he complete Babylon 5 collection continues with this box set of stand-alone movies and pilot films from throughout the show's run.
The pilot film, "The Gathering," sets the stage for the initial five-year series. Focusing on the travails of first-year lead Jeffrey Sinclair (O'Hare), who is herein framed for an assassination attempt on the mysterious Ambassador Kosh, the film also features an early, villainous characterization of the Narn ambassador, G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas). The idea of Kosh being taken down by a conventional poison is so much at odds with his nature, as revealed in the course of the series, that fans argue about the true explanation to this very day.
"In The Beginning" is the behind-the-scenes history of the Earth-Minbari war, with special attention to the personal responsibility borne by Delenn (Mira Furlan) and Londo Mollari (Peter Jurasik). There's a fleeting appearance by Michael York, whose critical role in the war was revealed in the series itself.
"Thirdspace," an attempt to tie the series into (something resembling) H.P. Lovecraft's horrific Cthulhu mythos, is set between the close of the Shadow War and the resumption of the war to free Earth from its fascist government. Ivanova (Claudia Christian) discovers the folly inherent in touching gigantic abandoned objects left to drift in hyperspace.
"The River of Souls" takes place after President Sheridan (Boxleitner) has departed
Babylon 5 for his new home on Minbar. A Soul Hunter (Sheen) arrives on the station to track down a bowling-ball-sized globe containing the living essences of an entire extinct species. Chaos ensues, thus proving the folly inherent in touching smaller abandoned objects left to gather dust in ancient tombs.
Basically, don't touch anything.
"A Call to Arms," which functions as the bridge between Babylon 5 and its short-lived spinoff series Crusade, features Sheridan and the Technomage Galen (Peter Woodward) in a quest to prevent the evil Drakh from using castoff Shadow technology against the people of Earth.
The series at its most average
Babylon 5 remains one of the very best science-fiction shows in the history of television, but its strengths are sometimes hard to see from looking at the movies. All are uneven, and none work as well as the series at its height.
"The Gathering" suffered, from a dramatic point of view, from the necessity to lay the conceptual groundwork for the series to come. While the pilot, as a whole, displays far more promise than its detractors claimed at the time, it's not a movie so much as an extended TV episode. Michael O'Hare, who is also not nearly as bad as some of his detractors claim, was nevertheless not as nuanced or as charismatic as Bruce Boxleitner, whose character replaced O'Hare's after the first year. Some of the series' mysteries are set up here, to intriguing effect. There's a commentary track by Straczynski and production designer John Iacovelli.
Since the series was set up to gradually reveal the answers to mysteries established at the onset, "In the Beginning" suffers by presenting a strictly chronological record of the events established elsewhere. It's reduced, in large part, to a straightforward account of a war in space. Peter Jurasik, as Emperor Londo Mollari, narrates from years later, recapturing his character's eventual damnation. There's a commentary track by Straczynski and director Mike Vejar.
The worst of the films, "Thirdspace," is supposed to be frightening, but does not succeed at that goal; it's just slow and humorless, with an uninteresting space battle at the climax. There's one honey of a scene between series regulars Jeff Conaway and Patricia Tallman, in which he professes his love at length while she stares catatonically at visions in her head; both performers give their all, but the scene only works if you think Security Chief Zach Allen has no powers of observation whatsover. Oddly, the film has the most delightful of the commentary tracks, with Straczynski, director Jesus Trevino, and stars Boxleitner, Jeff Conaway, Steven Furst and
Patricia Tallman ragging on each other with great affection and good humor.
"The River of Souls" benefits from the presence of guest star Martin Sheen, whose intensity fuels his performance as one of the alien Soul Hunters. Sheen is always a treat, but the spectacle of the Soul Hunter bashfully bringing the injured Captain Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) a flower is more ludicrous than anybody intended. The climax doesn't work, but the film benefits from low comedy involving the reaction several series characters have to an unwanted holo-brothel in their midst. The commentary is by Straczyski, director Janet Greek and Scoggins.
By far the most involving and best-paced of the films, "A Call to Arms" featured good performances by guest stars Carrie Dobro, Peter Woodward and genre mainstay Tony Todd in a suspenseful bridge to the series Crusade. Boxleitner and Jerry Doyle also give their best work here. The commentary is by Straczynksi and Vejar.
All the films come complete with filmed intros, in which Straczynski and other production personnel discuss their intentions and creative process. These are fine cookies, even if, in some cases, the finished product is less than the initial vision.
There's also a featurette, Creating the Future, in which Straczynski and co-workers discuss the conceptual work behind Babylon 5; it's intriguing, and thought-provoking, stuff.
