Customer Reviews

Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series (with Collectible Cylon) [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE BLU-RAY BOXED SET.

Seasons 1-4 deserve anywhere from 5 to 4 stars depending on the season. The extras deserve 4 stars while the packaging deserves 2 for the bigger box 1 for the cardboard sleeves.

Edit: FYI, this includes the mini-series in addition to ALL the seasons of "BG", "Razor" is included but "Caprica" and "Face of the Enemy" webisodes are not.


During its four season run "Battlestar Galatica" produced some of the best episodes for ANY television series whether it be a mainstream drama or science fiction. While some fans of the series were disappointed with the conclusion quite a bit was hinted at in previous episodes and it doesn't detract from the quality of the previous ones. The image quality varies from exceptionally good to fair but the show retains the "look" the producers wanted; some shots are meant to be not only extremely grainy but also a bit soft so you'll forgive the studio and makers for going with their artistic vision. Either way the image looks terrific but don't expect this to look like a smooth high def show designed to look slick. Detail is sharper regardless of the "look" of the show.

Audio sounds terrific throughout with an active 5.1 lossless soundtrack that highlights the level of detail that went into preparing the show.

The extras for seasons one through three are more or less the same as on the original DVDs the only new extra (aside from the new extras for season four which I'll address in a minute)to this set is the BD-Live "Battlestar Galatica Card Game". So far there isn't anything else on BD-Live (as of the release date) available but I'd also note that the season one Blu-ray and DVD as part of this boxed set includes the deleted scenes from the first season something missing if I recall correctly from the DVD (I sold mine to upgrade to the Blu-ray so can't look at it).

It appears as if most of the extras are exactly like like the previous sets with one exception the deleted scenes for the first season. I'm going to focus on the extras for the fourth season because most of the special features are ported over from the previous DVD boxed sets. We get extended episodes for "A Disquiet Follows My Soul", "Islands in a Stream of Stars" and "Daybreak" as well as 13 commentary tracks, David Eick's Video Diaries and deleted scenes for the fourth season set.There's also pip's that allow you to watch behind-the-scenes stuff while watching the show as well as an explanation of some of the jargon used by the characters on the show.


The packaging is a bit more problematic. While the big box is sturdy enough and looks extremely nice, the smaller boxes that hold each season set holds the discs in cardboard sleeves. It will increase the chance that these could get scratched and I am disappointed that Universal didn't design this set for a more traditional DVD or Blu-ray holder. The good news is that each season comes in its own compact box and they will stand up with other Blu-ray and DVDs on the shelf. I personally think it is nicer in concept than execution and wish it was designed similar to the UK boxed set coming in September but that's me.

Let's not forget the toy Cylon that's on the top of the cardboard boxed set it looks kind of cool but I haven't opened it to examine yet.

In conclusion there's good and bad with this set with the good outweighing the bad. "BG" receives a handsome looking Blu-ray transfer with great sound and some terrific extras. A terrific series where Gaius Balter redeems himself and Cavil proves to be everything we believed him to be from the first introduction of his character.
Recommended

What was Universal thinking...

The blu-rays may be alright, but I've never seen something that costs so much money packaged so badly. You get this big ungainly box that won't fit on most shelves, but I'm thinking "hey, I'll just take the individual season boxes out and store the big outsized box. But then you discover that you get the dvd's in these cheap cardboard boxes that are in loose sleeves... and there's no booklet of any kind with it. I could live without the booklet except THERE'S NO EPISODE LIST. ANYWHERE! What if you want to watch a particular episode. You'll have to remember or guess what disc it's on... for all four seasons. And there's no list of extras, either. Are there extras? Where are they? Does anyone know?

I think this is the most negative review I've ever written, but I feel like I've been suckered. This set costs a lot of money, and to get so cheap on the packaging is just condescending. I've have to think long and hard about ever buying another box set from Universal.

This boxed set has been rightly disparaged for the complete lack of an episode list. For your convenience here it is. This is for the blu-ray version, I have no idea if the dvd's are the same.

