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All the Babylon 5 content i've always wanted, in pretty good shape. However, two of the discs (in season 3) are unreadable, so i'm pretty bummed about that. Thus the 4 stars. Hopefully i can find a cheap copy of season 3 to complete the collection.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
And so it begins... "In The Beginning" is quite simply the one of the best movies ever filmed. As part of the Babylon 5 series it is technically superfluous, since everything depicted in the movie is spoken of in various episodes during the series. However, simply hearing about what happened is nothing compared to seeing the events portrayed so powerfully. The cast and writer (JMS) bring us the story in all it's beauty and all its horror, from the simple mistakes that caused the war right up to the eve of humanity's destruction and everything in between. If you have never watched Babylon 5, this is the perfect place to start. If you do not wish to see Babylon 5 you should still watch this movie because to ignore it simply because of its roots is to deny yourself the experience of seeing some of the finest performances ever put on film. If the final 20 minutes does not stir your soul, then nothing ever will. In "Call to Arms" Sheridan and Garibaldi are in top form, the new ships are fabulous-looking, but--best of all--the new characters of Galen, the technomage, and Dureena, the "thief," show great potential as main characters for the coming Crusade saga. A must for B5 fans, and of interest to sci-fi fans in general if only for the special effects. Unfortunately, the only thing missing was Delenn, who would have been too much competition for Lockley and Dureena. You can buy the first two movies (In the Beginning, The Gathering) separately, but in order to get all five B5 movies (the first two plus Thirdspace, The River of Souls, and A Call to Arms), you have to buy them in a box set. The first two movies are out of order—they should be In the Beginning and then The Gathering. These movies are GREAT for background information. They really should be watched before watching the series. Thirdspace is a detached from the rest of the movies and series. It comes after the end of the Shadow War (season 4, episode 6), but then there is no mention of it again. If you never saw this movie, you wouldn't miss any continuity. The only thing it clears up is why Lyta Alexander and Zack Allen never got together. The River of Souls occurs in apx. Year 2263 and is less detached because B5 has encountered Soul Hunters before. This just gives more insight to them. It is like an extra episode in Season 5. A Call to Arms (Year 2267) is a prequel to the Crusade series. If you aren't planning to watch the Crusade series, there is no reason to watch this movie. Season 5 should go like this: 1. Season 5 Episode 21 "Objects at Rest" (Year 2262) 2. The River of Souls movie (Year 2263) 3. A Call to Arms and the Crusade Series (Year 2267)—optional. I suggest these be watched separately from B5 series as they really don't enhance or expand on the B5 series. 4. The Lost Tales—Voices in the Dark movie (Year 2271) 5. Season 5 Episode 22 "Sleeping in Light." (Year 2280) 6. The Legend of The Rangers: To Live and Die in Starlight (after the Year 2280)—optional. Does not add nor detract from the series.Read full review
I want all the movies together. In case you haven't seen them yet, here's a little about each: The Gathering- The Pilot movie that launched the series. Babylon 5, a spacestation dedicated to peace has just gone online, but there are elements out there who want to make sure this dream is snuffed out. In the Beginning- A prequel to the series, detailing the Earth-Minbari War. Thirdspace- My personal favorite, with some neat J&D scenes, This covers what happens when the crew discovers and Ancient Vorlon Artifact. River of Souls- The Soul Hunters have come, looking for a soul vessel that's been stolen from them. There's some wonderful Garibaldi/Lochley scenes in this one. A call to Arms- A Pilot for the Crusade series; the ISA must battle the Drakh to Protect Earth.
This set represents the whole B5 world in times and places we don't get to see anywhere in the series. _Thirdspace_ involves an ancient artifact from the distant past of one of the major races. _In the Beginning_ bookends the TV series, telling the story of Earth-Mimbar war from about 2 decades after the end of the series. _The Gathering_, the series pilot movie, takes us back to Sinclair's first B5 crew and the Vorlon's arrival. _The River of Souls_ shows us life on B5 after Sheridan's departure and fills in the Soul Hunters' story. Finally _A Call to Arms_ takes us years into the Alliance (and the Drakh's plan to continue the Shadow's old work) and launches the B5 sequel _Crusade_. Each of the four new movies prominently features two or three original cast members at a time, so eventually all get a new post-series life, including Claudia Christian's character Susan Ivonova who did not appear in the final season of the television show. So often in television shows we see what people are doing but now why they are doing it. B5 slowly revealed this missing "why"-factor for each of it's individual characters, but these movies help us understand the "why"-factor for each of it's cultures as a whole. Why were the Vorlon's such a slow and cautious race? Why were the Mimbari so divided amongst themselves? What were the Centauri and Narn doing during the Earth-Mimbari war? What motivates the Drakh and what potential are they left with at the end of the Shadow War? These five movies unavoidably tweak our understanding of the original series and make us want to go back and watch it all again from our enriched point of view.Read full review
Everyone likes a good story, and Babylon 5 gave us one of the best in decades. The movie set compiles the pilot movie and 4 others in one collection. Each movie fits neatly into the continuity of the whole series story-line. They answered a lot of the questions people wanted expanded on. Then they opened up future options. All with the same quality you came to expect from the series.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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