Babylon 5: Thirdspace (1998 TV Movie) User Reviews

Not perfect, but certainly an enjoyable scifi romp.

[casarbi · 7/10 · 22 December 2004]

A reasonable outing.

B5 - and JMS writing in particular - works better when not contained to standalone episodes. Give him space to breathe, and his musing flows far better. He has room to comment, moralise and philosophise beautifully. Give him a single story and he tries to cram in too many explanations and plot movements which start to clog up the script. This is a pity as the script is what he is good at.

So a nice story, but a little uneven. Sometimes continually underlines the same plot points over and over killing room for nice stand alone dialogue or character exposition. Other times, the character scenes (the lift scene ) are too long an neither help the story or offer any depth for their duration.

That said, the SFX is very nice, the music from Franke is far more classically orientated than before and it's a nice chance to try and highlight some of the minor characters. The story idea is reasonable, if a little unusual in scifi tone for B5 (befitting Trek more) and it lacks some of the regular B5 heavyweight actors (G'Kar and Londo are sadly missing and Delenn has few scenes).

Nevertheless, an enjoyable if a little vacuous compared to what one comes to expect from B5. The aural and visual experiences are good, the actors are solid and the story good enough to standalone. Not perfect, but still a good slice of pulp scifi action.

A good adventure yarn

[rawdon · 7/10 · 18 November 1998]

"Thirdspace" doesn't pretend to be anything other than light (or maybe dark is a better word) adventure, and it works fine on that basis. Admittedly, I have a weakness for "humanity finds a really old alien artifact out there and tries to figure out what it's for" stories. Such stories are often disappointing because we never find out what it's for; in "Thirdspace", we do find out, and then everyone rather wishes they hadn't.

Sterling special effects and a good script make this the best of the B5 TV-movies so far (through "River of Souls"). The plot is a little dodgy in that the degree of control the denizens of Thirdspace exert over the gate to their dimension seems inexplicable great, but overall the tension is high through most of the episode, and it's good to see Ivanova again.

JMS homage to H.P. Lovecraft

[JoeB131 · 6/10 · 31 October 2009]

I'm a fan of H.P Lovecraft as much as the next Sci-Fi geek. Really. Did a Lovecraft story belong in the B5 universe? Ahhh, not so much.

The plot is that the B-5 crew, now in revolt against Earth, find an ancient artifact, apparently left behind by the now departed Vorlons. without Ambassador Kosh to warn them (but who ever really understood what old Kosh was trying to say half the time?), the crew makes a bargain with Interplanetary Expeditions to try to unravel what is inside the thing.

Well, of course, they open the thing, and discover it's a portal to an alternate universe where evil creatures take over the minds of people. Various denizens of B5 start acting strangely, from Attache Vir Cotto to Crime Boss Duece. When the Lovecraftian universe aliens start making a full scale invasion. (Seriously, were they all parked outside the other end of the gate waiting for some poor fool to open it?) we get a full scale B-5 space battle that can only end with John Sheridan doing what he always does when he encounters a problem- setting off a nuclear weapon.

John "Nuke-Em" SHeridan. A real man's man! He's Jesus with nukes!

It's a weak story, seemingly anachronistic as some fan-fic in the B-5 time line. (Seriously, is the squabble with President Clark all that important after you've just fended off an invasion of our universe from Lovecraftian horrors?) But it's fun to watch our beloved characters one more time.

So, yeah, Joe, I'm giving you a mulligan on this one!

Hurried

[junk-monkey · 12 December 2005]

I'm a long time fan of Babylon 5 but watching this for the second time I am struck by how much clumsy exposition there is in this movie. So much back story is filled in by characters telling each other things that are (within the Babylon 5 universe) such common knowledge that it is absurd for people to talk about them (Dr Trent's conversation with her companion Bill Morishi about the history of the Jumpgate falls into this category) or characters tell each other things they already know (or think they know) just so we the audience can be told as well. Sorry I don't buy it - at one point one of the characters actually says "...as you very well know". This is soap opera writing. Does the job but it's hardly elegant.

I don't know the schedule JMS was working to on this one but it looks like it was written in a hurry. The writing is no way up to the usual standard for this show. The humour isn't there either. Having said that the SFX are good...

Diverting and mildly interesting but also pretty easy to skip

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 28 June 2007]

While in hyperspace, some of the fighters from B-5 find a huge ship that has been abandoned and lost there for who knows how long. It's obviously from a very advanced civilization--something way in excess of human technology. In addition, the ship is HUGE--so big that the jump-gates must be modified to allow it to pass through in one piece. Despite this being a super-important find, in the end it turns out that they have brought something back that was best left alone! There was one particular scene I loved and one I really hated from this movie. I really liked the scene with Zack on the elevator with Lyta--his pouring his heart out to her made a lot of sense, as in the regular series it was obvious he felt something but it never was pursued. How they handled this was pretty funny and clever. What I really disliked was the nuclear detonation scene. It APPEARED as if Sheridan detonated a nuke in pretty close proximity to him in space and he was only wearing a space suit--yet seemed to suffer no ill-effects!!! Come off it--this just made no sense, even if Sheridan IS "the chosen one".

I am such a huge Babylon 5 fan that I have watched everything--all five seasons (even the poor final one), the spin-off series (CRUSADE) and the made for TV movies. So for freaks like me, this is a must-see movie. But I also realize that I am a freak and many more casual viewers will not necessarily NEED to see everything B-5. If this is the case, then this is definitely one of the more expendable Babylon 5 productions. That's because what occurs in this made for TV movie has no impact of the episodes of the show, nor is it alluded to in any way. Plus, oddly, the movie is missing some of the important character from the series--Garibaldi, Londo and G'Kar. And finally, the movie itself isn't super-exciting--watchable and mildly interesting, yes. A must-see, no.

A great movie

[interfacetkr · 7/10 · 27 December 2007]

An excellent movie for all B5 fans, quite interesting plot-wise and in the spirit of 2nd Season. I watched it with pleasure, and it definitely adds another dimension to the B5 universe. I thought the opening was quite majestic, and there were some hilarious moments too, mixed with much tension, which is quite typical of Babylon 5 material. The movie can stand on its own, although a viewer who has followed Babylon 5 storyline right up to the Second and the Third Seasons will be able to appreciate it best. This is not so much due its content and story, but to realise certain implications that are discussed in the film, which may not stand out otherwise. A good addition to the genre.

Enjoy!

Babylon 5 goes Lovecraft

[JUuttu · 8/10 · 26 March 2000]

Holy Lovecraftian influence! Saw this on a b5-movie marathon between 'In the beginning' and 'River of souls', and this got me excited the most. Anyone who reads good ol' H.P. Lovecraft's novels should know why.

The story at the beginning is like a sci-fied up of 'Call of Cthulhu', with the addition of all those inevitable B5-elements. However, in the latter part of the movie, the plot entangles to itself badly. Too much happening with so little time, leading to a slightly disappointing end. Oh well. At least it was enjoyable.

Symphonic film

[bakchu · 7/10 · 19 October 2006]

The basic story of "Thirdspace" is rather straight and simple, it could have been told in the time span of a regular B5 episode without being hasty. So, what makes "Thirdspace" interesting to watch, if you like this kind of sci-fi movie, more than the story or the not-too-overwhelming quality of acting, is its strong symphonic side - the synthesis of (CGI) images and Franke's score into a "space symphony" sometimes even resembling "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". It's not as elegant, though. "Thirdspace" is faster and somehow rougher, there is less sheer grandeur (well, it's a TV movie), but still... one can enjoy much of it indeed, literally, as a moving picture with music. What I also would like to mention, though, is Patricia Tallman's performance - distinctly more inspired and refined than what we saw in the preceding B5 episodes.

A forgotten artefact half the size of the station casts a threat over the galaxy.

[Falcador · 8/10 · 7 February 1999]

A full length film set outside the story 'arc' of the TV series, but still within continuity. The special effects are the best that television can produce - a Babylon 5 hallmark. The plot however is slightly plodding. Not quite enough story ideas to sustain the plot. The never ending fistfights on the station contrast the brilliant special effects battle outside the stations hull. For fans of the series there are some nice touches, but it can be watched without knowledge of what's gone on before, although no time is spent on establishing the major characters. The major cast are all comfortable with their roles and it shows, the acting is good for this style of film. A fantastic looking and sounding film but slightly slow in parts.

Babylon 5, a Lovecraft try.

[Ragnark · 7/10 · 18 February 2000]

An interesting show, being slightly different than the normal series, in that it seems to be trying for a Lovecraftian theme, in the ancient all-powerful horrors from beyond space try to take over everything and kill all life. As in the series, great special effects, with the acting at the same good level.

Very unsatisfying!

[nicolosi81 · 4/10 · 17 July 2005]

I watched "Thirdspace" and had to come on to IMDb and read the comments to see if others thought it was as unsatisfying as I thought it to be... and I am glad to see I am in agreement with others.

The plot is a good idea that was ruined by drawn-out segments that detracted from the flow of the story. The elevator scene was beyond ridiculous, too much fist-fighting, I never once saw a thirdspace ship destroyed before or after the climactic event, and you'd think that Sheridan might have once been rammed into by a passing ship!

On the bright side, effects were solid, Ivonova still rocks, and the audio commentary was fun to listen to even though not enlightening. This is one of the movies I won't pop in too frequently in the future.

Best Film of the Series

[ralphv1 · 9/10 · 14 April 2019]

Of the feature films stemming from the B5U, this is my favorite. Looking at it 22 years on, it's amazing how well it has held up. The way its various influences (HPL, Triplanetary, Quatermass, etc) are almost seamlessly incorporated into the mythos of B5 contributes the film's quality, its storytelling and its endurance. Despite the preponderance of CHI and plot-driven action, there are still some great characterization moments, in particular the elevator scene with Zach and Lyta, further establishing Zach as the hopeless romantic always finding (and losing) hope.

Thirdspace good but is out of context

[J.F.Brown · 7/10 · 11 October 1998]

Well, humm. Let's see. Odd plot, long dialogue, and an odd context that doesn't fit into B5 at all certainly take their toll on this movie. I must admit though, the suspense, action, and great special effects for a T.V. movie make this reasonably good. Strong performances from all the actors certainly helped make this movie better than most, but it was still sadly dull.

"Five Million Years to Babylon 5"

[Gislef · 4/10 · 4 January 1999]

Oddly, Thirdspace comes across more as a remake of 5 Million Years to Earth (i.e., Quartermass and the Pit) than anything. There's an ancient alien artifact that turns humans against each other and causes psychic disturbances. Stracynski's attempt at a Lovecraftian tale is okay, but both somewhat at odds with B5, mildly redundant (aren't the Shadows Lovecraftian?), and at the end goes for a big battle/finish (complete with a "blow 'em up" bomb tactic). Within the limits of a 90 minute movie, and with the obligatory bows to the B5 universe, Thirdspace seems oddly truncated.

TNT influence?

[xela-4 · 13 June 1999]

Okay, admit it. You've wondered about TNT's influence over B5 after it moved to that channel. Well, this movie proves it. Okay, would JMS have written something as violent and effect-full if TNT HADN'T been shoving the whole 'demographic' thing down his throat? I mean, all those shots of the fist-fighting was a little over the top. But on whole I'd have to say that it was a terrific movie anyway. Okay, a LITTLE dull. But the special effects were GREAT!!!! One complaint though. (Same complaint as the one I have with the ep 'Day of the Dead'.) They missed a PERFECT opportunity to bring back Marcus.

Dull. A disgrace to the standards we come to expect from the Babylon 5 series

[squiggy-3 · 6/10 · 17 December 1998]

This is an awful movie. It hurts even more because I love everything else about Babylon 5... except this !

It would have survived if it were a 40 minute tv episode. It's way too long and stretched out to movie length as it is, leaves us with a shallow, dull story that you can't wait to finish.

A decent movie but unnecessary

[chrichtonsworld · 6/10 · 10 July 2007]

As always the visuals are impressive! The acting wasn't half bad! The real problem I had was the story! Where was the brilliant writing that we were used to from "Babylon 5" the series! This was a movie that to my opinion doesn't quite connect to the story lines in the B5 universe! I think a movie should expand on a subject that is rooted in the series! Or somehow bring up a new subject that would affect this universe! "Thirdspace" doesn't really do that! It is just another story on how flawed the "perfect" Vorlons actually are! Very unnecessary! Why was this movie made? Seems like a waste of time and budget to me! There are so many other subjects that need explaining! For example: the first ones or the shadows and their allies (in comparison to the Vorlons we don't know much about them)! To me that would be far more interesting! Still there is enough going on for any B5 fan to enjoy this!

Predictable, yet enjoyable

[teppo-2 · 8/10 · 3 May 2009]

The premise of this movie isn't all that original (but then what is, these days). An old artifact is found in Hyperspace, and brought to B5. An Interplanetary Expeditions researcher group them comes to examine it. Odd things start happening at the same time, including violent outbreaks inside the station. Eventually the device is activated, and it turns out to be effectively the gate to hell (as in some other dimension) from which super-advanced aliens hellbent on the destruction of everyone else they come across pour out, and the B5 crew have to shut the gate down before it's too late.

As said, not all that unique. The concept of a way more advanced enemy trying to invade has been seen elsewhere. Even if not exactly a similar happening, the Borg in Star Trek come to mind (as well as the race from another dimension in Star Trek Voyager, but that actually came out later than this movie). And of course this has been seen in other formats, such as fantasy and horror, as well - as said, it's pretty much the whole "gates of hell" theme. In this sense it is also reminiscent of the great sci-fi horror movie Event Horizon, in what comes to the portion before the gate is activated, and also loosely tied together by the link to attempting to find new travel methods.

