Back to BABYLON 5 August 7, 2007
Posted by ghostof82 in : Film General , trackbackIt was with some trepidation last night that I watched BABYLON 5: THE LOST TALES, a direct-to-DVD ‘movie’ that is a trial of sorts for a continuation of the B5 saga. The word ‘trial’ is perhaps the most important here, as, depending on sales of the DVD, there may or may not be future installments of Lost Tales. Ironically this is a bit of a problem as it serves as a millstone over the production- basically the whole exercise screams ‘trial exercise/proof of concept’ throughout, as if the viewer is watching a workprint. I could imagine this show being an extra on a major film DVD rather than a feature in its own right. The show has only a handful of sets (partial at that) and a cast that hardly reaches double-figures (and that includes the extras!), and is so basic it was likely filmed in less time than a single episode of B5 used to over a decade ago. Indeed, I doubt the budget ran much more than what B5 had in it’s original run.
That said, this is B5, and it’s great to see some of the old faces again, and the station herself has never looked so good. Old fans will get a tingle in the spine as the pre-credits sequence kicks in with Christopher Frankes’ marvelous music and G’Kars narration. The story is so limited by the budget and filming constraints that it is woefully inferior to the B5 we remember at it’s height, but again the words trial and proof-of-concept ring throughout. What we are watching here is not a proper continuation of B5, it’s really a work-in-progress, a glimpse of bigger and bolder adventures that we may get to see if this project proves commercially successful. I only wish that Warner Bros had showed more faith in the project by injecting more money and resources but hopefully all that will follow next year.
It’s frustrating, illuminating, it’s new B5 folks, and fans will get a kick out of it, regardless of the limitations. If this DVD doesn’t perform as well as hoped and this becomes the shows swansong, then hell, it was a nice final treat for the fans. I really enjoyed it, and recommend it to fans of the show. Besides which, the extras include two memorials for Andrea Katsulas and Richard Briggs which fans simply have to see. Any new B5 is less for missing them, and its nice to see them represented on this DVD as a mark of respect for what they gave and meant to the show.
Comments»
Agreed. While the station exterior CGI was spectacular, the virtual set shots left much to be desired — where are the shadows? The lighting effects that were a hallmark of the original show?
And yes, the sheer lack of extras walking the halls, and no cutaways to CnC (instead of just hearing voices over a commlink) were jarring.