Back in the dark ages of the 1990s, I fell in love with the science fiction show Babylon 5. If you can forgive the budgetary restraints, it was one of the best tv shows on the air due to its planned five year story arc (back when such a thing was uncommon). The show hit its five seasons and then had a series of uneven tv movies (and an unsuccessful spinoff). There hasn’t been new tv/movie content since 2007 so I was geeked when this WB animated film was announced.
The movie follows John Sheridan shortly after the end of the series as he takes on his new job on Minbar. But an accident flings him through time and space, revisiting new and old timelines in an attempt to find his way home.
This is the first Babylon 5 animated movie and it was an interesting choice. Its art and animation is fine… not amazing but it gets the job done. It shines though in allowing for some visual effects shots that the original show probably couldn’t afford AND it brought back the characters. A distressing number of the cast has died since the show went off the air so it was nice to see their characters return in animation. Bruce Boxleitner, Peter Jurasik, Claudia Christian, Tracy Scoggins, Patricia Tallman, and Bill Mumy reprise their roles.
The movie acts as a series of “what if” scenarios for things that couldn’t happen in the original arc of the show. It’s ultimately a gift to the fans as well as to the series creator who got to indulge himself in the Babylon 5 universe again. It doesn’t really advance the story but it is a big dollop of thank you and welcome back.
The writing is generally good and continues the series’ mix of down-to-earth dialog and big sci-fi and philosophical concepts. Some of the humor also trades in the same… some of it funny familiar fan service while other gags were a little uneven. But there was a grin-worthy amount of references to other sci-fi shows that I quite appreciated.
It’s not a perfect return but I was moved and even elated by the end. It was a treat to revisit this great big nostalgia bomb. I very much welcome future WB animated films if the corporate overlords so allow (and the possible live action reboot).
Score: 86