S1 D1
The Miniseries

S1 D2
33
Water
Bastille Day
Act of Contrition
You Can't Go Home Again

S1 D3
Litmus
Six Degrees of Separation
Flesh and Bone
Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down
The Hand of God

S1 D4
Colonial Day
Kobol's Last Gleaming 1 & 2

S2 D1
Scattered
Valley of Darkness
Fragged
Resistance
The Farm

S2 D2
Home 1 & 2
Final Cut
Flight of the Phoenix
Pegasus

S2 D3
Pegasus (extended cut)
Resurrection Ship 1 & 2
Epiphanies

S2 D4
Black Market
Scar
Sacrifice
The Captain's Hand

S2 D5
Downloaded
Lay Down Your Burdens 1 & 2

S3 D1
Occupation
Precipice
Exodus 1 & 2
Collaborators

S3 D2
Torn
A Measure of Salvation
Hero
Unfinished Business

S3 D3
Unfinished Business (extended cut)
The Passage
The Eye of Jupiter
Rapture

S3 D4
Taking a Break From All Your Worries
The Woman King
A Day in the Life
Maelstrom

S3 D5
The Son Also Rises
Crossroads 1 & 2

S4.0 D1
He That Believeth in Me
Six of One
The Ties That Bind
Escape Velocity
The Road Less Traveled

S4.0 D2
Faith
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Sine Qua Non
The Hub
Revelation

S4.5 D1
Sometimes a Great Notion
A Disquiet Follows My Soul
A Disquiet Follows My Soul (extended cut)
The Oath
Blood on the Scales

S4.5 D2
No Exit
Deadlock
Someone to Watch Over Me
Islanded in a Sea of Stars
Islanded in a Sea of Stars (extended cut)

S4.5 D3
Daybreak 1, 2 & 3
Daybreak (extended cut)

And, on a disc by itself, the movie "Razor"

You're welcome :)

There has been a lot said already about the dreadful packaging for this box set. mostly about the size. It is big, but here are the real problems you should know BEFORE you start watching. I assume like me you will watch the episodes in order. The fist mistake they made was the 4 accordian style boxes that house each season. The discs are so tightly packed, with no expansion room, that you will have no choice but to jam your fingers in, pinch the disc and try to pull it out. This will leave fingerprints on the readable side of the disc. Keep a cloth handy that is used for cleaning eye glasses, and wrap it around your fingers before trying to remove a disc. Check & wipe the disc before playing.

The 2nd mistake was NOT including a slip sheet showing what is on each disc. The back of the box gives 'some' indication, but doesn't say where things are. Therefore - go online and print an episode guide, there are lots available, and make your own notes as you go. I also will assume like me, you would watch any of the extended, unaired episodes rather that the broadcast version. Make note - Season 2, disc 2 ends with "Pegasus" - don't watch it like I did, because disc 3 starts with the extended unaired version of "Pegasus" and you won't know this from the packaging. Also in Season 3, disc 2 ends with "Unfinished Business" - don't watch it because disc 3 opens with the extended unaired version. Finally, Season 4, disc 3, the last one - the menu shows 3 'episodes' - 1st- Daybreak part 1, 2nd-Daybreak parts 2&3, and 3rd-Daybreak extended unaired. Maybe I'm a dolt, but it appeared to me the extended unaired covered parts 2&3 - so I watched the broadcast version of part 1, then chose the extended unaired option for 2&3 - WRONG. That option covers ALL 3 PARTS. So I watched the first part all over again, minutes after just completing it. A few more words on the menu could have better defined the content, or better still, that simple slip sheet explaining what's on each disc.

These mistakes are just plain dumb for a major release such as this. Shame.

