just watch it!

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

I quite enjoyed this film, so at first it may seem strange that I only gave it 5 stars, but there is an explanation for that. The story is original and intriguing, and the special effects are good with great model work and vector based computer graphics. You get more than two hours of worth while space adventure, but there are a couple of things that makes me to deduct a star or two. Many of the special effects scenes, while gorgeous, are reused more than once in the film, which is sometimes a bit of a distraction. Especially a couple of times where whats taking place in the story does not match the reused effects scene. Also, as this is essentially a TV-show tie-in, the movie ends somewhat abrupt leaving a bit of an empty feeling if you do not plan on watching the show. It can definitely be watched on its own though, and it is possible to look past the things i mentioned here, but my rating here has to be fair and comparable to other movies in the genre. The obvious comparison is Star Wars which came out the year before, and Battlestar Galactica the movie is definitely not near that level overall. I would recommend any sci-fi fan to watch Battlestar Galactica.

President Adar with his counsel Count Baltar (John Colicos) are with the fleet preparing to sign a peace treaty with the Cylon Alliance. Captain Apollo (Richard Hatch) is out on patrol with his green younger brother Zac in place of Lieutenant Starbuck (Dirk Benedict). They are ambushed by Cylon fighters. With signals jammed and treacherous advise from the traitor Baltar, the President orders the fleet to stand down. Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) nevertheless orders a battle drill. When the fleet is attacked, his Battlestar Galactica is the sole survivor. Meanwhile, the twelve colonies are devastated by a Cylon sneak attack. Adama gathers a fleet of survivors to journey to the legendary thirteenth colony Earth of unknown location.Coming one year after Star Wars, there were some complaints of copying and even a lawsuit or two. This is certainly inferior to Star Wars and there are elements copied from the movie. However, it's also undeniable this is one of the best TV sci-fi series of that era. It's also not a complete copy. There are plenty of compelling original ideas such as the twelve colonies, the designs from the spacecrafts to the Egyptian-like helmets, and also the music. Some of it seems cheesy compared to modern TV. The writing can be melodramatic but it must be compared to writing during that time. The Battlestar Galactica series is an important sign post for the sci-fi genre on TV despite its later deterioration. This pilot movie is a great setup for that series.

When asked if I liked "Star Wars" or "Star Trek" better, I answered "'Battlestar Galactica'-- the original!" It's better technically than "Trek." It's more creative than "Wars" (originally a rip off of Frank Herbert's "Dune"). And it definitely tops the insubstantial thrills of the 2003 "reinvention." This TV movie opens with a tragic attack on the human race by the vicious and mechanical Cylons, including the spectacular strafing and bombing of the planet Caprica, which destroys Colonial morale. By the time fifteen minutes are up, everyone has lost somebody close, and the story is already in full form thanks to Richard Colla's brilliant directing and Glen A. Larson's constantly clever writing.The special effects are still spectacular to this day, and while they could have cheapened the actual drama of the show, they didn't. Watch especially for cheesy good performances from Richard Hatch, Jane Seymour, and, of course, Lorne Greene. Look out for space disco performed by the alien Android Sisters.

Although it is a little bit of a dated script and obviously copies off of Star Wars (don't those starfighters look an awful lot like X-wings), Battlestar Gallactica is worth a watch if you're a science fiction geek. If you've seen the new version before, you'll be amazed at how different the old version really is. In the old series, action, jokes, and flirting are much more common. The new version relies on political events and characters.Although this 1978 version of the film moves a little slowly in places, there are the fascinating space battles. The dialog between the characters and some of the comedy is a little dated, however. I would recommend it if you're a fan of this genre.