Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series [Blu-ray] [Region-Free]

Battlestar Galactica Blu-ray & Series Review I’ve always been a fan of the original Battlestar Galactica show (1978) and I used to watch it as a kid but, truth be told, I had not seen a single episode of Battlestar Galactica 2004 - 2009 revival series until I bought it from Amazon in 2019 (a totally blind purchase). I typically have reservations about rebooting of old shows and that’s why I never got interested in catching the new Galactica. I will review the show and the blu-ray set from the perspective of a fan of the original series who had not seen the new show until recently. The new 2004-2009 show contains most of the essential elements of the original show such as humans and cylons being at war with each other, humans seeking earth, the old scriptures about the tribes of earth, Kobol, etc. Most of the characters from the original series are also present (Adama, Apollo, Starbuck, Gaius Baltar) but some of them have been altered. The biggest surprise for me was that Starbuck is female. Starbuck is still a cigar smoking, insubordinate, rebellious pilot (probably more so than the original series) with a sense of humor. She is also promiscuous and her flaws are analyzed in more depth throughout the show. I think Gaius Baltar is the most improved character of the show. He is also probably the most complex character who goes through phases of self-discovery. I think his interactions with Number 6 (a gorgeous, sexy, blonde Cylon woman) make the show in the first 3 seasons. The BIGGEST CHANGE from the original series is that Cylons look just like humans and it is impossible tell Cylons apart from humans. Apparently, Cylons found a way to create a new versions of themselves that are almost human. This new concept opens up a lot of opportunities about the interactions between humans and cylons (there can be cylon spies on Galactica which may be undetectable). In the original series, Baltar was a sleazy guy who conspired with Cylons and betrayed human kind. Baltar in the new series, as I said, is a more complex character. His motives are not always clearly malevolent. Unlike the original character, he evaluates his actions and their moral implications. He is brilliantly portrayed by the actor, just superb acting, amazing performance throughout the show, Oscar caliber, I say. Tricia Helfer has also done a brilliant job of portraying the sexy Cylon Number 6. She is not just a sexy robot; she goes through many different emotions. And you will see her role is written for multiple characters (there are many Number 6s) who display different personalities which make it very challenging. The relationship of Baltar and Number 6 is quite mysterious as you will see. Everytime they come on, it’s like fireworks in the sky. You will also see their relationship is the key to mystery of the overarching story. I say Baltar, Number 6 and Starbuck are probably the most important and elemental characters. Special and visual effects are far superior to the original series which was made in the late 70s when filming techniques were less advanced and there was lack of budget. Overall, I think they improved the story drastically. I especially loved the way they improved upon the mythology from the original series (looking for earth, the thirteen tribes, Kobol, etc.) and combined it religious elements. They almost wrote a whole new mythology that perfectly combines science fiction with religion. I also liked the way they covered military leadership and political leadership and how sometimes those different types of leaderships worked together and sometimes they turned against each other. I also liked how they portrayed positive qualities and flaws of both Democracy and Military Leadership under given circumstances. Even though I had reservations about it at first, I ended up loving the new show. Now as for the criticism; I thought the cylons are “so human” that they cannot be detected a bit unbelievable especially within the confinements of them being referred to as “machines” or “robots”. They are more like the “replicas” in Blade Runner (1982). They are made of flesh and blood. There is nothing mechanical about them. Robot means machines. Machines have mechanic parts. So Cylons are not really machines or robots (I am referring to the new models, not the “toasters” as they call the old robots). How did machines create human replicas, is a mystery never explained. It’s also never explained whether the cylon copies (the sleeper spies) that looked just like humans were always copies from the very beginning or whether they killed off the original human characters at one point and started to impersonate them. For instance, let’s say a character XYZ turns out to be a Cylon. Was there ever an XYZ character as human? And Cylons cloned that human, created a Cylon copy and got rid of the original human (kind of like in The Invasion of the Body Snatchers)? Or XYZ was always a Cylon, right from the very beginning? But then, they would be never born, they wouldn’t have an ID, no mother/father data, etc. That part is not explained. Another criticism is that sometimes the show does feel like a soap opera in space, with a lot of sexual relationships, betrayals, romance, cheating, jealousy, etc. At times, it felt like “Dallas” or “Flamingo Road” or “Falcon Crest” in space to me LOL. Blu-ray set was priced very reasonably when I picked it up (I think I paid $40-50). Some episodes are grainy and overall HD clarity is not entirely satisfactory but I think that’s due to the way the show was shot. Some TV shows and movies are just shot that way so even when they are HD, the clarity is not crystal (I am only assuming this since I have not watched the show when it aired on TV). I also did find it annoying that the creator of the show comes up in the beginning of each season, first episode without any option to turn it off (they could’ve added an option like “watch with intro” – “watch without intro”). I think special features are pretty good. There are tons of feature commentaries, deleted scenes, etc. Overall, I think this is a great set for any sci-fi fan.

