Caprica – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews

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Now that Battlestar Galactica has ended, science fiction fans need something to fill the void for their Friday night fix. But Im not convinced that it will be Caprica.

Produced by Ronald Moore and David Eick, Caprica takes place fifty-eight years before the Galactica and the thirty-nine thousand or so survivors that fled the twelve colonies after a devastating preemptive attack by the Cylons. It chronicles the creation of the Cylons and focuses on the two families most closely involved—the Graystones and the Adamas.

Tragedy brings together Daniel Graystone and Joseph Adama. On a commuter train a religious fanatic devoted to the monotheistic idea of there being only one God sets off an explosion, killing Graystones daughter, and Adamas wife and daughter. Driven by grief, Graystone—the head of a highly influential and powerful corporation and a cybernetic genius—discovers a way in which both fathers may get back their daughters, but the cost of this resurrection may prove more costly than either Graystone or Adama realize.

Caprica features many of the same themes of its parent show: the conflicting roles of science and religion, the moments when a persons ethics become tested by reality, and the question of whether or not the human race deserves to survive at all. And if this pilot is any indication, Caprica, like Galactica, will not be presenting any easy answers.

But thats where the similarities end. In terms of style, tone, pacing, and cinematography, Caprica immediately sets itself apart from the other show. Where Galactica went with a relentless pace, Caprica takes its time. Where Galactica creates an atmosphere of incredibly intense emotions, Caprica works with a subtler palette. None of these differences are bad—in fact I would say that theyre necessary—but it could be a bit of a jar for hardcore Galactica fans who may have an unconscious expectation for the show.

Now its probably unfair of me to compare a pilot to an entire TV series, but as far as initial impressions go, Caprica just isnt as impressive as its predecessor, which basically grabbed you by the shirt from the first moment and didnt let you go for four seasons. I understand that its trying to be something different, but I can see this as being problematic for its future because its simply not as engaging and doesnt touch on those same emotional levels which made Battlestar Galactica so popular.

I also dislike that Admiral Adamas father is now somehow involved with the creation of the Cylons—even if its just peripheral. It feels far too contrived, like the writers were looking for a way to create an easy, almost ready-made character for the audience to connect with emotionally. I understand that Joseph Adama is supposed to provide the moral and emotional counterpoint to Daniel Graystone, but that has nothing to do with his family name, and as good as Esai Morales is in the role, he doesnt possess the same gravitas as Edward James Almos, and theres a level of emotional disconnection that Im experiencing here which tells me that this decision to intertwine the Adama family in the saga of the Cylons just doesnt work.


The movie was presented in 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with the audio in Dolby Digital 5.1. There is only an English language audio track, but there are English, Spanish, and French subtitles for the hearing impaired. The transfer for both the audio and video are very good with no discernable problems at all.


Feature Commentary with Director Jeffrey Reiner, Executive Producer/Writer Ronald D. Moore and Executive Producer David Eick – Pretty standard commentary track; interesting if youre very interested in the whole Battlestar Galactica mythos, but not anything I would recommend.

Deleted Scenes (7:07) – For the most part these deleted scenes seem superfluous with only one exception which gives a big hint at what the future holds for the Caprica series. Honestly, Im not sure why they took it out.

Video Blogs (13:08) – Four video blogs ranging from what is Caprica to the visual effects behind the making of the Cylons.

Ghost Hunters Episode “Hometown Haunts” (43:46) – Now, I enjoy a good episode of Ghost Hunters as much as the next person, but for the life of me I cant understand why they included this as an extra feature other than both Ghost Hunters and Caprica are owned by the Sci-Fi Channel.


As a fan of Battlestar Galactica I wanted to enjoy this show more than I did. Im hoping that this is a show which needs time to simmer, so to speak, and will improve with every episode. At the moment, though, it only elicited a tepid reaction. Mildly recommended.

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Universal presents Caprica. Directed by Jeffrey Reiner. Starring Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, Michelle Andrew, Roger R. Cross, Magda Apanowicz, and Genevieve Buechner. Written by Ronald Moore. Running time: 93 minutes. Rated NR. Released on DVD: April 21, 2009. Available at Amazon.