The Show
By 2003, the whole of science fiction had stalled, had been stagnating, mired in an infinite loop of clichés. The fundamental problem with sci-fi, and the reason so many people are put off by it, is the mental energy that most writers expend making it all so different from our own lives: In the future we'll all eat out of test tubes, thoughts will be uploaded into our brains, and no more walking, jetpacks for everyone! Out of this maelstrom of nonsense came the last hundred or so Star Trek spin-offs, where the impossible technobabble flew so fast and furious you need a stress pill just to forget it all, and there wasn't a problem in the universe that couldn't be solved by rerouting the main engines through the forward phaser array.
From the beginning, David Eick and Ronald D. Moore's ground-up reboot of Glen Larson's 1970's TV series Battlestar Galactica was in essence the anti-Star Trek in the best possible sense, reinventing the entire genre in the process. This time around, in the two-part mini-series which turned out to be an extended pilot movie, the title vehicle was a relic, an obsolete, decommissioned warship destined to spend the rest of its days as a museum. Only after the surprise return of humanity's old enemy, the Cylons, do the Colonials (mankind is spread across twelve neighboring planets, based on the signs of the zodiac) appreciate how much life she has left in her, especially under the iron-willed, compassionate leadership of Commander William Adama (Edward James Olmos). The Cylons all but obliterate the human species, but it turns out that there's more to their attack than meets the eye, with mysteries giving way to riddles capped by revelations of such magnitude that somewhere around the middle of the first season I went from mildly curious to outright hooked.
And then, if you're a fan who remembers anything about the original series, this sense of history adds another dimension. In addition to stripping away the lame bits that didn't work (ever-annoying pre-teen Boxey and his supposed-to-be-astounding robot dog) and neatening up some marginal ones (pretentious character names like Apollo and Starbuck are now nicknames, no more literal than Maverick or Goose), spaceships are called "planes," weapons shoot bullets instead of laser bolts, and the costumes often look like they came right out of the actors' closet. In short, great effort was made to show how much we have in common with this world, and therefore how relatable it all is. Throw in some of the most compelling characters on the small screen in ages, facing setbacks, challenges and issues galore, and the result is one of the most engrossing dramas of the new millennium, with action aplenty to boot. The fact that Battlestar Galactica is "science fiction" is pretty much incidental, and that's a good thing.
Their homeworlds destroyed, the survivors set out in search of a mythical 13th colony called "Earth," with little resources and no idea where they're going. To make life even more interesting, Cylons have now evolved to perfectly mimic human form and have infiltrated this all-too-vulnerable convoy, with complicated, dastardly schemes that will take years to unfold. And the payoffs are routinely tremendous.
The Picture
This was my first time watching some of the earlier seasons of BSG in high-definition and I was surprised how noisy, how grainy it looks in the traditional scenes, particularly the shadowy areas of the 1.78:1 frame. The computer-generated effects suffer from the same problems, although the black canopy of space helps to hide them. Halos appear in the flare of engines and elsewhere. In the extras we learn that the landing bay set was lit so brightly--to convey the sense of a real working environment--that it actually violated the specification for high-definition broadcast, but the end justifies the means here.
There was also some conjecture that the focus was deliberately softened when shooting certain actors, to conceal any distracting imperfections in the early days of HDTV. I did a double-take when I saw my first group shot of attacking Cylon Raiders, as the pulsing, shifting red eye of each ship can be readily discerned, even those in the far background. What's really interesting to note is how the technical quality of the show steadily improved over four seasons, until the Spring 2009 finale, which is a real treat for the eyes and ears.
The Sound
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 presentation brings a very enjoyable clarity and nuance to the frequently bold musical score. The mix also offers some great front-to-back action in explosions, missiles firing and so forth, backed by the occasional bass thump or low-frequency reinforcement. Over four seasons, you also begin to notice all the little touches, atmospheric effects in the rears for flying debris, or wildlife when we're down on a planet. Battles are always well-realized, but there are moments particularly in the last act of "Daybreak," the series finale (here as the originally broadcast three-parter or in a two-and-half-hour bonus cut), when you just have to say, "Damn..."
The Extras
Universal consistently did an above-average job with the individual seasons, and so this new set maintains goodies past, in standard definition. Hang on for deleted scenes, multiple behind-the-scenes featurettes (the more recent ones are in fact in HD), fun video blogs and the "Sketches and Art" still gallery. Audio commentary is supplied for many episodes, usually provided by executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick.
For the occasion of the Blu-ray debut however, new cutting-edge interactive features have been added as well, under the "U-Control" banner, all optional and individually selectable. "The Oracle" provides text backstory on the characters and technology, while "What the Frak Happened to You?" branches off to multimedia presentations that catch us up on the journey of key players. "Battlestar Actual" meanwhile is a glossary of both BSG terms and some tricky everyday words we might not know. Even the mini-series is given a simple Picture in Picture packed with great alternate angles and pertinent interviews.
Perhaps in deference to the wildly active online community that shadowed BSG every step of the way, the discs support BD-Live, including the Battlestar Galcatica: Ultimate Battle Card Game. Also included on its own disc is the season-bridging TV movie Razor in both its broadcast and extended, unrated versions, with its own host of extras.
Final Thoughts
Not just rethinking an old TV series but charting a new course for science fiction itself, Battlestar Galactica is a modern epic that enthralled a loyal audience during its amazing trek across the heavens. This massive box (with its own toy Cylon Centurion) is a wonderful keepsake to help us relive the excitement.
Where to Buy:
Also newly available, the final installment of the final season:
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