home | metro silicon valley index | movies | current reviews | film review
Battlestar Galactica—Razor
Universal Studios; $26.98
The BG hiatus has become nearly unbearable (Season 4 doesn't start till April, so say we all), so the SciFi channel rustled up Razor and got it out on DVD just two weeks after its broadcast. Razor jumps back to the appearance of the Pegasus, commanded by Admiral Helena Cain (the name echoes The Caine Mutiny, and Michelle Forbes' nervous-finger routine recalls Humphrey Bogart's ball bearings). The familiar faces—Starbuck, Number 6, et al.—appear, but the story concentrates on a new figure, Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen), Lee Adama's choice for XO of the Pegasus when he takes over. In a series of flashbacks to 10 months ago and 41 years ago, Razor amplifies several backstories, while also charting a dangerous mission to a Cylon ship. The jumbled chronology will confound all but devotees. Still, there's plenty to like, especially the first Cylon-human hybrid marinating in its bathtub. The disc includes both the broadcast version and the "unrated, extended" version, which adds about 15 minutes. Cast and creator interviews, behind-the-scenes how-tos and the web "minisodes" round out the package. (Michael S. Gant)
Send a letter to the editor about this story.