_Legend of the Rangers_

jjohn on 2002-01-20T04:25:13

Just finished watching B5 _Legend of the Rangers_ and I have to say: color me impressed. I was expecting it to suck and, oddly enough, it didn't. I think the ship designs are total ass, but the uniforms are cool enough.

Unfortunately, JMS has introduced another "old, dark and scary" alien race that no one knew about. This hac kneyed plot device was total over done in all the Star Trek: The Quest for More Money series. Why not have a alliance of many ordinary races? There's strength in numbers and there would be no need to create new bogeymen. It's a question of scale. The humans are a lot weaker than the Mimbari, the Mimbari are a lot weaker than the Shadows or Vorlons, now "The Hand" are apparently a lot stronger than the First Ones. This is insane. It would have come up before. Oh, this complaint goes double for the B5 movie, _Thirdspace_. The First Ones were warranted to be the most powerful beings in the universe. Through a bit of legalese, beings from other "dimensions" can be more powerful than the First Ones. I'm not certain I buy it, but oh well.

Still, I hope SCI-FI picks up the series. It looks like it could be even better than Crusade.

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Completely Out Of Left Field

chaoticset on 2002-01-20T07:45:54

...but a general set of directions including 'no tactical retreat' seems to spell disaster. The only reason I wanted to watch it was because I was hoping they'd figure out the old, old Earth saying.

Better to turn and run away
So that you can fight another day

which I've shredded horribly, I'm sure.

Re:Completely Out Of Left Field

jjohn on 2002-01-20T15:20:43

Well, I think the point made by G'kar was that the Mimbari are missing the "live for the one" part of the Ranger motto (possibly because of that skullbone). I did grow very tired of phrase "we live for the one...". ALL RIGHT! I GET THE POINT! YOU'RE DEDICATED ZEOLOTS. Let's move on.

As I said, there are some interesting characters here (the Drazi and the Narn in particular). After reflecting today on the Hand, it occurs to me that since we hear nothing about them in Crusade or in A Call to Arms, that perhaps they be cease to be a menace within three show years. We'll see.

Series

pudge on 2002-01-21T13:16:09

So is this indeed going to be a series? It was weak as a standalone movie, and less weak as a pilot. I found little of it compelling in either case, but in the latter I can be hopeful that it is introductory material to something better.

Regardless, my biggest gripe about Babylon 5 has always been the lack of good dialogue (well, perhaps it is the excess of weak dialogue), and this latest entry has more of that than I've seen in awhile. Like toward the beginning with the gun chick says "A wise man once said, 'We live for the one, we die for the one.' Another wise man once said, 'It ain't over 'til it's over.'" Yeah, that's the ticket. /me rolls his eyes. They should take some lessons from Aaron Sorkin or something.

Re:Dialog

jjohn on 2002-01-21T14:09:31

Point taken. For me, the hokeyness of the dialog doesn't get in the way too much. JMS is a great storyteller.

Farscape's dialog is frequently more entertaining and better thoughtout.

Star Trek:* had neither great plots nor good dialog.

Picard: Make it so.

Kirk: KAAAAAAAAAAHNN!