Rating: 
Summary: THE GATHERING is full of intriguing hints to a great story.
Review: The story in The Gathering led us to believe that the future of the earth would not be so very different than the present, as far as the culture and the emotions of humans. The special effects were fantastic. The acting was great overall, especially from Commander Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) who showed us a wide range of expressions and feelings in a very short amount of time. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the makeup...but it's possible that I am only comparing that area of the story to the later excellent makeup jobs done throughout the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Cheap intro edition - Movie 3 stars, Disc 2
Review: This disc is simply a re-issue of the transfer originally used on the double-feature DVD that Warner Bros. used to "test the market" for "B5" on DVD a couple of years ago. (The other half of the double-feature was the Minbari War prequel, "In the Beginning") Essentially they took the existing laserdisc transfers, digitized them, and dropped it onto a DVD. There were no extras, no Dolby Digital 5.1 remixes, nothing. The version of "The Gathering" used was not the 1993 original but a substantial re-edit that series creator and executive producer J. Michael Straczynski oversaw in 1998 when TNT picked the series up for its fifth and final season. This version restores footage cut by the director, deletes other material, replaces some CGI shots and adds a new score by series composer Christopher Franke. (Who had not worked on the original pilot.) The idea is to restore the film to something closer to JMS's original script, which was substantially altered to meet the demands of the studio, the director and the fledglig network. (Which, among other things, required that a total of 9 commercial breaks be written into the film, instead of the 6 that are standard for movies airing in a 2-hour timeslot.) Now Warner Bros. is recycling the same transfer of the pilot as part of its "try it, you'll like it" series of low-cost discs designed to introduce potential buyers to its TV shows. (Some discs contain a TV movie, as in this case, others a couple of individual episodes of a series.) All come with a coupon good for $5.00 of one of the full season sets of the same season. They are intended as cheap "sampler" discs to promote existing series releases. This disc has nothing at all to do with the remastered version of "The Gathering", with its Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and commentary track by JMS, which will be included with the boxed set of five "B5" TV Movies being released on August 14th. That's a version that will be snapped up by people who are already committed fans of the show. (And who probably bought the original release of "The Gathering" and "In the Beginnning" on DVD a couple of years ago, as I did.) This is for those who are just curious about the series and want a cheap way to check it out. Let's face it - at around $6.00 (less at some retailers) the disc costs less than a rental at a lot of video stores - and if you like it enough to buy the series it basically costs you a buck (or nothing at all) thanks to the coupon savings. So if you're already a "B5" fan, give this disc a miss and pre-order the TV movie set. But if you're just curious, this isn't a bad way to sample the show - although I must say the transfer is a little darker and grainier than I think it should be. The episodes look a bit better. And no, despite the way Sci-Fi aired it, "TG" is not and never was shot with widescreen in mind. Although that was already planned for the series, JMS and company decided to save time and money while shooting the pilot by going with the conventional 4:3 ratio, switching to the Super35 process which allowed them to frame for 4:3 and 16:9 simultaneously when the series started shooting, many months after the pilot was completed.
Rating:
Summary: Cheap intro edition - Movie 3 stars, Disc 2
Review: This disc is simply a re-issue of the transfer originally used on the double-feature DVD that Warner Bros. used to "test the market" for "B5" on DVD a couple of years ago. (The other half of the double-feature was the Minbari War prequel, "In the Beginning") Essentially they took the existing laserdisc transfers, digitized them, and dropped it onto a DVD. There were no extras, no Dolby Digital 5.1 remixes, nothing. The version of "The Gathering" used was not the 1993 original but a substantial re-edit that series creator and executive producer J. Michael Straczynski oversaw in 1998 when TNT picked the series up for its fifth and final season. This version restores footage cut by the director, deletes other material, replaces some CGI shots and adds a new score by series composer Christopher Franke. (Who had not worked on the original pilot.) The idea is to restore the film to something closer to JMS's original script, which was substantially altered to meet the demands of the studio, the director and the fledglig network. (Which, among other things, required that a total of 9 commercial breaks be written into the film, instead of the 6 that are standard for movies airing in a 2-hour timeslot.) Now Warner Bros. is recycling the same transfer of the pilot as part of its "try it, you'll like it" series of low-cost discs designed to introduce potential buyers to its TV shows. (Some discs contain a TV movie, as in this case, others a couple of individual episodes of a series.) All come with a coupon good for $5.00 of one of the full season sets of the same season. They are intended as cheap "sampler" discs to promote existing series releases. This disc has nothing at all to do with the remastered version of "The Gathering", with its Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and commentary track by JMS, which will be included with the boxed set of five "B5" TV Movies being released on August 14th. That's a version that will be snapped up by people who are already committed fans of the show. (And who probably bought the original release of "The Gathering" and "In the Beginnning" on DVD a couple of years ago, as I did.) This is for those who are just curious about the series and want a cheap way to check it out. Let's face it - at around $6.00 (less at some retailers) the disc costs less than a rental at a lot of video stores - and if you like it enough to buy the series it basically costs you a buck (or nothing at all) thanks to the coupon savings. So if you're already a "B5" fan, give this disc a miss and pre-order the TV movie set. But if you're just curious, this isn't a bad way to sample the show - although I must say the transfer is a little darker and grainier than I think it should be. The episodes look a bit better. And no, despite the way Sci-Fi aired it, "TG" is not and never was shot with widescreen in mind. Although that was already planned for the series, JMS and company decided to save time and money while shooting the pilot by going with the conventional 4:3 ratio, switching to the Super35 process which allowed them to frame for 4:3 and 16:9 simultaneously when the series started shooting, many months after the pilot was completed.
Rating: 
Summary: Widescreen DVD of the Gathering (NOT!)
Review: This is a correction of my misleading review of the new release of "The Gathering". The release will almost certainly be in the same 4:3 aspect ratio of previous releases. Apparently "The Gathering" was shot in a 4:3 standard TV aspect ratio, not in the 16:9 aspect ratio, like all other episodes and movies (for HDTV release). I apologize for my mistake. This it what happens when relying on Internet (mis)information, rather than on actually watching the DVD! My original (wrong) review follows: This new release of the B5 Pilot, "The Gathering", will be a widescreen [probably wrong], re-mastered edition. This new DVD (to be released in June, ASIN: B000255LMK) should not be confused with the older DVD (ASIN: B00005NTNP) that had a "full screen" version of the Pilot (but it also had "In the Beginning"). The new version should be of great interest to people with widescreen/HDTV setups [?]. New commentary by JMS will also be included [this is correct]. While "The Gathering" is certainly not the best of the B5 movies, it deserves to be seen again, with the best possible video quality [but, apparently, we will never have a wide-screen version].
Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this
Review: This is not a wide screen version on this, because unlike the rest of the show, the pilot was not shot in wide screen. There will not be a wide-screen version unless they crop it down. Don't buy this unless you are a collector, because they are about to release a box set with all the movies including this one with commentary. This is a waste of a few bucks unless you are going to buy everything b-5 that was ever made. If not hold out for the Movie Box set due out soon.
Rating:
Summary: Don't buy this
Review: This is not a wide screen version on this, because unlike the rest of the show, the pilot was not shot in wide screen. There will not be a wide-screen version unless they crop it down. Don't buy this unless you are a collector, because they are about to release a box set with all the movies including this one with commentary. This is a waste of a few bucks unless you are going to buy everything b-5 that was ever made. If not hold out for the Movie Box set due out soon.
Rating:
Summary: The only widescreen DVD of the Gathering.
Review: This new release of the B5 Pilot, "The Gathering", is a widescreen, re-mastered edition. This new DVD (ASIN: B000255LMK) should not be confused with the older DVD (ASIN: B00005NTNP) that had a "full screen" version of the Pilot (but it also had "In the Beginning").
While "The Gathering" is certainly not the best of the B5 movies, it deserves to be seen again, with the best possible video quality.
I have to stress that this release is a must for anybody with an HDTV setup, because it is the ONLY widescreen release of "The Gathering": the version included in the movie box (ASIN: B0002B15UQ) is fullscreen. The very low cost is an extra incentive to buy this DVD in addition to the movie set. Reviewers disparaging this DVD do not know what they are talking about!
Rating:
Summary: Widescreen DVD of the Gathering.
Review: This new release of the B5 Pilot, "The Gathering", will be a widescreen, re-mastered edition. This new DVD (to be released in June, ASIN: B000255LMK) should not be confused with the older DVD (ASIN: B00005NTNP) that had a "full screen" version of the Pilot (but it also had "In the Beginning"). The new version should be of great interest to people with widescreen/HDTV setups. New commentary by JMS will also be included. While "The Gathering" is certainly not the best of the B5 movies, it deserves to be seen again, with the best possible video quality.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best, but still an intriguing start to Babylon 5
Review: This series pilot does a very good job introducing the major alien races, their history with the Earth Alliance, and their diplomats, all of whom will play an important part in the unfolding Babylon 5 saga. This updated, revised edition of the pilot gives a darker, more sinister edge to some of the plot and main characters, most notably, Lieutenant Commander Laurel Takashima (Tamlyn Tomita) and Minbari ambassador Delenn (Mira Furlan). Anyone who expects "Star Trek" may be disappointed, since the story is far more complex and thoughtful than almost anything I have seen in all the versions of "Star Trek". While this is not "Babylon 5" at its best, it offers the viewer much promise, along with tantalizing hints as to what will follow over the course of the five year-long saga.
Rating:
Summary: The new version
Review: This tape of The Gathering is the revised version that Straczynski did especially for TNT, with new music and special effects, several new scenes, and several old scenes deleted. It is substantially better than the old version, but completists may want to get the old version, which is available from Columbia House.
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