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IGN S4 review and why I'm mad

C

Capt. Neville

Regular
IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

First, the review.

IGN Season 4 DVD review

Now why I'm mad:

a. It's on the front page of IGN, which gives it lots of nice coverage.
b. The review is *very* negative
c. The reviewer has a LOT of his facts just plain wrong.

I couldn't even make it through all of the review, it sickened me so much. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it just reads as if it was written by someone who really hates B5 but never actually *watched* the damned show (what a concept).

I would like to write a scathing letter to IGN, but I'm in too bad of a mood at the moment to make it coherent. If someone can beat me to it, please feel free.

This reminds me though of a quote I recently saw on Penny Arcade:
When I read those sites [IGN and GameSpy], I am often struck by how little I actually want to. That sounds insulting, but I'm really trying to make a point. I don't read Car and Driver or Hot Rod or Good Housekeeping as a matter of course, but if I'm in a Dentist's office I'm going to reach over and flip through it. I have absolutely no investment in them. I read it because it's there.
Click to expand...

Sigh.

-mcn
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

What;s worse is, after the ill considered, irrelevant nonsense he writes, he ends up saying he loves it, and gives "the show" part of the review 9 out of 10.

Just a LITTLE inconsistent.

:mad:
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

Not only doesn't this clown understand B5, but he doesn't understand DVD or film very well. A number of his statements and complaints betray his total befuddlement about how TV shows are shot, how DVDs are produced and how transfers are done. I wouldn't believe him if he told me that fire is hot.

Regards,

Joe
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

Yeah, I stopped reading when he was complaining that they streched the *video* to fit 16:9 ratio.

WTF??!??!?!?!??!

I still don't have the stomach to go back and finish reading it...

And that's what angered me: there will be lots of IGN readers who might read that review, not know any better, and come up with a *really* bad (and inaccurate) view of B5.

Ugh.

--mcn
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

Unfortunately, I agree with many of IGN's points. The story was "rushed" in season 4 and the overall quality of the product is below that of many other dvds. Of course, this hasn't stopped me from buying the first four seasons and watching them repetitively.
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

Dumbest remark ever...

what's the point of trailers for episodes that can already be watched at will?
Click to expand...

That rules out the validity of trailers on ALL DVDs. :rolleyes:
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

"rushed"? Compressed, perhaps, but I certainly didn't think it was "rushed". But then I guess it's a matter of opinion...

I've only seen the first few episodes of S4, but from what I've seen the quality has been equal to or above the previous ones. What have you seen that was of lower quality?

And please don't tell me that you agree with the reviewer's comments about the stretching of the video to 16:9, or that it's "stagey", or that we don't see "consequences", or that a huge Shadow-Vorlon fight would have been the correct way to end the Shadow war?

*sigh* ok, must take a deep breath now...calm...calm soothing thoughts...ok I'm ok now :)

--mcn
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

It's rushed compared to CONVENTIONAL methods of storytelling perhaps. This is a problem with any kind of tradtional, or institutionalised form of criticism, of any media; film, TV, literature...

If you judge something by current accepted standards, nothing will ever develop, or progress.

Remember all the flack that the makers of 24 got...BEFORE it became a massive hit. Now it's part of the tradition.

Sorry, I'm sure I saw my point around here somewhere...

:D

VB
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

Well, that was a fairly cynical look at the show...

Ah well. There will always be idiots.
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

IGN didn't even bother to review S3 and yet every season of Star Trek is reviewed.

The guy constantly contradicts himself throughout the article.

Really who gives a shit. We're getting all the dvds we want right.

All people want is the same old rehashed - it all ends with a big battle DS9 shit.
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

I thought it was funny.

Of course, just for kicks once I went over to amazon.com and laughed at the Trekkers who tried to bash 'Signs and Portents'.

It's no big deal, I'm generally annoyed by IGN, but idiots with typing skills do exist. Some people have, on occasion watched Babylon 5 and just not gotten it. Personally, I don't see how anyone can watch Babylon 5 straight through only at the surface level and maintain their sanity. Unless of course you're really into Sheridan and Delenn ::has flashback to middle school:: anywho, . . .

The guy seems like a Trekker to me. I don't know if any of you have ever spent any time over at a Trekker bulletin board, but those people are vicious. Must have something to do with 'no girlfriend/no brain/tvio full of Enterprise' pheononenon.

He did have one or two points (they all do). This article almost ticked me off but I'm not really sure if any Mira Furlan bashing actually occured or not so I'm just going to assume it didn't and save myself the energy.


much love all
-Elle ::wondering if she can change her screenname to 'Paprika':: Hmm. . .
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

Yeah, I stopped reading when he was complaining that they streched the *video* to fit 16:9 ratio.

WTF??!??!?!?!??!

I still don't have the stomach to go back and finish reading it...