I purchased the complete blu ray box set for battlestar galactica and all I have to say is "WOW! This is the worst packaging I have ever experienced or seen." I feel as though I have been tricked and robbed. There is no instruction to open up the box. If it wasn't for a small picture showing the box set opened I would have broken it trying to get to the dvds. Once I opened the box and took out one of the seasons I was troubled to notice no booklet or back with a directory on it for detailing and locating the episodes. The box (season box within the box set) was cheap and when i opened it up the dvds were crammed into the box with card stock weaving between them. There is no way to even get at the dvd without the other dvds falling out as well. The packaging will not protect the dvds either which will cause damage to the dvds over time. I don't want to watch it because of the packaging and I love battlestar. For example there is no way to find the episode "Litmus" on Season one without sticking every disc into the player and checking. To bad there wasn't a "Litmus test" taken by the genius who put this product into the market for sale. Save yourself the the trouble and just buy the seasons on blu ray one at a time. Plus the little cylon model was poorly assembled and likely to break if handled too long.

I won't rehash the previous reviews. This is simply great drama, rendered perfectly (or nearly) on Blu-ray. Right now (April 2010), Amazon is selling the the complete series in the old packaging for $[...], and "The Plan" for ~$16. The same discs are available in the new improved packaging for $210. Through May 31, 2010, Universal is sending the new packaging to customers who bought the complete series in the original packaging. Contact Universal ([...])for complete information. The newer packaging is much better. Discs won't be damaged as they're taken in and out of the box, and there are episode descriptions for each disc on the season boxes. All in all, a big improvement and a nice gesture from Universal to those who bought the set early on.

Also, Amazon is offering bundles of the complete series with "The Plan" and "Razor." Both the broadcast and extended versions of "Razor" are included in both the new and old complete series boxsets. "The Plan" is not part of the old boxset, but is included in the new one.

Great series marred by stupid packaging decisions. Whoever designed this box ought to be fired. And the lack of a disc contents booklet only makes it more stupid.
[...]

The kind of people who spend this much on a DVD set are collectors, and the appearance of that collection is important. We don't want a shelf of Blu-rays on display near our home theater, and have to keep a complete series in the closet because of its stupid, clunky box. Haven't you learned anything from past instances of fan backlash over "creative" new packaging ideas. Stick to the basics with the package and let the content of series make your product stand out.

If you are excited for good quality blu-ray discs of a truly entertaining series, look no further. But that is ALL you will be getting - a stack of discs that I recommend you find your own way to store.

I give the set 1 star not for transfer quality (excellent) or any misgivings about the series itself (also excellent) but to make a point about the packaging.

The packaging for this box set is an industrial design major's wet dream, and a collector's nightmare.

I'm someone who likes keeping all my DVDs on a shelf in a neat row. I loved when DVD packing went super-thin. This mess is 1' x 1' and won't fit compactly on a shelf. I assumed I'd be able to take the boxes out and display them separately, throwing out the monster box they came in (that I probably wasted a good 20% of my money on).

While that is possible, the boxes are flimsy cardboard filled with flimsy cardboard sheaths folded in on themselves housing the 4-6 discs inside. These sheaths are already bending under the weight of the discs and distorting the paper boxes. Without a booklet, it's impossible to find the extras - which are the reason I purchased the set - without searching or going on the internet, which shouldn't be a requirement. And without any form of "housing", I can already see the discs falling out as I flip between them.

The Cylon - another 10% of my purchase price - is a ridiculous extra that I already have plans for a youtube parody of its "other uses". Great for collectors, but for someone who simply wanted a thin, FUNCTIONAL set of all the discs to enjoy the series, I wish there had been a "non-collectors" option.

It's too bad there isn't a way to purchase the individual seasons on Blu-Ray or I would be returning this set to buy them separately.

The photo looks cool, but this packaging is anything but that. the box doesn't raise easily, the seasons are not in hardcases and the inner boxes are very cheap. The discs are very difficult to get at unless you dump them all out. Most of all, the box will not do it's most basic function, protect the discs. Over time, the cardboard breaks down and leaches acid. Moisture in storage would be a killer. Makers never seem to learn that hardcases have to be incorporated into any special packaging. You pay more here for something that doesn't even work. The series is top notch, but there is no index or informational materials with all this packaging. This set also lacks a Cylon perspective disc coming later this year. There is absolutely no reason to buy this set. WAIT FOR THE HARD CASE SET that is sure to be released sooner rather than later. It won't even cost as much.