Babylon 5: The Lost Tales

My expectations were not high and I was not disappointed. It was a nice return to a place I've missed these past few years. While it wasn't a total B5 experience and I realize that will never be possible with the passing of Richard Biggs and Andreas Katsulas, I found these "short stories" to be enjoyable.

I especially enjoyed the second story with John Sheridan and the Prince.

The new effects were awesome. This was well worth the less than $20 I paid and I'll gladly pay for others should JMS decided to continue with more of these direct-to-DVD presentations.

I've missed that place all alone in the night. It was good to be back in that place, if only for a short stay. The name of the place is Babylon 5.

Thanks JMS.

Babylon 5 is sorely missed, and this chance to walk the halls of Brown sector again is greatly appreciated. However, Brown sector is known for its foul odor. Babyon 5 Voices in the Dark suffers from both the best and worst of the epochal television series that predated it. Moments of brilliance are interwoven with corny, pedantic dialogue that almost leaves one with a foul aftertaste. However, in pure Babylon 5 tradition, there is enough brilliance to override the bad, leaving Voices in the Dark as a worthy addition to any B5 fan's DVD library. The first story, involving a bizarre decision to employ the services of a Priest for an exorcism, fails to make the grade as a good B5 story. It's JMS at his worst, which is odd. He's usually very good at making stories work logically, yet, there is no reason for Lochley to jump to the conclusion of an exorcism. In a universe that has seen the likes of the Shadows and Vorlons, many deep space creatures have been encountered that employ similar abilities as "the prisoner". The priest, brilliantly acted by lan Scarfe, delivers the most rational, and well written dialogue in the first half, making Lochley look a little off her rocker. Moreover, why does JMS always rush to the Christian Bible when dealing with Spirituality? There are a myriad of faiths on Earth that have terrifying demonic spirits in them, and to be honest, the whole "Omen" thing has been done to death. It smacks of writing in a closet. Finally, I would have wished the Priest would have interrupted Lochley's boring soliloquy near the end with "Okay. We get the idea." Talk about hammering a point to death. Fortunately, Tracy Scoggins handles the plodding dialogue expertly, and it is wonderful to see the character back in action, despite Lochley's religious irrationality. Fortunately, the second story, involving Sheridan's run in with Galen the Technomage is much more up to the quality of JMS at his best. We have a very tough moral decision forced upon President Sheridan, and he handles it in true Straczinsky fashion: If someone gives you two options, both of which you hate, do your damndest to find a third. And he does in a way that justifies both Galen's dark demeanor and Sheridan's brief but frightening detour from the moral high ground. Bruce Boxlietner is a delight as Sheridan, and he breathes life into a role that is dearly missed. Peter Woodward Shines as Galen, perhaps one of Straczynski's best and most complicated characters to emerge from the B5 universe. I was so relieved when the second story played itself out. It was emotionally satisfying in all the right places, and balanced out the weaker first half. The special effects are great, save for an obvious, painfully long CGI shot in the hang bay when Father Cassidy disembarks. Having a fixed perspective shot, to incorporate live action elements without moving the camera, is an old trick held over from the Matte Painting days. This ranks as one of the worst because the background is too detailed. Less is more (see the final shot of Raiders of the Lost Ark). Here, they tried to get as much movement in the shot as possible, without moving the camera (which would have required expensive motion control cameras on the green screen set). The result is a visual noise that distracts the viewer from the centre of action. At the end of the day what we have here is a great addition the B5 library, despite its obvious faults. The fans want more B5 and they will get it here. The casual viewer will have some work to do, however. Just as watchers of the original series had to endure the first season's horrible acting, so to will the casual viewer be required to do with the first half of this DVD. I am hoping for more stories from the B5 universe because there are many left to tell.

The two stories on this DVD are essentially radio plays with minimal effects thrown in. The stories are mostly two, or occasionally three, characters conversing. The content of those conversations consist of some religious mumbo-jumbo and some musings on the nature of free will versus destiny. Not horrible, but we expect more from JMS. The sets are spartan and the CGI is frankly a bit crude, and only three of the series regulars are featured—obviously, there was very little budget allocated to this production. The DVD extras are only for die-hard Babylon 5 fans (well, that could also be easily said for the movie itself). Let's hope that this sells well enough for Warner Bros. to green light more "Lost Tales" with bigger budgets. With the success of Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, and other SF television, it seems there should be a market for a quality return of Babylon 5.

The new Babylon 5 'movie' was long publicised as separate but related episodes, so I knew what I was getting in for. I had little idea of what to expect of the story lines, and was pleasantly surprised to hear that Straczynski had included his trademark discussion of religious possibilities and ethical dilemmas. His understanding of spiritual matters is incredibly deep for a professed agnostic with atheist tendencies. Moreover, his dissection of moral possibilities leaves one thinking long after viewing. With revised CGI and full use of digital backgrounds, the presentation is generally quite impressive, although it is obviously still a developing area. The script writing, like the sets design, is generally minimalist - partly through cost restriction, but also well placed in the storyline (many scenes put me in mind of Intersections in Real Time). The Lost Tales was not disappointing, and makes for quality viewing. Although more could definitely have been achieved with more budgetary and casting freedom, but Straczynski has made an enjoyable time's viewing. The stories do not contribute largely to the expansion of the B5 universe, but do give tantalising hints of the post-series state of the universe.

The Lost Tales could never have really lived up to fan expectation. Two major actors have since passed on and no network or studio would be intelligent enough to fund such a scifi fan favorite.

Understandably, the effects and budget were minimal. However, the writing was also minimalist. Not a good thing. It felt as if the whole idea could have been better produced, directed and written by the fans. It's a shame that JMS and company couldn't have showcased their obvious talent better.

I was a huge fan of B5 and now am NOT of Lost Tales. There was just so much that could have been done better. I can't recommend this one to any fan of the franchise.