Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series – Blu-ray Review

In my opinion, Battlestar Galactica is one of the greatest science-fiction television series to ever hit the screen, and the Blu-ray release of Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series is THE way to watch this show.

If you missed this series on the Sci-Fi Channel (now known as Syfy), this Blu-ray release is the way to catch everything you missed. If you are a fan, the high definition picture (which makes the show look incredible and brings out new details) and new exclusive Blu-ray features make it worth the purchase – even with the steep price tag.

In addition to including every episode of the series and the extended version of Battlestar Galactica: Razor, the massive set (which includes a Collectible Cylon Figurine) features deleted scenes; behind the scenes featurettes; podcast commentary and video blogs; an interactive guide to the characters and ships; a glossary of Battlestar Galactica terms; What the Frak Happened to You?; quizzes (Are You a Cylon? and Military Assessment); and a look at the music of the show.These features take you deep into the show, and help take the sting from the set’s expensive price. They might feel a bit of overkill to the casual fan (my wife grew tired of them by the second podcast), but diehard fans will love every second of the details and deleted scenes (some of which do nothing to add to the episode).A short series synopsis from the studio: The Battlestar Galactica saga began on one devastating day, when the human population of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol was annihilated in a series of surprise attacks by their own creation—the Cylons, a race of sentient robotic clones. The few survivors huddled together on space ships, facing almost certain death at the hands of their ruthless enemies.

As the murderous Cylons follow relentlessly, Commander William Adama (Emmy Award-winner Edward James Olmos), the hawkish military leader of the last surviving battleship, and remaining human survivors search for a habitable planet. As mysterious premonitions help Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) the President of the Twelve Colonies, guide the ship to the fabled Thirteenth Colony, Earth, treacherous double agents, Cylon spies and internal dissent plague the Galactica. The ship’s crew and passengers battle for their lives—and the survival of the human race—armed with only cunning and determination against the military might of the Cylon Empire.The series is filled with cliffhangers, mysteries, and swerves. Detailed descriptions of each season could spoil some of the series’ secrets so I will stop with that official description from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.Unlike many television series, Battlestar Galactica managed to keep each season fresh, and not feeling formulaic. The audience never knew what to expect or where the show was heading. It started incredible and ended with you wanting more but feeling complete.

The strength of the series laid in its intelligent writing (which blended sci-fi future settings with real-world problems that kept the audience relating to the characters); brilliant acting (this is an ensemble cast where every character is important and every detail defined through its long running story); and a great blend of action, drama, and science-fiction (the series is grounded in the Human/Cylon war, but also in the daily lives of its characters).I have been hooked on this show since I sat down to watch the mini-series which then grew into the first season. The show continued to keep me hooked through each season, and left me a little sad to see it over when Season 4.5 (which I think was the best season of the show) arrived.Its success is due to the writers and the actors (who deserved to be better recognized by the award shows). Every character is interesting and brings something to the screen. It was a blast watching James Callis’ Dr. Gaius Baltar squirm from one situation to the next; to discover who the mystery Cylons were; try to figure out what the frak was with Katee Sackhoff’s Starbuck; and watch the budding romance between McDonnell’s Laura Roslin and Olmos’ Commander William Adama.

Along with the drama of the cast, the series also features some killer dogfight sequences, and ground combat between the humans and the Cylons. The show’s writers continually cranked up the series tension so that it naturally blows over by the fourth season. While some might not like the way the series ends, I was happy with conclusion and how the show’s creators didn’t keep it stretching out past its glory.

The features help take the bite out of the hefty price tag, and the set is well worth picking up. If you are a fan of the show, this is the way to see it. It is also a perfect way to view the series for the first time.Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon. Visit the DVD database for more information.