Babylon 5: In the Beginning (1998)

Emperor Londo Mollari of the Centauri Republic tells the story of the Earth-Minbari War that almost destroyed humanity and later inspired its last best, hope for peace.

Director:

Michael Vejar

Writers:

J. Michael Straczynski (creator), J. Michael Straczynski

Stars:

Bruce Boxleitner, Mira Furlan, Richard Biggs

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bruce Boxleitner	...	John J. Sheridan
Mira Furlan	...	Delenn
Richard Biggs	...	Stephen Franklin, M.D.
Andreas Katsulas	...	G'Kar
Peter Jurasik	...	Londo Mollari
Theodore Bikel	...	Lenonn
Reiner Schöne	...	Dukhat (as Reiner Schone)
Michael O'Hare	...	Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Sinclair (archive footage)
Robin Atkin Downes	...	Morann
J. Patrick McCormack	...	General Lefcourt
Tricia O'Neil	...	Earth Alliance President
Robin Sachs	...	Coplann
James Patrick Stuart	...	Presidential Aide
Jason Ross-Azikiwe	...	Captain Sterns (as Jason Azikiwe)
Yasemin Baytok	...	Centauri Woman

Storyline

The Earth military encounters an alien race called the Minbari. Through a series of accidents and misunderstandings, a war breaks out that nearly results in the death of every human on Earth. The war and its aftermath provide the background for the TV series "Babylon 5," especially its first season.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | space opera | 23rd century | alien invasion | space station | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

In this TV-movie, Robin Sachs plays Coplann, a member of the Minbari Grey Council. In an episode of Star Trek: Voyager (1995), Sachs plays an alien named Valen. In B5, Valen is the name of the Minbari holy figure who originally formed the Council.

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Goofs

When Sheridan, Franklin and G'Kar are captured by the Minbari, Sheridan is punched by a guard and his rank pin is crooked. In the next shot, his pin is suddenly straight.

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Quotes

Delenn: I don't know what to do. Tell me... Tell me what to do.
[pause. Delenn starts to leave. As she passes Kosh]
Kosh: The truth points to itself.
[Delenn stops and turns around]
Delenn: What?
Kosh: The truth points to itself.
Delenn: I do not understand.
Ulkesh: You will.
Delenn: But...
Ulkesh: Go now.
[...]

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Connections

Followed by Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers: To Live and Die in Starlight (2002)

User Reviews

The greatest story in the Babylon 5 series.

And so it begins... "In The Beginning" is quite simply the one of the best movies ever filmed. As part of the Babylon 5 series it is technically superfluous, since everything depicted in the movie is spoken of in various episodes during the series. However, simply hearing about what happened is nothing compared to seeing the events portrayed so powerfully. The cast and writer (JMS) bring us the story in all it's beauty and all its horror, from the simple mistakes that caused the war right up to the eve of humanity's destruction and everything in between. If you have never watched Babylon 5, this is the perfect place to start. If you do not wish to see Babylon 5 you should still watch this movie because to ignore it simply because of its roots is to deny yourself the experience of seeing some of the finest performances ever put on film. If the final 20 minutes does not stir your soul, then nothing ever will.

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Babylon 5: Last of the Fallen

Company Credits

Production Co:

Babylonian Productions, TNT

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min (PAL DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color