Product description

Babylon 5 Movie Box Set - Thirdspace/River of Souls/A Call to Arms [1998]

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Binding : DVD
EAN : 7321900399470
Label : Warner Home Video
Manufacturer : Warner Home Video
Publisher : Warner Home Video
Release date : 2005-02-21
Title : Babylon 5 Movie Box Set - Thirdspace/River of Souls/A Call to Arms [1998]
Actor : Array
Audience rating : Suitable for 12 years and over
Format : Array
Languages : Array
Number of items : 3
Original release date : 1998-01-01
Region code : 2
Running time : 288
Studio : Warner Home Video
Theatrical releaseDate : 1998

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-11-25 rating:

Superb
Superb series of space station life. Although some criticize the 'stationary' nature of this series, it's examination of live in a microcosm is great. Leadership lessons abound.

review by: date: 2007-12-12 rating:

Mixed bag - one appaling, one average and one excellent film
ThirdSpace is average, Call to arms borders on the pathetic and the only movie that is really worth watching out of the set is River of Souls.

ThirdSpace: Cool idea which simply did not fit the format. It would have taken at least 4-5 episodes in order to develop it fully to the same depth as the Babylon main line. It was cramped into a small feature movie instead. It is clearly missing the depth of the Babylon 5 mainline. Some tolerable special effects, lots of holes in the plot and a really cheesy and stitch-ed up ending.

Call to Arms: Worse than an average Babylon 5 episode. Its only right to existence is to provide the link between the Crusader and Babylon 5. There are so many inconsistencies that it is not even funny. On top of that a number of the major supporting characters could have been replaced by pieces of wood. This would have actually made the movie more enjoyable. This is especially valid about all non-B5 Earth Force command staff.

River of Soul: The only truly Babylonian film in the boxset. A deep phylosophical problem, excellent acting (especially the guest performance of Martin Sheen) and a lot of humour. Truly enjoyable to watch. In fact, it is probably worth to buy the box set just because of this one.

review by: date: 2007-09-16 rating:

good additions to the b5 universe
The movie which works best here is "a call to arms" apart from a couple of awkward scenes which lack gravitas this is easily the best of the bunch.
Thirdspace has its roots in Lovecraftian horror. It has a lot of promise but doesn't quite deliver the menace it was capable of. There are a couple of long scenes which are so obviously just padding which should have been cut. River of souls is quite a good story featuring martin sheen and the british actor ian mcshane. One can only feel that thirdspace and river of souls would have been better being 45 min episodes. Well worth getting. I'm not much into extras as i see them as being a bit pointless and often drivel so i don't really care at the lack of them, and they only serve to de mystify the suspension of disbelief.

review by: chasingshadows date: 2005-04-06 rating:

More captivating stories from the pen of the master!!
I own all three of these captivating Babylon 5 adventures on videotape, but I couldn't resist this DVD, not sad or a waste of money I tell myself because after all this is one of the best, no THE best television series OF ALL TIME. Whether these are the best examples of the Babylon 5 universe i.e. the inter-species strife, political manoeuvring, cosmic inter-stellar battles, character decisions that always strike painful emotional cords and all the rest that J. Michael Straczynski has provided so abundantly in the past I would have to say...almost definitely.
I also feel this is the correct choice of extra-length episodes for a movie box-set, after all...the first episode- 'The Gathering' is provided in the Season One Box-set (albeit in a lesser form) and 'In the Beginning' in my opinion is a stand-alone story that should be bought separately, as it outshines these three movies effortlessly. But having said that...'Thirdsapce', 'A River of Souls' and 'A Call to Arms' remain top-notch sci-fi, gloriously entertaining television and visual spectaculars, even more so now that they've been given a new lease of life in this quality, well-presented, movie-compilation DVD. In contrast the bonus material is disappointingly limited, but my expectations weren't incredibly high as I don't rate the Babylon 5 DVD Season compilations much either (too much information unaccompanied by the creator, production team and actors) and besides I'd much prefer experiencing the Babylon 5 universe than trawling through miscellaneous data.

THIRDSPACE
Nine times out of ten it's the writing and plot (all credit to Straczinski) of this legendary show that keeps me engaged, but this is a rare example of how style surpasses substance to make this one of the most intense, absorbing, beautifully realised and chilling stories in the universe of Babylon 5. When fear is cultivated in the audience through the use of shadows and allusions almost unaided by specific illustrations of the physical threat, it's simply the mark of a talented director who's acutely aware of how to manipulate the camera and his characters to achieve the required reaction of his audience. All the best horror is subtle suggestions designed to unnerve rather than buckets of blood and mountains of gore and this is exactly what makes the previously theorised, but until recently undiscovered area known as thirdspace so spooky and intriguing.
The main characters employed to deliver to us the mysteries of Thirdspace are Captain Sheridan, Lyta Alexander, Commander Susan Ivanova and the consistently captivating Delenn. The protagonist thwarting their efforts to save the world from the dangers of this alien realm is Doctor Trent excellently portrayed by (the otherwise completely unknown to me) Shari Belafonte who captures the drive, ambition and greed of her character, which result in some fantastic scenes charged with tension.
Of course the writing is as intelligent and original as always, of course the space battles are as ever beautifully choreographed and tremendous fun and of course scintillating new depths of characters (our favourite and new ones besides) are explored, but this story has an extra quality that I believe makes it one of the most unrivalled of fear-inducing stories ever brought to us by the ingenious Babylon 5 creative team.

