Review: Battlestar Galactica, The Plan (or, “A Tale of Two Cavils”)
Battlestar Galactica, The Plan is a piece of the puzzle we didn’t know we needed, but was absolutely necessary in many ways – it gives us something that many SF shows do not spend enough time on, which is subtlety and texture. It is a grace note, an aperitif after a nice meal.
It’s good, but not great.
Not to say there is not great stuff in it: The performances of most of the series regulars are top notch (many do not reappear in new footage and are seen in footage shot and reused from the series), the effects work are superb, and the writing is textured and subtle (except for one scene with Brother Cavil at the end with a young boy he had “befiended”). But…
It’s just kinda THERE… it doesn’t stir the emotions as much as I expected or hoped (you see the destruction of the colonies, in graphic detail, and I did not care… NOT seeing things in the original miniseries was much more affective). It’s entertaining, it’s a must-see for fans, but I feel very sorry for anyone who picks this up without any exposure to the Sci-Fi series – those poor souls will be completely frakkin’ lost (heck, my wife, who watched every episode with me, was confused, and she’s a smart cookie).
I won’t hash over the plot too much, but it basically reveals The Plan that was referenced in almost every episodes’ opening – and I love that The Plan becomes so unraveled so obviously throughout the film. Cylons, apparently, aren’t very good at improvising.
Three quick thoughts: First, though the actors for the most part have not changed much since the 5+ years that passed when they first shot some of the footage that is reused in The Plan, some actors have changed a lot in that time (Aaron Douglas, I’m glancing in your general direction). Second, Mary McDonnell’s Roslin is completely absent, not even shown in the reused footage from previous episodes – it makes me wonder, did she want more money? Or was she just “done” with the character? And finally, Dean Stockwell is the true star of this movie, and he is fantastic in it. Worth watching for his performance(s) alone.
So, final verdict: recommended for BSG fans, not for casual viewers. So Say We All.
