David Eick Movies

Edward James Olmos directs this feature-length drama that tells the story of the Peabody-winning series -- from the perspective of the Cylons. Battlestar Galactica: The Plan finds man's creations plotting to destroy their makers, but when their genocidal scheme leaves survivors. Now, two Cylons must try to eliminate the remnants of humanity, while Adama (Olmos) and his fleet struggle to survive. From the nuclear devastation that began the miniseries to Sharon's (Grace Park) attempt to kill her commander, all the show's biggest moments are seen from the enemy's point of view. The film also stars Tricia Helfer, Michael Hogan, Dean Stockwell, Michael Trucco, and Aaron Douglas. ~ All Movie Guide

The untold story of the Battlestar Pegasus comes to the screen in this special, two-hour episode of Battlestar Galactica detailing the transformation of Major Kendra Shaw into a fearless tool of war known as a "razor." As the Cylons prepare to launch a genocidal attack on the Twelve Colonies, Major Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen) arrives on the Battleship Pegasus reporting for duty. In the aftermath of the devastating attack, Major Shaw is trained by Admiral Helena Cain to employ suicidal fighting tactics and commit atrocious war crimes against her own people. Any sense of hesitation or doubt is methodically stripped away from Major Shaw, rendering her a living weapon driven by murderous instinct. But such a weapon can ultimately do as much damage as it does good, and it isn't long before this severe form of warfare takes a heavy psychological tool on the tormented Major Shaw. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

After President Roslin interferes with his plan to attack the Cylons, Adama considers a coup. Meanwhile, Starbuck uses the Cylon raider to retrieve a mystical talisman on Caprica; and Boomer embarks on a desperate mission to destroy the Cylon basestar near Kobol. ~ Michael Chant, All Movie Guide

Starbuck and Helo reunite with Roslin, who considers executing pregnant Cylon Sharon, while Apollo tangles with Zarek and his sinister sidekick (James Remar). Aboard Galactica, a brooding Adama revamps his officer corps by replacing his wayward son with "Catman." ~ Michael Chant, All Movie Guide

One of the most popular television series of the late '70s science fiction boom gets a new look for the new millennium in remake, created as a made-for-cable miniseries. Four decades after the Cylon Wars, the Cylon robots (some of whom have since assumed human form) have launched a vicious nuclear attack, leaving only a few Colonial forces to lead the survivors to safety. Led by starship commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) and politician and possible presidential successor Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), the crew of the Battlestar Galactica searches the galaxy for the mythic 13th Colony of Kobol (otherwise known as Earth), their destination and only hope for survival. Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries also stars Jamie Bamber, James Callis, and Grace Park. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

While there had been a loosely-basted continuity during the previous five seasons of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys -- held together by the never-ending efforts of half-god, half-human Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and his mortal friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst) to right wrongs and champion noble causes throughout Ancient Greece and the Known World -- Season Five was dominated by a single, basic thought line: Hercules' struggle to find purpose and meaning in life after the death of Iolaus, a struggle that would take him to strange, uncharted lands and a veritable legion of new and fascinating characters. Yes, it's true: faithful Iolaus is killed in the first episode of the fifth season. This, however, did not mean that actor Michael Hurst had departed the series. Instead, Hurst showed up in a variety of different incarnations: The demonic Dahak (a character whom Hurst had introduced on Hercules' companion series Xena: Warrior Princess); the campy "drag" character, Widow Twankey; and Iolaus II, the cowardly, buffoonish "alternate" version of the original Iolaus, who dwells in the parallel world first seen in the fourth-season episode "Stranger in a Strange World." As luck would have it, Iolaus II ends up relocating in the "real" world, where, newly emboldened, he strives to live up to the reputation established by his dearly departed namesake -- at least until another remarkable plot twist at the very end of season five. Getting back to Hercules, the heartbroken superhero, accompanied by pirate queen-cum-Sumerian princess Nebula (Gina Torres) (a character introduced in one shot during season four) is brought back as Iolaus' grieving sweetheart, trying vainly to bring Iolaus back from the dead. When this fails, he turns his back on Ancient Greece and heads to goodness-knows-where. His first stop is on the island of Eire, where he confronts -- and reforms -- a surly Druidic demigod named Morrigan (Tamara Gorski). He then travels to Asgard, land of the Norse gods, where he manages to prevent the End of the World -- with a little help from the mighty Thor (Ben Reed).