RIVER OF SOULS
This is a return to what the show does best and how refreshing that still is in comparison with all other television shows (and not just science-fiction)!! We've been introduced to soul hunters before, but never has there been an exploration of their race and calling, which is what's fascinatingly served up here. Martin Sheen is recognisable as the Soul Hunter but that never detracts from the gravity of his performance, such is the subtlety of his portrayal of this character and the peculiarity and confliction of his position. Ian McShane (of Lovejoy fame) however, really gets under the skin of his character Doctor Bryson, who is the more sympathetic version of Thirdspace's Doctor Trent. Another similarity between this story and that one is the heart-rending quality that infects the viewer, this time the horror is of a different kind, but is no less powerful, as the story reaches a crescendo of realisation that almost paralyses. This is the best of the three features simply because of the guest characters who enter the Babylon 5 universe and who not only fit in, but also take the show to new depths of character deconstruction.

A CALL TO ARMS
I was deeply disappointed by this movie, but since viewing for the first time and getting another chance with this DVD...it has definitely grown on me, perhaps because the development of the new characters (show-cased here for the first time) in the short-lived Crusade series has given me a new perspective, because they don't work as well here mixed in with the Babylon 5 characters as they are able in their own specific environment in Crusade. I am a big fan of techno mages, having read Jeanne Cavelos 'The Passing of the Techno Mages' books, but I am still on the fence about Peter Woodward as Galen, maybe it's the clash of American and British, maybe it's his exaggerated performance or maybe I just don't rate him as an actor, but whichever is the case it unfortunately mars the techno mage plot line for me. This is one of the many minor quibbles I have with this movie, which are probably all entirely due to my making unfair comparisons between traditional Babylon 5 and this Babylon 5/Crusade amalgamation. But in conclusion it's an involving and well-made adventure, even if it does sometimes feel as though Captain Sheridan has been brought out of retirement a little prematurely.

review by: date: 2004-07-31 rating:
A Poor DVD Release, Babylon 5 Deserves Better
The grudge that the world seems to have against Region 2 does indeed continue in this disappointingly inadequate release for some excellent TV Movies. In an ideal world, this would be a 7-disc set that included "The Gathering" (original cut as well as special edition), "In the Beginning" (the greatest of them all), "Legend of the Rangers" (a recent quasi-pilot unavailable to buy outside Australia), and a whole host of bonus documentaries. At the very least it should live up to its Region 1 counterpart, but instead it has been butchered to a 3-disc set by the studio.

As for the movies themselves, they mostly live up to the unsurpassable high-quality of the Babylon 5 series. "Thirdspace" is a more action-oriented stand-alone adventure filled with glorious space battles, spectacular effects, and a slightly darker tone. Set in the middle of the fourth season but produced after, it does not deal with any of the epic arcs but does satisfy as a visual spectacle while also giving some good roles to the characters of Susan Ivanova, Lyta Alexander, and guest star Shari Bellafonte. A somewhat crowded audio commentary is provided by director Jesus Trevino, and cast members Bruce Boxleitner, Jeff Conway, Stephen Furst, and Patricia Tallman.

"River of Souls" is the more low-key and cerebral of the three, providing a slower but more intelligent and philosophical examination of eternal life. The intriguing Soul Hunters return for the first time since their introduction in an early first season episode, and they are led by a fantastic performance from Martin Sheen. Deeper roles are also given to the characters of Captain Lochley and Michael Garibaldi, but the finished product is probably a little less consistently entertaining as a movie, feeling a little more like a standard episode. An audio commentary is provided by creator/writer/genius J. Michael Straczynski, director Janet Greek, and star Tracy Scoggins.

Finally, "A Call to Arms" succeeds as the most well-rounded of the three and also serves as a segue into the hugely under-appreciated spin-off series "Crusade". It ties into the past and future story arcs very well, introduces a beautiful new spaceship, and delivers as much epic action as it does intrigue and mystery. The final audio commentary is provided by JMS and director Mike Vejar.

Other bonus features are very light indeed, with merely some 4 minute introductions to each movie by JMS and a "Creating the Future" featurette clocking in at just 8 minutes. While the movies themselves are some of the best adult science fiction around, this DVD set is a missed opportunity. However, all may not be lost as hints have been dropped to "keep your eyes on the horizon", so with any luck a better edition may some day materialise. Until then, Region 2 buyers will despair, and only hope than the studio does a better job in releasing "Crusade: The Complete Series" on DVD as soon as possible. If you don't already own these three TV Movies in some format, or (God forbid) haven't even seen them, then this is highly recommended as something you must have -- otherwise, it's a case of bide your time and wait-and-see.

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