-
The new B5TV.COM is here. We've replaced our 16 year old software with flashy new XenForo install. Registration is open again. Password resets will work again. More info here.
EpDis: The Legend of the Rangers
- Thread starter vacantlook
- Start date
GaribaldisHair
Regular
Looked at as a piece of standalone TVSF LotR was actually pretty good. Looked at as a part of B5 I was disappointed. I thought it had some good ideas (and some bad ones, whether forced on the production team or otherwise) but just failed to gel them together into anything resembling the sort of quality we had from 5 years of the original show.
That said, I do pull it out occasionally, watch and (as long as I disengage my B5 level expectations) enjoy it.
Overall, an everage from me.
That said, I do pull it out occasionally, watch and (as long as I disengage my B5 level expectations) enjoy it.
Overall, an everage from me.
Babylon5fan07
Member
I haven't quite gotten to that episode yet...even though I've seen all 5 seasons with the movies twice already my best friend bought me the Legends of the Rangers for last Christmas so I'm going to hold off watching it until I complete watching the series on my own again..(on my own I just have to watch The Fall of Night in 2nd season then season 3) of course I will be watching all the shows again with my wife and best friend. I want to keep the lineage that's why I'm holding off.
Alex
Sindatur
Regular
Eh...I think if it wasn't for the whole weapons fiasco, and it had gone to series, we would have seen much more in LotR. The Gathering, viewed by itself, is certainly no stellar movie (Heck, some of us are afraid of showing it to potential B5 converts as a first episode), but, viewed as part of the 6 year arc, gains much more appreciation from me.
I gave it a B.
When I think back on The Gathering, I remember buying it on vhs i Norway way back when, as a movie, and at the time I knew nothing of plans for a TV serie.
I watched it several times, didn't like it that much.
This was when vhs tapes were expensive, and numerous tapes with so-so movies on it, got a tape strip so the tape could be re-recorded.
Somehow The Gathering survived, probably because it was SF and had aliens in it, and years later I got hooked when B5 was shown on TV.
Then LOTR came, and it can be looked at from different angles.
Was it Great ? Maybe not, but it was ok.
Was the targeting system silly, maybe, but to me that is not important.
Why a B ?
To me it was the chance to start a new series, taking place before the aborted Crusade, planned with a 5 year arc, that would catch up to the events in Crusade, and hopefully answer a lot of questions.
And had events happened a little different (you Americans sure a crazy when it comes to sport events), the Nielsen rating may have been good enough to launch the series.
When I think back on The Gathering, I remember buying it on vhs i Norway way back when, as a movie, and at the time I knew nothing of plans for a TV serie.
I watched it several times, didn't like it that much.
This was when vhs tapes were expensive, and numerous tapes with so-so movies on it, got a tape strip so the tape could be re-recorded.
Somehow The Gathering survived, probably because it was SF and had aliens in it, and years later I got hooked when B5 was shown on TV.
Then LOTR came, and it can be looked at from different angles.
Was it Great ? Maybe not, but it was ok.
Was the targeting system silly, maybe, but to me that is not important.
Why a B ?
To me it was the chance to start a new series, taking place before the aborted Crusade, planned with a 5 year arc, that would catch up to the events in Crusade, and hopefully answer a lot of questions.
And had events happened a little different (you Americans sure a crazy when it comes to sport events), the Nielsen rating may have been good enough to launch the series.
hypatia
Regular
I am not sure if this is true at all or not, but:
I kind of got the impression that another factor in Sci-Fi's not adopting "Rangers" was their programming shift at the time. That was back when they wanted more "psychics talking to the dead" and stuff.
But yea, the ratings competition certainly didn't help.
I kind of got the impression that another factor in Sci-Fi's not adopting "Rangers" was their programming shift at the time. That was back when they wanted more "psychics talking to the dead" and stuff.
But yea, the ratings competition certainly didn't help.
darth_librarian
Regular
Funny that. With BSG and numerous Stargates they seem to like the space shows now ...
KoshN
Super Moderator
Well, they cancelled SG-1, so after these last 10 episodes (205-214) air, all that's left is SG-A of the Stargate franchise on The Sci-Fi Channel.
hypatia
Regular
Yea, but I think it was about the same time when Bonnie Hammer announced the "new vision" for Sci-fi. I could be mistaken.
And didn't SG-1 have quite a good run? Best not to run a series until it's stale. The only reason I think Dr. Who can get away with it is that the Doctor changes over time.
Sindatur
Regular
And the two Stargate Movies, which will likely be aired on SciFi as well as released on DVD
Telepath
Member
I actually gave this one an "A". I loved the wonderful new atmosphere and looks, the music was neat, and I think many B5ers underestimate JMS when they think he just pulled another super race outta his sleeves. LotR takes place during the 20-year period beginning with 2261, when Delenn says that the two great wars afterward would be the Telepath War and the Drakh War - the Hand is mentioned nowhere. Now my guess is the Liandra would have gone into another dimension, or the Hand was a means of the Drakh to destabilize the Alliance - or their new masters, after the Shadows were gone. Not enough info to judge conclusively or condemn JMS prematurely. Loved the rangers theme, too. And it had G'Kar... oh well, here you go.
