Product Details

• Actors: Eric Stoltz, Michelle Andrew, Roger R. Cross, Magda Apanowicz, Genevieve Buechner
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: April 21, 2009
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (194 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001RTCP1U
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,320 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Caprica" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

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Product Description

An astonishing breakthrough is taking shape on the planet Caprica. The rapidly evolving spheres of human and mechanical engineering have collided, along with the fates of two families. Joined by tragedy in an explosive instant of terror, two rival clans led by powerful patriarchs, Joseph Adama (Esai Morales, Jericho) and Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz, The Butterfly Effect) duel in an era of questionable ethics, corporate machinations and unbridled personal ambition as the final war for humanity looms. The latest phenomenon from the executive producers of Battlestar Galactica (Ronald D. Moore and David Eick), set in a time over 50 years earlier, Caprica is entirely its own world - provocative, thrilling and startling relevant to our own.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

250 of 272 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The sci-fi greatness continues... April 22, 2009

By trashcanman VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

I was extremely skeptical when I heard about the proposed prequel to the greatest television science fiction saga of this generation. Attempting to cash in on the success of Battlestar Galactica so soon after the series ended seemed like a losing proposition doomed to mar an amazing franchise. Well, consider those fears alleviated. The first taste of "Caprica" is absolutely amazing. With no space battles and the themes of humanity's destruction and survival at the hands of their own creation already done to death, I feared for a lack of compelling material to further immerse me in the pre-genocide human society of the twelve worlds. All politics and no spaceships makes science fiction a dull genre. But what BSG did for the space opera, "Caprica" is set to do for cyberpunk. If BSG was Star Trek and Babylon 5, "Caprica" is Ghost in the Shell and The Matrix. I am beyond impressed.

The story unfolds as a terrorist attack by a youth seeking to draw attention to his monotheistic cause (most worship the old Greek gods). The result tears two families apart and in half a century's time will lead to the destruction of human society. But before that there is one hell of a story to be told.... The themes on the social commentary buffet so far includes a much more bold dialogue on religion then even BSG gave us, a different angle on the definition of human as we know it, a frank look at a racist society, and an exploration of the logical extremes of future virtual existence. This is to say that once the internet and virtual reality become compatible, one hell of a can of worms will be opened.

Since this series premiere comes to us in movie form, the gods have shined upon us. As far as it's predecessor pushed the sexual envelope for a tv show, "Caprica" has easily bested it here. I don't know how they are going to cut this for television. There is abundant nudity, group sex, and some serious girl-girl going on in this film. Virtual human sacrifice in underground virtual hacker clubs speaks volumes about the social issues to be confronted and is damned disturbing. There is one violent death featuring a but of arterial spray as well. Still think science fiction is for kids? The idea of creating a virtual copy of yourself by hacking the information in your own brain and uploading it to a digital avatar, thereby achieving a brand of immortality is brilliant and the Frankenstein complex that leads a father who lost his daughter to cross lines that should never be crossed is stroke of absolute genius.

Familiarity with it's parent show will certainly deepen your appreciation of "Caprica", but it is not at all necessary. This is great science fiction, period. Now's your chance to get on board with what promises to be the best series in coming years. Don't miss it. Battlestar maniacs will get to see one of that show's enduring heroes in his formative years and witness the birth of the first Cylon in a heart-rending accident. But at it's heart this show -like Galactica- is about two things: massive universal concepts of humanity, and intimate relationships with the characters who inhabit this work of fiction. One cannot improve on that formula. There is no television show, no movie, nothing in entertainment that I am currently looking forward to more then this. If you are a fan of adult science fiction in any way, then this is what you need to be watching. And that goes double for BSG fans. Read more ›

88 of 95 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't buy this if you buy Caprica Season 1.0 November 27, 2011

By wanderer

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I loved watching Battlestar Galactica on DVD having missed it when it was on the air. I wanted to keep a good thing going and knew I wanted to buy all of the Caprica prequels to watch. So I ordered this pilot disk, Caprica Season 1.0 and Caprica Season 1.5. When I got them here, I found that this pilot episode is also included in the Season 1.0 disk set. I didn't want others to get suckered into the "frequently bought together" Amazon shtick and order more than they needed.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Thoughtful April 26, 2009

By Avid Reader VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I first heard the Sci Fi Channel (or as it's soon to be called: Syfy) was going to make a prequel series to Battlestar Galactica I was somewhat hesitant. Not because I was one of those science fiction snobs who thinks the genre can only be about space battles, aliens, and a certain startship that shall remain nameless. No, I was hesitant because I knew the network's history of meddling. The disaster that was season three of BSG can be squarely placed on the shoulders of the network suits. The idea of bringing the history of the colonies to life has the potential to be interesting and thought provoking television. After viewing the finished product recently released on DVD I have to say they've succeeded in many ways.

