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| Battlestar
Galactica DVD Review |
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Order this DVD from Amazon.com
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Battlestar
Galactica
(Universal Studios
Home Entertainment)
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| DVD
Release Date:
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October
21, 2003
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Length:
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125 mins.
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| Rated:
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PG
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| Format:
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Widescreen (1.85:1)
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Audio:
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English Dolby Digital 1.1 Mono, French Dolby Digital 1.1 Mono
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| Subtitles:
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Closed-Captioned
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| Extras:
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Production
Notes, Cast and Filmmakers' Bios, Web Links, Behind-the-Scenes
Look at the New Battlestar Galactica Mini-Series and Interactive
Game
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I have a vague recollection of watching
Battlestar Galactica as a child. I remember watching for sure - it's
the story that I really don't remember. Gimme a break - I was 5 years
old! So, it was nice going back to it all these years later with the
newly released DVD. I'll admit - the story was okay - but the effects
certainly left something to be desired. But, then again, it was a TV
movie. What more could you expect?
In Battlestar Galactica, the twelve colonies that compose the human
race gather for an unprecedented signing of a peace treaty with their
dreaded enemies, the Cylons. Instead, they are greeted by a surprise
attack and everybody and everything is wiped out - except for the
Battlestar Galactica, lead by Commander Adama (Lorne Green), the only
person who suspected the Cylons may have been setting a trap. So, the
Galactica goes about gathering survivors to rebuild the human race so
that one day they could fight back. The key to their survival is
seeking out the legendary thirteenth colony - Earth. Adama and his
ragtag crew, including Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch) and Lieutenants
Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) and Boomer (Herb Jefferson Jr.) make their
way across the universe, pursued at every turn by the Cylons. When
they are low on fuel and supplies, they make a pit stop at the planet
Carillon, inhabited by the nightmare inducing Ovions. (Yes, I remember
these guys from my childhood and still find them rather frightening!)
Of course, it turns out to be a trap and Galactica finds itself once
again under attack. But of course, Adama suspected as much and was
prepared. So, Galactica wipes out a fleet of Cylons and the movie
ends. What's next? I guess you'll have to check out the rest of the
DVDs released in a separate set (the show went on for two more seasons
of adventures before going off the air) to find out.
How is this DVD, you ask? It wasn't bad. In terms of nostalgia, it
certainly brought back a few memories. But in all honesty, the DVD
would probably be good only to those who watched the series. There
wasn't a whole lot there that would make this one a must-see. Take
Star Wars for example, which this series obviously borrowed very
heavily from. Even if you weren't around back in the late 70's, Star
Wars is still necessary viewing even for the most casual movie fan.
This DVD edition of Battlestar Galactica, on the other hand, is really
only for the diehard fans of the series. Perhaps if a little more work
went into it - if they could have spruced up the DVD to make it look
like more than just a TV show from the 70's. Instead, it just seemed
dated. On the other hand, for a TV show, I will say that it looked
incredible for its time.
For special features, there wasn't as much as I would have expected. I
would have loved to have heard from the filmmakers and stars about
their experiences with this classic series. I always hear about
Richard Hatch and how he wants to re-introduce the series to a new
generation of fans. But it wasn't here, and I'm left to wonder why.
Instead, all we get to go along with the feature presentation are some
pretty lame production notes and cast and crew bios. Hell, they didn't
even mention in Dirk Benedict's filmography that he was an integral
part of The A-Team. What's up with that?!?
Flip over the DVD and you'll get a couple of more features that are
actually pretty exciting. First up, there is the "Behind the
Scenes Look at the Making of the Battlestar Galactica Interactive
Game". It made me actually wish that I owned a Playstation or an
Xbox. Here, there were brief snippets from Hatch and Benedict, but
brief is the key word. Mostly, it's just a preview of the game - but
it works. As a little side note, fans may be interested in the fact
that Kristanna Loken (Terminator 3) provides a voice for the game.
Next, there is a "Sneak Preview into the New Battlestar Galactica
Mini-Series". The new series is a re-imagining of the classic
story with Edward James Olmos playing the role made famous by Lorne
Green. I'd check this out if I got the Sci-Fi channel, but I
unfortunately, I don't - so unless I pick it up on DVD, this preview
is pretty much all I'm gonna see. It looked okay - I don't know what
else I can say. Finally, there are a few previews you might want to
check out for Universal titles such as The Hulk.
So, the Battlestar Galactica DVD was a bit of a disappointment for me.
Sure, it brought back a couple of fond memories, but that's all. I
really expected a lot more. They could have at least fixed it up a
little. Star Wars did it when the re-released the movies back in 1997
and I'm sure they'll do it again when they come to DVD. Since
Galactica is an obvious rip-off, why couldn't they have followed suit?
Where's the restored video? Where's the juiced-up audio? On top of
that, there really aren't any special features here that are even
relevant to the original series. Don't fans of the series really
deserved more?
| The Movie: |
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5/10 |
| The
Extras: |
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2/10 |
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did you think?
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Liam Cullin -
Editor
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