Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #285 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-03-01
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 175 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Despite voluminous protest and nitpicking criticism from loyal fans of the original TV series (1978-80), the 2003 version of Battlestar Galactica turned out surprisingly well for viewers with a tolerance for change. Originally broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel in December 2003 and conceived by Star Trek: The Next Generation alumnus Ronald D Moore as the pilot episode for a "reimagined" TV series, this four-hour mini series reprises the basic premise of the original show while giving a major overhaul to several characters and plot elements. Gone are the flowing robes, disco-era hairstyles, and mock-Egyptian fighter helmets, and thankfully there's not a fluffy "Daggit" in sight... at least, not yet. Also missing are the "chrome toaster" Cylons, replaced by new, more formidable varieties of the invading Cylon enemy, including "Number Six" in hot red skirts and ample cleavage, who tricks the human genius Baltar! into a scenario that nearly annihilates the human inhabitants of 12 colonial worlds.

Thus begins the epic battle and eventual retreat of a "ragtag fleet" of humans, searching for the mythical planet Earth under the military command of Adama (Edward James Olmos) and the political leadership of Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), a former secretary of education, 43rd in line of succession and rising to the occasion of her unexpected Presidency. As directed by Michael Rymer (Queen of the Damned), Moore's ambitious teleplay also includes newfangled CGI space battles (featuring "handheld" camera moves and subdued sound effects for "enhanced realism"), a dysfunctional Col. Tigh (Michael Hogan) who's provoked into action by the insubordinate Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff), and a father-son reunion steeped in familial tragedy. To fans of the original BG series, many of these changes are blasphemous, but for the most part they work--including an ominous cliffhanger ending. The remade Galactica is brimming with smart, well-drawn characters ripe with dramati! c potential, and it readily qualifies as serious-minded science fiction, even as it gives BG loyalists ample fuel for lively debate. --Jeff Shannon

Special Features

• Region Code: 2, 4
  
• Soundtrack: English - Dolby Digital 5.1
  
• Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired
  
• Running Time: 2 hours and 55 minutes (approx)

Synopsis
This feature-length pilot episode of the sci-fi TV series introduces viewers to a band of intergalactic warriors struggling to protect an Earth-bound flotilla against the bloodthirsty Cylons. In the forty years since the colonies of Kobol originally fought the Cylons, the robot race have been able to evolve human form and are seeking to eradicate the true humans in the most fierce and deadliest of astronomical battles.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant on all levels!
I had never seen the original Battlestar Galactica and watched this mini series because it was cheap and I saw it had reasonable reviews. BSG is now my favorite TV show. The characters are complex and believable, the story is dark yet superbly told and the show combines stellar acting with some fantastic action sequences. As a whole the series manages to be compelling in many ways. The music and CGI are top notch and the wonderful cast add depth to every issue that gets raised and many are. This is no black and white story as it hinted at in the mini series and it is astounding how deep it all gets while never losing sight of the struggles of the amazingly well defined and diverse characters.

The mini series itself was the first thing I have ever watched that brought me to tears just with the sheer emotion it exuded, it has a real quality (possibly helped by the decision to have documentary style camera effects) that means everything impacts the audience much more than is usually the case and enables us to care much more deeply about characters we've only just been introduced to. As an opening to the new series this mini series did a brilliant job of drawing me in and it was well worth it. The stories are A grade, the characters are powerful, cowardly, crazy, moral, heroic, stoic and more and all backed up by a tense atmosphere, a terrifying yet still sympathetic enemy (when the show begins to delve into that), and quality music and SFX while still being a show that feels very real. It is dark, yet not without some hope and rarely stops hitting you hard emotionally. A masterpiece.

A Worthy Re-Imagining of a Classic Sci-Fi Show.
The Only other successful Re-Imagining of a Classic Show other than this is DOCTOR WHO. But BATTLESTAR GALACTICA has done well as a sci-fi drama kicking the original out of the Galaxy.

A True Representation of Television made good.
When I first heard of it i thought "Yet again, They'll screw it up." But the New version grabbed me from the Pre Title on the Miniseries right until the Cliffhanger. starting on the First Season Currently then moving on to seasons 2 & 3 (Already Seen RAZOR - Not a Bad Film).

some of the many things this version has over the original is the fact that the Galactica is a ship that was meant to be put in mothballs. The shocks that are through the whole story. But the thing I love most is the Blake's 7-esque feel to it: that unlike the original the deaths are thivk and fast (By The End of "33", the first episode of Season 1, the Survivour count had reached 47,972, Went Up by 1 when a Child was born on the rising star, and kept dropping throughout Seasons 2-4)

Hands Down the Best GALACTICA So Far.

Favourite TV for years!
If you have not seen any of the recent remaking of BSG, then I wholly recommend you watch this first! The 'mini-series' is basically the introduction to this wonderful remaking. As a kid in the early eighties the original BSG was one of my favourites and a remaking is like a dream come true.

It really is sci-fi of top drawer quality. It does take itself quite seriously, but I like that and can get put off by other sci-fi shows that are quite tongue-in-cheek. The characters are great and the special effects are also awesome. Highly recommended.