The story of Caprica takes place "58 years before the fall" of the colonies. At the heart of the story are two families: the Graystones, a wealthy family whose patriarch founded a technology company (a company that inadvertently leads to the downfall of all mankind); and the Adamas, a less-than-wealthy family from the world of Tauron. Joseph Adama, father of the future Admiral Adama (now only an eleven-year-old boy) is attempting to hide his family's ties to Tauron by changing their name to Adams. Both of these families are drawn together by tragedy when Graystone's daughter, Zoe, is killed in a terrorist attack by a monotheistic group along with Joseph Adama's wife and daughter.

By accident, Graystone discovers that his daughter created a fully functional avatar in a virtual world where she and her friends, along with the youth of Caprica, go to escape their mundane world. Using his daughter's work and a piece of stolen technology, Graystone downloads Zoe into a robotic form his company is working on for the Defense Ministry.... This scene alone is one of the most eerie of the entire episode. As you watch Zoe attempt to get comfortable with her new metal body and see the look on Daniel Graystone's face as he watches, it's like seeing a father witnessing the birth of his child. Very Frankenstein-esque.

Caprica is filled with the some intriguing ideas and concepts. Of course, you have the usual BSG-speak. "Frak" is used often, you have the gods, and the twelve colonies named for astrological signs. What will make Caprica stand out is its ability to flesh out many of the concepts that we just took at face value with the parent series. In this pilot alone were learn more about the religion and prejudices of the colonies than we ever did in Battlestar Galactica, but it wasn't appropriate for BSG to tackle those topics. Caprica is designed to do just that.

One of the more intriguing concepts I hope Caprica will tackle are the people of Tauron. Like any large society, the people of Caprica have their prejudices and there seems to be a strong prejudice against the people of Tauron, or "dirt eaters" as some call them. From what we can glean from the pilot, the people of Tauron are peasants who toil at hard labor and are looked down upon by the rest of the colonies. Out of this servitude an organized crime group has formed; a group with close ties to the Adama clan. From what we see in this pilot episode, the people of Tauron look similar to South American Indian cultures such as the Mayans or Aztecs in how their presented. It will be interesting to see how this is developed.

This pilot has some fun "ah ha!" moments. One of the more interesting "ah ha!" moments comes when we learn just how the Cylons developed their belief in the One True God. That revelation alone makes everything coming in 58 years even more understandable. It's moments like this along with scenes showing the development of the Cybernetic Lifeform Node, or Cylon, that will make Caprica an intriguing series to watch. It's these moments that allow me to forgive the series for starting out a little slow. Hopefully, Caprica can find a fan base that will make it worthwhile for Syfy to keep it on the air for a few years. Read more ›

75 of 90 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars "It's a Cybernetic Lifeform Node - a Cylon." April 20, 2009

By TK-1308

Format:DVD

With Battlestar Galactica now over, the team that brought us one of the best sci-fi shows of the last decade now step back into the series' own history with Caprica. Set 58 years before the fall of the colonies, this show has a very different feel and design from it's predecessor.
The story centres around two familles, the Greystones and the Adams, both of which are devastated when a suicide bombing on a maglev train kills Daniel Greystone's daughter and Joseph Adams' wife and daughter.
As the authorities investigate the bombing, evidence seems to indicate that Daniel's daughter Zoe may have been involved with a religious extremist group called 'Soldiers Of The One' who believe that there is only one god and not many.
While Joseph tries to help his son William through the trauma, he is asked by some of his Tauron colleagues to 'help' them with a legal issue. Being a man of moral standing, Joseph has trouble with what they want and tries to find a way out of the situation.
Daniel also has problems with both his wife, Amanda, and that his company's latest project, the U-78 (that's the old style Centurions!) is being threatened by an off-world corporation. As Daniel attempts to complete the project, a friend of Zoe's unwittingly shows him the way to solve his problem and a way to get his daughter back.
Zoe's ability to manipulate digital information and environments leads Daniel into a virtual reality world of night-clubs, sex, excess, human sacrifices and digital avatars.
Both Daniel and Joseph struggle to come to terms with their loss but in the wake of the tragedy they both begin to find something out about themselves.
For those fans wanting a show like BSG, this is not it....
Caprica is more akin to a modern day detective / legal / gangster drama with a few sci-fi elements in the mix. The show still deals with issues like BSG and tackles religion, racial tolerance, faith, monotheism vs. pantheism, terrorism, suicide bombings and the trauma of losing someone you love.
Eric Stoltz and Esai Morales are excellent as Daniel and Joseph. It will be interesting to see how these characters develop as the show continues through the first season. The show sports the same high production values and standards that we expected from BSG which gives the show a very cinematic look.
There are links to BSG and hopefully the plot lines about the first Cylon war will slowly develop as the series progresses. It was great to see the first Cylon Centurion perform it's basic tests and utter those immortal words "By your command."
Caprica has huge potential so lets just hope it gets the chance to fill in some back story for those who love Battlestar.
"So say we all!" Read more ›