Review of Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (2009) by Drew S — 03 Nov 2009

Generally, Battlestar Galactica's off-series output doesn't tend to be all that strong. Though The Plan is wise to focus on Cavil, one of the show's most interesting unexplored characters, he's stranded amidst a bunch of exposition and plot retreading. This movie basically amounts to a bunch of sinister Cylon cackling and a decent thematic arc about how circumstance shapes a person (or cyborg, as it were); marginally compelling if you're a big fan of the show's excellent writing, but not so much if you're in it for the space explosions or high drama. Another pleasant surprise is the movie's choice to flesh out Simon, most commonly known as That Black Cylon Who Doesn't Do Anything, and Rick Worthy's sharp performance leaves you feeling a little disappointed that he wasn't more prominent in the series. There are a few great character moments to be found in here, and again, you're not going to go wrong with Cavil, but this is unabashedly a fringe retelling of the plot communicated through several of Galactica's little-seen characters.

Massive disappointments: no new Starbuck; no Roslin at all; about two minutes of Ellen, Adama, Tigh and Tyrol; extensive focus on boring Anders; and a frustratingly common use of archival footage to fill in the gaps for viewers who haven't watched the first two seasons in a while. About a third of this movie is taken directly from the series itself, partially to keep fans in the loop but likely because this didn't have much of a budget. Concurrently, there aren't any world-shattering revelations for fans of BSG found in The Plan, but it's an entertaining movie nonetheless and an extra two hours spent with some of the most sharply written characters in science fiction.