DVD TALK REVIEW OF MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3

The Movie:
I'm going to go out on a limb here and admit that I find the Mission: Impossible films perversely fascinating, not because I think they're particularly great action or suspense pictures, but because I can't think of another high-profile movie franchise where the individual entries have so little to do with one another, much less with the old television series from which they're purportedly adapted. Although Tom Cruise stars in all three movies as a character named Ethan Hunt, the character himself seems to be a totally different person from movie to movie. Brian DePalma's 1996 Mission: Impossible at least made a token effort at referencing the 1960s TV show with a couple of character names and the basic premise, but took a great many liberties in its zeal to turn the teamwork emphasis of the original into a Tom Cruise vanity project. The 2000 sequel Mission: Impossible � 2 (or M:I-2 as the posters dubbed it) didn't even bother pretending it was in any way connected to the previous movie, instead changing the Hunt character from an idealistic yet inexperienced secret agent into an invincible superhero trapped in an indulgent John Woo action melodrama. And now we have Mission: Impossible III (even more ridiculously dubbed M:i:III), in which television auteur J.J. Abrams uses the franchise name and attending budget to essentially just make a $150 million episode of his own Alias TV series.

All three of the movies do carry over certain predefined trappings that supposedly link them together: Cruise, Ving Rhames as his loyal sidekick, numerous plot red herrings, the "This message will self-destruct" instructions from his IMF superiors, and the knowledge that at some point the plot will hinge on Hunt wearing a silly rubber mask to imitate the main villain. Other than that, there's no point in judging one movie against the next. Each should be taken on its own terms as an independent storyline. To that end, Abrams makes an effective debut as a feature film director, wrangling the logistics of a huge action movie without breaking a sweat. While he doesn't exactly reinvent the wheel, he's given the film a decent script and some exciting (if derivative) action scenes. That's really all you can ask for in a movie of this type.

In this one, we find Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt in a state of semi-retirement, forsaking field work for duties as an instructor as he attempts to settle into domestic tranquility with his new, clueless fianc�e (Michelle Monaghan). Those plans go awry when he learns that one of his recent graduates (Keri Russell from Abrams' Felicity) has been captured, prompting Hunt back into action on a rescue mission. From there he's led to evil arms merchant Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who has reportedly obtained a big bad secret weapon thingamajig Macguffin known only as the "Rabbit's Foot". Of course, capturing Davian becomes the next order of business, which really pisses the baddie off, and before you know it Hunt's girlfriend is kidnapped and our hero has to travel to Shanghai to save her.

As he did in the first couple seasons of Alias, Abrams tries to strike a balance between the action-adventure elements and a more emotionally-grounded relationship drama. Fans of that series will also recognize the story structure of the movie (starting out confusingly in media res and then flashing back to fill in the details) as one he used in a great many of the show's important episodes. Abrams certainly has a talent for getting character nuances right, but the integration here isn't entirely smooth. From the moment we meet her, we know that the sole purpose of Monaghan's character is to inevitably get captured so that Hunt can rescue her. The girlfriend-in-jeopardy plot is too predictable and quite disappointing. The movie would be better served building up the Keri Russell storyline instead; the actress proves a revelation in her first action role but her time in the story is way too short.

Abrams makes it a point to bring back the teamwork element that was so lacking in the last film. Casting Maggie Q and Simon Pegg as part of the IMF crew were inspired choices. The director also spends a lot of time setting up Hunt as vulnerable, but by its second half the movie is right back in superhero mode with Cruise machine gunning hordes of goons, swinging from skyscraper rooftops, and racing through the streets of exotic locales (the star spends so much time running in the movie you expect him to sign a sneaker endorsement deal before the end credits). The big action set-pieces are suitably impressive in detail and scope, but rarely feel fresh or groundbreaking. In fact, more than a couple of scenes in the movie feel like they were lifted out of James Cameron's True Lies, including the big car chase on a bridge and the bit where Cruise crashes through a high rise window and finds a janitor vacuuming there. You'll note that Second Unit Director Vic Armstrong is a veteran of similar duties on recent entries in the James Bond franchise, which ironically brings Mission: Impossible back to its old TV roots as a Bond knock-off.

Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a menacing villain, and Abrams infuses the movie with a fair bit of wit and clever dialogue. More importantly, he proves himself a viable feature film director. If Mission: Impossible III's box office returns didn't quite live up to their preceding hype, I think everyone realizes that had more to do with the public's dissatisfaction with Tom Cruise as a couch-jumping publicity whore and Scientologist jackass than it had anything to do with the movie itself. M:i:III may not be a masterpiece of the genre, but it's a solid action movie with plenty of repeat viewing potential.

The HD DVD:
Mission: Impossible III debuts on the HD DVD format courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment. A simultaneous Blu-ray edition is also available. Both releases mark the first 2-disc special editions for either format.

HD DVD discs are only playable in a compatible HD DVD player. They will not function in a standard DVD player or in a Blu-Ray player. Please note that the star rating scales for video and audio are relative to other High Definition disc content, not to traditional DVD.

Video:
The Mission: Impossible III HD DVD is encoded on disc in High Definition 1080p format using VC-1 compression. The movie is presented in its theatrical aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 with letterbox bars at the top and bottom of the 16:9 frame.

First the praise, then the nit-picking. This disc looks amazing, and will no doubt become the new default show-off demo in many home theaters. The movie was shot with a mix of 35mm film and High-Def video, and its sharpness, detail, and eye-popping colors are just stunning, on a level that seems to go beyond even previous "reference" discs. Every pore on an actor's skin is visible in stark clarity, to the point where you might cringe away from getting scraped by Laurence Fishburne's sandpaper complexion. Black levels are inky with excellent shadow detail, and contrasts are rich across the entire range, lending the image a great sense of depth. The movie's photography is very stylized, with heightened contrasts and pumped up colors, and the disc reproduces every bit of it with exacting precision. I can't say it strongly enough, the video transfer is fantastic.