Even though the main plot line is what it is and quite predictable indeed, and even though it doesn't really tie in to the series that much, I found this to be a quite nice movie. There's always something to be said for the excitement of theoretically hopeless battles and ancient evils, but the whole ominous feel of the movie from the moment the gate device is first found in hyperspace is quite gripping.

The acting is good throughout, featuring many of the B5 regulars. The CGI effects are slightly better than even in the late parts of the series, and are enjoyable to watch. Music is done by Christopher Franke, composer for the whole main B5 series, guaranteeing a suitable and familiar mood for the story.

Overall while this movie doesn't reinvent sci-fi plot lines to new dimensions (bad pun only half-intended) and isn't up to par with some of the best episodes of the series, it's an enjoyable flick with a nice mood, and definitely worth a watch for any B5 fan. Those not familiar with B5 might not get as much out of it since they won't be familiar with the back story, but it should still definitely be watchable without being hopelessly confusing.

Watch it!

[bencarey · 10/10 · 16 January 1999]

Thirdspace starts out in adagio mode but gets better, much better. I thought I was signing on for a re-run of the series but hey does it get better. I loved the script, it was very good!. Take the opportunity to listen to it and you will be amazed but don't ignore the action!

Ben

third space - empty and nowhere near as good as b5 series

[rollman-1 · 3/10 · 27 April 2007]

I came away from this show feeling bored and empty. B5 is in the creators own words about the human condition. Apart from the beginning scene where Lyta talks about arrogance it is just another junk sci-fi movie.

Maybe if you're a fan of the usual stuff that gets trundled out in the sci-fi genre you may like this. Movies about monsters from other dimensions. However, I liked B5 for its emotional turmoil and because I came to admire the characters.

This show has it's moments for the fans but mostly its a let down for the B5 series.

Freakiest, Creepiest of the B5 TnT Movies

[XweAponX · 10/10 · 21 May 2021]

In the beginning there was Babylon 5 the gathering. Which gave rise to Babylon 5 the show. Which I would diligently watch on the same day with Star Trek the Next Generation and sometimes Deep Space 9. The Fox channel which this show was syndicated on originally, had a formula: B to the 5th, DS to the 9th, T sub NG. Which was the order in which they gave us our Syndicated Saturday nights. And to which I was glued to the television from 5 o'clock in the afternoon to about 8 o'clock at night.

But then something happened. The syndication for Babylon 5 fell apart and it had to be absorbed into the TNT channel by Turner. Which gave the show a slight production value boost, and it was during this time we got a fifth season which finished up the Sheri-Delenn story that we saw developing at the end of season four. We knew that there was a telepath war coming up, although most of us didn't really like Byron too much, and that is primarily what was dealt with in season five. Season five also gracefully shut down the show as it resolved some of the other threads of the story, including the vision which was shared between Londo and G'Kar of them choking each other.

And so this movie must have occurred sometime during the fourth season... but there was no Marcus Cole and he should have been there, of course this was during the blockade of Babylon 5 by earth, but I am not quite sure where this happened in the timeline of the shadow war.

I was actually pleased when this movie was made because they brought back the Susan Ivanova character. She did have a cameo in the first TNT movie, "In the Beginning", but here she has a major part as her former rank as commander.

They even bring back a character "Deuce" played by the great character actor William Sanderson, from the first season episode "Grail".

Now there have been all kinds of Babylon five episodes, comedy episodes, mythos episodes which, like the X-Files and it's Purity Control/Alien Bounty Hunter plot line, told the story of the developing shadow wars, Lando Mollari's rise to power, and the birth of "Citizen G'Kar"- Comedy episodes, art episodes, even parody episodes. But there never had been an episode of freaky, sheer, terror like this.

And speaking of Londo and G'Kar, both of these characters were absent from this. We didn't even see Dr. Franklin until halfway through the movie and he shows up in a fight scene.

But the thing about this movie is that although there is all this standard Babylon 5 going on around us, including space battles with raiders, they find some thing unlike anything they have ever seen on the way back to the station.

It is this thing that they find, that sits parked over by the jump gate, while normal Babylon 5 procedures and stories are continuing... but while this thing sits out in space and they try to figure out what it is, things just start getting weirder and weirder on the station. People start acting crazy, even "Deuce" who is a survivor. And most importantly, Lyta. And the common thread is a common dream.

