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Battlestar Galactica : Complete Seasons 1-3 (16 Disc Box Set) [2004]


RRP: £69.99
Our Price: £46.55 (subject to change)

Editorial
Synopsis

Battlestar Galactica balances its striking special effects with character-driven drama and social commentary to create a show that's both entertaining and relevant. This critical favourite re-imagines the cult series from the 1970s with a new cast and more impressive villains. It also eschews the sunny outlook of Star Trek in favour of a darker vision of space and humanity as it comments on issues such as terrorism and civil liberties. Androids called Cylons have massacred billions of people, leaving only a small group of survivors. Led by Oscar nominees Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, the human fleet searches for a mythical planet called Earth as they evade the Cylons. Features the first three series of the show.


A great story, well told.
Review date: 2008-05-26 Rating: 10 out of 10

I was never a fan of the original, but this re imagined version hooked me right form the start. Its structured as a complete story with lots of strong and flawed characters and plenty of action. There are interesting relationships and B5 fans will undoubtedly appreciate the who-you-are / what-you-are implications of the story.

Acting, CGI special effects, and production are all excellent.

Highly recommended.

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Reviews


Absolutly Fantastic
Review date: 2008-03-23 Rating: 10 out of 10

What more can I say, this is a very clever adictive series. I can't wait till season 4 is released.

Astonishingly good
Review date: 2008-03-19 Rating: 10 out of 10

Reasons to buy Battlestar Galactica:

Acting. Uniformly excellent throughout all three seasons. Strong characters with vivid narrative arcs brought to life by a host of committed actors.

Action. This programme doesn't stint on the action...it's crammed with space battles, explosions, shootouts and eight feet tall, stainless steel Centurions.

Ambivalence. In a nod to realism, none of the characters are wholly good or bad. Even the Cylons.

Allegories. You can make any number of allegorical readings and there is scope for dozens of dissertations and essays doing just that. Briefly, you could argue it comments on American foreign policy, religious fundamentalism, the war on terror, the morality of suicide bombers, the Oedipus complex, the myth of the American Dream, mistreatment of prisoners, the dangers of genetic engineering and artificial intelligence, class warfare, racism, personal morality and the nature of war crimes. Big themes for sure but they don't get in the way of the story, but add depth and subtly to it.

Emotional engagement. For all the bullets, rockets and giant robots, at its heart Battlestar holds the human emotions of love, loss, grief and hope. And whilst some episodes are thrillingly exciting others are incredibly moving (and a few episodes are both).

In my opinion this is one of the best tv shows of the century, certainly up there with the West Wing, 24 and even (deep breath and drum roll) The Sopranos. Battlestar Galactica is an intensely satisfying televisual experience...it's what DVD players and nice big telly's were made for.

I'm jealous of anyone who hasn't seen this yet. You are in for such a treat.


Fantastic!!!
Review date: 2008-03-09 Rating: 10 out of 10

The new Battlestar Galacticta is one of those shows I never got around to watching on TV but always wished I had. When I saw this box set, I thought that it was such good value that I couldn't say no. It has the mini series and seasons 1-3 all in one box. It's a great buy if you are new to the series and cheaper than buying all the box sets individually. I loved it. Once I started watching, I couldn't stop. Totaly addictive. Great special effects and gripping storylines. The cast is superb. I can't wait for season 4 to air on TV, hopefully this year. After watching this box set, I also brought Battlestar Galactica Razor which is also just as brilliant as the series.

please don't let us down with the final 4th season!
Review date: 2008-03-01 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is high order TV. This is the only series i have been hooked on since i discovered Babylon 5 in the 90's. Its been a long wait for something as spellbinding and watchable to grace our TV screens.

This new version of galactica makes the original version appear utter kitsch and so poorly written. The new galactica is very dark and very well scripted. The cgi and visuals are exceptional but do not detract from the storytelling and characters. Olmos as Commander Adama is perfect casting as is Mary O' donnell as the President. james Cullis as Baltar gives this character a lot more depth than the original pantomine bad guy of the original. The baltar character is reminiscent of the main character in Withnail & I, very insecure, often bright, arrogant and his own worst enemy but a survivor. All the characters, decisions and situations are beautifully complex and have lots of depth and the script allows these complexities to come to the fore. Its great to see Dean Parks as one of the cylon models. This is very dark stuff and things get even darker when we come to season 3. This is great tv but it is not comfortable tv. That is not to say there isn't humour in here too, it is used sparingly but well. Season 4, the final season has a lot to live up to i just hope they don't let us down.

There are a lot of references to religious myth. The name Adama does mean "of the Earth" and refers to Adam of course. The remaining humans could be seen as the Jews fleeing persecution and looking for the promised land, and there are allusions to Noah's ark. The Cylons see themselves as God's "terminators"their purpose to rid the universe of the imperfect human race. For people enduring such loss and atrocious conditions it is not surprising they cling to the life raft of something spiritual. The dark conditions and religious based segments are highly contrasting and hopefully the relevance of these will be tied up in season 4 without being too overtly theistic. To be honest i find the religious references overdone and the characters far too willing to go along with them. I hope there is a rational point to these mythological inclusions which are not based on the supernatural. I hope they don't go down the cliched route of the ridiculous Adam & Eve story, finding Earth in the distant past and starting the human race afresh. The show unlike the last few reincarnations of the star trek franchise is highly socially relevant and the treatment of the flawed characters will stand the test of time in showing up the characteristcs and flaws of the human condition.

You must also buy "Razor" too as this 90 minute film sets up things for the 4th series. There are also flashbacks to Adamas past and Admiral cain, wonderfully played by Michelle Forbes. There's some great footage of the Pearl Harbour like attack by the Cylons on the Scorpio shipyards and the Pegasus which probably wasn't cost effective for the original mini series to do. There's also a nod to the original series which maybe detracts a little from the much better new series. Highly recommended despite minor reservations.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Edward James Olmos
Katee Sackhoff
Mary McDonnell
James Callis
Jamie Bamber

Creators:
Edward James Olmos (Primary Contributor)
Mary McDonnell (Primary Contributor)

Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 5050582522792
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 16
Format: Box set, Dolby, PAL, Subtitled,
Release date: 2007-10-22
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 1115 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2004
Language: English (Original Language)

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