Review of Battlestar Galactica: Razor (2007) by J T — 06 Dec 2007

First and foremost, this is essentially a movie for fans of the show. PERIOD. that said, wow! as always, this show delivers! a nice backstory tale about lee "apollo" adama's first mission as pegasus' commander, as well as some insight into admiral cain's past (both in childhood - albeit briefly - and what happened to the pegasus during the mini-series). some of the cain flashbacks show what is only mentioned in her 3-episode story arc from season 2. and all I can say is, HOLY FRAK! (if you're a fan of the show, you'll know that frak literally translates to fuck - but they can't say that on t.v.) what was mentioned in those episodes easily leads you to believe cain was a cold-hearted bitch. watching those actions, well, draw your own conclusion. but she took no shit and she was ruthless. from what was mentioned then to what is shown here (of the same events), they pulled no punches on the graphicness of it all. and, as much as I think the reimagined version of battlestar galactica is far superior to the original (and that's just my opinion - everyone's entitled to theirs), I still am a fan of the original series (the debacle that was "galactica 1980" not withstanding), and being able to see the old-school "toasters" (the original cylons as was seen in the original series; "toasters" is a slang term used in the current incarnation to describe the cylons) was a treat (as well as the old-school ships, as well). and, I loved how they made that a new and interesting part of the show's mythology (as well as raising even more questions to a show that constantly makes you ask, "WTF?"). the action scenes were intense, as were all the backstory told (within the main story, which, in itself, IS a backstory). a must see for any fan of this incarnation of the show (and I know there are some fans of the original who hate this version - hell, that's their opinion, not mine). I could mention spoilers, but suffice it to say, to anyone who's watched this show religiously - what colonel fisk says about admiral cain in the season 2, 3-episode story arc, IS shown. very brutal to watch.

But, at it's heart, this show has always been a drama about humanity: it's challenges; making hard decisions, whether they be right or wrong (and not just at the time, but in general); walking the moral fine-line to acheive the greater good. and you do see some stuff that is fucked, and makes you ask, "how could they do that?" but then, there's the flip-side to that coin, when faced with extinction, what does become acceptable (or necessary) to ensure the survival of your race? is sacrificing a few for the many acceptable? they only give you the question through a visual stand-point - you must draw your own conclusion. and when a show can both entertain and make you think (on many levels as this show does; many of which I haven't even mentioned), then you have something special.

I got off point, but if you're a fan and haven't watched it, get it you won't be disappointed. if you've never watched the show and are curious, I would suggest watching the show from the beginning before watching this, as many of these characters didn't appear until the 2nd season, and the fact that this movie DOES work effectively as a retrospective (and, from what I understand, sets up some plot points for season 4).