Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8332 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-08-28
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Star Wars meets Wagon Train as a futuristic flotilla of ragtag explorers search for a mysterious savior planet known only as "Earth," while being pursued by the dreaded Cylons (cybernetic tin-can baddies with vocal patterns that closely resemble a Speak & Spell game). This theatrical feature culled from the first and fourth episodes of the fondly remembered TV show is hilariously dated (the preponderance of polyester outfits and astrology motifs have the unfortunate effect of making the future look like an giant interstellar singles bar), but that only adds to the retro charm. An irresistibly cheesy blast from the past for Gen-X nostalgia-hounds, with impressive visuals by effects legend John Dykstra and a special appearance by teenybopper guru Rick Springfield. --Andrew Wright

DVD Description
A must-have for every Battlestar Galactica fan is the original pilot movie, available now on DVD for the very first time since its original release in 1976.  Starring Richard Hatch, Lorne Green, Jane Seymore and the A-Team's Dirk Benedict, Battlestar Galactica-The Pilot Movie tells the story of how 12 colonies of man are destroyed after a 1,000-year war with the evil Cylon Empire.  As the sole survivors of the colonies, it is up to the crew of Battlestar Galactica to gather up the few remaining humans and help them to re-build their lives in a place of safety- the mystical planet Earth.

Synopsis
This feature-length pilot episode of the sci-fi series introduces viewers to a band of intergalactic warriors struggling to protect an Earth-bound flotilla against the bloodthirsty Cylons.

Customer Reviews

RTFI people!
I am puzzled as to why so many of you are writing reviews for Season 2 of the reimagined series currently being shown on Sky. This, as the title clearly points out, is the original movie from 1978. It is unfortunate that Amazon themselves cannot tell the difference as they have listed the actors from the reimagined series as the stars!

This is the film that started it all 28 years ago (God, that makes me feel old!). Universal wanted to cash in on the success of the then newly released Star Wars and asked TV producer and creator Glen Larson to come up with something. That something became Battlestar Galactica. Almost 30 years on the effects do look cheesy and dated, but for what it did for TV sfx was astounding. Only movies had previously been filled with such effects. The pedigree of the effects team was obvious, with many coming straight from Star Wars to this.

The story of the original has almost been taken up by the remake. The only obivous changes are that time has moved on in the last 28 years and we are more aware of other events. The story tells of how the Cylons lure the humans into a treaty to allow them to strike. The story of how the Cylons came to be or why humanity is in dispute with them is never revealed. But the characters are the same and their drive and motivations are the same.

For those that only know of the remake, you may be disapointed with this, but it is still a worthwhile viewing. For those of us old enough to remember the original, it is an opportunity to spend some time in nostalgia.

NOT THE SERIES, but a fine film.
Ok, to try and straighten this out: This is NOT any of the 3 seasons of the current and excellent series of BSG, or the excellent 2 part pilot episode that preceded the current series. This is the film, based very closely around the book from which it all started, that preceded the original and somewhat dodgy 1970 tv series which is also out on DVD. As to the film itself, I cannot really say truthfully as to whether or not this is a good film- that I'll leave to the opinionated critics. I personally believe this is an excellent film that holds true to fans of the book in every respect. If you can stand the very 1970s "special" effects then this is a serious alternative for fans of the Star Wars saga, Star Trek series and other camp '70s Sci Fi. For anyone not sure about the genre, the best I can describe it is "Top Gun" in outer space.

BEWARE: Not Anamorphic Ratio
Great film, which was shown in cinemas, edited from the Original TV Series. Having already purchased the Complete Series boxset, I got this thinking it would be Anamorphic. This should basically mean Widescreen filling 16:9. Unfortunately this is 4:3 Letterbox with black bars, so some of the resolution is lost. Just a warning, if anyone is bothered by this. I'm not sure whether the Region 1 version has been mastered correctly.