Product Description: Space-colony ambush survivors head for unknown earth followed by the robot cylons. Edited from the tv series. Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 02/14/2006 Starring: Dirk Benedict Rick Springfield Run time: 125 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Richard A. Colla
Amazon.com: 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
Old school nostalgia for those of us who were there... Being a fan of the new "Battlestar Galactica" show, with it's many layers of depth and emotion, I can understand where modern viewers might see the original "movie" (The first two episodes of the series) is dated, campy, and a little cliche...but having been a huge fan of the series as a ten year old, I can say that watching this was a breath of fresh air.
The transfer is about what you'd expect; nothing that will win any awards, but good enough by far to be watchable and enjoyable. Not too much to speak of in special features, but that's not what anyone that buys this would really be interested in.
All in all, if you are an old fogey like me, and a sci-fi fan from way back, this is a definite must have for your collection; and with it's old-fashioned, late seventies/early eighties mentality, it just might hook a younger, less-jaded audience as well.
John R's Review This is great family sci-fi movie. The movie is action packed with a great story line and very good actors. Lorne Greene is perfect in the role of Adama, the leader of the surviving human colony. I highly recommend this video for anyone who loves a great science fiction movie. The effects are great and the cast is superb. I believe it to be much better than the new version that is on television right now.
A Good Way To Recall My Childhood! Too Bad About the DVD! I remember first watching this series as a young teen and I really enjoyed it. I actually prefered it to all the Star Wars mania that was going on around me and I really liked the characters especially Starbuck and I thought the uniforms and the fighter planes were a lot cooler than anything the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises could offer at least at the time. I hated the dagget and the irritating kid and I didn't miss Athena although I did wonder at times what happened to her but overall I have very good memories of the entire series.
I decided to just get a dvd that will help me recall those days without having to spend a bomb and so I got this "movie" version which is really a cut and paste of the pilot and a couple of episodes. That in itself isn't bad but the dirty trick of making a "widescreen" version by mutilating a full-screen version is appalling and disgraceful behaviour. The picture quality is also poor on this disc as it hasn't been restored and the sound quality is also disappointing as it comes only in mono.
For those who like me don't want to get the entire series but just want a better version of this will have to wait until they restore the picture quality, remaster the sound with at least 5.1 surround sound options and add some good Special Features in either the standard or preferably the Blu-ray format. Incidentally, I hate the new series which casts my favourite original character Starbuck as some kind of perpetual PMS female dog. Also, where are the Cylons? It's now a rip-off of Species 2 or the Blade Runner where the villain looks just like us. Really stupid and they should just give the series another name as it is a totally different animal.
The original series' pilot. Well, the theatrical version anyway. Review for "Battlestar Galactica: The Movie" on DVD
They made three versions of this. They made a 3-hour television version (Included with the series), a 3-part television version, and a 2-hour theatrical version. This is the theatrical version. The main difference is that in this version Baltar is killed. In the TV versions he lives. Also some scenes have been edited out of this version in order to make it shorter. But there is one scene that is included in this version that's not included in the TV versions for fear of being too violent. Apart from Baltar's death, this version includes a man catching on fire aboard the battlestar Atlantia during the cylon attack. These days it seems stupid to think of that being too violent, but back then the sensors were more strict. Another thing, the DVD release is in widescreen. At least that's what they want you to believe. It was originally shot in full screen for TV. They just cut out the top and bottom of the screen to make it appear in widescreen. So really you're getting less of the picture instead of more. Those bastards! The movie itself is great. The plot is amazing. Twelve colonies of man in a distant galaxy are wiped out by an evil robot race called Cylons. The last surviving warship, the Galactica, leads a handful of survivors to their long-lost sister colony planet, Earth. But getting there will not be easy. They still have to deal with the Cylons as well as sinister bug-eyed creatures that they encounter on the first planet they stop at. Action-packed, great acting, and directing. There's not one bad thing in this movie. Five stars.
Review for "Battlestar Galactica: Lost Planet of the Gods" on VHS
This is also a great episode. It is a two-parter and a follow up to the pilot. The Galactica encounters a vast magnetic void in space, a Cylon outpost on a nearby asteroid, and a mysterious alien virus that has infected the crew. Eventually they find a cure to the virus and destroy the Cylon outpost. But now to protect the fleet from the Cylon baseships, the Galactica must enter the void which leads them to their long-lost homeworld, the planet Kobol. Kobol is now a dead world, but the remains of the ancient city of the once great civilization that lived there could show the way to Earth. But will their expedition to the planet be interrupted by a visit from the Cylons and the traitor Baltar? Five stars.
Review for "Battlestar Galactica: Fire in Space" on VHS
The Galactica is attacked by Cylon suicide raiders which critically wounds Adama and causes an uncontrollable fire to spread through the ship, threatening to destroy the Galactica itself. Boomer must lead a handful of survivors, Athena and Boxey included, away from a fiery death, and he will get a helping hand from Boxey's robotic dog Muffit. Five stars.
Battlestar Galactica I received the movie quickly and in very good shape. I would oder from them again.
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