Caprica – DVD Review

By June L. Apr 23, 2009, 11:25 GMT

An astonishing breakthrough is taking shape on the planet Caprica. The rapidly evolving spheres of human and mechanical engineering have collided, along with the fates of two families. Joined by tragedy in an explosive instant of terror, two rival clans led by powerful patriarchs, Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) and Daniel Greystone (Eric Stoltz) duel in an era of questionable ethics, corporate machinations and unbridled personal ambition as the final war ...more

A sequel to a beloved television series is hard enough to create successfully, but a prequel?  When it was first announced that the creators of Battlestar Galactica had a prequel in the works, many people thought it was a crazy idea.

There was fear that another visit to the Battlestar universe would be a lesser creation, or might drag down the quality of the series in its most recent incarnation.  Happily, this is not what has happened.  Be prepared to be intrigued, surprised and pleased.  Caprica is not anything like one might expect, and it is good.

The opening scene, an orgy with hordes involved in acts of lust and violence is a little worrisome, until it becomes evident that it is all a virtual playground. Unfortunately, it is a playground for teenagers.  This is a great construct to show the elements of a society that is disintegrating from the inside out, while most of its citizens are unaware. 

On the surface, Caprica is a peaceful world with business and art, medicine and structure.  It could be any 21st century city on Earth.  Appearances say prosperity and organization, civilized behavior and respect for tradition, and then a shocking act of terrorism occurs. 

This not only jolts the story but also puts into play many of the threads of plot that we have seen fully developed in Battlestar.  In one of the special features, the director Jeffrey Reiner says that he wants the audience to have revelatory moments, “oh, that’s why that happened” throughout this series, seeing the first cracks in the solid Caprican society as well as witnessing the “birth” of the first Cylon.

Casting for this pilot is perfect.  Eric Stolz is Dr. Graystone, a brilliant scientist whose contract with the armed forces pressures him into applying less than ethical behavior to meet the demands.  The audience also meets the Tauron family, calling themselves Adams.

Joe Adams played by Esai Morales is a lawyer, and a chance meeting with Dr. Graystone puts him in the middle of the action that will ultimately lead to the success of Dr. Graystone’s military project. 

Caprica is presented on single disc with a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes.  It is in widescreen format and has subtitles available in English, Spanish and French.  The bonus features are excellent, including a commentary with the Director Jeffrey Reiner, Executive Producer/Writer Ronald D. Moore, and Executive Producer David Eick. 

There are deleted scenes, and video blogs which answer questions such as what the frak is Caprica, and give audiences a tour around the V Club.  

After this sophisticated beginning, I can’t wait to see where the story will go.  No fear that we will be bored, or will already know the outcome.  Just as the director shoots scenes from several angles, it seems certain that this story of humans and Cylons will have its angles that will be new and intriguing.

Caprica is now available at Amazon. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information. Click Here to learn more about Caprica.