Battlestar Galactica: Razor - Frakkin' Excellent, Yet a Bit Disappointing
Topic: Sci-Fi
(...Very Mild Spoilers...)
Geek Week is off to a rockin' fine start with the absolutely free screening of the SciFi Channel original movie Battlestar Galactica: Razor Monday night. With November sweeps upon us, I am certain that the showings here and across this great land were coordinated to generate some buzz prior to SciFi's broadcast in a week and a half.
It'll do just that, I'll wager.
The evening started with our gang getting together for dinner. Our numbers were comprised of Gary, Rodger, his wife Irene, and myself. BSG fans all.
As we supped, conversation turned to tomorrow night's Geek Week event - the screening of original series STAR TREK episode "The Menagerie."
"You gonna see that with us, too, Irene?" I asked.
"I'm a geek," She said, "But not that big of a geek."
Sad.
Other geekishness followed. For instance the showing-and-telling of Rodger's new iPhone and my new iPod Nano, tech speak relating to ripping of DVDs to watch the video on your iProducts, the need for more hot lady sports reporters...
"Like Phyllis George?" Gary asked. She hosted the NFL Today back in the 70's and 80's.
"Sure, if you want to go with a retro choice," Rodger nodded.
"She was Miss America," I added. "1971."
They seemed impressed with my knowledge of pageant trivia. Or were they just uncomfortable?
We headed over to the theatre to queue up for the show.
The ticket for entry was the printed copy of the reservations we made a few weeks ago. Gary, the first of our party to proceed through this checkpoint, handed over his RSVP.
"Your left hand please," The lady asked.
"What?" Gary shifted with unease.
"Nothing's free," I whispered.
Our hands were x'd with a marks-a-lot.
Irene remarked that Suzanne would never believe I was out seeing a movie. "Instead," Irene laughed, "We went clubbin'!"
Lots of people were there, all in line for BSG.
Gary in line.
Your Blogger in line.
Entering the theatre, the title graphic blazed on the screen with a swirling celestial cloud billowing round and round. I am certain that there was some subliminal encoding. I fear I may be the secret Cylon...
Since there was no charge for the screening, you can't really call it a sold out show. The only seats I saw available at show time were those terrible seats all the way down at the foot of the screen.
Rodger leaned over to me, "If the Cylons are called 'Toasters,' that suggests that there's toast in the Battlestar Galactica universe."
"Yeah," I nodded.
"Do you think their toast has the corners cut-off? Octagonal?"
Razor was frakkin' excellent. First of all, any opportunity to see Michelle Forbes is a treasure. And I love her as Admiral Cain. Just terrific.
Razor shows us two stories, with flashbacks to a third.
The first story tells us about what the crew of Battlestar Pegasus experienced during the Cylon invasion. We learn how Pegasus and her crew got to where we meet them in the series. It's an interesting story of how under the similar circumstances faced by Admiral Adama, Admiral Cain chose a darker, divergent path.
Forbes is a terrific actress. Her portrayal of Cain is dead-on. My only complaint in this regard is that we see her too little and she's not given a wide enough arc in the telling of this story.
The second story is that of Pegasus newly under the command of Commander Lee Adama (son of Admiral Adama, played by Jamie Bamber) and focusing on his XO, Kendra Shaw (convincingly portrayed by Stephanie Chaves-Jacobson). Shaw is a conflicted, tortured character struggling to come to grips with the choices she's made while under the command of the brutish Admiral Cain.
The third story, told in the flashbacks we've seen online in SciFi.com's Razor Flashbacks, is of a young Bill "Husker" Adama fighting in the last days of the earlier Cylon War. And this is where I was disappointed.
The film had very little of the Razor Flashbacks incorporated with all those great dog-fight scenes and the classic Cylon Raiders. I had looked forward to seeing those scenes on the big screen, 'cuz they looked hella-cool online.
Apparently, you won't see those scenes in the November 24th airing on the SciFi Channel. Rather, those scenes will be incorporated into an extended version of Razor to be released to DVD on December 4th.
You get to see some of your favorite characters such as Bill Adama, Starbuck, President Roslin, and a smidge of Boomer. We also see a smattering of well-placed, much needed humor.
So, did I like it?
Let's see if this answers the question: I will watch the November 24th broadcast and I will buy the DVD on December 4th.
Mother Frakkin' right I liked it, gods dammit!
Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net
Posted by Aron Head
at 12:41 AM CST
Because there has been some confusion, I felt it important to clarify that tonight's Hannah Montana concert in Fort Worth is not an approved, Geek Week event.
Tonight, the boys and I went to the big event - the theatrical presentation of STAR TREK original series episodes "The Menagerie," parts one and two. The shows have been digitally remastered into the HD format complete with enhanced special effects and cinema surround. Also featured were an introduction by Eugene "Rod" Rodenberry as well as behind the scenes footage.
Playing directly into the kink of fanboys everywhere, 
Tomorrow begins Geek Week! 
One day we found some stray cats in the deep underbelly of the stadium. Jamie had picked one up, but she was antsy and wanted away. So I made a recommendation to the K-man. 
Over on 