The movie itself deserves a B grade, but since most of the other B5 movies sucked, I upgrade it to an A.
The movie itself deserves a B grade, but since most of the other B5 movies sucked, I upgrade it to an A.
KoshN
Super Moderator
Why do you think they'll be aired on The Sci-Fi Channel? Was this Sci-Fi's reaction to fan uproar over the cancellation? I thought it was going to be straight-to-DVD, and not on The Sci-Fi Channel.
The music sounded like generic "adventure" stuff, to me. I honestly don't know how anybody could rate this thing an "A." Compared to B5, it looked like an amateur production. The Ranger edict of "We do not retreat for any reason." was ridiculous. This thing looked like a saturday morning cartoon with live actors replacing the animation.
TLaDiS (the Rangers pilot) is set "just under 3 years after the events of 'Objects at Rest.'"
Ref. http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/117.html#JS
So, TLaDiS is set ~October~November 2265, a little over a year before A Call to Arms. That would probably make the planned 5-year TV show (B5:LotR) take place 1/2266-12/2270, or a one year shift before Crusade. I thought B5:LotR (pilot through planned year five of the series) took place after the Telepath War. In "Objects in Motion (12/2262)" Lyta was going to give Garibaldi two years, so she would have come back to remove his block and fight the war ~12/2264. In TLaDiS, G'Kar said Lyta's "gone now." (i.e. dead), and she died in the Telepath War. In TLaDiS, nobody mentions anything about the Telepath War going on at the time. I think the Telepath War took place in 2265, and it was over by the time TLaDiS happened.
There were parts of this movie that sucked like nothing has ever sucked before. Parts of this movie could put black holes to shame.
So that means three of the following sucked?
In the Beginning
The Gathering
A Call to Arms
Thirdspace
The River of Souls.
IMDb
In the Beginning: Arithmetic mean = 7.9 (2,399 votes)
The Gathering: Arithmetic mean = 7.3 (3,073 votes)
A Call to Arms: Arithmetic mean = 7.2 (1,395 votes)
Thirdspace: Arithmetic mean = 6.9 (1,154 votes)
The River of Souls: Arithmetic mean = 6.5 (967 votes)
To Live and Die in Starlight: Arithmetic mean = 6.2 (848 votes)
Note what's in last place.
Last edited:
Telepath
Member
Hi KoshN, I hope that's nothing personal... everyone his opinion, yes?
To comment on your arguments: I do not care for other people's opinion so much as others might do, so I don't care what's in last place.
I think ItB sucked flat out because it ruined suspension of disbelief by stretching coincidences too far so that it became fiction that is perceived as fiction. River of Souls was awful, as was A Call to Arms (Dureena could have sprung out of a D&D adventure). You got your three movies that sucked, imo.
But that's no discussion of course - you got your reasons for hating some movies, I got mine for rejecting others
Telepath
Member
Yes... I just wanted to point out that between the end of season 4 and SiL, there was no Hand War occurring in the galaxy putting the shadows to shame. Speaking of which...
LoL!
Admittedly true... I hated the Liandra weapons system. And the fact how G'Kar relays the story of the force of light and force of darkness... it seems awkward in the B5 universe. But perhaps the series would have answered that question.The problem with ItB is that it's utterly incredible to me. No matter how good it is in all its constituent parts, I think it ruins the B5 canon by stretching credibility beyond the breaking point.
I think the figure that really says it all is:
Babylon 5: Arithmetic mean = 8.8 (1,605 votes)
I think that's about right - somehow none of the movies seemed to manage to rise as high as the standards that had already been set within the series itself. Partly I think it may just be that they came too late in the cycle - remember that with the exception of the Gathering, all of them were filmed after Sleeping in Light, and after the season 5 pickup, at which point B5 arguably didn't have anything left to prove.
Sindatur
Regular
It's SciFi channel's show. All their "Straight to DVD" stuff ends up playing on the network.
GaribaldisHair
Regular
Yeah .. since they've paid for it already, why wouldn't they show it.
And as far as the ItB stretching credulity to breaking point, I can see where that comes from but the problem is ItB is already loaded down with characters, and adding more would only confuse things ... not to mention probably stretch the budget to breaking point.
I am prepared to forgive the stretching because in all other respects I think it is a great piece of work.
And to get back on topic. LotR had some good ideas that were significantly undercooked, precisely because it was a backdoor pilot. If it had gone to series and these ideas had had the chance to be explored more fully then I think the movie would be looked back at more fondly. Sure it had some silly ones (the weapons thing!) but that would undoubtedly have disappeared come a series ... surely!
Unfortunately I never saw The Gathering as a standalone as it wasn't shown on UKTV until well into the run (possibly between S1 and S2 if memory serves). If I had, I am not convinced I would have much higher an opinion of it than I do of LotR. The Gathering (original version) is great in the context of leading into the series, but as a standalone it is fairly forgettable ,,, but without anything jaw-droppingly stupid.
Last edited:
