Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Animated sci-fi sequel to TV show has some violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Babylon 5: The Road Home
What's the Story?
In BABYLON 5: THE ROAD HOME, John Sheridan (Bruce Boxleitner) is leaving Babylon 5 with his wife, Delenn (Rebecca Reidy), to become president of the Interstellar Alliance. With the Shadow War over, Sheridan hopes that his new position is more than ceremonial. Things soon take a chaotic turn when, while giving a speech, a technical mishap connected to Zathras (Paul Guyet) sends Sheridan hurtling through time and space. He finds himself traveling through various times in his life, but also through alternate timelines, including realms where the Shadow War is lost and Earth faces destruction. Sheridan must find a way to get back to his own time and place while also preserving existence itself.
Is It Any Good?
This is a fun movie for longtime fans, if not the best option for everyone else. Babylon 5: The Road Home is filled with moments of self-aware humor (jokes concerning copyright infringement, for instance) and the proverbial Easter eggs for those who have followed John Sheridan and his crew since Babylon 5 began back in the 1990s. The film does its best to get the newbies up to speed, but they might still be confused and want to get caught up by checking out the show and seeing what makes it the cult classic that it is.
On its own, it's an entertaining story and easy to follow as lead character John Sheridan is sent through alternate universes and travels through time to moments of his past and must find a way to get back to his own place and time and his beloved wife, Delenn. There's clearly a lot of love and work put into the overall quality of the animation, the story, and the acting. Fans will enjoy this, and would-be fans are advised to go back to the beginning before viewing.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about sci-fi animated movies like Babylon 5: The Road Home. How is this similar to and different from other sci-fi animated movies you've seen?
How did the movie express its overall theme of how "there is no greater force than love?"
What would be some of the challenges in creating a sequel to a cult classic TV show, in terms of coming up with a story that satisfies longtime fans while also including those new to the story?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : August 15, 2023
- Cast : Bruce Boxleitner , Claudia Christian , Paul Guyet
- Director : Matt Peters
- Studio : Warner Home Video
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Run time : 79 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : Some action/violence.
- Last updated : August 28, 2023
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