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"BURN NOTICE: SEASON FOUR" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Ex-spy Michael Westen continues his efforts to discover who burned him. By now, his team of Sam and Fiona works perfectly, but now a new element is added to the mix. Jesse is an operative that Michael accidentally burns in order to get a piece of the bigger puzzle. Because Michael feels bad for burning Jesse, he takes him under his wing, getting his help in private missions and teaching him the spy ropes.
WHAT I LIKED
I have been a surprised fan of “Burn Notice” ever since I watched the first season on DVD a few years ago. I continue to like the relationship between Michael, Fiona and Sam, and by this season, things have gelled far beyond their tenuous structure in the earlier seasons. I continue to enjoy the spy elements and the “MacGyver” style of problem solving the crew uses.
For summertime cable shows, “Burn Notice” has been one of my favorites for the past few years, and it continues to help USA Networks rule the summer season on television. Sure, it still has the look of television, but the cast and crew manage to deliver a fun time with plenty of explosions, gunplay and hot ladies in bikinis walking around.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
I can sum this up in three words: Jesse, Jesse and Jesse. The character of Jesse Porter reeks of a mid-series change to help keep the show fresh. But like Cousin Oliver on “The Brady Bunch,” Sam on “Diff’rent Strokes” or yet another little kid on “The Cosby Show,” Jesse brings the show down and gives it the feeling that it’s in the middle of jumping the shark. He doesn’t quite have a full Ted McGinley vibe to him, but it’s close.
Still, even with the annoying Jesse in the show, season four comes to an end with a great twist that opens things up for a potentially awesome season five. Is it too much to ask that Jesse take a shot between the eyes next season as well?
Other elements that still don’t quite work on the show are Jeffrey Donovan’s godawful accents and the character of Fiona getting triggered too easily by danger to kids. At least Michael’s mother has been toned down a bit, letting things get funny again.
DVD FEATURES
One of the more impressive things about the “Burn Notice: Season Four” DVD is the fact that there are still some great special features. In addition to deleted scenes and audio commentaries on select episodes, there are several fun featurettes. “Best-Laid Plans” looks at the stunts in the series. “Sam Axe’s Guide to Ladies and Libations” puts a spotlight on Sam Axe (presumably for the upcoming DVD release of his stand-alone film).
However, the best element on this DVD set is the reciprocal roasting that the writers of “Burn Notice” and “White Collar” give each other. Because both shows air on USA Networks and the creators are friends, this offers some fun commentary on the two shows, both of which I thoroughly enjoy.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
TV watchers who like to live vicariously through on-air spies.
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"WHITE COLLAR: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
FBI agent Peter Burke continues to work with white collar criminal Neal Caffrey to solve high-end crimes. However, while Neal is kept under control with an ankle tracker, he continues to look for the people responsible for the death of his lover Elizabeth. With the help of ambiguous criminal Mozzie, Neal works within the system to find some revenge. In this season, he gets close to an answer, with results that endanger the people he loves.
WHAT I LIKED
The thing that makes “White Collar” one of the most enjoyable series on summertime basic cable is the character interactions. Peter and Neal have great chemistry, which results in some deliciously funny moments. The writers of the series really enjoyed themselves with this season, including some great moments like flashbacks to Peter’s mustache and Mozzie’s hair, along with a cool guest spot with Billy Dee Williams.
The characters are so likeable in this series that this season delivered a better mid-season finale than the regular season finale. No spoilers here, but it’s worth a watch for anyone who likes the show. But don’t let that take away from the season finale, which features Andrew McCarthy as a formidable villain.
Of course, my favorite character on the show is Mozzie, who is brilliantly portrayed by Willie Garson. His mistrust of Peter but devotion to Neal makes him as morally ambiguous as Jack Sparrow. You never quite know what his agenda is.
Finally, while “Burn Notice” wins on the USA Network shows for the jiggle factor, “White Collar” manages to deliver some beautiful, yet classy ladies to the cast... even if they aren’t as likeable as the series regulars.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
On the whole, I didn’t find much to complain about with the second season of “White Collar.” Sure, Neal’s obsession with finding out who killed Kate (whom I don’t fully believe is actually dead) is a bit much, but that’s to be expected with a show like this. Similarly, the obvious hiding of Tiffani Thiessen’s pregnancy was not very subtle, but it was understandable to keep the show free from a little FBI agent running around in the future.
DVD FEATURES
The bonus material on “White Collar” is very similar to that on the “Burn Notice” set, including the wonderfully hilarious roasting of each show by the other.
Additional basic features include deleted scenes, a gag reel and audio commentary on select episodes. There are also a couple cool featurettes. “So Here’s the Deal” examines the anatomy of an episode while “Slick Willie” takes a look at Willie Garson’s portrayal of Mozzie.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
TV fans who like classic heist-style stories.
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"THE GLADES: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Fox Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
After being a detective in Chicago, Jim Longworth heads down to Florida for a new job when he butts heads one too many times with his superior. While in Florida, he works homicide cases between golf swings. His maverick style of presentation and law enforcement gives him an edge over many different kinds of criminals.
WHAT I LIKED
On the whole, while I don’t like Jim as a character (see more about that below), I do enjoy some of the secondary characters. The medical examiner, who eventually becomes Jim’s partner, is a good foil. Additionally, Jim’s boss at the station is decent as well.
Contrary to what people say in the special features, the setting of Florida isn’t all that original for a cop or crime show. After all, “Dexter” has Miami covered for homicide, and “Burn Notice” handles the seedy underbelly well. However, “The Glades” manages to make the series feel wholly Floridian but not fall into existing cliches. Here we have a different Florida for fans of police procedurals.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
My biggest sticking point is with Jim as a character. He really offers no hook to the police procedural. You could replace him with virtually anyone, and you’d have the same show. After all, the maverick police detective with little respect for authority has been done to death. He alone doesn’t provide a good hook the way Richard Castle as a mystery writer, Patrick Jane as a mentalist, Adrian Monk as an obsessive-compulsive or even Shawn Spencer as a fake psychic does.
The writing behind the mysteries is also a little weak. It has some decent twists and turns, but I never feel that Jim is keeping ahead of things. Rather, like Freddy Jones in a “Scooby Doo!” cartoon, he kinda stumbles into the answer than delivers his summation with way too much arrogance.
From the writing angle (and the casting angle as well), there’s plenty of room for improvement. But I’m optimistic. After all, I figured out every damn mystery on the first season of “The Mentalist,” and that show’s writing improved greatly in its second season.
DVD FEATURES
The DVD set has some decent bonus features, including deleted scenes, audio commentaries on select episodes, a gag reel and several featurettes. “Sunshine State of Mind” looks at the casting of the show, and “A Location for Murder” talks about shooting “The Glades” in Florida.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Fans of basic-cable cop shows.