What it is not, however, is flawless. The issues I found are very minor, fortunately. The movie's style incorporates some deliberate graininess, which looks fine and well-compressed for the most part but in some sequences (most likely those shot on HD video) comes across as video noise with a distinctly un-filmlike texture. I don't really know whether I can count this as a video transfer flaw or just an artifact of the original photography, and truthfully it isn't too distracting. In some scenes there's also a noticeable loss of resolution whenever the shot is in motion (more so than typical with 35mm film), which again may or may not be a limitation of the cameras used. What I did find disturbing in a few scenes were what appeared to be strange noise reduction artifacts such as grain in the background of shots that would pulse in and out of visibility. This is rare and probably won't be noticeable to the majority of viewers, but nit-pickers like myself may pick up on it. On-screen text (especially the location ID of the German factory at the beginning) is sometimes a little jagged and the end credits look pretty jittery.

The biggest problem I ran into was the first shot of Chapter 8. The staircase in the background is a jittery mess until the shot changes. I'll note that at the time of this writing HD DVD players are limited to 1080i output, and this artifact may have something to do with the way the player interlaces the original 1080p data and the display deinterlaces it afterwards, but this is the first time I've seen such a problem on any HD DVD. I tried every deinterlacing option on my (normally excellent) video scaler, and while some reduced the artifact none eliminated it. When future players capable of raw 1080p24 output are available, I'll have to revisit the scene.

In comparing the VC-1 compressed HD DVD to the MPEG2 compressed Blu-ray, differences were subtle but observable. On my screen, the Blu-ray looks slightly softer throughout, with just a bit less vibrancy and "pop". I'll concede that at the present time I don't know whether this is attributable to the first-generation hardware currently available or a distinction between MPEG2 and VC-1. Where I do think the compression codec comes into play is that the Blu-ray is noisier in many scenes. For example, the green wall in the background of the shot at the 13:35 mark is grainy on both discs but less so and more stable on the HD DVD. Neither disc looks poor by any means. Both look excellent, and the difference between them are so minor that I'm rating both equally until I can definitively rule out a hardware problem causing them.

The Mission: Impossible III HD DVD is not flagged with an Image Constraint Token and will play in full High Definition quality over an HD DVD player's analog Component Video outputs.

Audio:
The movie's soundtrack is provided in Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 format. As you'd expect from a movie of this type, this is an aggressive track with lots of bass and directional surround effects. Dialogue is well integrated and remains clear during even the loudest action scenes. Overall fidelity is pretty good, but I might have appreciated a losslessly-encoded track. Though most sound effects are crisp, gunshots don't always have the crack I was anticipating and others are sometimes duller than expected. Keep these comments in perspective, however. I say them only in comparison to the very best that the High-Def formats have to offer. Overall, this is a solid effort and I don't have any serious complaints.

Subs & Dubs:
Optional subtitles � English, English captions for the hearing impaired, French, or Spanish.
Alternate language tracks - French or Spanish DD+ 5.1.

Extras:
The disc automatically opens with a lengthy HD DVD promo that can fortunately be skipped but is a nuisance. All of the bonus features on this HD DVD title are recycled from the DVD edition, however most are presented in High Definition video with VC-1 compression. The remainder are encoded in the usual Standard Definition using MPEG2.

All but one of the supplements from the 2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD have carried over. The commentaries are obviously found on Disc 1 with the movie, while everything else is on Disc 2.

• Audio Commentary - Tom Cruise and J.J. Abrams sit down for a chatty discussion about how much fun it was to work together. The two talk consistently throughout the whole movie with few gaps, but oddly have absolutely nothing substantial to say. I honestly don't think I heard a single useful piece of information in the entire track. The HD DVD also offers an Enhanced Commentary feature (discussed below) not found on the DVD or Blu-ray.
• Making the Mission (HD, 28 min.) � A typical making-of piece focusing on production logistics, stunts, action, explosions, and visual effects. Abrams and Cruise indulge in quite a bit of mutual appreciation fawning that gets old quickly.
• Inside the IMF (SD, 21 min.) � A puff piece about the casting and the characters. Plot spoilers are divulged, so be sure not to watch this before the movie.
• Mission Action: Inside the Action Unit (HD, 25 min.) � A more detailed look at the stunts, featuring some cool behind-the-scenes footage of the helicopter and car chases.
• Visualizing the Mission (HD, 10 min.) � A peek at the pre-viz animatics used to map out the major action set-pieces.
• Mission: Metamorphosis (HD, 8 min.) � Discussion of the franchise hallmark rubber masks and how they are actually made. Designer Syd Mead shows us the development of the fictional mask-making machine seen in the movie.
• Scoring the Mission (HD, 5 min.) � Obviously enough a piece about Michael Giacchino producing the musical score, and his integration of the original Lalo Schifrin theme.
• Moviefone Unscripted (SD, 8 min.) � A fluffy promotional interview with Cruise and Abrams.
• Launching the Mission (SD, 14 min.) � Footage of Cruise shilling the movie at the premieres in New York, Rome, Paris, London, and Japan.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 5 min.) � Five brief scenes (mostly scene extensions, really), technically mastered in High Definition though appearing in rough workprint condition. None of these were needed, but there is a nice bit of Maggie Q action footage and an additional clip with Keri Russell.
• Theatrical Trailers (HD, 5 min.) � Four trailers.
• TV Spots (SD, 3 min.) � Three commercials.
• Excellence in Film (SD, 9 min.) � A tribute to Tom Cruise from the 2005 BAFTA Awards featuring a montage of clips from his movies.
• Photo Gallery

Missing from the DVD is the Generation: Cruise film clip montage from the MTV movie awards, which sounds redundant to the BAFTA piece.

