Rating: 
Summary: who wrote that nasty critical review
Review: "In the Beginning" is probably the best of the B5 movies, and it adds quite a bit for the seasoned viewer because it tells us all of what happened in the Earth Mimbari War, only small bits of which were discussed in the main series. And given that the story is being told by Londo it's all the better for having so much of the series best character (tied with Garibaldi of course). Having a comentary track for that is a good reason to get the box set, everything else is gravy.
Rating: 
Summary: Babylon 5-What a wonderful world
Review: "Babylon 5" the movies is a fabulous reminder of what a heck of a show/series Mr.Straczynski created.
Each one either fills in gaps that the shows weren't able to and/or expands further our look at the Babylon 5 universe.
And what a wonderful world it was.
I,like many, have been a Star Trek fan since that shows' inception.My favourite of those series was the original and the one which was running concurrently with "Babylon 5","Deep Space Nine".When I first viewed B5 I wasn't taken with Capt.Sinclairs' character very much but I realized immediately that this was a very different perception of the future and with so many other characters and intricasies of plot going on this was one little sleeper of a show I just knew was going to go far.And it exceeded my expectations by light years.
What the show lacked in budget it more than made up for in its' quality.
As we all know budgets do not a good show make.I refer you to Star Trek "Voyager" and their current canard "Enterprise".Quality and originality will win out over budgets everytime.
The first title in this B5 movie pack is "The Gathering" which is shown in its' original standard format and is a slightly altered version from the original in that the character development is expanded to a more satisfactory degree which is much closer to what Mr.Straczynski wanted in the first place.
The rest of the movies here are all in their original wonderful widescreen format.
This is indeed a wonderful set and I recommend it highly to all fans of the series.And a BIG thank you to Mr.Straczynski for your guts,vision and persistence in finally getting the series produced and aired.We are forever grateful.
Rating:
Summary: Essential for Babylon 5 fans, but others.....
Review: Admittedly, the television movies set in the "Babylon 5" universe which are featured in this DVD compilation are among the weakest in the entire "Babylon 5" collection, especially when compared against the great episode-spanning arcs of the Shadow War and Babylon 5's revolt against the tyrannical EarthGov Clark regime profiled in Seasons 2, 3, and 4, which many rightfully acclaim as the best of "Babylon 5". Yet there are important moments in these movies which shouldn't be missed, but may be more impressive to diehard "Babylon 5" fans than others. The DVD transfers are of the same excellent quality as the last four seasons of "Babylon 5", and includes splendid commentary from most of the original cast featured in these films.
"The Gathering" is J. Michael Straczynski's revamped pilot episode of the "Babylon 5" series; an interstellar crime drama which introduces the station, and several important characters, most notably original station commander Sinclair, Security Chief Garibaldi and Centauri Ambassador Londo Mollari. Several others, such as the Narn Ambassador G'Kar and Minbari Ambassador Delenn (You may be fascinated with her slightly different look than what was seen during the first season.) are also introduced, but most of the cast is different. It can be viewed before any of the other episodes are seen. "In The Beginning" is an exciting, fast-paced flashback account of the Earth-Minbari war, noting the prominent roles played by both Sinclair and Sheridan, but it should be viewed probably after the events chronicled in the third season. "Babylon 5: Thirdspace" is a gripping horror space opera tale recounting the station's discovery of a mysterious alien artifact which will eventually threaten to cause much havoc and destruction aboard the station; it is set between the events chronicled in the second and third seasons of "Babylon 5". The fourth film, "River of Souls", features the return of the "Soul Hunters" and is set several months after Sheridan's and Delenn's departure from Babylon 5, moving to the new Interstellar Alliance capitol at Tuzenor, Minbar; Martin Sheen gives a noteworthy performance as a Soul Hunter who discovers he has a conscience. Last, but not least, I was most impressed with "Babylon 5: A Call To Arms", which is the prequel to the late, lamented sequel series "Crusade", chronicling a devastating Drakh attack on Earth; the Drakh take their revenge on Earth for its indirect prominent role (via Babylon 5 and Sheridan's White Star fleet) in the Shadow War by releasing a deadly virus which may kill all intelligent life on Earth within five years (Veteran science fiction and horror actor Tony Todd gives an impressive performance as the EarthForce captain who throws his lot in with Sheridan as the two try to stop the Drakh from unleashing their plague.).
