Rating: 
Summary: Battlestar Galactica--A series which died before its time
Review: When Battlestar Galactica premiered in 1978, I was still 2 years from birth. Since I had never had the Sci-Fi Channel, I first became aquainted with the series in 1997 when I was in Media Play in the Sci-Fi section.
I have always been a huge fan of Star Trek, and a big fan of Star Wars, but I was looking for something to expand my universe. I saw several films, but for some reason I picked up this video and read the back cover--and I was hooked. I immediately went to the checkstand and bought it. I took it home and watched it with my 8-year-old brother, and from then on it has been his favorite show.
The video was excellent and I have since bought several other Battlestar Galactica videos and books. I recently noticed that this video is now on DVD, and I hope that the entire series will also be released on DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Setting the official record straight...
Review: As an old insider of the crew that worked of Galactica, take it as official that the movie you are considering purchasing was indeed a compilation/re-edit of the 2 original television premier episodes shot for television (Saga of a Star World), the 3rd episode, and a short wrap up and effects shots from the 5th episode. Prior to airing on television, Universal had requested a theatrical release in Canada for audience test purposes. Our editig crew took the episodes, edited, added, and put together the film. After the premier on American television, and very little viewer response, Universal wanted the theatrical compilation released in American theatres to garner attention. The series was then re-premiered, and this time the scene was added sparing the life of Baltar. Universal "sugguested" retaining his character instead of using the Imperious Leader as a "mysterious leader figure." Budget cuts, company "sugguestions", and internal politics cut short the life of our beloved saga. Universal has not seen fit to release any other version of the original 5 episodes of the series, except for a re-edited theatrical version (sparing Baltar's life). Sci-Fi channel currently has rights to air the episodes and does every so often. This is currently the only way of seeing the original vision for the series start. I hope one day the entire series will be made available in its true form, and the original dream that was Battlestar Galactica will become a reality for all the fans out there, and a vision of what may lie "somewhere beyond the stars." Until that day, you'll have to settle for second best.
Rating:
Summary: Bittersweet Release
Review: Battlestar Galactica is arguably the best science fiction television show ever made; a charasmatic cast of characters with a good story line. Without question it remains a classic. Unfortunately, the DVD still has the "classic" sound and film quality which in the light of digital technology is problematic.This is without question the poorest DVD effort I can think of especially for how much it was going for when first released. Without as much as remastering the sound and picture, you might as well of recorded this on an old VHS tape off an old analog satellite dish, I wish I were exaggerating. I hate being negative because this wonderful film which made a theatrical run in the late 70's and was a bright spot in the ABC television line-up during those years is presentented in it's original form but it's only a shell of what it could have been. It's the story of the human race consisting of 13 colonies of man (as the story goes)and carried in a motley fleet of spaceships. The fleet was protected by gigantic celestrial "aircraft carrier" type of vessel called a "Battlestar" named the "Galactica", which carried mulitple single man scrub fighters called "Colonial Vipers". Their arch nemesis was the robotic army called the Cylon Empire who was bent on destroying the human survivors. The series details their perils while attempting to find a lost sister world called earth. Most of the series was base on the relationships of the crew, warriors and survivors and the adventures on different worlds, different events, etc. An impressive television cast was the late Lorne Greene, Dirk Benedict, and Jane Seymore to name a few. A very young Rick Springfield (80's rock star) makes a cameo as Captain Apollo's (Richard Hatch) younger brother. For a lot of us, the excitement of this film came off the frenzy of the Star Wars phenomenon. Heck, as a kid I just wanted to see laser fights and explosions, so there are elements of nostalga. I give the movie 5 Stars (I admit, the "yahoos!" in the cockpit of the vipers as they shoot Cylon Raiders are a little corny) and the overall DVD effort 1 star because it does have some interesting DVD features. Hopefully, Universal Studios will get the hint and re-release an updated version of this classic film (and hopefully series!)
Rating:
Summary: Good but after the years looks a bit worn.
Review: Just to clarify this for those who are reading other reviews.... I was 9 when this movie (yes MOVIE) came out in theatres before they did put it on TV. In fact the TV version replaced an original plot point where Baltar, the evil humans name, was killed by the Cylons when the BG got away. So yes there was a movie first. This is not a pilot episode it was a film that they just turned into a TV series by showing the movie on TV with slight adjustments. The Film in its time was great. I loved it as a kid (Not that lame BG 1980 when they get to Earth though that was very bad....) The problem was the series was just too expensive in its day and they could not afford it for TV. That and falling ratings killed it. The movie now is a bit dated as Star Wars and the Original Star Trek look like ScFi of the era but it is still a reasonably good film/TV Shows. Just take the acting with the same grain of salt that you do the acting is Star Wars and you are ok!