Exclusive to the HD DVD release is:

• Enhanced Commentary - This option bears a resemblance to the "In Movie Experience" or "All Access" features found on selected Warner and Universal HD DVDs, but blends it with the traditional audio commentary. The bulk of the feature consists of video footage in the corner of the screen of Cruise and Abrams delivering their audio commentary (mentioned above). Then at certain points the participants will pause the movie and automatically branch off to new full-screen video "pods" where they can go into more detail on a given topic. For the most part, this is done strictly as a gimmick, as the men usually don't have anything substantial to add that they didn't already say in the commentary. At other points an IMF logo will appear on screen where the viewer can manually select ("Follow the White Rabbit" style) to jump to other video "pods" such as deleted scenes.

Easter Eggs:
Both the HD DVD and Blu-ray releases are loaded with pointless and insubstantial easter egg video clips hidden throughout the interactive menus of Disc 2. For no apparent reason, the HD DVD seems to be missing three eggs found on the Blu-ray. What we do get are:

• Classified Data 03 (1 min.) � Press Right from the TV spot titled "Madness" to see footage from the film crew's Halloween party.
• Classified Data 04 (1 min.) � Press Left from "Mission: Metamorphosis" to find actor Dermot Mulroney playing cello on the movie's musical score.
• Classified Data 05 (1 min.) � Press Right on the "Moviephone" option to watch Cruise and Fishburne rehearsing a scene.
• Classified Data 06 (1 min.) � Press Right on "Rome" in the "Launching the Mission" section for behind-the-scenes footage from the Vatican shoot, in which nuns smoke and priests goof around.

Missing are eggs 01 (Michelle Monaghan on a walking tour of Shanghai), 02 (J.J. Abrams taking a flying lesson), and 07 (the crew celebrating Abrams' Emmy nominations). The omissions are annoying, but none are significant losses.

Final Thoughts:
If not quite the revelation it was hyped up to be, Mission: Impossible III is a pretty good action movie that goes a long way toward redeeming the franchise from the ridiculous excess of John Woo's second installment. The High-Def video quality is fantastic and demonstration-worthy. Paramount has also taken a big step in providing most of the bonus features in HD resolution, even if none of them are particularly innovative otherwise.

The HD DVD has a slightly sharper picture than the competing Blu-ray and includes the exclusive Enhanced Commentary feature, but has pointlessly dropped three of the (frankly worthless) easter eggs. Either version is excellent, and the disc comes recommended on whichever format you prefer.

DVD TALK REVIEW OF WWE MCMAHON

For better or worse, the McMahon name is synonymous with wrestling. After buying the WWWF from his father, Vincent Sr, Vince dropped the first "W" and turned it into a multi-million dollar industry. Besides his savvy business sense and a wicked stubborn streak, his acquisition of Terry Bollea (aka Hulk Hogan) helped the WWF skyrocket during the mid-80's. Along the way, Vince does battle with Ted Turner, starts a football league and gets more involved in the business - by becoming part of the talent. Oh, he also has one of his wrestlers engage in a bit of necrophilia.

This two hour documentary traces his life story from his early days announcing, all the way to his recent attempts to start his own religion. There are appearances from Shawn Michaels, Trish Stratus, Kurt Angle, Big Show, as well as Linda, Shane and Stephanie McMahon. The disc is broken down into the following twenty-nine chapters:

• the Announcer - They really don't spend much time talking about Vince's career as an announcer. After mentioning that his father was having problems with Ray Morgan, he told Vince he was the new announcer - regardless of the fact that he had no experience.
  
  
• the Promoter - Eric Bishoff, Greg Gagne, Jimmy Hart, JBL and others talk about the way wrestling territories were "divided" in the past. Gagne also mentions how Vince basically "stole" Hogan from his father's company, thereby causing Gagne to file for bankruptcy. Or, as Sgt. Slaughter comments "Vince screwed everybody."
  
  
• the Monday Night War - After entering into a contract with Ted Turner to provide Turner's station with wrestling content, Vince is forced to go to court. He later decides to see Georgia Championship Wrestling to the Crocketts, so Turner would have his own "wrasslin'" company.
  
  
• the Birth Of Mr. McMahon - According to Vince, the character of "Mr. McMahon" was born during a episode of Raw in March 1997 when Bret Hart shoved Vince on his ass. They also discuss the "Montreal Screwjob" and after listening to they way Vince and Shane talk about it, they almost have me believing that "Bret screwed Bret".
  
  
• the Evolution Of Mr. McMahon - According to Bruce Prichard, Jim Ross and Vince himself, the fans and their hatred of Mr. McMahon is responsible for the evolution of the "character".
  
  
• Austin vs. McMahon - However, Stone Cold is the one that deserves the most blame credit for Vince's time in the ring.
  
  
• the Athlete - Vince's wrestling ability, or rather, his lack of wrestling ability is discussed.
  
  
• the Chairman - The success of the WWF/E in the 90's and the day they went public is discussed. There's also footage of the WWE invading Wall Street.
  
  
• the Philanthropist - Kurt Angle, Jim Ross and others talk about the WWE's charity efforts with the Make A Wish Foundation, Rock the Vote, Special Olympics.
  
  
• XFL - During the discussion of the failed XFL, Joey Styles and Eric Bishoff comment that they think if the XFL wasn't closely tied to the WWE, it might still be around.
  
  
• the Risk Taker - Vince and his many controversies are discussed. Everything from his infamous appearance on Bob Costas' HBO show to Katie Vick is mentioned. For the record, he still doesn't see anything wrong with HHH screwing a corpse.
  
  
• Triple H/Stephanie Dating - Vince, HHH and Stephanie discuss "life imitating art".
  
  
• Dysfunctional Family - Vince, Linda, Steph and Shane talk about Vince's fondness for having his family on camera. For better or worse.
  
  
• the Ladies Man - Vince's twisted relationship with the various WWE divas is talked about.
  