Rating:
Summary: And so it concludes :-)
Review: I first bought the double sided disc of The Gathering and In The Beginning right here at Amazon. I then bought Season 1 New elsewhere, 2 and 3 from a used/new store in my neighborhood (well 3 from their sister store near Baltimore), and 4 and 5 from reliable Amazon Marketplace clients. It stands to reason, that I should get this final box set (well maybe next to last if Crusade comes out soon) directly from Amazon especially at the preorder price showing as I write this. It completes the cycle of what is probably the best scifi series of the 90s, and shows not everything is in Gene Roddenberry's universe (although I do like Trek and other stuff of his). Joe Michael's universe is just as wonderful, and these 5 films help explain it as well as (if not better) than the series. However, the other reviewers are right, if you haven't seen the hour long episodes, get them first before you buy this set, or buy (or maybe borrow) a copy of the fore mentioned double sided disc (I'm giving mine away as soon as this set hits my mailbox). Once you have all 6 sets, sit back and enjoy a gourmet selection of Babylon 5. You'll be glad you did.:-)
Rating:
Summary: How can one explain flaws in a 5-star rating?
Review: I have found this a very entertaining collection for those dark nights here, and having no TV I can watch it on the computer.
As others have already indicated, The Gathering (the original movie/episode to begin production of the show) is a good place to start, even (or especially) for people who haven't learned the outlines of the story yet. This collection is then interesting to watch: for the improvement in the prosthetics worn by many actors, the development of much more moving stories (here, it is appropriate to mention Londo Mollari's talents as a storyteller/emperor), and the better production quality once things got going (including wonderful music). The only hard point is the acceptance that the story Thirdspace COULD have happened between the Shadow war and Earthwar. No way!
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Summary: I AM HOOKED....
Review: I must first say that I totally agree with Captain Hornblower. This is the DVD that to an uninitiated B5 viewer (like I WAS) gets you hooked. Your'e either going to love it or hate it. I loved it. I was hooked in no time at all. I had never watched the series on TV, but had heard a lot of talk about it. When I finally had the opportunity to view this DVD, I found myself caught up in the characters, and the story. Now I am anxious to have the complete series on DVD! Spectacular special effects, great dialogue, superb costuming and sets...I found myself in a world that left me spellbound and wanting to know more. No other movie series other than Lord of the Rings has impressed me this much. A great DVD!
Rating:
Summary: Been waiting for these
Review: I'm giving it a 4/5 instead of a 5/5 because it appears that this set does not contain the "Legend of the Rangers" movie. Not that I especially liked that movie, but in the interest of completeness it really should be there. I mean, they're re-including "The Gathering" and "In the Beginning" though those had already been released... why not get it right and make it complete?As for the movies... "The Gathering", "In the Beginning", and "A Call to Arms" are the ones to pay attention to as they are part of the canon and overall arcs. "In the Beginning" is especially stellar, having an epic quality in and of itself. Of course to any newcomer, it is a severe (and I DO mean SEVERE) mistake to watch it before watching season 3 at least. The fact that the remaining movies had little to do with the seasonal arcs and themes, something with which Strakzynsky had addicted me, is what made me like them less.
Rating:
Summary: Bottom line, what you need to know...
Review: If you've enjoyed the entire series, this movie collection is a must, and you will love it. If you haven't seen the entire series, don't buy this, it will ruin the potential to enjoy it as it was meant to be. Bonus... on DVD, B5 is AMAZING!!!
Rating:
Summary: WELL Worth Waiting For - Count Me In!
Review: J. Michael Straczynski (jms) created the space station Babylon 5 and spent years getting it produced and on the air. It premiered about the same time ST: Deep Space Nine did, and for a while, fans compared the two. It was almost "apples & oranges" time, but it was tried. As a long-time Trek fan, I was surprised when I first saw the pilot ("The Gathering") in 1993. I was absolutely stunned. It was marvelous - a space station as a port of call and hope for interstellar peace with resident alien ambassadors who really looked ALIEN not just odd noses and hair. I had to recognize the wonderful character actor, Andreas Katsulas, BY VOICE! And why Babylon 5, not just Babylon Station? Well, #s 1 - 4 were sabotaged & destroyed; # 4 disappeared after going on-line. (Disappeared? It's 5 MILES LONG, for crying out loud!) Word was that this would be an on-going, progressive five year story arc, the likes of which hadn't been done before on US television. Risky. Okay, jms had my attention. When the series finally made it to the air, I (being cynical of tv production in general) figured it wasn't going to stay as good. It didn't. It steadily got better. I repeat, I speak as a long time Trek fan (beginning with the original series - skip Voyager, I did). B5 is one of the best televison series ever produced. Note I did not say "science fiction series." (It is THE best s/f series ever put up to the audience.) I introduced several non s/f fans to the series, as a dramatic series and they all loved it. (So much for "only for space opera hounds.") Crowd scenes were, well, crowded, with humans of all types and aliens as extras wandering through scenes. (The aliens, by the way, are much more than odd skin colours, strange noses and "hair.") The station wasn't pristeen, the population wasn't always picture perfect. We have shysters, homeless, personal problems, espionage, humour, betrayal, relationships, and deaths (being in the opening credits did not guarantee survival, and it didn't always happen at the end of a season). The plotlines are tight, and the threads are woven into five years of shows. The special effects are believable. (Yes, you could "hear" space battles, but hey, cut them some slack - NASA asked for plans of the Starfuries for reference for future space station repair vehicles.) B5 was the first show to rely on CGI effects, born out of budget necessity. More than once, watching the show, I found myself pounding the furniture with excitement - and we won't go into (here) what I did during series finale "Sleeping in Light." Sinclair, Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, G'Kar, Londo, Lennier, Vir, Na'Toth, Talia, and Lyta came into our home as people with problems. The characters grew and changed and made choices and dealt with the consequences of those choices for good or bad. G'Kar (Andreas Katsulas) put it best: no one on Babylon 5 is exactly what they appear. There is no clear deliniation of good guys and bad guys - mostly it's all shades of grey. Acting (with the exception of one season five regular) is superb. What more could you ask! For the first four years, the hardest part of being a B5 fan was FINDING it. (Our local station played ping-pong with its time slot.) To own uncut, widescreen versions on DVD of the whole story arc was a dream we had. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS SERIES NEEDS TO BE SEEN IN ORDER, STARTING WITH "THE GATHERING" AND MOVING FORWARD THROUGH THE SEASONS. (Don't worry about where the movies fall in the arc just yet, and STAY AWAY from "In the Beginning," "River of Souls," and "A Call to Arms" until you have viewed the series through "Objects at Rest.") It IS a total story. Now the episodes and movies (all but the series "B5: Crusade" and "Legend of the Rangers," which are not integral to the main storylines) are available. This movie set is a "must-have" for any B5 fan.
Rating:
Summary: At last!
Review: My video tape copys of these films were showing their age... I am SOOOO happy they are on DVD right now! I was really hoping the old version of THE GATHERING would be on THE GATHERING DVD, but it isn't.
The commentaries are great. A CALL TO ARMS is such a great story, it is a shame TNT killed CRUSADE... what a great series it could have been... WAIT! They forgot THE LEGEND OF THE RANGERS! I hope they put that out also!
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