Battlestar Galactica: Razor Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
A two-hour Battlestar Galactica special that tells the story of the Battlestar Pegasus several months prior to it finding the Galactica.
| Trevor Roberts | Protestor #1 |
| Stefan Arngrim | Male Captive |
| Victor Ayala | Man In Cage #2 |
| Steve Bacic | Colonel Jurgen Belzen |
| Jamie Bamber | Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama |
| Graham Beckel | Colonel Jack Fisk |
| Matthew Bennett | Aaron Doral |
| Jacob Blair | Squad Leader Banzai |
| Chris Bradford | Ops Officer |
| Peter Bryant | Frank Bruno |
| James Callis | Dr. Gaius Baltar |
| Fulvio Cecere | Lieutenant Alastair Thorne |
| Nico Cortez | Young Adama |
| Ben Cotton | Terrified Man |
| Aaron Douglas | Chief Petty Officer Galen Tyrol |
| Félix Enríquez Alcalá |
8.00 out of 10 (541 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Like 2 back to back episodes ...
posted on 12 Aug 2009This movie was more like 2 special episodes. It was a great idea: go back in the history of a series and tell a new story from the past. Although it's a bit choppy at times, it does manage to have some moments of intensity and storyline twists that the core series is known for. First, this is a movie for the BG viewing audience. It really helps to have some familiarity with the series to help understand the characters and background.The movie takes place in the middle of Season 2 after problems between the Galactica and Pegasus have subsided. There is a new discovery that takes us back to the first Cylon war ... and to flashbacks of life aboard the Pegasus.For any BG viewer, this is a must-see movie. It uses almost all the main characters, a few new ones, and extends the overall BG storyline.While it is a bit choppy at times and could even have used extra time to help the story, it still has the quality of the regular series.Highly recommended viewing for the BG audience.
Awesome!
posted on 10 Aug 2009Battlestar Galactica: Razor shows us what happened with Pegasus during the initial Cylon attack on the Colonies, as well as after it met up with Galactica.I have to say that I thought that the start of Season 3 left a big gap of events that happened and just weren't shown due to time restrains. This mostly fixes that feeling and tells you what happened and how it happened.I would say the feeling I had during watching this is the same as the one I had during the Miniseries. It was very intense, once again with great acting and with an amazing Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen that really refreshed this whole thing along with the lovely Katee Sackhoff. If you're a BSG fan, there is absolutely no way around this, you just have to see it. The plot was very enjoyable to watch and it fits in great with the rest of the series.
What did they do to the series?
posted on 02 Aug 2009Damn, I want the good stuff not some fracking illogical filler stuff. I must admit I was _very_ disappointed. When the episodes all stun you with complex but consistent logic and original discussion of morality, this "thing" disappoints you with constructed illogical pieces smashed together to serve as a carrier to discuss the morality of "hard choices". Usually discussing ambivalent topics is one of the strengths of BSG. However in this prequel it was done badly. The discussion lacked the depth of the regular episodes and first and foremost there was no plot just pieces smashed together from the past and presence to "discuss" the morality of, hm, I can't even say what? The justification of mass murdering civilians to get the needed supplies to continue an illogical and stupid retaliation campaign which can only lead to the self-distinction of the human race? At best this is a character study of the new XO of Pegasus but this character just doesn't have the depth of the others. I think it was not the actress' fault, the script was bad. Okay enough rambling, the point is, if there is no contested ethical issue to discuss (and there was none in this prequel) BSG is nothing special.
Extremely Satisfying...
posted on 29 Jul 2009I've been sitting on the edge of my seat for Season 4 to start. Season 3 I thought really pumped in andrenaline into the series. I've watched the last 2-part episode a number of times, and the very last scene with a cover of Hendrix's All Along the Watchtower, really moved me cinematically.Razor, it is a tease...but it also is there to enhance the existing storyline. It isn't about human morality, and what is right or wrong, sure the movie is trying to defend the actions of the previous commanders of the Pegasus...but Razor is trying to stress the importants of Starbuck. Our lead female from this film, is passing the Razor mentalities to our (supposidely dead) heroine. Flatly, something big is about to go done in our Battlestar Universe. If we weren't ready for a year to pass at the end of Season 2, or our General to get shot at the end of Season 1, or for another battlestar to show up period...we definitely arn't ready for what starbuck is about to show us.