Excellent series that I have re-watched 4 or 5 times now. Insanely better than the 70's version of the show. Acting is excellent. It's an exciting drama that anyone will enjoy, you do not need to be a fan of science fiction, or a fan or even familiar with the original 70's BSG. I put this show up there with Breaking Bad, X-Files, Lost, ST:TNG, as some of the best TV ever made. Comparing this set to the US set: The content on the discs is identical. The audio is identical: The menus are in Dolby Digital, the episodes themselves are DTS-HD Master. I own both the Original US blu-ray release that came in the collector packaging, plus this set. The original US set did not include Razor, this set does. The Disc with Razor is the same as the disc sold here in the US that came separately (and later included in the repackaged silver box set), it contains the broadcast version plus an extended version of Razor. The packaging is excellent, and uses normal 2 and 3 disc 14mm blu-ray cases, vs the paper sleeve crap that the collectors version came with (which I subsequently re-packaged into normal cases.) The artwork on the discs is different between the US release and this one. As far as that goes, I prefer the US discs, as these appear more generic in design, but for the price you can't complain, at $65 this set is a steal. The US set split season 4 up into season 4 (2 discs) and season 4.5 (3 discs). In this set they just call season 4.5 "The Final Season". Razor is packaged with Season 4, The disc case is labeled Season 4 discs 1, 2, and 3. The discs are labeled Razor, Season 4 disc 1, Season 4 disc 2. It does not include The Plan, which of course the US set does not include either since it hadn't been filmed/released yet. It comes with a booklet that goes over each major human character, each known cylon model, lists each discs' episode contents, and has a glossary of the terms used in the show. It also mentions The Plan and Caprica: "The Story Continues.." but keep in mind neither of those come with this set. It makes no mention of Blood & Chrome which was created after this set. To make this amazingly affordable set complete, just buy The Plan, and Blood & Chrome, both of which can be found for under $10 each. Adding the Caprica show would complete the modern set of Battlestar Galactica, but that so far has only been released on DVD. If you bought just a single, 14mm 4 disc standard blu-ray case, you could fit both Blood and Chrome and The Plan into this box set. The Plan would go in the new case along with the Final Season (4 discs total, place The Plan as the final disc), and then the original 3 disc case for the Final Season could be used for Blood & Chrome plus discs 1 and 2 for Season 1. Blood & Chrome is a prequel to BSG the fits chronologically between Caprica and Season 1, the Plan came out after the series finale, and would be considered a spoiler unless viewed last, so it would be the last disc in the set.

