It's a tangled web we weave when at first we try and deceive even when we're NOT quite human. The stand alone movie "Battlestar Galatica: Razor" provides a back story for the surviving space ship Pegasus, information about what occurred but was only hinted at off-screen during the second and third seasons and a glimpse into how the Cylons created their hybrids in their goal to be closer to their god with feet of clay (humanity) and their one true god. ***

Featuring multiple stories that flash forward and backward in time, "Razor" begins by portraying the attack on the human fleet from the point-of-view of the Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen) a new crew member under the command of Admiral Cain (the always wonderful Michelle Forbes). The events portray span all four seasons of the series and before setting up a intricate but fascinating plot that unfolds in a way that it gives new depth and meaning to the previous three seasons and sets up a perfect staging ground for the fourth which will be the last of the show. After Cain's murder by a Cylon captive (Tricia Helfer), Commander Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber)the son of Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos) is promoted to commander of the Pegasus and he makes Shaw his XO despite the checkered history she had after Cain's death; it seems that Lee recognizes that she has the moral compass necessary to keep him honest and that the emotional damage she endured under Cain's increasingly erratic command (its no accident she's named Cain) pushed her away from her potential as a leader. This, of course, spraks a conflict with Starbuck (Katee Sackoff who continues to make Starbuck one of the most fascinating characters on the show). Woven into this complex tale is another one the first encounter that a young William "Husker" Adama (Nico Cortez who does a nice job of capturing Olmos' performance as the older Adama and creating his own memorable character--a complex feat) has with a Cylon base where humans are being experimented on to create their hybrid. We also find out about Cain's character and why she has such a strong hatred for the Cylons when we see her at roughly the same time frame as a child. All of this leads to relevations that have an impact on the forthcoming fourth season and echoes back through the first three. ---

Image & Sound:

"Razor" receives a superb transfer with nice, rich detail. As with the series, the gritty and grainy look of the series IS intentional and it is wonderfully captured with considerably more depth when compared to the regular broadcast version of the show. The 5.1 mix is nicely used particularly during the battle scenes where you have fighters swishing past your head in pursuit of Cylon vessels. Dialogue comes across remarkably lound and clear. ---

The first extra is the best--an unrated extended version of the movie presented via seamless branching. You can choose to watch either one but the unaired version is much more provocative. We also get a featurette with cast and crew discuss their favorite episodes and why they resonate with them. Interestingly "33" is picked as a favorite by writer/producer Ronald D. Moore and much of the cast as well. We get clips illustrating why one is a particular favorite. "The Look of 'Battlestar: Galatica'" focuses on the production design of the series. We also get the 19 minute segment (portions of which are only seen in the movie) of the "mini-movie" of the young Adama's encounter with the Cylons and his attempt to save the humans being experimented on. ***

The commentary with producers/writers David Eick ("The Bionic Woman") and Ronald D. Moore ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") is pretty interesting providing plenty of trivia, observations about characters, changes made to the script all without giving away more than a hint or two about season four. We also get Eick and Moore in conversation about the series as well as deleted scenes and outtakes. A terrific job all around in putting this set together, Universal deserves kudos for going the extra mile. ---

Final Words: