Battlestar Galactica: Razor (2007 TV Movie) User Reviews

Under-rated, unappreciated

[A_Different_Drummer · 8/10 · 3 December 2014]

The trick with these sorts of reviews is perspective.

Even today (2014) the rebooted BSG series is considered one of the best produced and written series of all time, addictive, as much a game changer for TV as Buffy or Breaking Bad.

Once you understand that, the question you need to ask yourself is, what purpose do these feature length "fillers" serve? Many of the other reviewers here were expecting greatness, something new, something important, and, having failed to find it, got a little peckish.

I believe that these features are simply a chance for the producers to unwind, to show off, to experiment. Almost like having a fast car that you can't drive fast because you're in the city. Take her out on the hiway and see what she can do...

In that context, this is a solid little entertainer. Great use of flashbacks (compared for example to the over-use in series like ARROW).

Great acting. I believe BSG showed us many actors who were capable of greatness if given a chance, yet, post-BSG, we never really saw much of them again.

The scenes between Michelle Forbes and Stephanie Jacobsen are electric. Both deliver far more on-screen wattage than their resumes would suggest. And Jacobsen's exotic looks (she was born in China) once again showcases the ability of the casting director to pick the right actor for the correct role.

what it is and what it is not

[EchoMaRinE · 9/10 · 10 April 2010]

To be able to help people that are trying to understand what Razor is and what is not, I decided to write a humble review. Lets start with what it is. Razor is a science-fiction movie that is tightly connected to the series Battlestar Galactica. Therefore, if you don't know the series, it is very unlikely that you can enjoy Razor. The character development part for the characters that are in the series are skipped and we see character development for only three people (Helena Cain, Kendra Shaw, Number Six). As a matter of fact, without knowing events and characters in the series, it is not easy to follow this movie. You can think Razor as a long episode after season three. Now let me briefly talk about what it is not. It is not a must to view before season four. The story of Razor is somehow independent from what is going on in the series and if you don't know it, you can still follow what is going on. As a movie, Razor is not more advanced that the series in terms of CGI. I found it a bit awkward since movies are supposed to have a bigger budget. I didn't find the story very interesting either. The main characters are portrait as extreme females. This is not something we are used to I guess. Also, I can't skip the accent of Stephanie Jacobsen. She really needs to do something about it. Anyways, if you want to watch Razor, do it after season three, not before that. And if you don't know the series, I don't think you can enjoy it.

Good film for fans of the show

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 30 July 2011]

This film may have been released after the third series of Battlestar Galactica but it is set shortly before the end of the second series. Pegasus has lost three commanding officers and Admiral Adama has decided to put his son Lee in charge and he in tern must pick a new Executive Officer. In order to improve the moral aboard his ship he doesn't bring somebody over from Galactica; instead he promotes Lt. Kendra Shaw, an officer whose career was closely associated with Admiral Cain. In flash back we see her join Pegasus and learn just what went on aboard that ship from the time of the Cylon attack to the time they find Galactica. This includes Cain killing her XO, a massacre aboard a civilian vessel and how a Cylon Number Six almost caused the ship to be lost before her capture and subsequent torture. This isn't the only story being told; in the present a raptor has gone missing and the search for it leads to a group of Cylons of a type not seen before in this series; they are older models of a type used during the first war, as Sharon informs then; part of a mythical basestar that fled from the other Cylons with the first hybrid Cylon aboard. Admiral Adama determines that it must be destroyed and Starbuck and newly promoted Major Shaw must lead a dangerous mission to rescue the missing personnel and destroy the basestar.

To enjoy this film I think it is essential to have watched the series at least as far as the point where Apollo is given command of the Pegasus as there are lots of references to events in the series and no time is wasted introducing characters that viewers of the series will already know. We are though introduced to Kendra Shaw who was played by Stephanie Jacobsen; I think she did really well in the role to the point where I wished she could have become a regular character rather than a one off. The real highlight for people who had enjoyed the classic series as a child was seeing the old style Cylons and their ships… we even get to hear the classic 'By your command' uttered once! This film has far more action than most episodes including space battles against the old Cylons, the attack on the fleet at the start of the war and some close quarters combat. There was also a bit more blood than we usually see; especially when Cain shoots her XO! Talking of Cain it was good to see the excellent Michelle Forbes back in command of Pegasus for one last time.

Much more here than just Admiral Cain's backstory

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 11 March 2018]

This also gives us a good look at a younger Bill Adama.

In 2012 or so, I rented something called Blood and Chrome, from Blockbuster (Remember those?) - I actually loved it, to the point that I bought it. But I had not been too familiar with Ron D Moore's BSG reinvention beyond the Miniseries. I thought that was it, I didn't even know they had made a show out of it. Not until years later. In Blood and Chrome, Luke Pasqualino plays the fledgling Bill Adama. Now, I thought I really enjoyed that story. But after watching the entirety of BSG and several of the earlier made-for SyFy BSG "movies", I have to admit, it falls way short. Maybe it is just that I don't like giving any film or show negative reviews. Blood and Chrome had its merits, but RAZOR...

Razor really shows us what the young Adama should have looked like, and should have acted. And here, Nico Cortez plays Young Adama in such a way that you can actually see Ed Olmos' face in his face.

Regarding Helena Cain, I love Michelle Forbes, a big fan of Ensign Ro here. I feel she blew it by not being in Deep Space 9. But for her to be in BSG and also in this film, makes up for that loss, in a big way.

I was slightly disappointed with this, I was expecting much more of the Cain story. But after watching this twice in the last 3 days, I say it's the perfect combination of the Pegasus story, the more Current BSG timeline, and events 40 years prior. And the best part of this, is the Homage to the original 1978 BSG: Keep an eye out for "The Original Look" of a few things. You'll see.

There is also an untold story from the Pegasus era, involving a whole new character, someone we never saw. Stephany Jacobsen is Kendra Shaw. You may recognize her as a nurse from Farscape. One of Scorpius' Nurses, or you may not, she looked a lot different there. I think Ms. Jacoby was given a remarkable opportunity to play a major role in this film, and she did it well. In fact, there are three major Pegasus incidents, we learned about when Colonel Tigh would be drinking with Colonel Fisk. She is directly involved with all of them. And therefore answering our curiosity about how in hell exactly these things happened.

And told from this perspective, we can understand why Cain did these things. Not forgive of excuse, just understand.

And the missing Pegasus story fits right into what we missed from the Series. I was wondering who wrote this, but since it was made during the original run of BSG, it had to be the writing team from the show. The other BSG "Films", like "The Plan" are the same as this, made during production or right after, so there are less inconsistencies, like there were with Blood and Chrome.

But if you decide to rent this, pay attention to the ending. There is one Homage to BSG (1978) that stands high above any other homage or reference to the original show, it's like a piece of 1978 was carved out of 1978, and given to us to see here. Enjoy it, when you see it, you'll know what it is.

This should be listed as first two episodes of Series 4

[aphro-18240 · 9/10 · 4 February 2021]

I'm re-watching the entire series on BBC Iplayer and really enjoying the series. Razor part one and two are listed as the first two episodes of season 4 by the BBC and it is exactly right. They sit perfectly in the series and I do not understand why these two episodes are not listed within the main BattleStar Galactica pages on here. For me it was a fantastic start to series 4, which I didn't see first time round, and then series 4 got even better when I saw episode 3, 'He That Believeth In Me'. A great two part story as part of series 4, and we get to see how the Pegasus stories that horrified us when only talked about during dialogue in the the proper series.

Doesn't hack it as a standalone movie

[yevonwm · 6/10 · 5 January 2008]

This is a great episode of galactica that sits outside the main plot to the fill some gaps for avid fans. However after seeing this in the DVD store its obviously being packaged as a standalone movie to which it doesn't stay true. Straight off the boat there are specific references to moments you'll barely remember as an avid fan. I tried to introduce my friend to galactica with this episode and we gave up after 2 minutes. Its used as a mechanism to introduce new characters for the next series and show their role in the pegasus plot tree. Even as an avid fun up for a good episode I would recommend some revision of the previous series beforehand.

Only for the fans/not standalone

[nemod12 · 8/10 · 9 December 2018]

Gonna make it a short review. I see too many peoplehere bashing it to hell. Remind you, those are the people who , at the end, didnt like the show at all! So they are biased on that alone. Some of the old school hters on this remake will never get enough of the hate they want to spread over this show. Period. I dont like the new season of dr who either. Dont hear me complaining all around. What i want to say is: If you dig the show, you will proberbly be in for this extra episode. that's just how i see it. The new Battlestar galactica isnt without its flaws, but as you can see it for what it is , you weil get: amazing acting/ best music ever in a show. and a great story. One of the best drama series out there.

Edgy, but Doesn't Really Cut it

[mstomaso · 6/10 · 15 February 2008]

I liked this the first time around, but a repeat viewing reduced its interest considerably.

BSG has had to remain in a constant state of flux due to the high standards of innovation and intrigue that the show established for itself. This has, unfortunately, alienated some of its fans - as can be seen from the reactions to this two hour episode broadcast between seasons 3 and 4. What Razor does effectively is to give a lot of dense, somewhat heady back-story, told from the perspective of the troubled Pegasus XO Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen).

What it does not do very well is to integrate and expand on the characters and themes of the regular series.

Favorite characters are threatened by insane turns of events occurring near the end of season 3, and some fans are wondering whether the writing team has lost touch with their characters or there is something brilliant afoot that has yet to be revealed. Razor and Crossroads II are either harbingers of a wild ride in season 4 or of a disappointing but typically Sci-Fi channel finish to what was once a great show.

The Pegasus saga under three COs - Cain, Fisk and Lee Adama - is told in a series of flashbacks from the destruction of the colonies to a mission which took place after Lee Adama became the ship's commander. Cain's presence looms large as Kendra Shaw traces back most of what she considers to be important in her recent experience to Admiral Cain. Michelle Forbes and Steph Jacobsen are both great in this film. Jamie Bamber and Tricia Helfer also add considerably.

The script is a little less lucid than most episodes of BSG, and military clichés occasionally take the place of the show's normally brilliant dialog and excellent characterization. The cinematography is excellent - and it was especially fun to see the old Cylon ships and raiders making an appearance (though the real reasons they show up here are not fully explained - yet). Finally, the last few minutes of Razor alone makes it worth watching. But don't bother if you haven't already seen seasons 1-3.

Overall, worth watching, but I really hope the series is better.

[stepwallace · 27 November 2007]

Preface (where I'm coming from): I loved BSG for it's edgy look into human emotion and interaction. I especially loved it's obvious parallels to the issues in our own present day society.

These things seem to have faded slowly over time, and now BSG has more of a religious feel. A story that's "on a mission from god". It lacks many of the edgy feel it started with.

Razor: The concept was sound. I was looking forward to Cain becoming the "monster" we all met in BSG. The situations she faced, the events that forced a well trained, well meaning soldier to become a brutal self serving killer. I was looking forward to the hard choices the Pegasus made to survive alone in the universe.

That was lacking. Instead there is the somewhat moral story of one soldier, Kendra, taking her own rather short path to destruction.

There were many things that could/should have been pushed further. Cain's involvement (and obvious betrayal) by a Cylon. The transition from "can I really do this for the greater good" to "I must do whatever it takes" seemed to quick. One moment Cain is spouting "we won't be charging in for revenge", the next she's doing just that - with no explanation for the change of heart.

The Cylons themselves, whilst fun to see the old 80's models in action, didn't add to the story. One old man spouting "everything has already happened, and will happen again" didn't really add anything to the story. It didn't even seem to quite fit. That and the whole "oh, btw - starbuck... she's gonna be humanities destruction". Where'd that come from? It's important for the primary story arc, but this telemovie was supposed to focus on the Pegasus - not be a vehicle for delivering one corny line.

There were some interesting possibilities in that old Cylon Battlestar, but we didn't get to explore any of them.

The dialogue was mediocre at times "we all must become razors"? what the hell is that meant to mean? The future is sponsored by Gillette? I thought Razor was meant more alone the lines of "balanced on the edge". Some exposition for Cain's odd dialogue would have helped explain the writers goals. I like that sometimes things are open to interpretation, but none of the obvious interpretations added the significance this knife (razor) was supposed to add.

Prequels as alway run the risk of adding random characters or events that you'd never heard of till now. I would have thought that Adama would have mentioned his earlier encounter with Hybrid's many, many episodes ago. Characters and events shouldn't just appear. If you want to do a prequel, plan for it when you write things the first time - mention the events - make it fit with what we've already seen.

Overall, it's worth watching, but I hope the series is better.

Great back too roots Galatica movie

[siderite · 8/10 · 6 April 2008]

The film presents an episode of the battle against the Cylons seen through the eyes of the first aide of loony admiral Cain. It has all the good things which got me hooked to Galactica in the first place: edgy characters, dark plot, lots of space action and military strategy, twists of fate. A few more women characters that I would have liked, none of Gaius Baltar, which in my personal opinion is at least a third of the show, but still a heck of a movie, closer to the high powered first season of Battlestar Galactica than to the new philosophical/religious last season.

Bottom line: It was hard to delay watching it until the start of the fourth season of the show, but it was all worth it.

Battlestar Galactica: Razor (2007)

[SnakesOnAnAfricanPlain · 7/10 · 13 December 2011]

A TV movie that examines plot points long after they are relevant to the actual series. This goes back in time to series 2, and then even further back to the 1st cylon war. The importance of this movie is mostly character based. We also see the difficult decisions that must be made in combat. Many may see Cain as an absolute bitch with no redeeming qualities, but told through the eyes of our new protagonist Jacobsen, we see that war isn't about easy choices. Civilians have to die, orders must be obeyed, and fear and doubt can put everyone at risk. Battlestar Galactica has always been good at balancing its characters and their actions. We have no villains, just differing opinions. The action scenes are exciting, but don't expect to see any major reveals here. It's just a little something extra to understand the world and situations.

Awesome!

[reg-250 · 10/10 · 2 November 2007]

Battlestar Galactica: Razor shows us what happened with Pegasus during the initial Cylon attack on the Colonies, as well as after it met up with Galactica.

I have to say that I thought that the start of Season 3 left a big gap of events that happened and just weren't shown due to time restrains. This mostly fixes that feeling and tells you what happened and how it happened.

I would say the feeling I had during watching this is the same as the one I had during the Miniseries. It was very intense, once again with great acting and with an amazing Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen that really refreshed this whole thing along with the lovely Katee Sackhoff. If you're a BSG fan, there is absolutely no way around this, you just have to see it. The plot was very enjoyable to watch and it fits in great with the rest of the series.

The best thing the show ever did, in spite of itself

[galensaysyes · 7/10 · 14 March 2009]

Battica had all the tools needed to tell a great story, and then p*ssed it away. I'm baffled by the acclaim it got as the greatest sf show of all time, the greatest show on TV, etc. Have these people ever watched any sf, or any TV? To take the most obvious contrasting example, The 4400, which inhabits much the same territory, has characters and plots that are...well, characters and plots. On that show, the continual reversals of attitude typical of the soap form are made plausible. On Battica they aren't. But they aren't exactly implausible either, since most of Battica's characters are non-characters to start with, and so can do one thing as soon as another, for any reason or none. That's no basis for a plot, and so most of the time the Battica shows have no plot; just incidents in search of one.

Razor, amazingly, does have a plot, and a character, and good ones. It does its best to p*ss both away, but doesn't quite succeed, and so ends up being much the best thing the show ever did. The central character-- or the one who would have been central, if the promise of the early scenes had been followed through on--is a soldier who loses her innocence, and more, to war. The character is well conceived, better conceived than written, but Stephanie Jacobsen's portrayal of her compensates for the shortcomings in the script. Jacobsen is a tough, lucid, grounded actress, and from her performance we can derive the portions of her character's arc that aren't shown. This turns out to be necessary, since her story is hijacked along the way, and she's crowded out by the usual wooden non-characters in the usual trifling non-plot.

What a stew this show was! Artsy camera-work and music, coupled with hack writing and ham acting; magic in place of science; video game graphics in place of battle; kneejerk violence (the show was quite fond of beatings); confused politics (the heroes were antiterrorists and terrorists at the same time--Israel and the PLO); and always the same endless stalling, seducing striptease, the effort to fool us into thinking it was all going somewhere and to keep us watching. But lo, in the midst of the rubbish appeared a compelling human being facing a troubling problem--drama, in other words. Since Battica never had any more sense of what it had than what it lacked, she was just grist to its mill.

Yet she lingers in the mind.

Choppy, Contrived, Disappointing

[nicksita · 3/10 · 24 November 2007]

As someone who's been completely immersed in the new BSG, it comes as a great disappointment to say that RAZOR was almost a total letdown. Watching this show spiral into self-indulgence (Ron, enough with the messiah and "chosen one" crap already. We had to put up with it on DS9 and it's now being rammed down our throats on BSG) in its third season has been a real bummer. In the first two seasons, BSG was one of THE MOST RELEVANT shows on television in any genre. It forced us to look at ourselves in a time of national crisis and made us ask difficult questions, namely - How far are we willing to go to protect our way of life? Unfortunately, the wacky obsession of one of the show's creators and pressure from the network to crank out stand-alone episodes in season 3 has BSG circling the drain.

**SPOILERS**

All in all, RAZOR is a major disappointment. The plot is both completely contrived and lacks any kind of focus, with a structure that is more than a little fragmented. The plotting is scattershot, with non-revelatory flashbacks to the Pegasus just after the initial Cylon attack intercut with poorly written and realized scenes on the "present day" Galactica and Pegasus.

We're introduced to Kendra, a recently arrived lieutenant on the Pegasus who becomes something of a protégé to Admiral Cane. The flashbacks show Kendra's "trial by fire" in the moments after the attack. Scenes that take place in the "present day" (their choice of words) contain painfully clunky expository dialogue to fill in the blanks. It's a clumsy device that even a novice screenwriter will recognize as more than a little obvious.

Razor follows Kendra as she watches Cane commit atrocities in the name of keeping the fight going. Then, Kendra slowly begins to fall under Cane's spell and is soon participating in these barbaric acts.

In the "present day", we see Kendra brood over her actions. Did she do the right thing? Was Cane a strong commander or a madwoman? A little bit of IV drug use helps her forget.

The film felt like it was put together from leftovers of previously shot scenes and sequences that ended up on the cutting room floor. Kendra is NEVER in a scene with Bill Adama or the President. Mostly, she's shot in close-ups or two-shots with Lee Adama, making one think that short, cheap filler scenes were shot in order to tie together fragments of pre-existing scenes/sequences. Was somebody tasked with finding a way to use old scenes?

The script is something of a failure and is loaded with the kinds of contrivances overused by rookie writers. We've got the malfunctioning bomb timer, the clichéd, metaphor-rich speech – "We all have to be razors!" and the appearance of yet another 6 to expose Cane's "special relationship" as sheer manipulation. The inclusion of the clunky 80s "tin man" Cylons was simply lame.

The story ends with more tired "chosen one" BS from a cylon-human hybrid who somehow possesses omniscient knowledge of mankind's fate and Kara's special destiny.

The only revelation in all of this is the actress who played Kendra. Stephanie Chaves- Jacobsen is simply frickin' (not fracking) hot! She's got a unique, sultry look – her striking face was the only thing that kept me watching.

It's a real shame that BSG has devolved from a carefully rendered, thought-provoking, politically relevant series into mere violent, pseudo-spiritual, sci-fi eye candy. Sure, I'll watch every single episode of the final season, but my hopes ain't high.

By Your Command!

[aaronleverton · 5 June 2008]

Excellent stand alone/season 4 intro (watch it how you want) that finally puts the whole franchise's roots on screen.

Centurions, vox-boxes, Gold Centurions! Ah, finally. And they don't look clunky, move poorly OR suffer from Stormtrooper Syndrome.

If, like me, you were not yet 10 when Ben Cartwright began to lead his Wagon Train toward earth, then you probably thought it was the most amazing thing you'd ever seen when first broadcast. Oh, how memory leads you astray. Damn you, VHS cassette and VCR, for ever allowing my golden, hazy dreams of days yore to be punctured by cruel reality. Amazing SFX (but what else from Richard Edlund?), blow-them-out-of-the-water opening (complete with sacrificial-lamb), boring, sermonising speeches, standard over-focus on leads (why does Apollo, a pilot, have to space-walk for the blast/oxygen vent, where are the engineers?), zero development of universe (oh, one comment about "loose" Geminese women) and (come the series) repeated FX shots that weren't simply repeated, but were obviously so.

If, like me, you saw all this, but refused to by bowed by it, then Ronald Moore's arrival on the scene (after Todd Moyer's departure, whew, that was close) was cause for pure rejoicing.

But as the series progressed, it gave fewer and fewer nods to its, admittedly dodgy, source material.