Other reviewers have suggested that this is very Lovecraft-ian, and they are correct. It is almost like the coming of the white worm.

Others have suggested that this would have worked better as a single episode but I don't agree: because the elements of horror that are interjected into this required more time to be developed into the background story. And that would not have worked with a standard 40 minute episode.

I always enjoy watching this "around midnight".

how to watch the B5 movies

[bpeck13 · 5/10 · 8 October 2008]

You can buy the first two movies (In the Beginning, The Gathering) separately, but in order to get all five B5 movies (the first two plus Thirdspace, The River of Souls, and A Call to Arms), you have to buy them in a box set.

The first two movies are out of order—they should be In the Beginning and then The Gathering. These movies are GREAT for background information. They really should be watched before watching the series.

Thirdspace is a detached from the rest of the movies and series. It comes after the end of the Shadow War (season 4, episode 6), but then there is no mention of it again. If you never saw this movie, you wouldn't miss any continuity. The only thing it clears up is why Lyta Alexander and Zack Allen never got together.

The River of Souls occurs in apx. Year 2263 and is less detached because B5 has encountered Soul Hunters before. This just gives more insight to them. It is like an extra episode in Season 5.

A Call to Arms (Year 2267) is a prequel to the Crusade series. If you aren't planning to watch the Crusade series, there is no reason to watch this movie.

Season 5 should go like this:

1. Season 5 Episode 21 "Objects at Rest" (Year 2262) 2. The River of Souls movie (Year 2263) 3. A Call to Arms and the Crusade Series (Year 2267)—optional. I suggest these be watched separately from B5 series as they really don't enhance or expand on the B5 series. 4. The Lost Tales—Voices in the Dark movie (Year 2271) 5. Season 5 Episode 22 "Sleeping in Light." (Year 2280)

6. The Legend of The Rangers: To Live and Die in Starlight (after the Year 2280)—optional. Does not add nor detract from the series.

More than a little forgettable. Feh.

[ablebravo · 2 September 2010]

Well, somehow, I missed this B5 film the first time 'round. I think I may have been in the middle of a move to a new state. I finally had a chance to watch this today and I must say I was... ahem... disappointed. The very first thing I saw appear on the screen was "TNT PRESENTS". I should have taken this as a warning but no, I thought to myself: "Well, its a B5 product; can't be *too* bad, no?" Ten minutes into the film, I began to smell something. I thought one of the cats missed the litterbox or maybe the roast I took out of the freezer for dinner had gone bad but it turned out to be the stench of the TNT suits all over this abomination.

Everything about this film was so un-B5. Yes, JMS was credited with the script/screenplay but I have to wonder how many TNT hands were laid on the paper after poor JMS turned it in. Everything was just a little... off. It looked like some sort of fan-fiction story using (nearly) the entire great cast of the show itself as well as the production and SFX crew. More smoke... more explosions, more fights, more ships, more everything except ... ummm, well... QUALITY! This is one B5 film which can be skipped by everyone except the completest. I'm a huge fan of the series. The other MfTV B5 films are fair to decent, but this one was like the semi-Lovecraftian beasties in the "artifact": best left alone.

(I know I said there were spoilers but really, there weren't. Better safe than sorry.)

Great performances from regs, especially Jeff Conaway.

[Cylex · 8/10 · 6 September 2003]

I love Zack Allan and this contains one of his best ever scenes. It takes place in the transport tube with the haunted Lyta Alexander. Very poignant. Praise to both actors and JMS. With all due respect to Michael Garibaldi, Zack is a worthy successor and does a fine job of protecting the station. I also enjoyed the performances from Vir, Delenn, Franklin, Susan & Sheridan. The 'bots have their moment too. An enjoyable movie. 8/10

Thridspace Review

[MinbariChick5 · 8/10 · 15 August 2008]

I was very excited to finally watch Thirdspace, but it was something of a letdown. There was plenty of action, great graphics, a few fun, cheesy moments but it was missing that tell-tale OMG moment. The revelation about the Vorlans being responsible for the artifact was a good explanation, but it wasn't what we've come to except from Babylon 5.

It was still a good movie, don't get me wrong. The graphics were amazing, and it was nice to go back to the good old days of Season 4. Can't tell you ow excited I was that Claudia Christan was in it. However, there was a slight goof with the summary (I got this from Netflix) it said Peter Jurasik (Londo Mollari) was in it, but Vir specifically points out that he wasn't on B5 at the time.

It was nice to see some characters who didn't get as much screen time as the others. Vir had some great scenes, as did Lyta Alexander.

All in all, I would recommend this movie to any B5 fan out there. :)