It is then back to Sumeria, thence to Corinth, and finally the aforementioned parallel world, where Iolaus II becomes part of the weekly action. That character takes prominence in the season's penultimate story arc, wherein Iolaus II falls in love with Nautica (Andrea Dotchin), the mermaid daughter of ocean god Triton. Meanwhile, Hercules is unexpectedly reunited with his lost love Serena (played by Sam Sorbo, wife of series star Kevin Sorbo), who obviously wasn't quite as dead as she seemed back during season four. Though virtually each and every fifth-season episode picks up where the previous episode left off, there are a handful of amusing self-contained stories. In "Genies and Grecians and Greeks, Oh My," larcenous supporting characters Salmoneus (Robert Trebor) and Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) find themselves in possession of a magic lamp inhabited by a beautiful but klutzy genie. And "For Those of You Just Joining Us," like season four's Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules," takes place in the present, focusing on another creative crisis plaguing the production staff of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. As before, the series' semi-regular actors are seen in modern costumes as the long-suffering producers, writers, and technicians, who this time are threatened with instant unemployment unless they come up with newer and better story ideas. And as before, star Kevin Sorbo shows up as himself -- in a manner of speaking. The fifth season of Hercules concludes with the spectre of Doomsday in the form of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. At the time, there were rumors that the series would be canceled, hence the ambiguity of much of the action in the climactic episode (especially regarding the "resuscitation" of poor Iolaus). Ultimately, however, Hercules was renewed for a sixth season -- albeit an astonishingly short one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Legendary half-human, half-god Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) continues his journeys throughout Greece and the known world to spread goodness and charity and defend the downtrodden as the character's weekly TV series enters its third season. Likewise, still on hand is Hercules' mortal friend and traveling companion, Iolaus (Michael Hurst), not to mention such colorful recurring characters as itinerant peddler Salmoneus (Robert Trebor), self-styled "King of Thieves" Autolycus (Bruce Campbell), impulsive goddess of love Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings), malevolent god of war Ares (Kevin Smith), harsh but fair god of the Underworld Hades (Erik Thomson), and the never-seen Queen Hera, the spiteful immortal stepmother of Hercules, who continues wreaking havoc in her efforts to punish her husband, Hercules' Olympian father, Zeus.

New to the series is another antagonist, the ferocious female warrior (and later immortal) Callisto (Hudson Leick) -- one of several "crossover" characters from Hercules: The Legendary Journey's companion series Xena: Warrior Princess. An additional antagonist appears in the form of the aptly named Strife (Joel Toback), nephew of war gods Ares (Kevin Smith). Also introduced during season three is the beauteous demigod Serena, played by actress Sam Jenkins (aka Sam Sorbo), wife of series star Kevin Sorbo. Originally a pawn in the schemes of Callisto to destroy Hercules, Serena (who also goes by the name of the Golden Hind) instead falls in love with the mighty muscleman, leading to a tragically brief marriage between the two characters. But though Serena dies at the end of her story arc, her character would continue to pop up in future episodes with appropriate "explanations" given for her remarkable durability. Spicing up the proceedings with a bit of variety, season three offers the first of a handful of episodes set in a time period other than Ancient Greece. Laid in 18th century France during the revolution, "Les Contemptibles" sets the template for all subsequent "time-displacement" episodes by casting several of the familiar Hercules stars and recurring characters in markedly different roles -- presumably as means to prevent the actors from feeling as if they were getting in a rut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season two of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys finds the titular half-human, half-god Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) and his mortal friend Iolaus (Michael Hurst) persisting in their efforts to spread peace, kindness, and goodwill throughout Greece and the known world, despite the formidable opposition of several nasty Olympian gods, disgruntled demigods, hideous monsters, and a few mean-spirited human beings. Among the new recurring characters introduced during this season is Autolycus (Bruce Campbell), a former sideshow escape artist and part-time pickpocket who strives to live up to his self-anointed title, "The King of Thieves" -- the results usually being disastrous for Hercules and his friends. We also meet Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings), gorgeous goddess of love, whose sometimes bird-brained capriciousness makes almost as much trouble for Hercules as does Autolycus. Likewise making his first appearance as Hercules' envious mortal half-brother, Iphicles, who bears a disturbing resemblance to our hero's longtime enemy, the war god Ares (both characters are of course played by the same actor, Kevin Smith). And in another development, Hercules is forced to tangle with Echidna (Bridget Hoffman), the Mother of All Monsters, who is determined to avenge the deaths of her many offspring at the hands of the muscular superhero. Additionally, Hercules forms a curious relationship with Hades (Erik Thompson), king of the Underworld, requiring our hero to make a few side trips into the Land of the Dead -- where, for a brief and touching moment, he is reunited with his long-departed bride Deianeira (Tawny Kitean). And in another "earthly" reunion, Hercules touches base with Jason (Jeffrey Thomas), former commander of the Argonauts, with whom both Hercules and Iolaus had once set sail in search of the elusive Golden Fleece. The friendship between Hercules and Jason is solidified near the end of season two when Jason asks Hercules' mortal mother, Alcmene (played this season by Liddy Holloway, replacing Elizabeth Hawthorne) to become his bride -- an act that brings joy into the hearts of all but Hercules' spiteful immortal stepmother Hera, who, though never actually seen on-camera, remains an ominous and dangerous presence throughout season two's 24 episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third of five made-for-TV movies starring Kevin Sorbo as legendary superhero Hercules, the Earth is in danger of turning into a block of ice unless the fires of the world can be rekindled. This calamitous situation is the handiwork of Hercules' treacherous stepmother Hera, in whose immortal hands the Eternal Torch has been passed. To retrieve this valuable flame and save Mankind, Hercules must do battle with a giant, a duplicitous wood sprite and his own Olympian father Zeus (Anthony Quinn). Tawny Kitean is seen as the enigmatic Deianeira, a role played in earlier Hercules films by Renee O'Connor. Herclues and the Circle of Fire was syndicated in the United States beginning in November of 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide