Battlestar Galactica: The Remastered Collection

Details: By Loron Hays; 15 May 2015

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Battlestar Galactica: The Remastered Collection - blu-ray Review

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The collection coveted by many a sci-fi fan has finally arrived courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Originally inspired by spacey Mormon theology concerning a planet named Kolob and the council of twelve, the original, 24-episode run of Battlestar Galactica and the 10-episode spin-off series, Galactica 1980 arrive on Blu-ray this month courtesy of the imagination of writer/producer Glen A. Larson, the creative force behind Knight Rider, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

If you are a fan of classic science fiction, this 8-disc remastered set – released in two different versions (one offering the widescreen version of the series and another more expensive one featuring both standard and widescreen editions on 18-discs) – offers much to love, remember, and respect.

Larson’s show has always been ambitious and - on the small screen – it really shows off its strengths in entertainment values. Battlestar Galactica, while certainly similar, is not merely a Star Wars knock off. To the novice viewer, those feathery late 70s hairstyles and obvious model use might be hard to get past but the true lover of sci-fi will be thrilled by the interstellar heroics of Starbuck (Richard Hatch) and Apollo (Dirck Benedict) as they fight a 1,000 year war against the Cylons, a robotic race who seek to exterminate all of humanity and, without any energy such as The Force to help them out, things go dark rather quickly in each episode.

That’s right, I’m suggesting that the mythos of Battlestar Galactica is darker than the entirety of Star Wars; much darker. There’s a smart story at its heart as a small rebel band of refugees seek the Promised Land through unfamiliar space while being targeted for extinction. You have a group of survivors – led by Commander Adams (Lorne Greene) and Colonel Tigh (Terry Carter) – as they make their way from failed peace negotiations with the Cylons to a distant planet (a familiar one called Earth) for asylum.

Unfortunately, the execution is just a tad uneven in each of the two series and not as polished as it could have been and that’s to be expected for a 35-year-old show. Warts and all, though, it is such a rush to have these preserved in High Definition and in a format that suggests a larger canvas because the cropping for the widescreen actually uses the overshoot on the original film stock to get even more length for the presentation. This practice expands the field of vision to include things you never saw before and actually minimizes the need for cropping.

Simply inserting the first couple of discs into your player can unearth the proof that Battlestar Galactica remains good science fiction. Sure, the series completely embraces the Mormon-inspired weirdness that inspired it but what it sells as science fiction in the threat of extinction makes everything a little more human. While standing tall – especially for a television show in the late 1970s – amongst its contemporaries, it is important to note that Universal, unlike what Paramount is doing with their Star Trek properties, has not restored the series. The flaws in the original have been digitally preserved for this release. The specific change is in the formatting for widescreen HD television screens. Some folks, expecting a bit more, will surely be letdown by purchasing this version.

The battles are big and loud and full of loss for its survivors. Recall, in the opening moments of the series, the loss of Zack (Rick Springfield) as he flies his warship in a hair-raising space battle against the conniving Cylons. Thanks to the saga-minded pacing of Larson’s script, the science and the fiction are both strong as Boxey (Noah Hathaway) and his mother (Jane Seymour) face the death of their daggit and his re-birth as the mechanical (and loveable) Muffy.

The visuals are also cool as hell. Never super slick, mind you, but strong enough to be convincing, especially in this modern age. Once again, Star Wars alum come through in that department; John Dykstra and Ralph McQuarrie are behind the scenes with the effects and production art. Those shiny and post-apocalyptic Cylon designs are truly impressive and, yes, still frightening to me. While the widescreen version may not be as sharp in the effects department as the full-framed restoration (the debate on this topic will be endless), it all comes down to personal preference.

Battlestar Galactica is charming and a bit old-timey in its approach to adventure while tackling some pretty heavy issues. Even though I grew up with the show, this release is guaranteed to be a charming experience for anyone interested in some serious schmaltzy 1970s acting and intense science fiction. It is all here, spread out across eight blu-ray discs for your enjoyment with the galaxy’s own stars as its backdrop. Go in forgiving the limitations of the era and appreciating the gunslinger attitude and Battlestar Galactica: The Remastered Collection will not disappoint.

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Battlestar Galactica: The Remastered Collection - blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - May 12, 2015
Screen Formats: 1.78:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; English: DTS 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Eight-disc set (8 BDs)
Region Encoding: A

The 1080p HD transfer is framed at a 1.85:1 aspect ratio approximating the original, matted, theatrical format, and the television episodes have never looked better. Thankfully, a clean source print has been used for the transfer. Colors are strong, vibrant and obviously re-timed/corrected, looking much better than the VHS and DVD editions. Having said all this, there is quite the debate between the widescreen and full-framed versions, suggesting that the full-framed versions got the better overall treatment. While Dystrka’s effects show their age and the limitations of the 1970s process work, it still looks surprisingly good. There is no evidence of extensive DNR or other digital tweaking. The audio is presented in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and DTS Mono with surround. Sit back and enjoy the ride through space!

Supplements:

Commentary:

There is episode commentary on the first three episodes with Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict and Herbert Jefferson Jr. as they swap stories like old sailors about the filming of the series.

Special Features:

This epic adventure, which provided the inspiration for the critically acclaimed 2004 Syfy reimagined series of the same name, comes with over 4 hours of bonus features, including over 3 hours of deleted scenes from the original series. The expansive two series collection (34 episodes in all) also includes featurettes on the creation of the series, the score, and a 45-minute retrospective documentary featuring cast and crew on the making of this groundbreaking series.