Until Razor. How to meld the painful past with the amazing now without destroying either or, worse, both? Write Razor.

Anybody who says that original Galactica was brilliant, current Galactica is a pale shadow and Razor is just crap is lying. Lying to themselves and you. Original Galactica was hamstrung by budget, pacing and imagination (yes, you read that right, imagination, see "over-focus on leads"), modern Galactica needed the legitimacy of the original. Casting Richard Hatch as Zarek was a good start, this is the perfect bridge.

Oh, and it's a great script, involving three time periods, moral conflicts, interpersonal conflicts and some kind of redemption. And centurions, vox-boxes and Gold Centurions.

By your command! 7.5/10

A deep look inside human morale

[rodrmar70 · 9/10 · 11 November 2007]

After a long waiting period, the series return in form of the second movie (the original miniseries was in fact that). Keeping in mid that not all people have seen the series; this movie introduce in a fast way all the data needed to understand the plot in the first 6 minutes. About the story itself, is a great improvement compared to season 3, explaining the mysterious way the Pegasus survive and giving a much more needed inside the minds of the survivors of the human race.

Almost no previous sci-fi series has taken the job or the respect to their audiences of building a full array of human emotions in the characters, and this create a perfect link to the quite impressive special effects. No hero results perfect, no villain is completely hateful in this story, giving the viewer that precious feeling that you are not being treated like a stupid just to have chosen a ''space movie'' instead of ''Bridges of Madison County''. The sensation after is that you have watched a good film (in general) and a great sci-fi flick.

If you are thinking ''this laser-monkey-suit kind of cinema it's not for me'', you couldn't be more wrong. If, from the other hand, want a well told story, interesting and meticulously crafted narration: this is for you. Saludos from Argentina.

Back to Battlestar Galactica

[wim_vg · 8/10 · 24 April 2008]

As so many I suppose, I've recently started to follow the 4th season of this sci-fi series. After the 3rd Season, I was hoping it to get well back on track, but so far I'm a tad disappointed.

Somehow I stumbled upon this 'Razor' episode that I somehow seem to have missed completely.

For me, this kinda brings back the real Battlestar Galactica feeling. As maybe it may not seem as great as some wonderful episodes in Season 1 or Season 2, it feels still like a great refreshment compared to more recent episodes.

All in all, I'm glad I saw it!

"Battlestar" quality forced into a movie

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 6/10 · 6 November 2009]

"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.

Great start of season 4!

[wijnand-1 · 9/10 · 7 November 2007]

I just finished watching a preview of Razor and have to admit that my doubts about another Season 3 fiasco are all but removed. My biggest issues with SEason 3 was its slow pace and a lot of the episodes were stand alone meaning that the things happening during those episodes had no consequence of the overall story.

Razor is mostly a flashback and deals with the pegasus crew how they survived the attack on the colonies. And how Helena Cain changes from a caring and warm person to a "razor". The best part of Razor is mostly the character development we start to see how the burden of command affects lee and how his father has to guide him when making decisions that can have effects to the lives of many.

RAzor has a lot of nods to the old series, and its fun to see them specially in the story being told. It adds a new dimenstion to the story that will ultimately pay back in the rest of Season 4. I hope the nelson ratings go up again because this SEason is starting to look like it might top season 2 in terms of story and action.

Not as good as the show, but I didn't think it is as bad as people say it is

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 22 July 2012]

I happen to like the show very much for how theatrical and intriguing it is, and I knew that Battlestar Galactica: Razor had a lot to live up to. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as the show and it wasn't, however it is better than the other Battlestar Galactica movie The Plan. Razor does have its problems of course, the characters don't have as much depth as they do in the series, the story does have moments where it is rather rushed and contrived despite some very intriguing moments and the dialogue at times does sound as though the writers didn't proof-read to make sure it made sense. Also what questions were left to answer after Season 3 weren't resolved as well as they could have been here. On the other hand, it has some cool-looking costumes and sets and is edited well. The music has many moments of rousing, haunting intensity, the idea was interesting and when it made sense and didn't feel rushed the film was quite thought-provoking as well as with some quirky revelations. The acting is decent enough. Overall, not bad(better than I have heard it made out to be, from what I heard I was expecting horse poop) but mildly disappointing at the same time. 6/10 Bethany Cox

''Razor'' = Great Start to a new Season

[simaitk · 10/10 · 8 January 2008]

Well after reading a few comments on this TV/DVD Movie of the famed Battlestar Galactica, I must say how shocked I was at some reviews.

Crappy? I don't think so, My question to whoever wrote that is ''What the hell where you watching?!'' Same old ideas? Why watch it then? If you'd didn't like it why did you bother?! I when this movie was first announced waited and waited for it to come out and was NOT disappointed.

It was a GREAT movie and a GREAT start to what is announced as the finale series of this classic Sci-Fi series.

It was Rone D. Moore at his BEST Overall rating 10/10

A truly disturbing tale of a battlestar not as lucky as Galactica

[lander-1 · 7/10 · 27 March 2008]

To begin with, everything that makes the Battlestar Galactica TV-series great also applies to Razor. The writing, acting and visual effects are all superb, and the plot is good though not a gem by any rate. That said, Razor is darker than anything we have seen so far.

To be a razor is to be heartless and soulless for as long as you have to be, because if you don't survive, you don't get the opportunity to become human again. This is Admiral Cain's philosophy as she leads the Pegasus into a hopeless war against the cylon armada. Although the movie gives some insight and understanding of Cain's character, it doesn't deliver enough to justify the atrocities committed, and I came out hating Cain more than ever.

The scope is admirable, but selling Cain and her ilk as heroes is a hard thing to do, and it just doesn't get there.

'Razor' is terrific

[curt-wagner · 9/10 · 24 November 2007]

"Razor" is a love letter from the show's creators. The 2-hour movie ties up some loose ends left from past seasons while teasing us with clues as to where the show will go in its fourth and final season beginning next spring. And, of course, we're treated to some amazing fight scenes. The producers may have meant to attract new viewers to this finely crafted series by using flashbacks in "Razor," but still it's too densely plotted for newbies to understand everything. I've never missed an episode and I've viewed "Razor" twice, but I still plan on watching again because I know I've missed important details. But I thought it was excellent. Great effects, great back story for Cain. Interesting tease to Season 4. Read my entire review at http://weblogs.redeyechicago.com /showpatrol/2007/11/ razor-cuts-like.html

interesting side trip

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 9 January 2016]

It's ten months before Battlestar Pegasus encounters Galactica. Pegasus is docked at a station when they are attacked when the war begins. Admiral Helena Cain (Michelle Forbes) takes command and leads Pegasus into the fight. Kendra Shaw (Stephany Jacobsen) is a newly arrived officer. It also shows the other parts of season 2 of the TV series after the two Battlestars meet. Lee Adama has taken command of Pegasus with Shaw as his new XO. Admiral Adama reveals a mission from the first Cylon war which adds to the Cylon origin story.

This is a side trip in the Battlestar Galactica TV series taking place in different time sections. The prequel section relies on Forbes and Jacobsen to take the lead. They take a different tact from Galactica. Tricia Helfer keeps that section interesting. I would have been happier with a simple prequel and leave the main story with the TV show. The difference between Cain and William Adama's command style is compelling on its own. It doesn't need the TV cast and its present day story. It would be a nice one hour movie.

What a disappointment

[robnels2000 · 4/10 · 25 November 2007]

I watched the televised version and felt like there was a lot missing, like focus and a storyline. This show was predictable right to the lame ending. I had hopes of seeing the war from the point of view of the Pegasus crew instead they spent the whole time focused on the character of Kendra Shaw and her role with Lee Adama as her commander and only small flashbacks to her serving under Admiral Cain and even then gave very little of her story. They hint that she used her mother as clout to get her first position but we never found out whom her mother was.

Most of the story lines we see in this version are very similar to what we have already seen on Galactica. The shooting of the civilians for example was done in season 1 of Galactica when the troupes shot several people on one of the ships while trying to transfer supplies. The storys sub plot of the old style Cylon's looked like it was almost an after thought with little to do with anything other then to point the audience suspicion to Staruck and her newly discovered path to earth.

There was very little new in this special and most of it was seen in seasons 2 and 3, I may rent the DVD version to see if the story has any more depth but as of seeing the Sci-Fi channel version I need to give this a thumbs down.

Here is an update, I just saw the extended version. Not any better