It's time for my comprehensive review of 'A Call to Arms'.
1)
My first impression was not a good one. Before anything happened, I was upset. Who the frag's doing the music? What the hell happened to Christopher Franke! Don't tell me JMS fired him. He was there right from the beginning -- the Gathering. He had developed several well developed themes. There was the Minbari theme, the Delenn theme, the main B5 theme, the hope theme, Vorlon theme, the "oh boy this is important" theme, and many more. Some are just so simple, but so perfect. There is one very simple and elegant motiff often used at the climax of matters of Light. It is just this simple chime or something. There are two notes. A high note. Then, a note the same as the first two. This is repeated three times. On the third, there is a faint background. It's used so often. If you have Thirdspace on tape, play the credits. It's the final thing. So much of what was B5 existed in its music... its tone. I doubt this new guy can do it. Franke's just another of JMS's associates to sign on against him...
2)
I've been told that Crusade's CGI was supposed to be far superior to B5's. I thought it was impossible. B5 CGI was the best CGI, except for Episode One, and you've got to remember that it's all done on commercial software and standard PCs.
Well, I the first thing I noticed was how much clearer -- no, not clearer... textured -- the WhiteStar Valkyrie was.
3)
From the next brief glimpse of Hyperspace, it looked as if were on fire. Wow!
4)
I shrieked when the jump point formed. God. Did you see? The ripples... The waves... The arms of energy! I jumped every time a jump point formed. How could the CGI tech have evolved so much?
5)
If weapons aren't allowed on B5... Maybe it's just bladed or melee weapons that are banned. Guns are OK! People sure seem to have no problem with bringing them on board. Maybe Zack Allen (Ha!) implemented the weapons check when he was put in charge. I'd swear Garibaldi was handing the things out... just to make life interesting.
6)
Teep War statues on Earth. No Shadow War statues because Earth still hates B5 and doesn't recognize the Shadow War of taking place. "For the first time, I've been in a war, and no one's heard about it." - Marcus, on Mars.
7)
The question is WHEN is this place.
8)
The original, season 4, Drakh looked MUCH better. They looked like evil, skeletal Vorlons. Their encounter suits looked like bony exoskeletons. Further, they were digitally blurred on the film. Their ships also looked much better. One was glimpsed inside the death cloud.
9)
SHERIDAN SEEMED A LITTLE TOO MUCH LIKE 'ALL GOOD THINGS' PICARD. Old Captain ranting about strange dreams and giving bizarre orders, which are only obeyed because they want to humor their old commander. Coincidence? I think not.
10)
It was so hard to guess that the Victory would be destroyed. It was meaningless. I didn't care.
11)
GALEN'S SHIP! A SSD! Pure Black! A Super Star Destroyer, just smaller.
12)
Of course Garibaldi's WhiteStar was manned by Rangers. That's who makes up their crews.
13)
Why was it so dark?
14)
The death cloud is not supposed to have a centralized structure. It is simply a collection of 1,000,000s or thermo-nukes.
15)
Where was B5's trademark space scapes. You know what I mean, the bright blue and red nebuli and plasma streams that cross across space, rather than just black with dots of white.
16)
Let the Earthers die!
Let the Earthers burn!
17)
The Excalibur is a waste. You could build 50 Valkyries for the price of one of them.
18)
Ivanova would have never forgotten Marcus for Byron. She would have killed the lousy Teep. Lyta'd bring out her telepathic powers. Just use your imagination. On a completely different note, Lyta's been used as everyone's bitch in the series. No wonder so goes crazy at the end. Pain.
19)
I gotta say the the whole plot of Crusade seems kinda flimsy. Killer virus? Just suck up the atmosphere in a big space vacuum. The virus will just be a loose plot for the first season.
So, what's it all about. I can tell you. A CRUSADE IS A HOLY WAR! I will be very disappointed if this series is about field techs digging in the dirt for a cure to a bug. Besides, it would make more sense if you created an army of WhiteStars, manned with scientists and sent them off, each in a different direction.
Crusade will be about more than ER in space, or it'll be cancelled in one episode. Mercy Point. Crusade will be a holy war.
20)
There is a major flaw in the whole main gun - power drain system. First, it was nice to see just how much the main gun resembles the weaponry on Vorlon craft (three separate beams combine into one). I've been playing Rebel Assault II a lot in the past few days. The Phantom / Ghost TIE fighters in the game only have enough power to fire their weapons OR cloak. They can't do both. Now, I've been thinking and have basically written an owner's manual to a Phantom TIE. It's all un-official, but it makes sense. I'm applying the same thing to the Excalibur. The Excalibur's power drain doesn't work.
21)
Dareena NaFeel is such an uninspired name. It's like Poochy. Dareen-Na Fei is much better. She did look like a Star Trek alien.
22)
Drazi. Pouch under the left arm. I'm very disappointed with JMS just making something up like that. It's not practical and has already been done on Star Trek. Is JMS scrambling for ideas?
23)
I just don't like the Excalibur.
24)
You saw what happened when the jump point closed on the Drakh vessels.
25)
A WhiteStar Valkyrie could take out ANY vessel. I make that claim now and will defend it. I just want to see what the battle between the Falcon or any of her Corellian sisters and a Valkyrie would look like.
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This was a day from the Universe. A day to end. A day to finish. A day to reconcile. A day to prepare.
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Peter Tatara
2.8.1999