A truly disturbing tale of a battlestar not as lucky as Galactica
posted on 27 Jul 2009To begin with, everything that makes the Battlestar Galactica TV-series great also applies to Razor. The writing, acting and visual effects are all superb, and the plot is good though not a gem by any rate. That said, Razor is darker than anything we have seen so far.To be a razor is to be heartless and soulless for as long as you have to be, because if you don't survive, you don't get the opportunity to become human again. This is Admiral Cain's philosophy as she leads the Pegasus into a hopeless war against the cylon armada. Although the movie gives some insight and understanding of Cain's character, it doesn't deliver enough to justify the atrocities committed, and I came out hating Cain more than ever.The scope is admirable, but selling Cain and her ilk as heroes is a hard thing to do, and it just doesn't get there.
Back to Battlestar Galactica
posted on 15 Jul 2009As so many I suppose, I've recently started to follow the 4th season of this sci-fi series. After the 3rd Season, I was hoping it to get well back on track, but so far I'm a tad disappointed.Somehow I stumbled upon this 'Razor' episode that I somehow seem to have missed completely.For me, this kinda brings back the real Battlestar Galactica feeling. As maybe it may not seem as great as some wonderful episodes in Season 1 or Season 2, it feels still like a great refreshment compared to more recent episodes.All in all, I'm glad I saw it!
This has all happened before ... and it'll happen again
posted on 01 Jul 2009Like the series, Razor is painfully intense with a steadily-climbing story arc. As always, the mythology of BSG is wonderfully haunting as a weird parallel to our own. Having watched the show in syndication on SPACE, I marvel at how the series creators maintain such stomach-churning suspense. My main beef with Razor is with the two main female characters, Admiral Cain and her protégé Lt. Kendra Shaw. Strong females, to be sure. Why must we punch up the "strong female" type as some kind of cold-blooded psychopath? In the real world there are certain people you just wouldn't trust with a firearm... but enough of that.The filaments of continuity provided by the appearance of "classic" Cyclon hardware and young William Adama was cool. I wanted more exposition on what the Cylons were doing to the human prisoners. The "prophet" Cyclon, the old dude in the vat of goo ... creepy.I give this film 8 Raiders out of 10. Who will be the final five!
A valuable addition to the series
posted on 21 Jun 2009Having read the comments here about Razor before viewing the film I wasn't expecting much, given the many negative reactions. So I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised by Razor, it certainly wasn't a disappointment. True, like many others I expected Razor to be a story about the Pegasus and that expectation was largely not answered, but you still get enough information about what their struggle against the Cylons was like and which tough decisions they had to make. Like the series itself the film is focused on a few personalities and how they experience and are affected by what happens around them. Some may find this disappointing but for me it is the strong thing about the whole series. It's not so much about space battles but about how people stand under extreme pressure and how human we all are. The setting of the series/film could just as well have been in present day Iraq, it would be just as tense as it is in its SF environment. All in all a good film, plenty of action as well as drama and it adds more depth to the Cylon history and the human survivors fighting them. Maybe some of the other comments were based on the TV version, the DVD version however has about 20 minutes extra so this could explain the marked difference between the posted comments.
Abomination
posted on 15 Jun 2009I love Battlestar Galactica. It is one of the best shows ever made. I was anticipating Razor for months and was utterly devastated. It is the worse than ALL other episodes of BSG. It starts off alright, kind of slow, and it has most of the characters from Pegasus, which was nice. It went through all the things mentioned in the prior episodes accurately as well. Every other aspect was horrible. Important scenes were too short, there was absolutely no suspense, and every new thing introduced was horrible. The hybrid model that was supposed to be like God at the end was thrown in out of nowhere and made no sense. It killed me. What he said was so stupid, repeating "What has happened before will happen again" or something like that in his deep booming scary evil worst-thing-about-sci-fi voice. There is this very short scene with these different kind of Cylons where they talk in classic robotic worst-thing-about-sci-fi voices as well which was supposed to be an homage to the 1978 BSG but was so painfully stupid if you haven't seen the original. All in all, it was a butchering of one of the best few shows ever made.
