Watcher
20-11-2001, 12:20 AM
<I><B>WARNER HOME VIDEO</I></b>
<center><b>
<h2>BABYLON 5 -
The Gathering/In The Beginning.</h2>
Release Date:</b> November 21 2001.
<B>Warner Home Video.</B>
<b>Rating:</b> PG
<B>RRP:</b> $34.95</center>
<UL><b>Special features and specs…..</b>
<LI><B>NTSC</b> Region 4.
<LI>Languages in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround: English.
<LI>Subtitles: English, French.
<LI>Aspect: 1.33:1, 4:3 transfer (The Gathering)
<LI>Aspect: 1.85:1, 16:9 enhanced (In The Beginning).
<LI>Running Time; Approx 91 Mins on each movie.
<LI>Double sided. (One movie per side)</UL>
<b>Cast…</b> Bruce Boxleitner, Mira Furlan, Richard Biggs, Andreas Katsulas, Peter Jurasik.
<center><B>From the back cover….</b></center>
<I> <B>A DYNAMIC DOUBLE BILL FROM ONE OF TV'S MOST UNIQUE SERIES EVER.</I></B>
<i><b>ALL SYSTEMS GO.</B> The long-running, Emmy-winning science-fiction TV series BABYLON 5 launches onto DVD with two feature-length adventures chronicling land marks in the history of the space metropolis that's a way station for the universe's populace and a shining hope for universal peace.
Indeed THE GATHERING [side A], the series pilot, concerns an interstellar summit aimed at negotiating a lasting truce - if an assassin's agenda doesn't have the opposite effect.
Set primarily in the decade before the orbital station existed, the prequel IN THE BEGINNING [sideB] depicts the turmultuous and tragic events of the Eath-Minbari War, the fight that shaped interstellar events and paved the way for the construction of the universal safeport.</I>
<b>Audio/Visual….</b>
Warner have done it again.....
This is a Region 4 <B>NTSC</b> release so you'll need a television that is able to display the NTSC picture.
Although you get both feature length movies on the one DVD, they have a diferent aspect ratio to each other. The Gathering has a 1.33:1, 4:3 aspect while In The Beginning is 1.85:1, 16:9 enhanced.
Both movies are pretty much the same in quality when it comes to the visual side of things and fine grain can be seen in many, many scenes which is a real let down. The grain can be a real pain at times I did find it distracting.
As far as marks and blemishes go, there are some that pop up every now and then, but I thought that they were few and far between and I was more distracted by the grain.
Each of the movies had a dark look to them, which I assume was intentional and colours still come through clean and sharp, especially in the fantastic CGI scenes.
Audio quality is pretty much the same on both movies and thankfully it's pretty good.
Both movies have Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround tracks that get the job done without any complaints from me.
The front sound stage was very clear and strong with some nice directional sound and movement to the sides. The rears also work well with the fronts with occasional movement between them.
The sub offers low hums at times, but only really does anything when it comes to action sequences.
Battle/action scenes obviously liven things up a bit (nothing earth shattering though) and this is where the speakers earn their keep. Speech is in sync and is very clear and easy to understand, which is a good thing with cast members having various accents. The music is also clear and is used well to add atmosphere through the rears.
<B>Extra features…..</b>
<I><U>Cast & Crew - </U></I> A single page on each side of the disc that basically provides you with a list of major cast and crew.
<B>Overall......</b>
J. Michael Straczynski has done an amazing job in writing this fantastic series and in my opinion it is the best sci-fi series ever made (just putting on my flame proof suit now :p).
<I>The Gathering</i>
Set in the late 23rd century, this is the made for TV pilot to the "Babylon 5" TV series.
Babylon 5 is a space station in neutral space located between many rival space empires.
The first 3 BABYLON stations were destroyed and the 4th mysteriously vanished ( what happens there is revealed later on in the series).
The success of BABYLON 5 is put in jeopardy when incoming Commander Jeffrey Sinclair is the key suspect in the attempted assassination of the Vorlon Ambassador, KOSH.
<I>In The Beginning</i>
This is the first of three BABYLON 5 movies that were made well after the series had started and established itself as a very popular weekly series.
Initially set many years later, LONDO MOLLARI looks back to the past and tells the story of the Earth-Minbari War to two children. The story of the war and its aftermath (in flashback) provide the background for the TV series BABYLON 5.
This is the better of the 2 movies on this DVD.
Having both of these BABYLON 5 movies on the one DVD is good value for fans and we can only wonder what Warner has planned for future BABYLON 5 movies/episodes.
As far as this DVD goes, it's just a pity that Australian fans have to get a <b>NTSC</b> version of this DVD that contains some disappointing video quality.
Thankfully the audio mix and the actual movies themselves make up for those disappointing aspects and this DVD is still a must have for BABYLON 5 fans.
Not so keen fans should still rent this DVD as both movies are very entertaining, but a basic knowledge of the series would be handy before watching them.<b><TABLE WIDTH="50%" ALIGN="center" BORDER="2">
<tr><td>VIDEO QUALITY </td><td>6/10 </td></tr><tr>
<td>AUDIO QUALITY </td><td>7/10 </td></tr><tr>
<td>EXTRAS </td><td>1/10 </td></tr><tr>
<td>THE MOVIE </td><td>8/10 </td></tr><tr>
<td>OVERALL </td><td>7/10 </td></tr></table></b>
Thanks for reading…
<center><b>
<h2>BABYLON 5 -
The Gathering/In The Beginning.</h2>
Release Date:</b> November 21 2001.
