Review Detail
9.4 5 10
Overall rating
8.6
Audio/Video Quality
9.0
Audio Editing
8.0
Visual Editing
9.0
Narrative
8.0
Enjoyment
9.0
Having watched all 22 of Subjectzero's B5 movies once, I am now doing a second pass (I need another fix, and Discovery is trash).
As an opener, this is a magnificent achievement since it will draw viewers in immediately without having to slog through some very questionable episodes or B stories.
I won't be commenting on the individual categories in each review, but I will comment on points of note.
There is no question that Subjectzero has managed to improve the image, but it still sits at a 9 for me coz one just can't ignore the inherrant issues. Without his tweaking, the score here would be a 6..maybe even 5, but a sold 9 is good, and it gets better later as the source material does permit it.
CONSTRCUTIVE POINTS
The majority of the audio edits were well done but there were several that felt rushed and gave away the fact that there was a transition point. There was also a very repetative OPENING SHOT music cue, which could have been easily replaced to remove the monotony AND further diguise that the establishing shot of B5 was from another episode. This was less of an issue with the visuals.
In regards to the narrative, for the most part the several episodes were well interwovem I believe that dragging some of the babylon 4 easrlier material higher up the running order would have made things a tad smoother and avoided the feeling that this was a two episode edit (which it is not...there many episodes worth of material here). Also, the establishing scene of the fighter arriving was kind of redunadant and I feel it's excision would make things actually a tad smoother, though Londos love interest being peppered throughout certainly helps in that respect (though there is a big lul in that arc, and it would benefit from a more even distribution).
Enjoyment was a firm 9 since one can't ask for more on what is an opener after all. Slipping in the healing machine early on is great...coz you do need to forget about it (as we all did on the first run).
I do miss the breakfast scene, and it could easily be included since there is not much light relief here. V2 please possibly.
Finally, I do miss the opening titles, and though no deductions were made, I would love for the season 3 opening to be used for the first half of these, and the season 5 opening for the remainder...That season 4 opening is an astonishing mood setter...and I missed it sorely however, no dedustions from me on that point.
So that's my ep 1 review. A great start and frankly, I already know the bar is raised significantly as this astonishing endevour progresses.
BRAVO and Highly recommended.
As an opener, this is a magnificent achievement since it will draw viewers in immediately without having to slog through some very questionable episodes or B stories.
I won't be commenting on the individual categories in each review, but I will comment on points of note.
There is no question that Subjectzero has managed to improve the image, but it still sits at a 9 for me coz one just can't ignore the inherrant issues. Without his tweaking, the score here would be a 6..maybe even 5, but a sold 9 is good, and it gets better later as the source material does permit it.
CONSTRCUTIVE POINTS
The majority of the audio edits were well done but there were several that felt rushed and gave away the fact that there was a transition point. There was also a very repetative OPENING SHOT music cue, which could have been easily replaced to remove the monotony AND further diguise that the establishing shot of B5 was from another episode. This was less of an issue with the visuals.
In regards to the narrative, for the most part the several episodes were well interwovem I believe that dragging some of the babylon 4 easrlier material higher up the running order would have made things a tad smoother and avoided the feeling that this was a two episode edit (which it is not...there many episodes worth of material here). Also, the establishing scene of the fighter arriving was kind of redunadant and I feel it's excision would make things actually a tad smoother, though Londos love interest being peppered throughout certainly helps in that respect (though there is a big lul in that arc, and it would benefit from a more even distribution).
Enjoyment was a firm 9 since one can't ask for more on what is an opener after all. Slipping in the healing machine early on is great...coz you do need to forget about it (as we all did on the first run).
I do miss the breakfast scene, and it could easily be included since there is not much light relief here. V2 please possibly.
Finally, I do miss the opening titles, and though no deductions were made, I would love for the season 3 opening to be used for the first half of these, and the season 5 opening for the remainder...That season 4 opening is an astonishing mood setter...and I missed it sorely however, no dedustions from me on that point.
So that's my ep 1 review. A great start and frankly, I already know the bar is raised significantly as this astonishing endevour progresses.
BRAVO and Highly recommended.
W