Excellent for filling in gaps and Admiral Cain background
posted on 30 May 2009For all the bloggers that complain about this movie the positives far outweigh the negatives. It's a must see! This movie is all about Admiral Cain as commando ie razor of the Pegasus. If you're not interested in that or how she commands then don't watch it and stop filling the internet with emotionally charged but pointless and immature blasting! But for those of us die hard Galactica fans we soak up every bit of background we can get.The movie fills in some background of the 1st cylon wars which is when they still had the old fighters and the old centurians with commander Adama fighting and discovering some cylon 'secrets'. These and Admiral Cain's history fill in the end of the 1st cylon wars with the peace agreement and then to breaking that agreement for the 2nd war which is where season 1 begins. All of this is given in flashbacks out of any order through the movie. But mostly we see Admiral Cain's journey from the 2nd cylon wars to the end of the 2nd season as seen through the eyes of Kendra Shaw, the star of the show who served under Admiral Cain and was key in discovering a cylon in their midst which is another gap season 2 mentions but doesn't get into detail on among other things.'Razor' is a bit misleading because it's actually a knife, but I'm sure the producers couldn't call the show 'Galactica Knife' as 'knife' is too commonplace. This movie should give some satisfaction to the older generation Galactica (1978) fans who complain about the new series having too much drama and feelings involved. I actually enjoy the drama because too much action without a story behind it can loose my interest just as too much drama can be just as bad. There is a good mix of both in the series but Razor has more action than the new series as it was made as a separate movie. Sometimes you might wonder how on earth Adama can actually lead the Galactica with all the father-son drama and Madam President and all the politics always interfering with each and every decision. Not so with Admiral Cain!!! Here we get right down to brute action and those who don't obey her commands pay the penalty for it. This movie rocks because, for a change, you get rid of all the sappy feelings and just get the job done without all the pseudo-political figureheads in hall meetings over coffee. Oftentimes I think we want to live in a fantasy world of the Galactica and believing in a political system for the people but when it comes right down to it, in the kind of situation they were faced with, I think Cain and the Pegasus would be a more realistic, although brutal, way things would unfold. I don't think high ranking military commanders reach the ranks they do because they are softies. And like in the real world they do circumvent the illusion of political checks and balances by ignoring rules and keep things very much secretive.Any and all feedback welcome at bobbyoutthere@yahoo.com or directions to Galactic fan community sites. But not to those who just want to blast and not debate reasonably.
Enigmatic Entertainment.
posted on 06 May 2009Plot:A two-hour Battlestar Galactica special that tells the story of the Battlestar Pegasus several months prior to it finding the Galactica. My Review:With the recent news the possibly one of the most brilliant Science Fiction shows coming to its conclusion, producer Ronald D. Moore felt he owed Battlestar fans to a 2 hours short of a commemoration to the show in between Seasons 3 and 4, and with it he gives us the Battlestar Pegasus' history. One can only construe that with the show ending on Moore's terms he does have the resources and realistic approach to make his ideas work. Albeit there will be no sixth or seventh season, he gives us a episodic filler that shows us the short spent life of a Pegasus office named Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen). Our focus encompasses her trial and tribulations associated with a unknown character. She passes the role of being likable in all aspects, even her darkest hours ascertain her character flaws but her hard-headed realist approach to a situation, even if it crosses a line.For some it may be an uninteresting stop gap to fill in the void of the shows extended break, however it does remarkably well in providing some amazing visual treats. It gives us a crews account of tragic events as well as some character history, new and old faces reprise themselves with the same façade.Whilst the story unfolds, we see flashbacks of Kendra's time on Pegasus during the chronological Season 2 episodes which the film is set and suggests that it took place during that time, while it flashbacks to her time under the command of Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes); whom proves that she can smile. The contrasting hard decisions she makes and if or not to follow her Admiral. We are also treated to a flashback of Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos) of which gets the shock treatment with a younger actor who portrays him right down to the voice and mannerisms. A revelation ensues the flashback, in which we are given a rather disturbing insight into 'those skin-jobs'. We are given a trip down in the melancholy road, visually; as we get to see the classic Cylon and Cylon raiders that were ever-present in the 70's version, that fit the modern re-imagining as they were constantly mentioned throughout the series as have being been in first war 40 years prior to the current Cylon war. They are given a reboot with the same familiar charisma, even for a machine as old catch phrases make a reprisal. Some may suggest and argue that it was never logical idea to make this 2 hour special; as it really only keeps the fans on edge before the fourth and final Season returns. Nevertheless, us fan boys, and girls, need something to take the heat off.Verdict:Filler; but a very good one, emotionally and visually enthralling as it keeps in tune with the series and keeps it fresh and fun. 8.5/10.
