Battlestar Galactica has become a bona-fide pop culture phenomena, Cylon having entered our vocabulary alongside such classic sci-fi terminology as "Borg," and "Luke, I am your father"-which is quite a feat, considering the original 1978 version was cancelled because of low-ratings and tepid reviews.
Since the Ronald D. Moore re-imagined version premiered in 2003, Galactica now spans a television mini-series and three full seasons on the American Sci-Fi network and the Space Network in Canada. At the conclusion of the last season, however, the producers of the show announced that the Galactica would not return until January 2008, with the exception of a two-hour television special entitled Razor, which debuts on November 24th. Luckily for fans of the series, Razor does not disappoint. Designed both to tide fans over until the start of the fourth season in January, and to set the stage for the series' final denouement, the movie is a powerful return-to-form, especially for Galactica deprived fans left in the dark by a bizarre and mysterious season three cliffhanger.
Razor brilliantly weaves together two storylines-telling the back story of the ill-fated battlestar Pegasus at the time of the original Cylon attack (events depicted in the original Battlestar mini-series), as well as a plotline that takes place between the second and third seasons of the show. Using a series of flashbacks, the movie follows the exploits of the cold, ruthless Admiral Helena Cain as portrayed brilliantly by Michelle Forbes and her young, ambitious protégée Kendra Shaw. The movie centres around Cain's descent into vengeful ruthlessness and the harrowing tale of the Pegasus's struggle for survival at all costs. Meanwhile, in a nod to fans of the original 1978 series, 'original' Cylon models and spacecraft that appeared in the 1978 television series play a crucial role in the plot.
Meanwhile, the original cast of the Sci-Fi network television series all give strong performances in the other plotline. Edward James Olmos reprises his role as Admiral Adama, and the unique and complex relationship with his son (played by Jamie Bamber) is explored even further, while Katee Sackhoff as Starbuck plays an excellent foil to Shaw (played by Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen). Mary McDonnell also reprises her role as President Laura Roslin, albeit briefly.
All the usual subtextual elements that make the series such a joy are present-meditations on fragility of power, examinations on the nature of leadership, the interplay between choice and fate, and commentary on gender roles and sexual relations all figure prominently into the film without ever seeming heavy-handed or exhausted. The only noticeable loss is the lack of the duplicitous yet-complex Gaius Baltar (played by James Callis) from the cast. But fans can take solace in the fact that Galus will no doubt return in full force in season four.
Razor is pure escapist joy for both fans of the series and casual viewers alike. It was a risky move for series creators to introduce entirely new cast members and to tell a complicated back-story, but their effort and skill paid off in this remarkably well-made, well-acted, and
well-directed TV movie. n
Razor
airs Nov. 24 at 9:00 p.m. on the Space network, and will be released on DVD on Dec.
4, 2007.
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