"BLACK ADDER REMASTERED: THE ULTIMATE EDITION"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ***** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Rowan Atkinson as BLACKADDER Not Rated Own it on Blu-ray October 20 BBCAmerica.com Studio: BBC Video Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Rowan Atkinson’s classic historic comedy “Black Adder” is fully realized in this Ultimate Edition box set. The story of the Black Adder begins in the British Middle Ages, featuring a bumbling second son of King Richard IV as the original Blackadder. Four series of the comedy ran from 1983 to 1989 and included “Blackadder II” set in Elizabethan times, “Blackadder the Third” set in Victorian times and “Blackadder Goes Forth” set in World War I. The series follows the exploits of the Blackadder blood line, providing innovative observational comedy against a backdrop of British history.
WHAT I LIKED
Ever since high school, I have been a fan of the “Black Adder” series as well as Rowan Atkinson himself. My favorite series were the later years, in particular the Elizabethan era with Miranda Richardson as the queen. “Blackadder the Third” gave us an early glimpse of “House M.D.” star Hugh Laurie in the silly beginnings of his career.
However, the best series of the four was “Blackadder Goes Forth,” which is set in the more modern era of World War I. Throughout all four series, Blackadder’s manservant Baldrick, who never seems to get a corner on the bathing market.
Fans of British comedy who haven’t seen any of the “Blackadder” series are doing themselves a disservice as it is one of the funnier – and most continuous – series on the BBC. Rowan Atkinson’s bizarre humor is at the heart of the series, strongly differentiating itself from his “Mr. Bean” character. While the original Blackadder has a bumbling Mr. Bean quality, the succeeding series show a more esoteric and cultured comedic character.
The wonderful thing about the new “Black Adder: The Ultimate Edition” box set is that it includes the full Black Adder canon, including the subsequent series and specials.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
A remastered “Black Adder” box set does seem a little silly for the earlier years, considering they were originated on videotape and don’t hold the best image quality available. However, it’s not the video quality that makes this set a great thing but rather the collection of content.
Of course, for under-educated Americans, a lot of the humor (and some major plot points) might be lost. After all, the popular American knowledge of British history is strikingly limited, so your average viewer here in the states might miss a lot of the references and jokes.
DVD FEATURES
The six-disc DVD set includes the four series, remastered for this release. There are new audio commentaries for various episodes featuring Rowan Atkinson, John Lloyd, Stephen Fry, Ben Elton, Richard Curtis, Tony Robinson and Tim McInnerny.
The later specials and additional material are also included: “Blackadder’s Christmas Carol,” “Blackadder: The Cavalier Years,” “Blackadder Back and Forth” and “Baldrick’s Video Diary.”
The hour-long documentary “Blackadder Rides Again” gives a retrospective of the series for its 25th anniversary. Additional behind-the-scenes features include interviews with Hugh Laurie, Rowan Atkinson, Richard Curtis, Ben Elton, Tony Robinson and Stephen Fry. There’s also a look at the costumes in the series, including interviews with Miranda Richardson, Patsy Tyrne, Tony Robinson and Tim McInnerny.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of British comedy and Rowan Atkinson.
