Babylon 5 - The Lost Tales on DVD (2007)

A customer from Great Baddow, England , 13/09/2007

Babylon 5 was one of the best science fiction series out there so I was really looking forward to this update. Unfortunately, it is absolute pap, with only two of the original cast, an entire crew of only about seven people and a blue screen budget of around about a pound tops. The film actually starts of with a promising story line which they did nothing with, took the story in a different direction which was simply crap. If you are a fan steer clear and stick on one of the original episodes.

  10 out of 10 people found this review helpful

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Ben from Newport, Shropshire , 24/10/2007

I didn't really know what I was getting here, as I had only just noticed it on my recommendations, so I didn't have time to get my hopes up, which is probably just as well. This is really 3 little episodes, or more precisely one little one at the start that i couldn't see the point of, and a larger one that hints at a possible future plot line and provides a final mention of the characters whose actors have passed away since the original series. It's nice to watch a little bit more of the show I remember, but with only 2 of the original characters in it, there's not really much to get excited about. The extras are in some ways worth more than the film, with some touching rememberances to the deceased and a couple of extras from the writer.

A nice add on to any B5 collection, but not really a standalone film by itself.

  5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

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A customer from Watford, England , 10/09/2007

I don't know what I was expecting but it has a very small cast, low production cost, and its only just over one normal episode long with no conclusion. Its a shame because I loved the series.

  4 out of 5 people found this review helpful

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Robbiedjude from Plymouth [Highly rated reviewer] , 16/10/2007

I was pretty sceptical sitting down to watch tales after reading the other reviews on this site but as soon as the opening credits began and that familiar station came into view I put my cynicism on hold for 70 minutes and enjoyed the tales for what they were.

While these stories do lack some of the all out action of say, a call to arms or in the beginning and only feature Sheridan and Lochley they do have charms of their own. Although the first story features just one member of the original cast the two other main protaganists although unknown are both excellent actors, the premise is interesting and Straczynski's writing remains truly top-notch and evocative. Veering (for Sheridan in particular) from bad puns to anything that could stand alongside any other episode of B5. Straczynski's direction is also confident especially considering it's his first time.

It has to be said though that these may not be for everyone. The first episode deals with questions of religon and the second with that old moral question about killing a tyrant when they are an innocent to spare millions of lives later on. If you rent these tales expecting two (short) different kinds of Babylon 5 episodes you shouldn't be disappointed. After all different is not necessarily bad.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

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kevinjohn from Edinburgh , 12/04/2008

As long as you realise that there is and was 0 budget for this film, 2 of the B5 main actors are dead, 4 are long term absentees that were explained in other films, and Mira F (Delenn wont touch it with a barge pole now shes on Lost) you get the idea of what this is going to be like.

It's short, the stories are half decent but lacking that killer touch, and there are very very few actors - and yes alot of blue screens.

It's close to flogging a dead horse, and yet for the B5 fans who've suffered through the likes of the 'rangers' film, this will seem like a nice easy watch.

Rent it, don't buy, dont expect too much, and enjoy

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

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Ben from Newport, Shropshire , 24/10/2007

I didn't really know what I was getting here, as I had only just noticed it on my recommendations, so I didn't have time to get my hopes up, which is probably just as well. This is really 3 little episodes, or more precisely one little one at the start that i couldn't see the point of, and a larger one that hints at a possible future plot line and provides a final mention of the characters whose actors have passed away since the original series. It's nice to watch a little bit more of the show I remember, but with only 2 of the original characters in it, there's not really much to get excited about. The extras are in some ways worth more than the film, with some touching rememberances to the deceased and a couple of extras from the writer.

A nice add on to any B5 collection, but not really a standalone film by itself.

  5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

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