Ron Moore is Gene Roddenberry Reincarnate
posted on 30 Apr 2009This is a review of the extended DVD version.....After looking at the way Beowulf offered thin plot,acting and character development to give an excuse to watch eye candy, we have this: a made-for-TV movie costing 1% of what Beowulf did, and giving us an entirely new, in-depth look at the BSG universe, providing richer texture, logical backstory, and scintilating drama.In Kendra Shaw, Ron Moore has delivered yet another tortured soul, but one who can hold her own against established characters Cain, Thrace, #6, and the Adamas. An incredible achievement.BSG's effects have always served plot and character, but the free-fall scene between Adama and the Cylon highlights the superiority of this series to all other filmed SF and fantasy, on either TV or the Big Screen.I am looking forward to the end of the series, which this film sets up. Not because I want to see it end, but because it will produce through its end what Star Trek never delivered, and Star Wars usatisfactorily did: a perfectly organic conclusion to the greatest piece of filmed science fiction ever made.Ron, David, cast and crew: thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Disappointing
posted on 16 Apr 2009Fans of the show might just barely get their times worth - you get to see some of the characters occasionally doing what got us to like them after all - but not an inch more. For an unsuspecting viewer however this must be utterly disappointing - tacky lines in a story that is rather ridiculous and very badly cut. The feature uses flashbacks a lot, which is not of course bad in itself. The way executed here, with phony dialogues setting them up, or not serving any purpose for the storytelling, leaves a very stale taste. The acting is not quite so bad. The regular cast delivers their usual performances; the support, especially Michelle Forbes as Admiral Cain and Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen as Kendra Shaw is doing rather fine. The writing ... well, let's just say if you know the series, there won't be any surprises in the way the story is told. For anyone who does not know the series - don't bother. There are loads of unresolved plot bits (and not the good kind that should leave you thinking or whatever) and nearly no one you can sympathize with or take an interest in. One last note on the story itself: If this is the kind of writing and story we can expect from BSGs 4th and last season (and the third season unfortunately seems to point towards that conclusion, too), people will not bother watching. I know I won't.
What a disappointment
posted on 02 Apr 2009I watched the televised version and felt like there was a lot missing, like focus and a storyline. This show was predictable right to the lame ending. I had hopes of seeing the war from the point of view of the Pegasus crew instead they spent the whole time focused on the character of Kendra Shaw and her role with Lee Adama as her commander and only small flashbacks to her serving under Admiral Cain and even then gave very little of her story. They hint that she used her mother as clout to get her first position but we never found out whom her mother was.Most of the story lines we see in this version are very similar to what we have already seen on Galactica. The shooting of the civilians for example was done in season 1 of Galactica when the troupes shot several people on one of the ships while trying to transfer supplies. The storys sub plot of the old style Cylon's looked like it was almost an after thought with little to do with anything other then to point the audience suspicion to Staruck and her newly discovered path to earth. There was very little new in this special and most of it was seen in seasons 2 and 3, I may rent the DVD version to see if the story has any more depth but as of seeing the Sci-Fi channel version I need to give this a thumbs down.Here is an update, I just saw the extended version. Not any better
Again... the same bad show
posted on 11 Mar 2009No matter how many time SciFi Channel tries to hype Battlestar Galactica it hits its head on one very problematic fact: The new Battlestar Galactica is not only lamer than the original, but on its own terms, it is a disgrace to the art of film and television.Years into production and Ron Moore still thinks that mindlessly shaking a video camera is making his show more "real".Well, let me tell you Mr. Moore: if by "real" you mean nausea-inducing on a physical level and disgust-inducing on a film-making level, then you've got it right.Trying to be pretentiously "relevent" may give you point with critics who seem to always zero-in on bad shows, but it doesn't score points with the public who see this show for what it is: An awful mess.
