Babylon 5: The Lost Tales
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Movie Reviews of Babylon 5: The Lost Tales
Movie Review: BABYLON 5 enters THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Summary: 5 Stars
Thank "the creator"! With Joe Michael Straczynski in full control (creating, writing and directing) of this production the Kosh-awful Legend of the Rangers and the name-cannibalising-not-to-be-movie are finally a thing of the past and hopefully any 'last word' on B5 will come from JMS himself.
The two tales focus on the subject of choice and the first one even offers a new definition of heaven and hell. While this is true B5 stuff, the rather short running time and the topics are reminiscient of TWILIGHT ZONE at its best. I would not have wanted it any other way, but now I'm longing for more!!!
Babylon 5 has never looked that great before. The CGI is state-of-the-art and delivers original Starfuries, takes us to places on B5 we haven't seen before and much more. The anamorphic 16x9 transfer is clear and spotless. Hello, Warner Home Video! Can you please utilize the new CGI to clean up the mess you made when you transferred the original 4:3 CGI into 16x9 widescreen for the season 1-5 box sets?!
And a word to the Bee-Fivers out there reading this review. Your election candidate is B5 and more of it? Then make some donations to support your candidate, i.e. buy this DVD. If Warner sees good sales figures, then there is a realistic chance of more to come...
Movie Review: Fantastic for "direct to DVD"
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved being able to revisit the world of Babylon 5. The acting, costumes, sets and effects were all vintage B5. The new actor (the Centauri prince) was very good, and the extra material, about the making of the DVD, were quite amusing. I can only imagine how amazing a sock puppet version of B5 could be. :-)
I was a bit disappointed in the first story, about "a being whose presence makes the B5 freeport the crossroads between heaven and hell" because it felt like it was "cheating". I don't want to say more to avoid giving away spoilers, but it didn't feel consistent with the B5 universe.
Admittedly the budget was clearly quite tight, but that's all you can expect with a 'direct to DVD" release (which makes less money than a feature or tv show). And, to be honest, B5 was always struggling to make a big show on a small budget, so the sets, etc., were always "just good enough" so this didn't bother me at all.
On the whole, though, I really enjoyed the DVD, and I think that they did a great job producing it within a tight budget, and I hope that they continue to produce these DVD's. I look forward to seeing each DVD with a few stories about specific characters, as a chance to get to know them better.
Movie Review: A Triumphant Return to a Universe I Love
Summary: 5 Stars
Worth the money twice. Really. I suppose one would need to have a grounding in the series- be a fan as it were- to appreciate some references, and that is, I imagine, as intended. For Me, I got goosebumps in the first 30 seconds and about 3 minutes in felt a great apprehension that perhaps this was heading south - O not at all! (so now I know better than to give any credence to those nay saying reviewers who preceded me) By the end I felt as involved and entertained as could possibly have hoped.
The first story is a bit wordy but if you know JMS's work it's far from out of line and it stays well within the traditions of B5. It's thought provoking and a nice change from so much TV today. The Second is classic. I look forward to more of these. This release, while done on a budget, is entirely successful at returning to the B5 universe and enriching it- what more could I possibly want? I can't commend all concerned enough.
Now... that said... being on a budget, there are some funny minor visual gaffes that are rather endearing. My favorite being Sheridan marching past the Midgets in the hanger at the end. (Look for it the second time you watch.) Overall-worth the price twice over (watch it now on UNBOX!)
Movie Review: A Worthy Addition
Summary: 5 Stars
Most Babylon 5 fans probably come into this movie expecting far too much. There is no new story to be written (yet at least), the original arc was completed in the 5 season series. These stories are just meant to be gravy for B5 fans; some 'Lost Tales' to fill in the gap between Season 5 and the Series finale 'Sleeping in Light'.
The 2 stories themselves are well written and contain some trademark JMS dialogue. The first story has not been well received due to the fact that it is very wordy and a bit slow paced. But, the underlying message of the tale is pure B5 and revisits some of the themes of 'ancient' evil that arose in the B5 universe. The second story is more action packed and opens a new door in the story line for future volumes.
I can understand why some fans might be disappointed in this release, but people really need to be more realistic. These stories aren't meant to create a new B5 universe but to add to one that millions have grown to adore. Finally, and most importantly, B5 fans need to support this release so we might see future volumes which sport bigger budgets. Don't forget, it was the fans who through their support brought the 5 seasons of B5 to DVD in the first place.
Movie Review: B5 - Lost Tales
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm a huge Babylon 5 fan. I've gotten all the DVD's, watched every episode, and I even have most of the books. (To Dream in the City of Sorrows, is my favorite). I watched this series when it first came on the air and followed all the way till now, but after Legend of the Rangers I was sure I would never get a new B5 offering. For a series with a scope, character, and depth of story that B5 offered this was a sad day. Then I heard about Lost Tales and I jumped for joy.
I got my copy of the DVD as fast as it became available and I was not disappointed. The first story I found intriguing in concept and redone special effects were impressive. However, to me the Lost Tales didn't come alive till we reached Sheridan and Galen. The interaction between these two was as impressive as ever. Galen's mysterious nature and double talk were as well written and acted as ever. Lost Tales has left me breathless and craving more DVD's. Hopefully we'll finally get to see the Telepath War and maybe hopefully a continuation of Ivanova's story line.
If you are a first time B5 watcher this is not the place to start, but if you have seen everything else this is a great chance to rejoin the B5 universe.