And that's what angered me: there will be lots of IGN readers who might read that review, not know any better, and come up with a *really* bad (and inaccurate) view of B5.

Ugh.

--mcn
Click to expand...

He didn't say they stretched the video. He said:

“...it wouldn't have been asking too much to clean up the video for DVD distribution.”

...and...

“Thus, all CGI effects are, in effect, blown-up on the DVDs, which present the show 16:9, in keeping with Straczynski's original vision.”

...and he’s right.

What's most annoying about the whole thing is the wiseass trekkie attitude.
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

"rushed"? Compressed, perhaps, but I certainly didn't think it was "rushed". But then I guess it's a matter of opinion...

I've only seen the first few episodes of S4, but from what I've seen the quality has been equal to or above the previous ones. What have you seen that was of lower quality?

And please don't tell me that you agree with the reviewer's comments about the stretching of the video to 16:9, or that it's "stagey", or that we don't see "consequences", or that a huge Shadow-Vorlon fight would have been the correct way to end the Shadow war?

*sigh* ok, must take a deep breath now...calm...calm soothing thoughts...ok I'm ok now :)

--mcn
Click to expand...


All I meant was that S4 is "rushed" in the sense that the pace of the action is much quicker and not as deliberate as the first 3 seasons. I guess I liked the slow development of seasons 1-3 and always felt S4 was "rushed" (which of course it was due to external issues). Great episodes but the show has a different "feel" than the first 3 seasons. Like we're running out of time and we have to tell the whole story before time is up.

As for my comment about quality, it is mostly about the crappy packaging for the box sets. All four seasons I have bought have had loose discs and minor scratches.
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

The thing the guy said that really got me, was this:

Viewers might have thought the Shadow conflict - which powered the show for much of Babylon 5's first three years -- would take an entire season to complete, but it was resolved by the sixth show, Into the Fire
Click to expand...

So what the guy is saying here is, that he thinks a storyline that lasted three season and six episodes is too short??? Yeah right.
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

So what the guy is saying here is, that he thinks a storyline that lasted three season and six episodes is too short??? Yeah right.
Click to expand...

My impression was not that he thought the Shadow War was too short per se, but that the SW WAS the story of B5, particularly when reading his comment that everything else then seemed an extended epilogue.

Just sounds to me like someone who "didn't get" the whole multi-threaded story thing, and believed that when the SW ended, so would the show.
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

All I meant was that S4 is "rushed" in the sense that the pace of the action is much quicker and not as deliberate as the first 3 seasons. I guess I liked the slow development of seasons 1-3 and always felt S4 was "rushed" (which of course it was due to external issues). Great episodes but the show has a different "feel" than the first 3 seasons. Like we're running out of time and we have to tell the whole story before time is up.

As for my comment about quality, it is mostly about the crappy packaging for the box sets. All four seasons I have bought have had loose discs and minor scratches.
Click to expand...

"Rushed" is subjective.

Certainly the pace and feel are different to the previous seasons, but then the pace and feel of S3 are different to the pace and feel of S1 and S2.

The major difference between S4 and earlier seasons is the lack of standalone (non-arc) stories, which I guess is at least in part due to the uncertainty of a S5 and JMS' desire to bring a reasonable closure to the story if one didn't happen.

However, I personally love the pace of S4, and the lack of non-arc related stuff, and am looking forward enormously to finally getting my DVD set at end of March. The ongoing serial nature of S4 is what makes it my fave season.

Each to his own.

To get back on topic, when reading the review I did wonder if he was watching the same Babylon 5 TV show as I did.
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

Is this the same site that did a review of the Rangers movie? The one where the "reviewer" couldn't even be bothered to run spell check? :rolleyes:

I have not been back to that website since then. And I see no point in doing so now. ;)

And I'd just like to put in a good word for Star Trek fans. :p
There was a time, long ago, when it was a very interesting few series. Everything after Deep Space 9 I try to pretend never happened. :rolleyes:
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

I knew I had to take the review with a grain of salt when I read this inaccurate statement right at the top:

>>Ultimately, Babylon 5 was all about the ideas of its creator and executive producer J. Michael Straczynski, who wrote the screenplays for the majority of the shows, including every episode of the last two seasons.<<

Incorrect!

And, this was a review, not an in-joke for fans only: so in that case, why post pictures from the season with humorous comments under them? Why not instead use the column space, and the _brilliant_ images from _incredible_ season moments, to say something substantive about the season, the characters pictured, etc.? How he could have posted those two pictures of G'Kar, from some of the most moving moments of the season (the Cartagia arc), and not said a word about Andreas's performance, puzzled and annoyed me.

Aisling
 
Re: IGN S4 review and why I\'m mad

I took him to mean jms wrote all of seasons three and four, which, from the perspective of the review, are the two latest seasons.

Still, I agree the review was sloppy and inconsistent.
 
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