Stands up with the best of Battlestar Galactica; great idea, well done!
posted on 27 Feb 2009Just saw Razor; and I had to wait for the initial "feeding frenzy" over a new episode to wear down (it's been a long dry-spell) before I could post this. Off the bat, as most fans probably know by now, this is not a season 4 kick-off. In fact, it probably began life as a "throw-the-fans-a -bone-so-they-don't-riot" concept, but it clearly became much more. Filling in a lot of Battlestar Pegasus back-story and told mainly through the POV of an ambitious, slightly-dangerous young Pegasus officer named Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen) who, thankfully, is NOT a "Mary Sue"; a new character (usually a writer surrogate) who sweeps the regulars off their feet and solves the mystery of life in the process! No, Shaw has got issues; drug-addiction, and an ongoing struggle to steel her nerves to the horrors she's seen while serving under Pegasus' ruthless (but very human) C.O., Admiral Cain (welcome back, Michelle Forbes!). The story jumps between time periods (the non BSG viewer will be utterly lost; the regular fans will be at home); the time-lines include the mini-series era, the latter half of season 2 (when Lee Adama assumes command of the Pegasus), and even a peek into Admiral Adama's past (as a young pilot during Cylon War 1). Many events spoken of, or hinted at in past dialogue are shown in the film (often more horrific than imagined!). Kendra's role in these events provides a fresh perspective for the audience. You see her evolve (or devolve) into the ruthless "razor" of the title (taken from a throwaway line from the movie, PATTON). Along the way, she clashes with her new C.O. Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) and his lead pilot, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (Katee Sackhoff). Some good dramatic turns by the regulars, even in reduced roles. The battle scenes (which have been sorely lacking in season 3) are back in force here. Even the return of old-school (c. 1978) Cylon fighter-craft and centurions (right down to the evil Speak 'n Spell voices!). A nice touch for fans like myself, who still have many fond memories of the old show! But in spite of this, and all the time-jumping, the film tells a story that comes together, but in breakneck-paced, blink-and-you-miss-something pieces. And even manages to drop a hint or two for season 4. All in all, it's a 90 min. gift to the fans who've stuck with the show (despite the long, taxing hiatuses!!). And it introduces a new character into the fabric of the BSG universe who is just as compelling as any of the regulars (hats off to Jacobsen) while managing to weave together an interesting tapestry of vignettes at the same time. Not an easy task, but all involved outdid themselves here. Can't wait for the extended DVD out Dec. 4th! And season 4 (coming sometime in April 2008; DAMN these long breaks!!).
