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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wandering in the desert of space..., 28 Dec 2005
'There are those who believe that life here began out there...'Thus begins the tale of Battlestar Galactica, full of meaning and hope and mystical importance. Okay, enough theology for the moment. Or, maybe not. This movie (actually a cut-up version of the pilot for the television series) definitely has theological undercurrents. It is the fight between good and evil. It is a wandering in the desert (of space) looking for the promised land. It is about hope and humanity, sensitivity and courage. And, as a 12 year old (when I first saw it) I of course understood none of this. I merely loved the special effects in my own home (as opposed to the Star Wars which required payment at the movie theatre), the characters and the technology. I was amazed that every computer on the bridge set of the Galactica actually worked. Today I'm amazed that the computer on which I'm typing this review has more power than all those computers combined! The story is basic. Ambush in space, a quickly-organised escape from the evil mechanical Cylons (who both symbolise the terrors of technology as well as of autocratic rule--remember the Cold War?), a daring journey, and finally a hope. Unfortunately the series became a wandering in the desert with little hope for reaching the promised land, and in television-series timelines and lifelines, this just wasn't acceptable. In addition to this film, there are about a dozen videos available with episodes from the rest of the television series. It is frustrating that not all of them are available, so to watch them in sequence leaves some gaps. There are enough dedicated fans who would purchase these videos should they be made available (as is evidenced by the amount of BG 'junk' being auctioned at ebay and other such places). The series was fated only to last one year, due to high costs (a million an episode may be a standard ER actor's salary, but back then it was big bucks even in Hollywood), a slumping viewership (which in retrospect was never as small as reported), and an overall lack of direction. The journey was just taking too long for the era of instant gratification. There was a short-lived attempt to revitalise BG with Galactica 1980, but due to underfunding, choppy stories and the absence of several more popular regulars from the preceding series, it failed dramatically. There is a chopped-up edited version of one of those episodes available too -- do yourself a favour and fly light speed away from this one. But do get the original movie, the best of the best episodes.
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