CAPRICA is a different
beast from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. It takes place 58 years before the Cylons wipe
out the people of the Twelve Colonies. It focuses on two families who both lose
family to a train bombing. Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz), a genius and
CEO, has lost his daughter Zoe. She has created a unique avatar that has
the memories and feelings of her. This avatar resides in the virtual holoband
world that teenagers have created known as the V Club where anything goes from group sex to killing to sacrifice. Meanwhile, Joseph Adams (Esai Morales) is left to raise his 11 year-old son Willie Adams (aka William
Adama) alone. He lost his wife and daughter Tamara to the train bombing. Joseph changed his name from Adama in an attempt to hide his ties to his homeworld
Tauron. Still he has unwilling ties to the Tauron mafia who paid for his law
school. He defends criminal clients and delivers messages for the mafia. Joseph and Daniel become connected by the tragedy because Daniel knows of Joseph’s
ties and wants a microchip stolen that will make his cybernetic soldier a working reality that might bring back his daughter
too. CAPRICA shows the start of a world on the edge of decay and struggling
against people who start to believe in one God (instead of the many Gods that the major population believe in).
CAPRICA is off to a nice
start. This dark pilot is filled with drama and emotion. This is the beginning of the end. The One
God movement is starting to take hold and the pilot answers where the Cylons got the idea. Esai Morales and Eric
Stoltz are two strong leads for this show. They start out united in grief only to let their differences in dealing with
it dividing them. This prequel series is one I wnat to watch and the strength of the pilot seals the deal. The
pilot will air on Sci-Fi (soon to be SyFY) in 2010 when the series premieres. The wait seems too long as I wait
to see where the series will take our characters on their journey. I wish CAPRICA could be bumper up to this Fall
instead of waiting for 2010. The series is a different kind of sci-fi series than what has gone before it.
I think that is part of why it works and hopefully it will attract even more viewers (who will in turn finally discover BATTLESTAR
GALACTICA).
SPECIAL FEATURES:
The deleted scenes feature
extra scenes between Zoe and her friends and a character played by Polly Walker (most of here scenes were cut from the pilot)
in addition to a scene that makes the final scene of CAPRICA more powerful. The
four video blogs (WHAT THE FRAK IS CAPRICA, A DIRECTOR’S VIEW, THE V CLUB, BIRTH OF A CYLON) give a good behind-the-scenes
look at the making of the pilot and tell how CAPRICA is different as a prequel series.
Rounding out the extras
is an audio commentary by Producer/Writer Ronald D. Moore, Executive Producer David Eick, and the director of the pilot movie.
They discuss where the series will be going, writing the pilot, and filming it. They mention CAPRICA is more stylized
and different from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.
FINAL ANALYSIS: CAPRICA is a very interesting pilot movie that makes you want to know where this series
will take you despite knowing what will happen in 58 years. Too bad we
have to wait until 2010 to see the series air on Sci-Fi (soon to be known as SyFy).
This DVD review is (c)4-22-2009 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted
without permission. Send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com
