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"DOCTOR WHO: THE COMPLETE FIFTH SERIES" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ****1/2 (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Available on Blu-ray November 9 Official BBC America site Studio: BBC Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
With the Tenth Doctor’s body exhausted and spent, it regenerates into the Eleventh Doctor, played by newcomer Matt Smith. As this Doctor learns about his new body, he encounters a new companion, Amy Pond (Karen Gillian), whom he has had a connection with since her childhood. There’s also a connection with a rift in space-time that follows the Doctor and Amy across the universe and threatens to tear apart reality.
WHAT I LIKED
I have been a fan of “Doctor Who” ever since PBS ran the series in the mid-1970s. I grew up with Tom Baker as possibly the most famous incarnation of the unique Time Lord, and in spite of alarmingly low-rent special effects, I absolutely loved the show.
The only Doctor to come close to Baker’s portrayal has been David Tennant in the last several years. So, you can imagine my disappointment and nervousness for the character when I learned the Tenth Doctor was going to regenerate. The early shots of Matt Smith were unimpressive for me, but seeing the man in action has renewed my faith in the show, as well as made me a fan of showrunner Steven Moffet.
Not only does Matt Smith shine as the Doctor, embodying the child-like wonder he should have with his unmatched brilliance while maintaining an appropriate level of silliness and fun, his new companion is one of the best of the new incarnation. I think I liked Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) a little better, but Amy is different. Like Rose, she can give the Doctor what for while showing a version of a schoolyard crush. Amy has spunk, and that works as a perfect pairing with Matt Smith’s Doctor.
This season takes a page from the “Bad Wolf” arc that spanned the first couple seasons of the “Doctor Who” reboot. The crack in space-time follows the Doctor and Amy around, showing that they have a deeper connection. And the stories for the most part manage to tell intriguing science fiction sagas. They also manage to pull in old familiar characters, like the Daleks, River Song and even the return of the Weeping Angels.
Not only is Matt Smith a fine replacement for David Tennant, Stephen Moffet is a fine replacement for Russell T. Davis. Rather than a 13-episode season, “Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series” offers thirteen installments in a greater story that literally spans all of time and space.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Like any great season of television, there are a couple clunker episodes. Fortunately, these are buried in the middle of the season which is the place to hide poorly written episodes. In particular, the episode “Cold Blood” tries a little too hard to draw character analogies to current warring factions and just gets too preachy. And the whole Native American apologist angle of this episode was clunky and as subtle as a sledgehammer.
Still, a single bad episode is entirely forgivable here.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
Like previous releases of “Doctor Who” series, there’s plenty of extra features buried in the six-disc set. There are two blocks of deleted scenes, four episode of “The Monster Files” which examine the big uglies of this series, a three-part video diary, “Doctor Who Confidential” installments for each episode, six in-vision commentaries, outtakes and a whole mess of teasers and trailers for the series.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of the ongoing series and anyone willing to give Matt Smith a chance (and you’ll be glad you did).
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"SHERLOCK: SEASON ONE" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Available on Blu-ray November 9 Official BBC America site Studio: BBC Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The BBC has developed a new, modern version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, and it manages to be the most faithful yet most up-to-date version around. Benedict Cumberbatch plays the legendary, reclusive and egomaniacal detective while Martin Freeman plays the sometimes bumbling and sometimes badass Doctor Watson. Updating the setting to modern day London, we find Watson recovering from injuries in Afghanistan and becoming the flatmate to Holmes, who uses his keen observational skills and over-the-counter stimulants to solve cases.
WHAT I LIKED
My mother is a huge mystery fan and has loved the Sherlock Holmes stories for years. In fact, when Guy Ritchie’s “Sherlock Holmes” came out last year, she went on a rampage about how it wasn’t true to the stories or the original characters. Ironically, I think she’d find this new modernized version more identifiable to the classic stories than anything else.