  
• the Competitor - Quite a while is spent talking about Vince's acquisition of the WCW. Some interviewees think that he might've lost something the day he became the "only game in town" and that he misses the competition. I happen to agree with this. Eric Bishoff, Jerry Lawler and Dusty Rhodes talk about how buying WCW and dismantling the "territories" was probably not the best thing for the business.
  
  
• Father vs. Son - Vince talks about competing with Shane at WrestleMania X-7. This match is on disc two.
  
  
• Kiss My Ass Club - Vince's love affair with his ass and the thrill he feels when he gets other people to literally kiss it is discussed during this chapter. In case you're wondering, William Regal was the first member.
  
  
• Brand Extension - Once Vince bought out his competition, the company found itself struggling. Vince decided to split the company into two separate "brands" to create his own competition. After Bruce Prichard mentions that the split being confusing since the shows look the same, JBL talks about "brand loyalty". This "brand extension" never made sense to me. Especially when you have wrestlers, such as Kane, wrestling in an "I Quit" match one day, and then showing up on the other brand the following day. Would that really happen if Vince didn't own both brands? Of course not.
  
  
• Vince McMahon And Stone Cold's Volatile Relationship - Besides their in-ring differences, Vince and Stone Cold have had altercations outside the ring. This segment talks about the time Steve quit the WWE. However, he's done it on THREE separate instances, so i'm not sure which time they were referring to. Possibly the first?
  
  
• Hires Eric Bischoff Back - After buying the company he worked for, Vince decided the best revenge would be to hire his ex-nemesis Eric Bishoff and make him the general manager of Raw.
  
  
• McMahon-O-Mania - Stephanie's role as general manger of SmackDown! and Vince's last rivalry with Mr. America Hulk Hogan is talked about.
  
  
• the Bully - Vince's rivalry with one-legged wrestler Zach Gowen is briefly discussed.
  
  
• Honored - Footage of Vince's induction into the Madison Square Garden's "Walk Of Fame" is show.
  
  
• Father vs. Daughter - Steph and Vince's rivalry, as well as their "Father vs. Daughter "I Quit"" match (found on disc two) is discussed. This match took place six days before her wedding to Triple H's wedding. In addition to having to worry about facing his opponent, he was also warned by Linda, Shane and Triple H to not put a mark on Stephanie. Triple H also mentions that Vince talked to him about making their wedding a pay-per-view. Seriously. Stephanie also talks about Vince approaching her about a storyline where he would turn out to be the father of her first child. When she turned him down, he suggested that Shane be the father. Luckily, she (wisely) declined.
  
  
• Leading By Example - Vince's love of performing and his willingness to do things that he would ask his wrestlers to do is discussed. The double quad tendon injury he suffered during the Royal Rumble is mentioned, as well as how his inability to call the shots on the show was more painful than the injury itself.
  
  
• You're Fired! - A brief compilation of Vince's various firings is shown. Kurt Angle reminisces on his firing from SmackDown!. JR talks about his multiple firings and the infamous "Colon cancer" skit. Matt Hardy's on hand to briefly mention the drama between him, Lita and Edge. It ends with an amusing archival anecdote from Shawn Michaels about the time he was called to Vince's office and fired.
  
  
• the Patriot - Vince's love for America and the WWE's visits to Afghanistan is discussed.
  
  
• McMahonism - Vince's recent rivalry with the born-again Shawn Michaels, as well as Vince's attempts to start his own religion are talked about.
  
  
• the Grandfather - After talking about his love for his grandkids and how much he looks forward to being able to spend time with them, the documentary winds down by telling us how much of a hardass and egomaniacal person Vince is. Kurt Angle makes an appearance during this segment, telling us that Vince has a heart. Weird that he ended up at TNA, no?

In addition to the documentary, these extras round the first disc:

• Stories
  • I Enjoy the Fight
  - Vince talks about getting enjoyment out of fighting and his days in military school.
  
  • Ultra-Competitive
  - Triple H tells an anecdote illustrating how competitive Vince is.
  
  • No Vacation
  - Another Triple H segment where he laments Vince not being able to enjoy his success.
  
  • Regal's Rehab
  - William Regal discusses how Vince was responsible for his rehab.
  
  • the Sleeping Giant
  - Big Show talks about prank that Vince pulled on him during a flight to Afghanistan.
  
  • I'm the Boss
  - Another Big Show tale about being in Germany and Vince displaying that Mr. McMahon charm.
  
  • I Remember My Dad - Stephanie shares some personal reminisces about her father.
    
  
  
• Extras
  • Slammy's "Stand Back"
  - By popular demand - Vince performing "Stand Back" at the 1987 Slammy Awards.
  
  • VKM Training Package - Footage of Vince training for his match against Austin.
    
  
  
• Deleted Scenes
  • the Motorcycle
  - Vince talks about his motorcycle accident in Greenwich.
  
  • WWE Championship
  
  
  • 9/11 Smackdown! Taping
  - A two minute recap of the first "live assembly" after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.
  
  • Stuck In His Ways
  - William Regal, Stephanie and John Cena talk about Vince's stubbornness and ability to talk people into his way of thinking. Jimmy Hart also tells an amusing story about Vince convincing Dusty Rhodes.
  
  • the Walk - A short analysis of Vince's unique walk to the ring, along with some WWE wrestler's interpretation of it.
    
• Matches
  • Mr. McMahon vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin [Raw 4/13/98]
  
  

Disc two contains some of Vince's matches:

• Steel Cage Match [Mr. McMahon vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - St. Valentine's Day Massacre 2/14/99] - [26:27]
  
• Handicap Ladder Match [Mr. McMahon & Shane McMahon vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin - King Of the Ring 6/27/99] - [19:10]
  
• No-Holds-Barred Match [Mr. McMahon vs. Triple H - Armageddon 12/12/99] - [36:44]
  
• Street Fight [Mr. McMahon vs. Shane McMahon - WrestleMania X-7 -4/1/01] - [20:49]
  
• Street Fight [Mr. McMahon vs. Ric Flair - Royal Rumble 1/20/02] - [19:09]
  
• Street Fight [Mr. McMahon vs. Hulk Hogan - WrestleMania XIX 3/30/03] - [28:06]
  
• "I Quit" Match [Mr. McMahon vs. Stephanie McMahon - No Mercy 10/19/03] - [16:10]
  
• Buried Alive Match [Mr. McMahon vs. Undertaker - Survivor Series 11/16/03] - [13:44] - This is the match that was responsible for the Undertaker changing from "American Bad Ass" back to "the Deadman".

Video: Like most WWE DVD documentary presentations, this one sported a mostly sharp, colorful picture with deep blacks and a vibrant color palette. There were some slight compression issues due to the pyro and graphics used during the matches, but that's to be expected. It's presented in the WWE's standard full frame 1.33:1 ratio.

Audio: The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound was crystal clear and enveloped my living room while I was watching it.

Conclusion: Vincent Kennedy McMahon has led a charmed life. His father might've laid the foundation for the business, but Vince blew it up to heights that no one expected. The documentary does an adequate job of taking us through McMahon's life and times, but I was disappointed there wasn't more discussion about Vince's early days before and shortly after his father made him announce. In fact, it wouldn't have bothered me if they put all the extras on the second disc, and expanded the documentary an hour or so. Love him or hate him, you can't deny the mark he's made on professional wrestling (later "sports entertainment") and fans of his product will definitely want to own this collection. Other than the glossing over of his early days, i'll give this one a Highly Recommended for WWE fans.

DVD TALK'S REVIEW OF WALKER TEXAS RANGER THE FINAL SEASON

The Movie:

In the eyes of a ranger, The unsuspecting stranger, Had better know the truth of wrong from right, 'Cause the eyes of a ranger are upon you, Any wrong you do, he's gonna see, When you're in Texas, Look behind you, 'Cause that's where the ranger's gonna be.

Poetry, pure frikkin' poetry is what the lyrics to the Walker Texas Ranger theme song are to my ears. Sung by the main man himself, Chuck Norris, that song perfectly sums up the long running series (that for some reason makes it's DVD debut with the last season rather than the first, a bizarre move on Paramount's part that I really don't understand) that entertained millions in its eight season (I'm sorry, I know technically it's nine but the first season only had three episodes so it doesn't really count in my book) run on CBS.

The premise for Walker isn't all that far removed from that of any other cop/law enforcement show. Chuck Norris plays a Texas Ranger named Cordell Walker who deals with the world's problems very much like a cowboy would.. a cowboy with a penchant for kicking people in the head, that is. He's a tough guy who isn't afraid to use his fists or his feet when he needs to, but he's also an honorable man who doesn't use his considerable fighting skills unless it's absolutely necessary.

Walker doesn't work alone, however. He's got a team of three other rangers who help him out every day and they're not only partners, they're also friends who tend to hang out in the local bar quite a bit. First, there's Sydney Cooke (Nia Peeples of Fame), the sassy lady cop who's always there to lend a hand and kick bad guys in the face at the drop of a ten gallon Stetson hat. And then there's Jimmy Trivette (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), a one time Dallas Cowboy football hopeful who, due to a shoulder injury, had to leave the football world and has since joined the Texas Rangers and quickly rose up the ranks to become Walker's right hand man. Rounding out his posse of law enforcing friends is Francis Gage (Judson Mills), a slick cop with a good heart. When Walker isn't fighting crime, odds are pretty good he'll be making time with his sexy lady friend/beloved wife, a district attorney named Alex (Sheree Wilson).

The episodes contained in this final season are laid out as follows:

Disc One:

Home Of The Brace
Deadly Situations
White Buffalo
The Avenging Angel

Disc Two:

The Winds Of Change
Lazarus
Turning Point
Retribution

Disc Three:

Child Of Hope
Faith
Golden Boy
Desperate Measures

Disc Four:

Division Street
Saturday Night
Justice For All
Six Hours

Disc Five:

Medieval Crimes
Legends
Unsafe Speed
Without A Sound

Disc Six:

Blood Diamonds
Reel Rangers
The Final Showdown Part 1
The Final Showdown Part 2

Whether he's fighting crime with his co-workers or just enjoying a relaxing evening hanging out with Don 'The Dragon' Wilson and Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace (both of whom guest star in the Legends episode), Chuck Norris plays Walker with the same sort of cardboard enthusiasm that his fans know and love him for. With about as much emotion as a bag of potatoes, Norris punches and kicks his way through whatever problems come his way and never once breaks a sweat or loses his black hat. While some of the characters surround him do try to emote every once in a while, Norris remains as stone faced as ever yet somehow manages to turn this to the show's advantage. At times, with his non-acting in full swing, his larger than life adventures almost border on the surreal. Sure, there are plot holes big enough to drive a pick up truck through and yeah, the scripts are about as predictable as you can get, but there's just so much going on sometimes and so little of it makes any sense that, when you through in the strange rock songs that sort of sing about the on screen action it all turns out so wonderfully insane that you can't help but love it.

As if Chuck wasn't enough on his own, this season also benefits from a few heavy duty guest spots. I've already mentioned Don 'The Dragon' Wilson (eleven time world kickboxing champion and a student of the Chuck Norris school of acting) and Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace, but how about Frank Stallone? That's right, Sly's brother and the star of the Roller Blade 7 trilogy appears alongside Chuck in an episode entitled Saturday Night in which Walker and his crew go undercover to stop the mob. Look for wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan in the Division Street episode where he helps Walker start a basketball league for street kids to put an end to a gang war. What about Dionne Warwick? We all love Dionne Warwick, and she shows up to enlist the aid of Walker and company so that she can retrieve the stolen heart needed to save her young granddaughter who is in line for a transplant. And let's not forget Ernest Borgnine, he's here too when Walker and the rangers are once again on an undercover operation, this time to stop a crooked business man from monkeying with a wrestling promoter.

Yeah, it's all terrible but it's also terribly fun. If you're into mindless action and corny moments galore, then you're probably already familiar with the odd little world that Chuck Norris brought to prime time TV in the 1990s. If you're not yet an aficionado of this fine, fine series and you have an appreciation for men who solve problems by kicking people in the head and downing a cold beer or two, then this is the show you've been waiting for.

The DVD

Video:

Seeing as this was a television series, it shouldn't surprise anyone to see it presented fullframe, which is how it was shot. Overall, the quality of the video is pretty good. Some of the darker scenes exhibit some mild compression artifacts here and there and there is some minor edge enhancement present in a few scenes but the colors come through reasonably well and there's a nice level of detail present in the picture. While there is a certain level of softness present throughout the episodes, the video quality on this release looks as good, if not marginally better, than the episodes looked on broadcast television.

Sound:

The entire season is presented in its original Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with optional closed captioning available in English. There are no other alternate audio tracks or subtitles on this set. Dialogue is plenty clear enough and the opening theme song sounds nice and lively. The various musical cues used throughout the episodes have got sufficient punch to them, as doe the sound effects. Overall, the sound mix on this set is very solid.

Extras:

There are no extra features at all on this set, unless you consider chapter selection a special feature (and for the record I don't). This was definitely a disappointment, I'd hoped for a Chuck Norris commentary or two or maybe some sort of documentary or even a promo spot or still gallery, but nope, Paramount shows Chuck no love in the extra features department and for that they deserve a swift kick to the head.

Final Thoughts:

Despite the bizarre idea of releasing the last season first and the dubious decision to release the set completely bare bones, Paramount has at least ensured that the episodes look and sound okay.

If you're a fan of the series, then Walker � Texas Ranger: The Complete Final Season comes recommended but if you're new to the series I'd say start with the first season (which isn't out yet � weird, huh?). The content is great and this set gets the recommendation based on that alone, however, CBS really should have put some more effort into the extra features department.

DVD TALK REVIEW OF WALKER TEXAS RANGER SEASON 1

The Movie:

From some truly strange reason, Paramount put out the last season of Chuck Norris' popular modern day western Walker Texas Ranger before any of the earlier ones. Well, they've since seen the error of their ways and have now unleashed upon the masses the complete first and second season of the show. Keep in mind that the first season is a brief one and as such only has a few episodes to its credit (the first three, to be precise), but the second season is full length so there's plenty of bang for your buck throughout these hour long episodes.

The premise for Walker isn't all that far removed from that of any other cop/law enforcement show. Chuck Norris plays a Texas Ranger named Cordell Walker who deals with the world's problems very much like a cowboy would... a cowboy with a penchant for kicking people in the head, that is. He's a tough guy who isn't afraid to use his fists or his feet when he needs to, but he's also an honorable man who doesn't use his considerable fighting skills unless it's absolutely necessary.

The first two seasons didn't have as large a cast as later entries in the series did and this time around it's more or less just Walker and Jimmy Trivette (Clarence Gilyard Jr.) serving the public trust in these early years. Trivette was a one time Dallas Cowboy football hopeful who, due to a shoulder injury, had to leave the football world and has since joined the Texas Rangers and quickly rose up the ranks to become Walker's right hand man. When Walker isn't fighting crime, odds are pretty good he'll be making time with his sexy lady friend, a district attorney named Alex (Sheree Wilson).

The episodes contained in the first two seasons, running from April 1993 through May of 1994, are laid out as follows:

One Riot, One Ranger: In this pilot episode, Walker's partner is shot and killed during a bank robbery in Dallas. He's going to have to use everything he's got to bring the robbers to justice and stop them from committing more crimes before it's too late.

Borderline: A few years ago, Alex was responsible for successfully prosecuting a murderer and having him lock away behind bars. When he escapes from prison, the only thing on his mind is getting revenge for what she did to him. Can Walker catch the killer before he kills again?

A Shadow In The Night: Congressman Cabe is up to some shady business when his right hand man kills a Japanese mobster. To get revenge for the killing the Yakuza send some of their men to the U.S. and Walker and Trivette are assigned as the Congressman's body guards.

Bounty: A bank robber is brought in on charges and then subsequently released. Once he's free, he figures it's all good until a bounty hunter starts tailing him. To make matters worse, the Texas Rangers want a piece of this guy as well.

Storm Warning: When the Rangers find out about a drug peddling ring operating out of the state prison, Trivette goes into the big house undercover to put a stop to it. Things get out of hand when the transport Trivette is riding into jail crashes and he winds up in an escape plan with the gang of felons accompanying him.

In The Name Of God: A young lady named Amy Berigan has joined a dangerous cult and her father, Hank, wants Alex's help in getting her out of the strange group. Alex starts snooping around and joins the cult under false pretenses only to find out that once you join, you can never leave.

Crime Wave Dave: Frances and Billy seem to have a good life together despite his criminal past until one night when Billy doesn't come home. She calls Walker to see if he can help her find her husband and it's turns out that his disappearance relates to his probation officer, a strange man named Dave.

End Run: A gangster named Trigger James has been brought in to stand trial and the star witness for the prosecution, Cat, is ready to take the stand. Trivette escorts her to the court house but things get ugly along the way.

Family Matters: Mick Flanders is a no good crook who thinks of himself as above the law when his sister joins the witness protection program. Without any fear of the police he kidnaps a farm boy but soon Walker is on the case, proving once again that crime doesn't pay.

She'll Do To Ride The River With: When some animals start turning up dead under strange circumstances a veterinarian comes in to check out the scene. Soon enough, he too winds up dead and Walker and Trivette are called in to investigate. M. C. Gainey shows up in a supporting role.

Unfinished Business: Walker has his work cut out for him when a young man decides that he wants to be a Ranger and that the best way to do this is to fight crime on his own. He tries to capture some escaped cons and winds up endangering a whole lot of people in the process.

An Innocent Man: When a man pleads guilty without contesting the charges and is sentenced to death, Walker finds himself in a race against time as he knows that the defendant is being blackmailed into taking the rap for someone else.

Night Of The Gladiator: Walker and Trivette go undercover as underground fighters to figure out why an old friend's of Trivette's is acting so strangely at the request of his sister, Trivette's ex-girlfriend. Tom Atkins guest stars, and lots of people get the crap knocked out of them by Chuck.

Legend Of The Running Bear: David Little Eagle Jackson left the reservation years ago to attend medical school. Now that he's returned he finds that some of the other habitants now hate him for what he has become. When his girlfriend's father winds up dead, David finds himself in deep trouble.

Something In The Shadows (Part One): Walker and Trivette are so close to busting up a big drug smuggling operation that they can taste it but they can't quite apprehend the main brain behind it all. Meanwhile, Alex takes on a rape case and finds herself being watched.

Something In The Shadows (Part Two): Walker is closing in on the drug boss and things heat up in the court room with Alex's case as it all winds closer and closer to an appropriate ending.

On Deadly Ground: An old friend of Walker's has been kidnapped and is being held in Mexico so Walker disguises himself as a Mexican worker (no seriously, he does) to infiltrate the gang and save his old buddy.

Right Man, Wrong Time: Country and western chanteuse Merrilee Summers needs Walker's help when her ex-husband shows up and starts causing problems for her. Oddly enough, Wings Hauser guest stars.

The Prodigal Son: When a hostage situation breaks out in Dallas, Walker springs into action to stop the bad guys like he normally does. This time, however, Walker ends up putting a little kids life in some serious danger and he almost hangs up his badge because of it.

The Committee: The ways of the old west are new again when in a small Texas town the officials start enforcing their own brand of vigilante justice. Walker goes under cover to put a stop to them.

Deadly Vision: When an eight year old kid is kidnapped, Trivette finds himself at his wits end. In turn, he brings a psychic on board to help him find the kid and because of this he ends up being made fun of by all the other Rangers.

Skyjacked: Walker and Trivette find themselves in trouble when a plane that's bringing a prisoner from Ohio to Texas (where he's going to be executed) is skyjacked by the prisoner's old pals.

The Long Haul: Another old friend of Walker's gets kidnapped (this happens pretty frequently, it seems � it must suck to be Walker's friend sometimes) and so he and Trivette once more go under cover to see if they can get him back from the hoods who took him in one piece.

Rampage: The Cochran Brothers are on the lam and running around somewhere out in a remote area of Texas. Walker and Trivette are on the case but they soon find themselves in trouble and the only man who can help them is their favorite bartender, C. D.!

Deadly Reunion (Part 1): One of the most famous Texas Rangers in the history of the organization, even more famous than Walker, finds himself working alongside Walker and Trivette when his son is murdered.

Deadly Reunion (Part 2): Closing in on the killers, Walker and Trivette find out that the next victim on the killer's list is a Texas Senator and that the murderer is closing in on him faster than they thought.

Stolen Lullaby: In the season two finale, a well to do couple who, on the outside, are nothing short of perfect end up buying a baby on the black market who was kidnapped from his mother. The mother gets Walker on the case but soon the baby's life is in danger and the mother changes her mind�

Those who have been watching the show in syndication or who followed it from the get go will find a lot of familiar episodes in this collection. Before Chuck Norris sang the theme song that opened later seasons the instrumental beginnings always issued in each episode with style, alluding to the action to come. The writing and character development would get strong as the series went on but these early episodes definitely excel in the 'boot to the head' department and the pacing is fast throughout. If you're a fan of the series and want to check out where it all started, this is a fine way to do it.

The DVD

Video:

Seeing as this was a television series, it shouldn't surprise anyone to see it presented fullframe, which is how it was shot. Overall, the quality of the video is pretty good. Some of the darker scenes exhibit some mild compression artifacts here and there and there is some minor edge enhancement present in a few scenes but the colors come through reasonably well and there's a nice level of detail present in the picture. While there is a certain level of softness present throughout the episodes, the video quality on this release looks as good, if not marginally better, than the episodes looked on broadcast television. Also worth stating, however, is that some episodes (Night of the Gladiator, for example) are particularly grainy to the point where the material looks a lot older than it is. This doesn't happen on every episode but a few of them are in worse shape than others in the set for some reason.

Sound:

The entire season is presented in its original Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with optional closed captioning available in English. There are no other alternate audio tracks or subtitles on this set. Dialogue is plenty clear enough and the opening theme song sounds nice and lively. The various musical cues used throughout the episodes have got sufficient punch to them, as doe the sound effects. Overall, the sound mix on this set is very solid.

Extras:

There are no extra features at all on this set, unless you consider chapter selection a special feature (and for the record I don't). This was definitely a disappointment, as with the first release (which was the last season), it would have been nice to see a Chuck Norris commentary or two or maybe some sort of documentary or even a promo spot or still gallery, but nope, Paramount shows Chuck no love in the extra features department and for that they deserve a swift kick to the head.

Final Thoughts:

Once again the complete lack of extra features is disheartening and some more work could have been put into cleaning up the picture quality on this set. That being said, these DVD episodes do look better than their syndicated counterparts and the audio is quite good. The content is what matters the most on this set, however, and what is here holds up well. Walker Texas Ranger: The Complete First Season comes recommended.

