|
The Movie: I find it interesting that, while sci-fi continues to thrive on the big-screen, a legion of television shows gained cult followings on the fringes of network television. "Stargate: SG-I", "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Babylon 5" aired in syndication and, while they didn't have the kind of backing that major networks could provide, still managed to collect an audience each week, largely putting their efforts into writing solid stories, as expensive effects weren't always an option for a low-budget series. Where "Stargate" and especially "Star Trek: Next Generation" had built-in audiences from prior movies/shows, "Babylon 5" managed to gain an audience for a four year run via word-of-mouth and strong critical reception. The plot, for those who aren't familiar with the show (count me among those ranks until recently), is quite fascinating. The show revolves around Babylon 5, a space station that is one of the last hopes for keeping peace in the galaxy. On this station, different races - both human and alien, try and work out their differences. However, the mixture - both politicans and criminals - keep the population from achieving balance. I can certainly appreciate why fans valued this show so much. The stories are complex and interesting, the CG work, while not theatrical level, is certainly high-quality and the acting is uniformly solid. Now on its fourth season in terms of DVD release, "Babylon 5" is one of the format's success stories, as original, minor releases simply "tested the water". Fans eagerly snapped up the releases, leading the way for full-season sets, which have offered increasing amounts of supplemental features. 4th Season 1996 "No Surrender, No Retreat" 67. 4- 1 401 7 Nov 96 The Hour of the Wolf 68. 4- 2 402 14 Nov 96 What Ever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi? 69. 4- 3 403 21 Nov 96 The Summoning 70. 4- 4 404 28 Nov 96 Falling Towards Apotheosis 71. 4- 5 405 30 Jan 97 The Long Night 72. 4- 6 406 6 Feb 97 Into the Fire 73. 4- 7 407 13 Feb 97 Epiphanies 74. 4- 8 408 20 Feb 97 The Illusion of Truth 75. 4- 9 409 27 Feb 97 Atonement 76. 4-10 410 24 Apr 97 Racing Mars 77. 4-11 411 1 May 97 Lines of Communication 78. 4-12 412 8 May 97 Conflicts of Interest 79. 4-13 413 15 May 97 Rumors, Bargains and Lies 80. 4-14 414 22 May 97 Moments of Transition 81. 4-15 415 29 May 97 No Surrender, No Retreat 82. 4-16 416 5 Jun 97 The Exercise of Vital Powers 83. 4-17 417 12 Jun 97 The Face of the Enemy 84. 4-18 418 19 Jun 97 Intersections in Real Time 85. 4-19 419 9 Oct 97 Between the Darkness and the Light 86. 4-20 420 16 Oct 97 Endgame 87. 4-21 421 23 Oct 97 Rising Star 88. 4-22 501 30 Nov 97 The Deconstruction of Falling Stars The DVD VIDEO: "Babylon 5" is once again presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen on each of these episodes. Although the shows were apparently filmed in 1.78:1 widescreen, the CGI elements were rendered for 1.33:1 full-frame. Given that, some of the CGI sequences do appear a tad hazy or soft on this DVD release. This issue doesn't seem as bad as the prior efforts, as I didn't notice as much of the shimmering that also accompanied this issue. Sharpness and detail otherwise remained perfectly fine. SOUND: The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtracks are essentially on the level of the soundtracks that were presented with the pair of episodes on the prior DVD releases. There's really not much power behind these remastered soundtracks and while some surround use is present, the rear speakers are hardly ever used. The score sounds a little buried in the mix, while dialogue is generally presented with passable clarity. These are okay presentations, but I wish they'd be a bit more dynamic. EXTRAS: An introduction from cast members and creator J. Michael Straczynski is included on Disc 1. On disc 1, A commentary is included with actors Bruce Boxleitner, Jerry Doyle, Peter Jurasik, and Patricia Tallman on the "Falling Toward Apotheosis" episode. This is definitely one of the funniest commentaries I've heard lately, as all four participants joke and goof on each other's looks and costumes, while managing to also throw in some interesting tidbits on the production. Mostly though, this is just very silly and very entertaining. On disc 5, a commentary with J. Michael Straczynski and director director Mike Vejar for "Face of the Enemy", while disc 6 has a commentary from J. Michael Straczynski for "Deconstruction of Falling Stars". These are certainly more straightforward tracks than the actor's commentary, but I liked their mixture of technical production information and story/concepts/character development. Also: On disc 6, there is a short featurette about the making of the music for the series, clips, a brief "making of" featurette and bios. Final Thoughts: Although casual fans should certainly start at the beginning (or risk being totally lost), this release of the fourth season of "Babylon 5" is excellent, with three good commentaries and good audio/video quality. Recommended for fans. |