Virtuality

So is this complex and intriguing film worth watching, knowing that the questions that percolate through it will likely never be answered? The answer is yes, if you’re a sci-fi buff and/or a fan of the show’s creators, Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor, who are veterans of the acclaimed “Battlestar Galactica.”

As directed by Peter Berg, this is smart, handsome TV, a witty, measured mix of sci-fi, soap and satire that offers new twists on old tropes.

This excursion into the far reaches of space, brought to you by "Battlestar Galactica" producers Ronald D. Moore and Michael Taylor, proves far more compelling than most made-for-TV movies--and most TV pilots, for that matter--up until its abrupt, hair-pullingly inconclusive ending.

For anyone who loves science fiction and Moore's brand of allegory, Virtuality could be an intriguing two hours.

Virtuality counts as an interesting experiment, and it's better than most of the networks' summer offerings. But because there aren't likely to be answers provided by additional episodes, it can only be unequivocally recommended to Galactica acolytes and curio collectors.

The different elements hang together as a nicely faceted whole--until the final minutes, that is. Ultimately neither movie nor series, neither beginning nor end, Virtuality is a flight with no destiny.

It all feels pretty dense and confusing to those outside the sci-fi world.