Rating:
Summary: Movie version of pilot episode
Review: I also remember watching the original 3 hour (with commercials) pilot episode - which had been interrupted by news of a peace treaty being signed - in late 1978. I already had models of the Colonial Viper and the Cylons' fighter. Although the materials on the DVD suggest otherwise, this DVD is the movie version which was released one year later in Sensurround. I remember seeing the movie AFTER the series had started. (The DVD states the movie became the pilot.) I have never seen any video release of the complete pilot. It's always been this movie version. The pilot is now only shown as a three part episode in reruns. It would be nice to see more of the series on DVD. It's been years since I've seen the complete pilot, but I'm guessing about 20 minutes might have been cut to make the movie version. The scene that stands out the most is Jane Seymour's character actually giving a TV news report. In the movie, you simply see her holding a microphone looking for her son. The DVD extras mention her character being a reporter, but unless you see that microphone, you'd have no clue what her career was before the Cylon attack. The story begins with a peace treaty about to be signed between the human colonies and the Cylons. (Until just now, I never thought about the plot and the fact a real treaty was signed during the original broadcast.) The promise of peace is used to lure the humans into a trap - destroying most of the colonies and all but two Battlestars. (The second Battlestar pops up in a later episode in the TV series.) The survivors get together and begin a journey to where they believe an additional human colony exists. ...so they head for Earth. The special effects are almost as good as those of the original Star Wars. (Dykstra was involved with both.) The story is well written. However, in some ways, it looks like it was made for TV. Many of the places look like sets - the brightly lit casino, the mines. The design of the Cylon warriors is great. The Cylons themselves (like the leader) aren't as impressive. The term "Cylon" is used to describe the lizard-like race as well as their robotic warriors. Stu Philips' music is above average. It's better than his music for Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. It's not on the level of John Williams, but it's still enjoyable. I do have the LP of the soundtrack. Battlestar Galactica was a great series I enjoyed when I was 9, and this movie does bring back memories. Until Universal releases more of the series, this is all we have on DVD. Besides the more famous stars like Lorne Greene and Jane Seymour, we also have Dirk Benedict who would later star in The A-Team.
Rating:
Summary: Battlestar Galactica the movie - not the pilot
Review: I have read many reviews of the videos and DVD regarding this movie and all are in error as thay have said that this release is the pilot episode for the series. Sadly, it is not. Nor is it a combined version of the pilot and the 4th episode. It is merely the pilot episode minus about 14 minutes(I have compared it to my old recording of the pilot) and some of the sequences are edited differently. However, it is still great in this form, Dolby Digital Mono is ok but it sounds better in Pro-Logic surround. The trailer would have been a nice bonus feature. But it wasn't apparently available, perhaps a Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS Special edition will be released with the trailer included to make us DVD collector's happy. I have heard rumors that maybe the entire series, incl. the pilot, will be released on DVD soon.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic For Television
Review: Battlestar Galactica was the coolest thing when it aired on ABC back in 1978. Universal Studios and Glen Larson put together, very quickly, a fantastic premise for a good character driven series. They developed their own language, letters and even swearing. The stars at the time were unknown (Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict) with a few surprises ' like Lorne Green leading the 'Bonanza' in space and John Colicos (from General Hospital fame) leading the enemies ' the Cylons! For the time, the special effects were matched only to that of Star Wars (which came out the year before) and the costumes and props where cleverly done. There is even talk of a revival movie for television or even a feature have been around for a while ' but nothing yet. Richard Hatch himself wants to be involved. The series failed in its later episodes'it started playing with the characters and obviously losing its budget. They tried to revive it with Barry Van Dyke in a series called Galactica 1980 ' with flying motorcycles ' but that didn't work either. I loved this pilot episode and the DVD is one certainly to own. I wish it had commentary by cast and crew. I liked it.
Rating:
Summary: Battlestar Galatica Rules the Universe
Review: I loved it and I would like to see more DVD material on the Galactica. It can have such a great comeback as another feature film. Imagine what they can do with it nowadays. Crazy idea of mine, but how about some real terminator like Cyclons? These Cyclons wouldn't be the slow, dumbwitted ones we've seen in the past, but fast, sleek killing machines who are bad enough without laser guns and rifles. The Salvation Army could have taken out the original Cyclons. Hind-sight now, not scary or threating at all, Commander Cain was right, what the heck were they running from?
Rating:
Summary: ...And I Saw It On The Big Screen, Too!
Review: I saw it on the Silver Screen(at a USAF base), and yes, it is better than anything Lucas ever dreamed of.
Did Galactica "steal" anything from Star Wars? No, just a few SFX. If anything, Galacica is the modern interpretation of events that could have taken place after the Pearl Harbor attack, if it would have occurred at a different place and time. The TV series, of course, is based on The Seven Samurai, Noah's Ark, Shakespeare, and other tales of storybook heroes and villians. So as long as you consider the shortcomings of it's "Chariots Of The Gods" premise, just admit that it is still great entertainment at the expense of network TV at that time.
Rating:
Summary: Great film, but poor DVD presentation
Review: The quality of the picture is great, the sound is OK, but then it was never originally intended to be Sci-Fi material. The biggest problemn I have is that while claiming that the DVD is in "widescreen format", suggesting that they have preserved the entire image that would have been seen on a movie theater screen, they did nothing of the sort. Instead, all they did was lop off some of the bottom and the top of the screen, SUBTRACTING from the original image, resulting an a FAKE "widescreen" format. Therefore, you're actually getting LESS of the original image than if it were done in the normal full frame format. This is verified by comparing the DVD scenes with the normal video tape of the same film. We can all argue whether or not we like the Widescreen format or not, but the idea of presenting a film in "widescreen" is to PRESERVE the entire image that was shot with a high aspect ratio, not remove some of the image from a film that was shot with the normal ratio!!! (...)
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