There is a mass effect in five minutes on Gametrailers I think that takes a comical (but largely accurate) look at what happened in the first game.
Honestly, if you get a day or so, play the first one. Proper playthroughs can take anywhere from 15-35 hours depending on how quickly you run through and how many side-quests you do.
It's still great, even if some of the technical hitches look even worse two years+ on.
starcraft - Playing Games = FUN, Talking about Games = SERIOUS