Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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103 of 106 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A well packaged piece of sci-fi history, 5 Jul 2006
In my opinion Babylon 5 was one of the greatest television shows of the 1990s. The show has a greater focus on character development and political intrigue than most other science fiction television, and has little focus on technology. In many ways, Babylon 5 is more of a drama set in space, than it is sci-fi. It is a very successful break-away from the Star Trek mold.
Over a decade since it first aired, Babylon 5 can more than hold its own when put up against modern science fiction television. It has interesting characters, strong acting (especially from Peter Jurasik and Andreas Katsulas) and some excellent space battles.
The greatest strength of Babylon 5, and the reason I believe it will continue to stand the test of time, is the quality of the writing: The show has a well thought-out story arc that runs over all five seasons and some excellent dialogue. Babylon 5 also presents some good philosophical ideas, and manages, for the most part, to steer clear of the meaningless mumbo jumbo that is all to common in science fiction writing. The show treats the usual 'Good verses Evil' scenario with subtlety; the main characters are neither good nor evil, but rather they are manipulated by greater forces. Before the end of the series the concepts of Good and Evil themselves are brought into question. Certainly, no study of anti-apocalyptic fiction is complete without some reference to Babylon 5.
The packaging of this DVD set is excellent. The main box looks great, is made from sturdy thick cardboard, and has a flip down front for easy access to the interior. It has pretty much the same height and depth as other DVD box sets, so it sits well on the shelf as part of a DVD collection. Inside the box, the DVDs are packaged in the same series-by-series box sets that can be purchased separately. This is excellent if you want to store the box separately somewhere safe. All of the television material associated with Babylon 5 is contained in the box, including the Pilot, Crusade, and all of the movies. There is almost 100 hours of entertainment, all neatly packaged together, and taking up less than 40cm of shelf space. A must for any fan of the show.
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69 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
All the Babylon 5 in one place, 7 Nov 2005
Fantastic, at last the complete Babylon 5 collection in one box set.
This includes all 5 series of Babylon 5, all the movies, plus crusade for a total of 41 discs of sci-fi goodness.
(This box set totals in excess of 90 hours of playtime (excluding commentaries and special features)
Many people couldn't get into the series as it had so many long storylines (sometimes stretching across several series) unlike more stand-alone episode series like Star Trek. Watching the occasional episode left them confused as to what was going on. But the more you watch the better it gets.
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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Awesome & Inspirational-we laugh,cry but mostly enjoy!, 24 Mar 2007
I was likened (by the girls in the office) to a 13 year old boy for indulging myself this Christmas to Babylon 5 the Universe (B5). Being of babyboomer generation (ie in my prime!) my hub & I had watched B 5 at the awkward timeslot it had many years ago and had enjoyed the series but had missed bits. What a treat to watch it again. It is great tea time viewing with our 11 year old son and the best threat "no homework-no B5", ever discovered!
The series has not dated, is so cleverly plotted and loops and re-loops allowing you to appreciate the brilliance of J Michael Stryziniski who created it.
The characters are 3 dimensional, humorous, and have shades of grey so you feel for Londo, admire G'kar and adore Vir who is Londo's Jimminy cricket! The politics, the religious fervour, the skilful manipulations have parallels today as well as the racing adventure, special effects, high action and moral values that shine through, ALL without the need for bad language, guts and gore.
The need for tolerance and acceptance of other races and creeds and cultures is shown, as is the damage that mistrust and prejudice creates. Above all it shows what can be achieved by working together, and how even the tiniest cog is important in the working of the big machine. Best of all it has drawn us closer together as a nice family thing to enjoy together and discuss.
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