I will attempt to split this review into two parts, one for packaging and another for actual reviews. A) Packaging(Which Blue ray set to purchase) If someone is looking to buy Battlestar Galactica Complete series on Blue-ray, they would be inundated with a variety of choices. There are various blue ray sets available ranging from $36 to about $116. So which version should one buy while not sacrificing quality of the discs, also saving some considerable money at the same time? I highly recommend, the $36-$39 Black color "Import/United Kingdom released, Blu-Ray/Region A/B/C ". Even though it says Import version, it is region free and plays in the US. I think since it supports regions A/B/C, it can be played in most of the countries in Asia,Europe and North America etc. I had no issues in playing this on a Blue-ray player in the USA. For about $36 the this set is a real deal.It includes the miniseries, all the four seasons. Special features include, Behind the scenes, Booklet, Box Set, Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Interactive Menu(U Contrrol as marketed by Universal Company).This version costs about $36 to $39 on Amazon and beats all the other versions There are two other versions available which I think are very expensive 1)Silver Box costs $116 2)Blue-ray Box set costing $114 (with Collectible Cylon) I paid $36 for the black package, I think the price went up by $3 to about $39 as I write this review, but its still worth it. The picture quality is great, and I do not see any issues with grainy picture like some other reviews on Amazon suggested. Now, coming to may be why this box costs less than other versions This box does not contain the Razor or Plan.It also does not contain Spin off series Caprica/Blood&Chrome. Most of those expensive Blue-ray sets has these included in it. But do not fret, one can purchase the Blue-Ray double -feature of Razor/Plan for less that $8 on Amazon. And as to the spin off series, I don't think its fair to be clubbed together with the simply astounding re imagined series. If you think you will really like the Spin off series, you can purchase it separately. Personally I am not planning to purchase the spin off series, but I may watch it if it becomes available for free on Netflix/Amazon Prime etc B)Reviews for the Series: All I can say is, if you like science fiction, good thought provocative entertainment and hate all the garbage mindless shows on TV/Movies, this show is for you.One of the greatest shows ever to grace television and frankly, mind blowing. Watch it already and you will not regret it.

"Battlestar Galactica" (2004) is one of those rare cases where a reboot more than matches up against the original (classic). By now, most people are aware of the series and the high quality production and storytelling that it contains. Thus, I won't focus so much on recapping the whole story but mainly focus on the package itself as well as a small list of why I particularly enjoy this series. CONTENT ISSUES: One thing needs to be said though, there are moments of love making in a few of the episodes (it's not a huge focus [nor long]...but it helps set the some of the character relationships as well as the social mindsets of the period...and in one instance is an important plot point). So just a fair warning...Oh, and some coarse language is involved as well. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BSG: 1. One of the things I like about the series is, like it's original source material, that it deals with multiple themes about loyalty, fear, divinity, humanity, touch choices, and tons more. And it deals with it smartly and often with great character development. 2. I also appreciate how it presents tough choices having to be made. In times of great strife, it's not always possible to make the "perfect choice". But in the end, people have to learn to make the best choice...and the choices that they will not regret and line up with a strong moral compass. And I appreciate that we do feel the weight of these decisions through the characters making them since they present and act it so well. 3. The fact that this isn't a "science-saves-the-day" (a la star trek) kind of show is somewhat refreshing as far as sci-fi shows go. This is a tale about humanity fighting for survival suddenly after a period of complacency and peaceful "softening". 4. This show seriously has some of the most epic space battle sequences seen in both film and especially television. 5. And along with the above, the attention to detail on the ships and overall setting is really immersive and amazing to behold. THE PACKAGE: So, since there is some confusion about packages and imports, I included pictures of the edition I have so that we're clear. There's photos of front and back, as well as the Blu-ray contents inside. But basically, with all the different packages for the series, I chose this one largely because of the price. This is not the "American" released edition but an official import from Europe (not quite sure which countries specifically) distributed by Universal. So you don't have to fear...this is the real deal in Blu-ray. What's included: 1. All episodes (with both "broadcast" and "extended" versions for the episodes that have them) from all seasons of BSG 2. Unfortunately, of all the BSG movies, it only has "Razor" (both broadcast and extended versions). "The Plan" and "Blood & Chrome" are not included. 3. There are tons of special features on each disk...too much to really list. 4. Has a small booklet with brief summaries of some of the key characters and and episode list with brief episode summaries and special features listings. 5. This is an "ALL REGION" set, so it works in pretty much all players. I used a player from the USA and it worked perfectly.