Choppy, Contrived, Disappointing
posted on 23 Feb 2009As someone who's been completely immersed in the new BSG, it comes as a great disappointment to say that RAZOR was almost a total letdown. Watching this show spiral into self-indulgence (Ron, enough with the messiah and "chosen one" crap already. We had to put up with it on DS9 and it's now being rammed down our throats on BSG) in its third season has been a real bummer. In the first two seasons, BSG was one of THE MOST RELEVANT shows on television in any genre. It forced us to look at ourselves in a time of national crisis and made us ask difficult questions, namely - How far are we willing to go to protect our way of life? Unfortunately, the wacky obsession of one of the show's creators and pressure from the network to crank out stand-alone episodes in season 3 has BSG circling the drain. **SPOILERS** All in all, RAZOR is a major disappointment. The plot is both completely contrived and lacks any kind of focus, with a structure that is more than a little fragmented. The plotting is scattershot, with non-revelatory flashbacks to the Pegasus just after the initial Cylon attack intercut with poorly written and realized scenes on the "present day" Galactica and Pegasus. We're introduced to Kendra, a recently arrived lieutenant on the Pegasus who becomes something of a protégé to Admiral Cane. The flashbacks show Kendra's "trial by fire" in the moments after the attack. Scenes that take place in the "present day" (their choice of words) contain painfully clunky expository dialogue to fill in the blanks. It's a clumsy device that even a novice screenwriter will recognize as more than a little obvious. Razor follows Kendra as she watches Cane commit atrocities in the name of keeping the fight going. Then, Kendra slowly begins to fall under Cane's spell and is soon participating in these barbaric acts. In the "present day", we see Kendra brood over her actions. Did she do the right thing? Was Cane a strong commander or a madwoman? A little bit of IV drug use helps her forget. The film felt like it was put together from leftovers of previously shot scenes and sequences that ended up on the cutting room floor. Kendra is NEVER in a scene with Bill Adama or the President. Mostly, she's shot in close-ups or two-shots with Lee Adama, making one think that short, cheap filler scenes were shot in order to tie together fragments of pre-existing scenes/sequences. Was somebody tasked with finding a way to use old scenes? The script is something of a failure and is loaded with the kinds of contrivances overused by rookie writers. We've got the malfunctioning bomb timer, the clichéd, metaphor-rich speech – "We all have to be razors!" and the appearance of yet another 6 to expose Cane's "special relationship" as sheer manipulation. The inclusion of the clunky 80s "tin man" Cylons was simply lame. The story ends with more tired "chosen one" BS from a cylon-human hybrid who somehow possesses omniscient knowledge of mankind's fate and Kara's special destiny. The only revelation in all of this is the actress who played Kendra. Stephanie Chaves- Jacobsen is simply frickin' (not fracking) hot! She's got a unique, sultry look – her striking face was the only thing that kept me watching. It's a real shame that BSG has devolved from a carefully rendered, thought-provoking, politically relevant series into mere violent, pseudo-spiritual, sci-fi eye candy. Sure, I'll watch every single episode of the final season, but my hopes ain't high.
Very average writing sloppily put together.
posted on 19 Feb 2009When the 'flashback' mini-episode came out, I became incredibly worried of the writer's usage of unnecessary catchphrases so common in teen-oriented blockbuster action movie (ie, "let's do this thing", or "Gotcha!" after blowing up an enemy fighter).Turns out I was worrying about the wrong thing. In fact, if "Razor" had been released back in 2003 as a two part miniseries, it would have caught the attention and praises of many. But just like season 3, Razor still fails to capture the viewer's attention like the first season once so brilliantly did.The ironic thing is that the producers very carefully tried to avoid the pitfalls of the third season. No utterly irrelevant boxing match or lover affair here. In fact, it's pretty clear from the get go they are attempting to 'get back to their roots' in order to regain some of the lost audience. But in this Pegasus redux, the once profound moral choices fall flat, the on screen violence brought to innocent characters fail to shock, the acting is delivered efficiently but doesn't reach out to the viewer like it once did.In fact, even the special effects of this BSG-lite show issues that run deep at the production level. Once carefully crafted and playing an important part in immersing the audience in what 'Saving Private Ryan in space' might have looked like, the FX are now relegated to yet( another shot of big explosion followed by a rather flat (read: 2D) looking spaceship. It's just bizarre - I've read they've changed their FX company and might explain the loss of quality rendering.As for the writing, this episode wasn't too bad by TV's standard. But by BSG standard it was very weak, employing incredibly tired clichés (the last wounded soldier wanting to be left behind in order to set off the bomb comes to mind).So, to sum up: gone is the visceral experience of BSG. I rate this 5/10 because despite all the above it's very clear the writers got the message from the fans in season 3 and are genuinely making an effort. Only time will tell if they succeeded.
