Battlestar Galactica: Razor was released after the thrilling end of the third season of the television series.

Set as a prequel to the harrowing events at the end of second season and bridging the gap to the third, this manages to be a very intelligent slice of science fiction.

Somehow this spin off manages to work as both a stand alone tale and as a continuation of the series. While a newcomer may be a little lost at first, the writing is so fiendishly clever that they'll soon catch up with all the little nuances contained here.

Another thing the superior writing manages to do is make the two tales that run side by side, seem completely separate without making the movie a confused mess.

One tale is the back story of the Pegasus and it's ruthless leader, Admiral Cain. Cain is played with sheer glee by Michelle Forbes, who eager sci-fi fans will remember as Ensign Ro Laren from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The other tale is the story of Lee Adama's first fateful mission in command of the Pegasus itself.

While having a story set in the past and another set in the present may seem a little bit like overkill, it really works here.

The performances are the normal high quality that fans of the show all came to expect. The stand out for me is definitely Michelle Forbes as Admiral Cain.

The extras really do make the viewer excited for the fourth season itself but it's mini 'webisodes' that make the special features shine by telling the early days as a Raptor pilot of a certain character. I won't ruin it by saying who but these really do help to give a real sense of duty to him.

All in all, highly recommended, even if you're not a BSG fan.