Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-09-03
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Formats: Box set, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 6

Amazon.co.uk Review
Let's get straight to the point: bar none, Battlestar Galactica is the best science fiction television programme currently showing. In fact, let's go further. It's the best of the last decade. And truthfully? You'd find very few sci-fi fans who'd disagree.

What's more, plenty of people must be busy eating their words, too. Back when it was announced that Battlestar Galactica was being revived, feelings were mixed, not helped by the divided reaction to the mini-series that kickstarted this iteration of the show. Yet over the past couple of years, it's cleverly proven to be a tense, gripping mix of action and drama, with a tightly-woven plot.

This third season? It's arguably the best so far. A delicious soup of mystery, relevations, actions, striking characters and winding narrative, Battlestar Galactica is also served superbly well by a quality cast, some quality special effects, and a real focus on what matters from behind the camera.

As usual, there are no spoilers in this review, although it's not giving much away to say that the deadly cylons have to share the screen time with some intriguing and revealing character development this time round. And with word that season four of the revived Battlestar Galactica will be the last, things are set up for a terrific final act.

Season three of the show though is extraordinarily good, a real, genuine sci-fi classic that's going to have one mighty shelf life once this particularly iteration of the programme has gone. And with umpteen surprises to go back and check out, it's never likely to be one to gather dust on the shelf, either. --Jon Foster

Synopsis
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA balances its striking special effects with character-driven drama and social commentary to create a show that's both entertaining and relevant. This critical favourite from Ronald D. Moore (STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION) re-imagines the cult series from the 1970s with a new cast and more impressive villains. It also eschews the sunny outlook of STAR TREK in favor of a darker vision of space and humanity as it comments on issues such as terrorism and civil liberties. Androids called Cylons have massacred billions of people, leaving only a small group of survivors. Led by Oscar nominees Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, the human fleet searches for a mythical planet called Earth as they evade the Cylons.

Customer Reviews

Very entertaining!
I wasn't sure what to expect of this. I liked the original (it was dated and cheesy but also a lot of fun) but resisted checking this out for quite a while. After hearing nothing but positive things I gave in. I wish I had sooner. The updates/alerations are great. Only very passionate fans will be all that bothered. It's not a continuation, it's a re-imagined version so it doesn't need to be all tied in to the old version. The mini series references the old version (old cyclons in the museum, vipers, the red light on the new cylons/ships) enough that fans of the original shouldn't really be all that upset. The production values are excellent, I was very impressed by how great it all looked. Series one here I come.

Intelligent, Compelling Science Fiction
Season Three contains BSG's best and worst moments. Luckily for this viewer, the worst moments are niggly and the best brave and bold.

The writers of BSG had set up an intriguing storyline at the end of season 2 - a huge city on a difficult planet, with the Cylons running a brutal occupation over the citizens of New Caprica. Season Three wastes no time in showing the desperate lengths that the embittered survivors in New Caprica will go to when fighting the Cylon occupation. Suicide bombings, people betraying other people, and double-agents are the de-rigour from the offset. This is challenging science-fiction, showing chilling contemporary relevance and a bold vision.

Characters continue to make tough choices, right up until Admiral William Adama arrives back with the Battlestar Galactica to make one of the most audacious rescues in television history. Without spoiling anything, it is pretty special and well balanced with some intense characterisation.

The challenging storylines continue with the fleet seemingly 'reunited', but nonetheless still 'split', with the survivors of New Caprica bitter and looking for reparations over their own extreme actions and those who allegedly collaborated with the Cylons.

Its at this point though that the season begins to 'sag' a little. There are excellent story arcs here and there, but occasionally the feeling of 'stand-alone' episodes seems to seek in. Opinion seems divided on them. To me the raging-bull-esque 'Unfinished Business' is strong and a brilliant piece of direction, but I felt frustrated by some of the other episodes, as either threads are suddenly buried, or I just didn't feel interested enough in some of the other threads.

Still, BSG's weaknesses put most other Science Fiction (i'm not just talking about television), to shame. The acting remains nuanced and compelling, even if a 'soap-opera' feels does permeate the rivalries that develop over the essentially forbiden love of Lee Adama and Kara Thrice.

As always though, BSG pulls its best punches in the final third. One character seems to vanish, while the trial of disgraced president of New Caprica, Guis Balthar, provdies a good dramatic weight to anchor the final episodes. As always there's one heck of a shift in terms of story at the end (and without spoiling it), which makes the final season seem like it will have plenty of story to get into, without, one hopes, veering to close to some of the weaker aspects of this series.

Certainly when its at its best, BSG is compelling Science Fiction of the highest order. Highly reccomended. (If you're starting from scratch get the mini-series and the 1-3 boxset. It's worth it!)

Basically a futuristic and mystical/religious soap opera
I am a big fan of the first and the second season of BG. I did enjoy how the plot has been developed and how characters have grown nicely during the series but I have been really let down with the third series! Many little and not-so-little details, in particular concerning the physical properties of the space, the gravity issue and so forth were widely forgiveable considering a tight and usually fast plot but the third series is pointing almost everything on people. It is exactly like a soap opera with a strong mystical/religious accent. Really disappointed. I will download a couple of episodes of the following series before to buy it because maybe it's not worth it.