Battlestar Galactica: Razor (2007) (TV)

Director:

Félix Enríquez Alcalá

Writers:

Ronald D. Moore (developer)
Michael Taylor (written by)

Release Date:

24 November 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

A two-hour Battlestar Galactica special that tells the story of the Battlestar Pegasus several months prior to it finding the Galactica. |

Plot Keywords:

Man In Uniform | Cylon | Woman In Uniform | Lesbian Kiss | Lesbian

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Edward James Olmos	...	Admiral William Adama
Mary McDonnell	...	President Laura Roslin
Katee Sackhoff	...	Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace
Jamie Bamber	...	Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama
James Callis	...	Dr. Gaius Baltar
Tricia Helfer	...	Number Six / Gina Inviere
Grace Park	...	Lt. Sharon Valerii
Michael Hogan	...	Colonel Saul Tigh
Aaron Douglas	...	Chief Galen Tyrol (credit only)
Tahmoh Penikett	...	Lt. Karl 'Helo' Agathon (credit only)
Alessandro Juliani	...	Lt. Felix Gaeta (credit only)
Michael Trucco	...	Samuel Anders (credit only)
Kandyse McClure	...	Petty Officer Anastasia Dualla (credit only)
Michelle Forbes	...	Admiral Helena Cain
Graham Beckel	...	Colonel Jack Fisk

Also Known As:

Razor (USA) (short title)
Untitled Battlestar Galactica TV Special (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

88 min (original television version) | 104 min (extended dvd edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14+ (TV rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R13 | UK:15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Vancouver Film Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

David Eick Productions

Trivia:

One early script idea featured a flashback revealing the character of Sam Anders, who does not appear in the finished film, as a professional Pyramid player. This was later omitted due to budget and time constraints.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where soldiers are putting together their rifles while blindfolded, the soldier that Shaw orders to fire on her originally takes his blindfold off completely. Following shots switch between the blindfold being pushed down around his neck and completely off.

Quotes:

[from trailer]
Kendra Shaw: I hear you like hack?
Captain Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace: You hear what I do to get there?

Movie Connections:

References "Battlestar Galactica: Pegasus (#2.10)" (2005)

"Battlestar" quality forced into a movie

"Battlestar Galactica: Razor" is up to the series standards, but as its own two-hour special, ultimately feels pointless. It's very clear that Ronald D. Moore and writer Michael Taylor had some interesting extra material with regards to Admiral Cain and Battlestar Pegasus' past that they really liked but couldn't justify shoving into Season 2 or 2.5.

"Razor" feels like what it is -- a long episode of the show. More specifically, it's a long version of one of those filler flashback episodes. "Razor" does nothing to enhance the movement of the series' story line. It's simply there for the die-hard fans to expand their knowledge of the universe including some interesting flashbacks to the first Cylon war. It's one of those things that as a fan you feel obligated to take in and enjoy ingesting, but in the end realize it didn't really do all that much for you.

The story gets its hook from when former Pegasus XO Col. Fisk tells Col. Tigh that Admiral Cain shot her old XO in the head in front of everyone in the CIC when he refused to obey her orders. The writers explore Cain's past and come up with a new character, Lt. Kendra Shaw to help tell that story. The movie takes place in present day (when Lee Adama is appointed to command of Pegasus) with several flashbacks to what happened on Pegasus between the Cylon attack and meeting up with Galactica.

Shaw is not unlike Starbuck only she's dealing with a much darker past courtesy some of the orders we learn that Cain gave her. Cain is incredibly out of her mind and we learn a bit about why but nothing every entirely satisfactory. In the present storyline, we learn of a mission Pegasus and Galactica carried out in attempt to eliminate a ship hiding a one of the Cylon hybrids.

It's a good story that does nothing to tarnish the series reputation and it might have made for a fine couple of episodes, but "Razor" doesn't feel special enough to warrant its own distinction from the rest of the Battlestar series. There are some interesting tidbits to add to our "Encyclopedia Galactica," some throwbacks to the original series with some '70s style Centurions and some more graphic violence if you catch the unrated version, but that's about it.