It’s been about seven months since we’ve seen a new episode of Battlestar Galactica. Sound like a long time? Well, actually, that’s about the same amount of time we had to wait to see the second half of the fourth season after the first half aired, so for BSG fans, this isn’t new. I’m talking, of course, about the upcoming direct-to-DVD (and online video) release of Battlestar Galactica: The Plan.
An official copy of the DVD arrived on my doorstep yesterday, and despite having a buttload of TV to watch, I couldn’t wait to give it a watch. So, here’s an early review of the movie with little to no spoilers, which is an easy task since there’s really nothing shocking or spoiler-worthy to worry about.
The story of The Plan is essentially all about what was going on with the Cylons throughout the first two seasons of the show (and the mini-series), up through the airlocking of the two copies of Number One (Cavil) on Galactica, in the second season finale. Through the magic of flashbacks, we’re brought back to some of the most pinnacle episodes of the series and how the Cylons all followed Cavil’s orders, or his “plan” — the annihilation of the rest of the surviving humans.
The most interesting aspect of the movie is what we see of some of the lesser-known models from the series, in particular Number Five (Doral), Number Two (Leoben) and, most especially, Number Four (Simon). Of course, we see all of the models throughout the movie, but there is a definite lack of presence from some of them. And I’m not kidding about seeing more about Number Four — he was so underutilized in the series, yet he gets to shine here and really makes for the movie to stand out. The Five, on the other hand, is a great moment of comedy, believe it or not, and I’m sure Cavil’s comments will ring true with more than a few BSG fans.
The movie does an excellent job of showing us just how much of a manipulator and asshole Cavil was to the other Cylons. The sacrifice he makes them go through for the sake of following the plan makes it easy to hate him, doing it so comfortably and while sleeping around with a half-naked Six (yes, half-naked!) and Eight (no, not half-naked). It certainly gives the appearance that, if it wasn’t for Cavil, maybe everyone would just have gotten along without all this “plan” nonsense. He also carries out something so incredibly evil toward the end of the movie that it may make some viewers really uncomfortable and, for everyone, show that he’s simply evil incarnate.
Something else the movie does well is in depicting the devastation of the colonies. In the mini-series, the depiction of Caprica’s destruction and aftermath, while evident, wasn’t all that jaw-dropping. Well, get ready to see the real execution and fallout of not only Caprica’s destruction, but of all the other colonial planets: Gemenon, Picon, Canceron….
Finally, one bit I really liked was seeing what Anders went through on Caprica, from when the bombs fell through when he was finally brought aboard Galactica. Initially he wasn’t the go-to person for his band of rebels on the planet’s surface, so seeing how that dynamic worked out and how it all fit together really worked out well.
One nitpick of mine is with some of the flashbacks. It’s clear that old footage was used along with newly filmed scenes, and after four years, the actors don’t quite look the same. I also wasn’t sure why, when we flashed to each of the final five Cylons, we had to be reminded that they were Cylons by flashing to them in their resurrection pools. Oh, and while there are a few scenes of female nudity, they are only of extras and, for those who like shlong, there’s an uncomfortably, obviously gratuitous close-up of one.
Got any questions you’d like answered about the DVD before you see it yourself? Let me know in the comments. I haven’t even gotten to the special features and commentary, so I may post an update if there’s anything there worth mentioning (the commentary is by Olmos and Espenson). Battlestar Galactica: The Plan comes out on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download on October 27 and, as I hear it, will air on TV on November 1 (but you’ll miss out on all that shower-scene shlong).
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on Oct 16, 2009 @ 17:27 EST5EDT
I do not want to see any s-words!
And the evil deed that Cavil carries out -does it have anything to do with hurting children? I need to know if I should fast forward through that.
bsgfan2003…
Considering what Six did in the opening moments of the mini-series… nothing would surprise me.
bsgfan2003…
Considering what Six did in the opening moments of the mini-series… nothing would surprise me.
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
After the absolutely horrible series finale, I have no further interest in watching BSG.
Really? It seems you are interested enough to make that pointless comment.
The retelling of the miniseries and the first two seasons was fairly interesting, but ultimately it was uninspiring. There was nothing mind blowing or particularly incredible. It filled in the blanks with a few details which I guess passes for a movie. Full review of the movie.
https://th3tvobsessed.blogspot.com/2009/10/review-battlestar-galactica-plan.html
I felt this whole “movie” was pointless. Yeah, I was intrigued by the idea of seeing what was happening in the colonies before the attack,but this was subject matter that could have been explored in the Caprica series. What happened to that?
Still a fan of the show creators, but this felt like milking the idea for a few dollars more….
There are still BSG stories I would like to see. Why should anyone mind if they make money for their efforts?
Keith: I honestly imagined the kid was going to be Boxey.
If Tim-1 is around, the Boomer questions seemed to be cleared up. She really and truly was a split personality.
BSG: If you haven’t seen it yet, the answer to your question is a very direct yes.
As a single narrative, the Plan was kinda disappointing. As back fill to what was already a great story, it great.
Yes, I watched. Keith was helpful, so I knew to fast forward. It was an awful scene, even fast. Fleet Cavil was given a chance to show a seed of goodness that could have grown into something beautiful. He chose to continue to be a destoyer of life. Like I said before, Cavil reminds me of the Blind Thing from LOTR with all the teeth that Gandalf called Faithless and Accursed.
Who called Cavil’s six Floozy six? That was funny. What happened to her. Did I miss that?
Good way of putting it – single narrative vs. back fill. I can say that whatever BSG stories this team decides to make, I will be there to purchase them.