It is so good to see Battlestar Galactica again. There’s something very special about this series and it was present in large measure in this movie. For anyone who might have missed it, it will be out on DVD on 4 December, 2007. Also, here’s a teaser preview:

I don’t want to divulge too much about this since there are surprises in the show that don’t deserve to be spoiled. I will say that the show in particular is poignant from the standpoint of reflecting the realities of war in a way that only a fictional setting can.

I’m not sure why it is easier to consider difficult sitations when they are fictionalized and abstracted away, but it certainly seems that way. For example, take two examples from Battlestar Galactica that aren’t spoilers for Battlestar Galacita: Razor. First, the concept and danger of an insider threat is played out beautifully. The cylons that look just like humans prove that ultimately one of the most dangerous things that can happen is for an insider to betray an organization. This is by far the most dangerous computer security threat for most networks and systems for exactly the same reasons that it is so devastating on the show.

Second, the recognition that humans tend to see their enemies as two faced is eloquently displayed by the fact that the Cylons have two basic models: the warlike raider model and the deceptive humanoid model. This gives the humans the chance to view them all as monsters or to see that they have some commonalities. How many wars in human history have played out like that?

In the end, Battlestar Galactica: Razor is an excellent picture at another way that people could have reacted to the surprise attack by the Cylons. It mostly follows the story of a crew member who was new to the Pegasus the day that the Cylons attacked, but it heavily involves the regular cast from the television series. It’s an excellent movie and will do a lot to tide folks over until March for the last season of the series. (It’s hard to believe that the fourth season will start airing nearly an entire year after the third season ended…)