| By thedigitalbits.com,
on 06-12-2006
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Favoured : 119 |
 Program Rating: A
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): B+/B/B-
How in the hell does this show keep getting better and better? I don't really know, but the good news is that Battlestar Galactica continues to be the most original, well-told and innovative dramatic series on TV.
Season 2.5 picks right up where the previous Season 2.0 (reviewed here) left off. Scratch that - it actually starts a little farther back, by including an extended version of the mid-season finale, Pegasus (the original broadcast version was included on the 2.0 DVD release). The added footage gives additional depth to the narrative, in particularly enabling you to better empathize with Admiral Cain, and to understand exactly why she does the things she does. The second half of Battlestar's sophomore season unfolds on the remainder of this three-disc set, as the surviving members of the Human race continue to flee through space from the Cylon forces bent on their destruction.
Standout episodes include the Resurrection two-parter (in which the crews of the Galactica and Pegasus attempt to destroy a key Cylon asset, while secretly plotting against one another), Scar (in which the fleet's Viper pilots are tested by a seemingly invincible Cylon Raider, which picks them off one by one), The Captain's Hand (in which Apollo suddenly finds himself with responsibilities he never imagined) and the shocking two-part season finale, Lay Down Your Burdens (which changed much about this series in sudden and unexpected ways).
All eleven episodes that make up the back half of the second season are included here on three discs, and all are presented in excellent quality anamorphic widescreen video. Colors, contrast and image detail are all first-rate, with very little compression artifacting or other visible defects. If you've seen the previous Galactica DVDs, you'll know exactly what to expect. Audio is a good Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, that's more immersive and atmospheric than actively dynamic. It matches the visuals well.
As with the previous DVDs, you get all of producer Ron Moore's podcast commentaries from Sci-Fi.com. There's also a new commentary on the extended version of Pegasus with Moore and producer David Eick. You get seven video featurettes, also seen on Sci-Fi.com as Eick's video blogs. Deleted and extended scenes are included too - some twenty-seven in all on the various discs, from Resurrection Ship, Part I, Black Market, Scar, Sacrifice, The Captain's Hand, Downloaded and Lay Down Your Burdens, Parts I and II. Finally, you get all of Moore and Eick's goofy animated production company logos (seen on the end of each of the episodes as broadcast). I really couldn't care less about these, but I suppose there are fans who do.
A bonus disc was available exclusively at Best Buy stores with this set for a limited time, that included The Story So Far recap episode. Unfortunately, it's not in anamorphic widescreen as it claims to be on the disc's label - it's letterbox widescreen only.
A lot of readers have asked whether or not Universal plans to release both Season 2.0 and Season 2.5 as a "complete second season" box set at some point. I suspect they may bundle both sets together as a 2-pack eventually, and we've heard that a high-definition HD-DVD release is on the way as well. The idea in releasing the season in two parts on DVD was not so much to break the budgets of fans, as to allow people to catch up with the show during the broadcast breaks (specifically, the mid-season hiatus in the second season and also the months prior to the start of the third season). Still, I understand how the split releases are irritating to some of you.
Battlestar Galactica was recognized earlier this year with a rare honor - a prestigious Peabody Award, given in recognition of outstanding achievements in broadcasting. If you give the series a chance, I think you'll quickly understand why. Forget the "sci-fi" factor: TV drama just doesn't get much better than this. Highly recommended. Source Link: http://www.thedigitalbits.com/reviews3/spinsheet120506.html Submitted by Zipper Talk about this article on our forum: http://galacticabbs.com/index.php?showtopic=783
Last update : 06-12-2006
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