<B>Warner Home Video.</B>
<b>Rating:</b> PG
<B>RRP:</b> $34.95</center>
<UL><b>Special features and specs…..</b>
<LI><B>NTSC</b> Region 4.
<LI>Languages in Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround: English.
<LI>Subtitles: English, French.
<LI>Aspect: 1.33:1, 4:3 transfer (The Gathering)
<LI>Aspect: 1.85:1, 16:9 enhanced (In The Beginning).
<LI>Running Time; Approx 91 Mins on each movie.
<LI>Double sided. (One movie per side)</UL>
<b>Cast…</b> Bruce Boxleitner, Mira Furlan, Richard Biggs, Andreas Katsulas, Peter Jurasik.
<center><B>From the back cover….</b></center>
<I> <B>A DYNAMIC DOUBLE BILL FROM ONE OF TV'S MOST UNIQUE SERIES EVER.</I></B>
<i><b>ALL SYSTEMS GO.</B> The long-running, Emmy-winning science-fiction TV series BABYLON 5 launches onto DVD with two feature-length adventures chronicling land marks in the history of the space metropolis that's a way station for the universe's populace and a shining hope for universal peace.
Indeed THE GATHERING [side A], the series pilot, concerns an interstellar summit aimed at negotiating a lasting truce - if an assassin's agenda doesn't have the opposite effect.
Set primarily in the decade before the orbital station existed, the prequel IN THE BEGINNING [sideB] depicts the turmultuous and tragic events of the Eath-Minbari War, the fight that shaped interstellar events and paved the way for the construction of the universal safeport.</I>
<b>Audio/Visual….</b>
Warner have done it again.....
This is a Region 4 <B>NTSC</b> release so you'll need a television that is able to display the NTSC picture.
Although you get both feature length movies on the one DVD, they have a diferent aspect ratio to each other. The Gathering has a 1.33:1, 4:3 aspect while In The Beginning is 1.85:1, 16:9 enhanced.
Both movies are pretty much the same in quality when it comes to the visual side of things and fine grain can be seen in many, many scenes which is a real let down. The grain can be a real pain at times I did find it distracting.
As far as marks and blemishes go, there are some that pop up every now and then, but I thought that they were few and far between and I was more distracted by the grain.
Each of the movies had a dark look to them, which I assume was intentional and colours still come through clean and sharp, especially in the fantastic CGI scenes.
Audio quality is pretty much the same on both movies and thankfully it's pretty good.
Both movies have Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround tracks that get the job done without any complaints from me.
The front sound stage was very clear and strong with some nice directional sound and movement to the sides. The rears also work well with the fronts with occasional movement between them.
The sub offers low hums at times, but only really does anything when it comes to action sequences.
Battle/action scenes obviously liven things up a bit (nothing earth shattering though) and this is where the speakers earn their keep. Speech is in sync and is very clear and easy to understand, which is a good thing with cast members having various accents. The music is also clear and is used well to add atmosphere through the rears.
<B>Extra features…..</b>
<I><U>Cast & Crew - </U></I> A single page on each side of the disc that basically provides you with a list of major cast and crew.
<B>Overall......</b>
J. Michael Straczynski has done an amazing job in writing this fantastic series and in my opinion it is the best sci-fi series ever made (just putting on my flame proof suit now :p).
<I>The Gathering</i>
Set in the late 23rd century, this is the made for TV pilot to the "Babylon 5" TV series.
Babylon 5 is a space station in neutral space located between many rival space empires.
The first 3 BABYLON stations were destroyed and the 4th mysteriously vanished ( what happens there is revealed later on in the series).
The success of BABYLON 5 is put in jeopardy when incoming Commander Jeffrey Sinclair is the key suspect in the attempted assassination of the Vorlon Ambassador, KOSH.
<I>In The Beginning</i>
This is the first of three BABYLON 5 movies that were made well after the series had started and established itself as a very popular weekly series.
Initially set many years later, LONDO MOLLARI looks back to the past and tells the story of the Earth-Minbari War to two children. The story of the war and its aftermath (in flashback) provide the background for the TV series BABYLON 5.
This is the better of the 2 movies on this DVD.
Having both of these BABYLON 5 movies on the one DVD is good value for fans and we can only wonder what Warner has planned for future BABYLON 5 movies/episodes.
As far as this DVD goes, it's just a pity that Australian fans have to get a <b>NTSC</b> version of this DVD that contains some disappointing video quality.
Thankfully the audio mix and the actual movies themselves make up for those disappointing aspects and this DVD is still a must have for BABYLON 5 fans.
Not so keen fans should still rent this DVD as both movies are very entertaining, but a basic knowledge of the series would be handy before watching them.<b><TABLE WIDTH="50%" ALIGN="center" BORDER="2">
<tr><td>VIDEO QUALITY </td><td>6/10 </td></tr><tr>
<td>AUDIO QUALITY </td><td>7/10 </td></tr><tr>
<td>EXTRAS </td><td>1/10 </td></tr><tr>
<td>THE MOVIE </td><td>8/10 </td></tr><tr>
<td>OVERALL </td><td>7/10 </td></tr></table></b>
Thanks for reading…