Overall, worth watching, but I really hope the series is better.
posted on 17 Feb 2009Preface (where I'm coming from): I loved BSG for it's edgy look into human emotion and interaction. I especially loved it's obvious parallels to the issues in our own present day society.These things seem to have faded slowly over time, and now BSG has more of a religious feel. A story that's "on a mission from god". It lacks many of the edgy feel it started with.Razor: The concept was sound. I was looking forward to Cain becoming the "monster" we all met in BSG. The situations she faced, the events that forced a well trained, well meaning soldier to become a brutal self serving killer. I was looking forward to the hard choices the Pegasus made to survive alone in the universe.That was lacking. Instead there is the somewhat moral story of one soldier, Kendra, taking her own rather short path to destruction.There were many things that could/should have been pushed further. Cain's involvement (and obvious betrayal) by a Cylon. The transition from "can I really do this for the greater good" to "I must do whatever it takes" seemed to quick. One moment Cain is spouting "we won't be charging in for revenge", the next she's doing just that - with no explanation for the change of heart.The Cylons themselves, whilst fun to see the old 80's models in action, didn't add to the story. One old man spouting "everything has already happened, and will happen again" didn't really add anything to the story. It didn't even seem to quite fit. That and the whole "oh, btw - starbuck... she's gonna be humanities destruction". Where'd that come from? It's important for the primary story arc, but this telemovie was supposed to focus on the Pegasus - not be a vehicle for delivering one corny line.There were some interesting possibilities in that old Cylon Battlestar, but we didn't get to explore any of them.The dialogue was mediocre at times "we all must become razors"? what the hell is that meant to mean? The future is sponsored by Gillette? I thought Razor was meant more alone the lines of "balanced on the edge". Some exposition for Cain's odd dialogue would have helped explain the writers goals. I like that sometimes things are open to interpretation, but none of the obvious interpretations added the significance this knife (razor) was supposed to add.Prequels as alway run the risk of adding random characters or events that you'd never heard of till now. I would have thought that Adama would have mentioned his earlier encounter with Hybrid's many, many episodes ago. Characters and events shouldn't just appear. If you want to do a prequel, plan for it when you write things the first time - mention the events - make it fit with what we've already seen.Overall, it's worth watching, but I hope the series is better.
Explains, but does not entice.
posted on 14 Aug 2009BSG: Razor was, frankly, disappointing. I'm a big fan of the new Battlestar Galactica. It's a powerful show, and deserving of the ranking of "the Best Show on Television".So perhaps I felt let down because I had such high expectations. But if you're watching Razor, you probably have similar expectations, because you've almost certainly watched the series. By the way, if you have not watched the series, don't watch Razor - it is *not* standalone.Well, here's why I give it such harsh criticism.Razor follows a very different structure than the TV show. It seeks to constantly make the viewer think "oh, so that's why". There's little suspense or drama; Razor's flashbacks (composing almost all of the show) simply aim to tell the viewer why Admiral Cain is so cold, why Gina gets so brutally abused, and various other little tidbits. It informs the viewer about these things, but it fails to make the viewer care about them.How can that be? Razor carries all of Battlestar's trademarks in beautiful acting, human characters, and strong writing. So how can it fail to evoke any response from the viewer? It's because nearly half of the movie is essentially acting out what the viewer learned in the Season Two episode "Pegasus". We already knew that the Pegasus assaulted its civilian fleet, that Cain executed her XO, and various similar things that become a central focus for our compelling new character. It's just difficult to care, because we all know how it happens, almost word-for-word.The central message of making necessary but hard decisions is brought across in a heavy-handed way.Throw that in together with noticeably-off special effects (you'll likely find that there's something odd about them, which you can't quite place your finger on), very forced conversations (like when Boomer discusses the 'Cylon legend'), and utterly bizarre, pointless missions involving retro-style Cylons, and you wind up with a piece that falls very far short of Battlestar Galactica's reputation.