of course, the more important elements that pushed Battlestar from simply fun to legitimately fantastic were not the superficial pyrotechnics, and fans have proved that patience isn’t an issue. What made the current series stand out were the ways it created a believable and complex alternate universe, and then filled it with compelling human stories involving characters with depth. Basically, the things you need to do sci-fi right. The military/terrorist themes can be traded for more intimate family drama, the starfighter conflicts can be replaced by mystery and suspense on a more personal level. And not being limited to the inside of a fleet of ships will certainly expand on the potential cast and setting options.

It won’t be the same show, by any means, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s doomed to be disappointing. As long as it stays smart and sophisticated, and doesn’t strain too hard to constantly nudge-and-wink at what came before/after in the fiction, it could be a welcome evolution instead of just a cash-in proposition. Mature and thoughtful sci-fi could certainly use another shining example, and I for one am willing to trust this team for another go.

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Speaking of another go, very few sequels are an instant ‘I must watch this‘. Most movies don’t deserve a sequel, the ones that we want to see more of are rarely improved upon when one is made, and we all know this and accept it as true. Let’s not even talk about prequels.

Looking nothing like the previous film but possibly several times as kickass, is Ong Bak 2, whose trailer you can see at Trailer Addict.

Honestly, I don’t know how Tony Jaa isn’t a household name by now. Ong Bak and The Protector are not great movies — in the same way 95% of action classics are not great movies — but goddamn if they’re not amazing. As in, full of jaw-dropping action sequences that defy belief. Scenes that are flat-out difficult to watch without screaming, ‘Oh Shit!’ at the screen. Jaa applies knees to faces the way Rambo applies bullets to southeast Asian militias: often, with relish, and the greatest of ease. He’s of the ‘real fight’ school, where wires aren’t allowed and things are orchestrated to pinpoint, balls-barely-clearing-the-moving-vehicle-he-just-jumped-over precision. And this time he has swords.

From Motion/Captured’s report from SXSW, this sounds like more of the glorious action Jaa’s delivered in the past. For added intrigue, apparently just getting this made was a crazy story: he broke down halfway through production, cried on national television surrounded by rumors of practicing black magic — no, I’m not making this up — fled to meditate in the jungle, and returned months later claiming strange men were following him, then completed the movie anyway. Not only does he do his own stunts, he works through his own paranoid breakdowns. This is one guy you do not want to mess with, on screen or off.

Unfortunately, he is not a household name, and we will have to wait until the fall to even get a limited release for this baby. Those living in cities with open-minded theatre owners, flip to the October page of your calendars right now and write a note, preferably in blood, reminding yourselves to go check out Ong Bak 2 when it releases. If enough people go, we might have a chance of seeing the third installent before Tony Jaa does something even crazier — like join Scientology.

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Last up, a quick ‘where did these guys come from?’ note (spoiler alert, the answer is Canada) on a band I discovered recently listening to the infinitely recommendable KEXP: Music That Matters podcast. Every once in a while they feature a band that makes me drop whatever I’m doing to find out more, which in this post-radio, mp3-blog-buffet culture is an increasingly rare and wonderful moment.

This particular band is called Japandroids, and their song ‘Young Hearts Spark Fire’ was also featured as a KEXP Song of the Day.

Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire

What stopped me in my tracks was the lo-fi simplicity and throwback emo vibe. Think 90’s Promise Ring, not 00’s My Chem. The earnest and impassioned lyrics, not to mention the almost bombastic drumming, gives the song a timeless appeal whether you feel a pang of nostalgia for the jangle-and-fuzz guitar sounds or not. You’ll be as surprised as I was that all this energy is coming from only a duo of Vancouver rockers, showing that sometimes two guys and some good ideas can go just as far as a menagerie of artsy indie kids with eclectic instrument collections.

Their album, Post-Nothing (great title), comes out April 28th on Unfamiliar Records, but if you can’t wait like I couldn’t, it’s currently streaming in its entirety on the CBC radio site along with some of their previous songs.