I am just into the first season so I cannot give a full review, but this is what I have found. First the quality. We are told by Ron Moore that the show is presented as originally intended. I guess that means they wanted it to be high contrast. But along with the contrast we get grain in almost every dark scene. And there are a LOT of dark scenes. They stand out and call attention to themselves as you are watching. This makes many of the great space battles distracting. But it is still watchable because it is a good show. Next. the menus. The price of each disk must have increased exponentially each time a sub-menu was added because there are almost none. In fact, control of each disk is very spotty with only 5 chapters for each episode. And once an episode has started there is no chapter selection menu to help you navigate. In fact, once started, the only controls for an episode are forward/back by chapter, fast forward or reverse, and stop. There is no getting back to the disk menu without stopping the current ep and no resuming if you get to the main menu. Again, this is annoying, but not life or death. Sound. For the min-series, I had to watch with "sub-titles for the hearing impaired because the background sounds and music step all over the dialog. I can't say this is a disk problem because I remember being annoyed that I could not hear what was being said when I watch the series back in the day - when it was first broadcast. Another problem with the disks is that the menu freezes, meaning that if you pause an episode for more than a few minutes, when you return, it is no longer showing the last scene you were viewing, but the Universal (studio) splash screen and you must stop/restart the disk to get back into the show and as mention before, it does not resume, it restarts. Then you need to use the same clumsily menus to try to find where you were before. Also kind of odd is the fact that the disks are loaded into the holder in odd order. When there are two disks in a case, the disk on the left side is the second, and the one on the right is the first. I am reordering them as I watch. Someone mentioned that Ron Moore has a presentation at the beginning of each disk. Maybe that was true in the past, but in my set, the introduction is only at the beginning of Disk 1 for each season. Given that Ron basically redefined and fleshed out the Kingons, wrote many of the Best stories of Star Trek TNG and DS9, and given that he produced this excellent version of BSG, I say he can introduce whatever he wants. Again some of the notes I made above are in reference to an annoyance or two, but I don't consider these problems catastrophic when I also consider the low price I paid for the set.

I don't do reviews except for the really important items, and this is one. We purchased the Battlestar Series from Megahit Records a few months ago, and recommend them without reservation. The set was new, pristineand everything a Battlestar fan from any era could wish. All discs were without defect, except for some portions in the first disc containing the mini-series, likely encoding arifacts from the original digital master recordings, when the mini-series was filmed then later reencoded for transfer to Bluray. The series was filmed at about 2K, not 4K, which has lead some fans to gripe about the set, no matter which edition of the set they buy. I worked on various settings until I realized what the problems was, and then received best viewing results from setting both our Samsung player and Samsung 4K/UHD curved screen TV to dynamic, allowing them to sort out the encoding between themselves. YMMV depending what brand of player and/or TV you watch, or how bright or snappy you want to 2K material to appear. Having the same brand helped, as playback on a different Blueray player to the same TV was not satisfactory. It's too bad that SciFi/Universal couldn't (afford to) film the show in 4K in those early days, as it's usually done now, but that's what resulted in sometimes 'muddy/grainy' appearances, especially of many interior scenes. Better to have the series made at the budget they provided than not. Owning this set allows you to see the glory of of the show as it should've been seen if it had been possible at the time, had we all enjoyed having 'HD' during the series run, but even in 2009 Blueray and 4K were pretty expensive for many people. The special effects on a 4KUHD set are great for the way the show was filmed then, unless they try to reimagine the reimagining some day. The extra features are great, so now you can explain to your grandkids so they can understand why we older fans still like the show so many years after this and the original series came and went. A great cast and epic show. Mega Hit records was quick to respond tp my contacts and gets an easy 5 star rating.

