Caprica
Directed by Jeffrey Reiner
Starring Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, Alessandra Toreson, Paula Malcomson, Polly Walker, Sina Najafi, Magda Apanowicz
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: April 21, 2009

“Find those things in life that make you cry.
That make you feel.
Because they’re what make you human.”

What is it to follow one of the greatest shows ever created? That is the task given to Caprica, and it is not an easy one. The show, which is set to air its first season in 2010, is a prequel/spin-off of the now-completed Ronald D. Moore and David Eick brilliance that was Battlestar Galactica. But to ease the waiting period just a little itty bit, the first episode — in the form of a two-hour-ish long movie — has been released on DVD, and I have the ultimate geek honor of reviewing it.

Caprica takes place 58 years before the BSG storyline picks up. It’s much simpler, much more similar to our own time, aside from some sweet technologies (computerized tennis courts with robo-refs? Let’s get on that one, scientists!). The story follows two men, Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) and Joseph Adama (Esai Morales), who meet in the wake of severe tragedy involving their families. Daniel, being a super-genius who is working on artificial robot life forms for the military to use, discovers that his daughter Zoe (Alessandra Toreson) was actually a genius herself before the tragedy, and she developed an amazing replication program. Daniel, thinking that he’s found a way to bring back his and Joseph’s family, presents the idea to him. Joseph is appalled by the idea at first, but the offer is too tempting to refuse, so he finds himself in a battle with himself trying to decide what is right, and where the line is drawn. Ultimately, Daniel Graystone’s work lays the blueprint for Cybernetic Lifeform Nodes, or as we know them: Cylons.