Battlestar Galactica (TV Series): Razor movie-episode (DVD)

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Video
The DVD transfer is presented in1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, retaining the same look and feel of the series. The hand held, shaky cam shots are still, the blue, steel somewhat cold color palette is front and center. Everything looks as it should, solid colors, deep blacks, and somewhat muted saturation. The special effects look great as well. To say the least, the film looks great here.

Audio
The DVD comes with a 5.1 English soundtrack, which is very front heavy for most of the film. Music came through in a well balanced manner but the surround speakers seemed to be put to the most use during Adama´s flashback, which was a bit disappointing really. So many of "Razor´s" scenes are filled with great opportunities to fill the room with ambient noises giving a more immersive effect but sadly this wasn´t done as such. What we´re given is an okay mix, that comes through clearly and is fairly rich, despite working primarily our of the front three speakers.

Extras
Kicking off the extras on the disc is a feature-length commentary by Ron Moore and Michael Taylor. The commentary is interesting as it fills in some gaps about the filmmaker´s intentions with "Razor" and lamenting on their philosophy for the show.

Still, the extras feel somewhat sparse overall. Included in this release are both the broadcast version (as seen on the Sci-Fi Channel) and the 14-minute extended version. The difference between the two feels minimal, though the action is more intense in the extended version of the film. Some back story and character moments are fleshed out a little bit but there doesn´t seem to be that big a difference.

Also included is a collection of the web-isodes featuring young Bill Adama during his first mission in the Cylon war, the second half of which are featured in the film itself. Two deleted scenes are focused on Lee, but don´t add much to the story. Also featured is an 8-minute featurette called The Look of Battlestar Galactica which showcases production designer Richard Hudolin and other cast and crew members discussing the look of the series. A ten minute featurette called My Favorite Episode So Far features talks with the cast and crew talking about their favorite episodes.

Rounding out the extras is a trailer for season four and a two minute explanation of how "Razor" sets up events in season four.

Film Value
Despite the film movie´s focus on Shaw, we´re still given enough time with the characters we have followed for so long to wet our appetites for the start of season 4 in 2008. In fact, Shaw´s story comes as a nice addition to the series as it is more than just "filler" but an admirable exploration of a character making very difficult choices under the most dire of circumstances. That she is able to leave a lasting impression is most admirable of all.

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