Review of Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (2009) by Kenneth L — 15 Jan 2012

This is an interesting addendum to the Battlestar Galactica canon that goes back to the very beginning of the story and recontextualizes much of what happens in the show's first two seasons. It is strictly for dedicated BSG fans - it's meant to be seen only after you've seen the entirety of the show, and would make no sense/spoil everything for people who are new to BSG (in fact, you should stop reading this review if you haven't yet watched BSG but plan to). If you do know your Cylons by name and number , though, this is a fun look at BSG that adds a new layer to the plot and themes of the show.

Essentially, what the movie does is to revisit key moments from the first two seasons (often actually recycling the footage from the original episodes) and show how those events are all secretly connected to one of two models of Cylon #1/Cavill. This was a great choice, since Cavill was an interesting character and essentially served as the show's main villain eventually, but didn't actually get developed in his own right all that much. We watch two versions of Cavill, one on the fleet and on on Caprica, as they manipulate events with the other Cylons from behind the scenes. It adds some motivations for the other characters, but it also really fleshes out Cavill himself and explains a lot about why he hated the human race so much in the first place. The different paths taken by the two Cavill models also suggest alternate possibilities and depths for the character. Jane Espenson's script is a great example of finding a new way to work around a pre-existing story.

The actor who gets the most new footage, therefore, is Dean Stockwell as Cavill, and he's just as great as ever in the role. Rick Worthy, the black Cylon who never got developed much, also gets substantially more to do than he had in the past. Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Aaron Douglas, and Callum Keith Rennie all get to flesh out the "human" sides of their complex Cylon characters a bit more as well. Unfortunately, the film doesn't have time to show any new material with other favorite characters, such as Roslin, Adama, Tigh, or Baltar. The visual aesthetic is the same as it was on the show; I definitely appreciated how much the show's gritty, often almost documentary-style approach enhanced its feeling of realism and immediacy. The film was actually directed by Edward James Olmos himself, and he keeps the feel and tone you expect from BSG. Ultimately, the revelations of this movie aren't the sort that force you to radically rethink the show, and there aren't too many big dramatic moments you haven't already seen. But it is worth watching just to see things from the villain's point of view and better understand why he started the war in the first place. It's too bad that this will be the last we'll see of Battlestar Galactica.