While the setting and much of the technology surrounding the mysteries have been modernized, the essence of Sherlock Holmes remains the same. He’s brilliant, and he’s passionate about solving the mysteries. However, he’s also a functioning sociopath (as he hilariously points out in the first episode), so he cares less about the human condition and more about the case. And in a nice modern twist, Sherlock prefers to text people than have real human contact.
With this version, it becomes clear how much the medical drama “House” has been inspired by the character of Sherlock Holmes because it’s tempting to point out much this drama seems to borrow from that show. Cumberbatch’s Sherlock has more in common with Hugh Laurie’s Greg House (including arrogance, stature and substance abuse) than I ever considered.
This season comprises three 90-minute episodes. The first “A Study in Pink” is a great way to start the series. It serves as an introduction to the characters and how they fit into place but also manages to serve up a pretty clever mystery in the process. The middle episode “The Blind Banker” is a bit of a let-down, featuring a meandering plot and not much focus. This is the sophomore slump in the first run. Fortunately, “The Great Game” comes in to save the day with another clever mystery, gelled chemistry between Sherlock and Watson and a neat reveal of the mysterious Moriarty character.
I am eager for season two.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
My biggest beef with British shows in general are the alarmingly short runs. I know that American television can bog down with seasons that last more than 20 episodes, but a three-episode season just doesn’t sit well with me. Just when I was getting into the show, it ends... and with a cliffhanger, no less.
Is there anything wrong with hoping for a happy medium?
BLU-RAY FEATURES
The Blu-ray features are a little thin, especially for the premiere season. Still, there are commentaries for all three episodes, plus a look at the original hour-long pilot of “A Study in Pink” (which from a production standpoint feels more like the cheap classic BBC than the cinematic and dynamic re-envisioning of it for the 90-minute premiere) and a making-of featurette.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Anyone who wants a well-made modern Sherlock Holmes that is faithful to its inspiration.
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"THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Available on Blu-ray November 9 Official BBC America site Studio: BBC Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
From 1988 to 1990, the BBC adapted four of C.S. Lewis’ classic books from “The Chronicles of Narnia.” The stories follow the Pevensie children – Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter – as they travel by various means to the magical world of Narnia. There, they face the White Witch, who has taken over the land, Aslan the lion king and many amazing fantasy creatures. The first four books – “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Prince Caspian,” “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” and “The Silver Chair” are included in this mini-series event.
WHAT I LIKED
I have been a fan of Narnia ever since my father read me “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” when I was a kid and I subsequently watched the American cartoon adaptation of it. At its core, these stories are beautiful fantasies for children and adults to love.
Understanding that these were made by the BBC with video-grade special effects more than 20 years ago, with the big-budget American movies a decade and a half away, these episodes are charming and fun. It is pretty shocking how close the stories follow the other adaptations, showing some respect for C.S. Lewis.
Prior to the films produced by Walden Media, the BBC’s version of “The Chronicles of Narnia” was one of the few ways to experience a visual presentation of the books. This is a fun way to spend a rainy weekend with the kids if they don’t mind some antiquated effects and style.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
It is almost impossible to not compare these television productions to the modern films that are currently making their way through the theaters. While these shows were charming for kids in England and for those who watched PBS in the States in the late 80s and early 90s, they really don’t hold up all these years later. Looking more like an old “Doctor Who” episode with poorly keyed special effects and analog video bleeds, this series threatens to be laughable at times.
There’s still a charm behind the series, but it’s not nearly as exciting as it probably was when this was the height of technology for BBC productions.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
The fourth disc in this set includes all the special features, including outtakes, a set of short featurettes on costumes, sets and special effects, interviews with cast members from the original broadcast and “Past Watchful Dragons,” which features J.R.R. Tolkien biographer Humphrey Carpenter as he talks about Lewis’ development of the world of Narnia.
The most interesting special feature to me was the 2003 cast reunion interview, which allows the viewer to see what the Pevensie children look like now and hear their thoughts on being part of the production.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Narnia fans and people looking for a nostalgic take on the book adaptations.