First and foremost, I think this is the most engaging and significant science fiction series of the past several decades; Firefly or ST:NG and others form a line behind this one. Second, despite concerns over the finale (which I was fine with) I think it balanced good storytelling and social criticism more expertly than most shows of its era regardless of genre. The acting was top-tier, the production values were remarkable, and the writing and direction were superb. Overall, if you've never seen the series, or perhaps engage in a massive binge once per year like I do, then this box set is definitely worth the investment. Regarding this imported Blu-Ray set, I did a test viewing of all the discs upon receipt and they all worked flawlessly. The "All Regions" designation is accurate and it played on two different Blu-Ray players (a Sony and a Samsung) without any issues. The packaging was compact and professional, with an insert booklet with an overview of the series. As this box set is a fraction of the price of the US version I think it's a bargain; yes, it does not include "The Plan" and yes, it has the UK theme song but these are in no way "deal breakers" for me. Audio and video are consistent with the original broadcasts (as well as HD streaming via Netflix) so I wouldn't worry about the viewing experience. All in all, a great purchase.

If you like Science Fiction of practically any sort, this is STILL the best science fiction show ever produced for television... Period!!! There’s some others that come close, but they still fall short, because the character development in this series is so good that the show feels practically real life as opposed to being created by actors. The writers and directors went out of their way to make this series as believable as possible while maintaining a futuristic setting that involves space flight at faster than light speeds. This show brings an air of excitement and drama that's rarely seen in such shows. The quality of the acting, writing, and storytelling are equal to anything shown on the big screen in movie theaters. The series flows amazing well from episode to episode, making binge watching a practical must. Being a far cry from the original (which looks incredibly cheap, especially by today's standards), this show looks like it was produced with an unlimited budget. If anybody interested in this is former Navy, than even the sights and sounds of the interior spaces throughout the Galactica will have a familiar ring to them, right down to the sound the closing of a hatch makes on board the ship. This is a must have series for any serious Science Fiction fan. There’s certainly other series that are great to watch, yet they all come up a bit short when compared with this extraordinary performance.

Bought this years ago but its great. Everyone should watch this show.

