|
A continuation of the "Babylon 5" franchise by creator/writer/producer
J. Michael Straczynski, this "sequel" to the series was
pared down from a much more ambitious 2 hour direct-to-DVD
release to a 70 minute film. The two stories that make up
the film are independent and aren't tied together beyond
the visitation of President Sheridan to Babylon 5. ***
For those who haven't seen the 5 year TV series and
its various spin-off's I'll do a brief recap of the events
central to the series. Babylon 5 is an intergalactic way
station for human and other alien cultures. Travelers pass
through the station on their way to other parts of the galaxy.
Commander John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) and other inhabitants
of the space station became embroiled in an intergalactic
war. The President of Earth at the time made a deal with
the devil in the form of an alien race called the Shadows.
It seems that Earth as well as other alien civilizations
became essentially Petri dishes where the Shadows and the
Vorlons. These two races along with another older race seeded
the galaxy and watched influencing these civilizations as
part of an experiment in Darwinian Evolution. Those civilizations
that couldn't compete were destroyed and those that could
might possibly go on to a higher level. ***
Sheridan partners with the other alien races in defiance
of Earth's President and essentially becomes an outlaw.
When Sheridan's forces win the war, he becomes the President
of the Alliance which includes Earth and other alien worlds.
At this point Sheridan gives up command of Babylon 5 to
Elizabeth Lochley (Tracy Scoggins) and moves on to larger
issues. ***
"Babylon 5: The Lost Tales" is a mixed bag. The two
35 minute stories that form the basis of this DVD are fascinating
but really aren't allowed enough time to truly explore their
concepts. The first involves Colonel Lochley (Scoggins)
request for a Catholic priest (Alan Scarfe) to visit Babylon
5 to exorcise a demon from one of her crew that claims to
be Asmodeus. The episode has a fascinating premise-the existence
and nature of evil, religion's role in a space faring society-that
isn't fully developed because of the time constraints. Also,
the budget for the movie doesn't allow for the action that
this episode truly demands. Still, the visual effects that
are included particularly of the space station look marvelous
particularly when compared to the lower resolution visuals
used for the original series. ***
The second story involves Sheridan's arrival at Babylon
5 (which is mentioned in the first "episode"). Visited by
Technomage Galen (Peter Woodward playing a character that
appeared in the short-lived series "Crusade" also tied to
"Babylon 5") in a dream, Sheridan sees an Earth devastated
by Prince Vintari of the Centauri race (who sided with the
Shadows in the war). Vintari is traveling with Sheridan
to Babylon 5. This vision creates a moral quandary for Sheridan-does
he kill Vintari thus preventing the future he has seen or
does he try to change the outcome through other means that
might not be successful? ***
"Lost Tales" will be essential for "Babylon 5" fans
but keep in mind that this direct-to-DVD release has a reduced
scope due to its limited budget and, as a result, doesn't
have the same epic quality of the TV series. Nevertheless,
this film is an improvement over some of the films made
for the Sci-Fi Channel and ultimately packaged as the "Babylon
5 Movie Collection" a couple of years back. Having writer/producer/creator
Straczynski wear the director's hat as well probably wasn't
a good idea; he lacks the visual sense and ability to move
the camera making "The Lost Tales" appear more than an average
low budget TV movie. I have no doubt that he's terrific
at working with the actors and he knows the "Babylon 5"
universe better than anyone else because he created the
series and wrote most of the episodes but bringing in a
more experienced director like Michael Rymer ("Battlestar:
Galatica") would have given "The Lost Tales" a visual pizzazz
lacking here. "The Lost Tales" almost looks stodgy in the
wake of "Battlestar: Galatica", "Heroes" or even the revival
of "Doctor Who".
Image & Sound:
"Babylon 5: The Lost Tales" looks very good in its DVD
presentation. Colors are rich with solid blacks and good
detail. Audio sounds fine as well with a nice presentation
of the musical score, sound effects and dialogue. The surround
speakers are used very well particularly during parts of
the first and second "episodes" where there's more than
dialogue going on in the soundtrack. ---
|