Those are fighting words in that headline, but it has been 7 years since I binge watched this over the Winter 2008-Summer 2009 and to this day I still think about this peerless series or some aspect of it, a quote, an image, on an almost nearly daily basis. Yes I've watched The Wire, Sopranos, Breaking Bad and many others, and while excellent, in my opinion they were all living in the shadow of this. It's probably the most powerful story I've ever watched and I include film in that and I've (supposedly so they say) good taste. It starts off like a rocket and morphs quickly from a rather thrilling, gritty science fiction saga to an honest to god life changing (if you let it) study on what it means to be alive and human nature and how best to respond to the trials life throws at us and how we all are striving to get/stake out a small measure of peace. The show starts white knuckle and then gets wider/deeper than you could think of and soon realise this is one of the greats and how little known it really is. You'll feel like you're found hidden pirate's treasure and want to share it with someone else. The less you know the better. I began watching in late 2008 because I was standing in a store with a friend in 1st year of college and he said try this. I had never seen a trailer, a review, how many episodes, NOTHING. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement that is equal to saying what they dropped on Hiroshima was a grenade. It's now my favorite show of all time and I'm not really a science fiction fan. To put it mildly: It had everything I liked from various other great fiction mixed together but in perfect concoction. I never had a felt a series so made for me, but here it was: Politics, scenic planets, resource depletion, mental exhaustion and desperation, navy style military, but transplanted to a beliveable future society, characters of great warmth and duty but also questioning and self aware enough to learn from their mistakes and others. I loved how old and young characters interacted with each other across age gaps. The feel of living in a tin after losing everyone you know can being hunted across the universe after a genocide. Strong and weak male characters that are allowed to be men and strong and weak women characters that are not trying to be women, just humans keeping is from the brink all set in an atmosphere of cabin fever and paranoia. Its one of the truly great stories, ordinary people being forced to cope with a situation inflicted upon them as they get put through the most harrowing odyssey to find some small contentment (surrogate families become a subtle underlying theme of the series). The characters are so well drawn and so flawlessly and naturally acted that even by the end of the first season, you will feel like you understand, empathise them all even when not fully agreeing with their decisions, No show will make you feel more conflicted than BSG or put you in another shoes, and despite all this it never becomes a story of anti heroes, they really are trying to figure a way out of the mire and be decent people. They will remind me you of people know and inspire you to be better, I know that sounds cringey but this series was one of the reasons behind my choice of career I'm currently pursuing and changed my beliefs in some aspects of democracy and even religion. This is the kind of TV that makes you wish you had the chance to have some of the characters a part of your own life. It does all this while by being incredibly compelling, adventurous, immersive and having one of the finest thrilling and beautiful soundtracks you will ever hear in all of cinema/TV. It is godlike and I find myself listening to it whether its speeding dangerously down a motorway, typing out an Excel sheet or loading the dishwasher. It is a series both under seen and under heard, both intelligent, probing and life affirming. What does it mean to be human, to be alive, what do we fight for, you'll have to answer that for yourself, but this series will give you signposts and unearth some parts of yourself we rarely get in touch with. It is a show not of anti heroes, but of real people being tested far beyond what life had intended for them, revealing itself to have huge dramatic heart to match its vast brains. People and what's left of civilisation holding on to each other and their sanity, living in close proximity, in a facade of democracy, at the end of everything. What is there to live for? It has been seven years since it ended and to this day I have never seen characters (dozens of secondary and primary) and overarching and storyline feel so real, so true and despite the darkness, inspirational. It combines the intimate,cosy and the epic and does so with equal skill. J.R.R Tolkien would be proud. It is a treatise on the human experience that feels and looks like a 60 hour, 6 year cinematic film series. It is a universal fable which compels us to reflect on our own world, our own lives, our own choices, “since all of this has happened before, and will happen again”.Nothing is left untouched, and you'll feel that journey, oh lord you'll feel it. You'll live it. So enough of the hyperbole, I just felt that a lot of these reviews undersell it, and I do think that years from now it will be regarded in the same way Blade Runner, Lawrence of Arabia or Alien is now, some of the greatest productions of all time and with the longest legs it will age fantastically for it has a timeless setting. Well done Ron Moore, David Eick and company, you magnificent supersonic bastards.'

God quality SIFI, well played and serius good Actors and overall stories.e not roward the last few episodes , But you have to see them , otherwise you can`t sleep , one Must Know the end

Paquete imprescindible para todos los fans de la serie y de la buena ciencia ficción en cualquier medio. Es, para mí, la mejor serie con esta temática, en lo que llevamos del siglo XXI. Tiene de "ciencia ficción dura" lo que "Damages" tenía de "serie de abogados". "Battlestar Galactica" trata temas sobre política, religión, moral, relaciones milicia-Estado, liderazgo y el eterno drama del ser humano... sólo que en el espacio ¡Una verdadera joya! Sobre el contenido: incluye la serie completa, la miniserie-piloto y todos los extras de la edición en bluray de Estados Unidos. La gran ventaja es que es mucho más barata que la edición norteamericana, dado que esta se lanzó al mercado europeo. Los discos, si bien son región B, funcionan perfecto en cualquier bluray (sin importar que no sea multiregión, dado que los discos están liberados para todos los reproductores). Imperdible a este precio.

Écriture millimétrée, acteurs tous bon, scénario terre à terre et parfois dur, cette série à tout changé; FINI les séries gnan gnan à la Star Trek, on est dans le dur. En plus on a ici une intégrale sans fioriture, en blu ray pour un prix très modique…