DVD REVIEW OF THE O.C. SEASON 3

The Third Season

In 2003, the Fox Network aired The O.C. and it took viewers by surprise and quickly become of television's more popular series. Set in Orange County, The O.C. is teenage melodrama about a displaced, troubled youth who finds himself a recent adoptee of a wealthy family. The series focused on his cultural adjustment to the underbelly of one of the nation's wealthiest groups of people. This series has been said to be a modern Beverly Hills, 90210 by some critics. It has quickly become so imbued into current pop culture that other television series such House make reference to its existence. Regardless, the point is that The O.C. is a pretty well-known show and chances are you have heard about it in some way or another. For more details about the series, please refer to DVD Talk's reviews of season one and season two.

My background with The O.C. is pretty limited. Prior to this review, I had never seen an episode, which is not because I had no interest in the series. No, the reason I have not seen The O.C. is simply because (for one reason or another) I have not had the chance to pick up the DVDs. So, keep this in mind as you read this review. I haven't seen the earlier seasons and I am not familiar with the cast or their important back stories. But also keep in mind, I love soapy dramas; so, I was more than happy to give The O.C. a chance.

When I first started season three, I was exposed to the replays of the season two cliffhangers--Marissa shooting Trey and Kirsten heading off to rehab. From these two events, I thought I was in for a show that was going to be even soapier and over-the-top than One Tree Hill. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it was a quite a lot for me to take in as a first exposure to the series. Frankly, I found the aftermath on the hokey side and somewhat lackluster. However, towards the end of the first DVD (season three's fourth episode), I started to really get into the show. By that time, I had a good idea about who were the important characters and their relationship with each other and the supporting cast. Soon after, I started to realize what a solid production to this series was, especially in comparison to other series of the same caliber.

Season three is packed with drama. The stories range from the aftermath of Ryan, Trey, and Marissa shooting, Kirsten dealing with her alcoholism, Caleb Nichol's estate (or rather lack of), new friends and old faces, character deaths, con artists, the SATs and college, teacher/student affairs, teenage bad boy surfers, and more. While watching season three of The O.C., you are promised a couple things. First of all, the drama never stops. Something is always happening to the cast. Secondly, there is always a great bit of humor tied into the content to make the show that much more fun.

The story dealing with Marissa throughout the season is a pretty big development for her character. Personally, I did not care for her. I found her to be a somewhat whiny character at times, and I just never warmed up to her. Regardless, there is a lot of drama surrounding her. At the end of season two, she shot Trey while trying to protect Ryan, who was on a rampage after he found out Trey tried to rape her. From this event, Marissa's life changes in many ways. She is expelled from the Harbor School and forced to attend the public high school Newport Union, where she meets some new faces like Johnny Harper (Ryan Donowho), a surfer who has his own drama that eventually leads to his death, and Kevin Volchok (Cam Gigandet), a tough guy surfer who makes Beverly Hills, 90210's Dylan McKay look like a puppy dog.

Marissa also faces life as a poor person. Her mother Julie was expecting to rake in the dough after the reading of her late husband Caleb Nichol's estate. Unfortunately, he was broke and left Julie nothing--which lead to Marissa's biological dad leaving town, Julie's lifestyle going from riches to rags (literally), and a joint business adventure between Julie and Kirsten. Julie also finds a new romance in Summer's dad Neil. Kirsten also continues to deal with her alcoholism and the loss of her father Caleb. This is after she has a run in with a con artist played by Jeri Ryan. With the Nichol estate bankrupt, the Newport Group is a sinking ship. Sandy decides to take over as president and CEO to use the company to do some good in the world by building low income housing. Something his father-in-law never saw eye to eye with him about. Joining Sandy as vice president is a young businessman from New York named Matt Ramsey (Jeff Hephner), who has his own drama and a taste for strippers.

The core four begin to expand their ranks. With Marissa off at public school, Ryan, Summer, and Seth have several run-ins with their peer Taylor Townsend (Autumn Reeser) at Harbor. Taylor is an overachieving, perky gal that just annoys you. She gives off a mixed vibe, as her character starts off pretty two-faced and plots against both Ryan and Marissa. She was also caught in some shameful activity with the dean of discipline. But eventually, she becomes an integral character once you have a better chance to know her. Another new face is Kaitlin Cooper (Willa Holland). Kaitlin is Marissa's younger sister who has been away at boarding school. She returns to The O.C. to spice things up in the middle of season three. She makes good friends with Johnny and plays a role in his demise.

Ryan is at the center of many season three stories. After the Marissa/Trey shooting, Ryan is targeted by the district attorney's office and arrested for murder. Later, his relationship with Marissa slowly deteriorates as she finds a new life at Newport Union. Eventually, they breakup and both find new partners. Ryan dates Johnny's cousin Sadie for a bit and later his ex-girlfriend Theresa. He has a pretty big scare when she tells him he is going to be a father! Despite Ryan and Marissa's parting, they still care for each other. Towards the end of the season, Ryan and Volchok get into it. The ordeal leads to Volchok blackmailing Ryan. Finally, Volchok's horrendous actions lead to a dangerous car accident.

What sets The O.C. a part from other teenage melodramas is how intelligent it can be. It is something my fellow reviewers have pointed out in the show's earlier seasons, and quite frankly, it is true. The characters and dialogue get so intelligent that sometimes it is easy to forget it is a soapy, drama. This aspect is a distinct advantage over other soapy, melodramas. The reason is that you can easily get lost in the world of The O.C. and be entertained in a way that does not always stem from the storylines that are filled to the brink with unbelievable melodrama. Instead, we are left with an intelligent drama that still has its soapy, eye rolling moments. Tie all this together, and you have an excellent primetime drama.

Episode Guide

1. The Aftermath: Trey's in a coma, Marissa pulled the trigger, who's going to take the fall? Ryan? Buy maybe there's a way out for Kid Chino.
2. The Shape Of Things To Come: Senior year. But not for everyone. Marissa is expelled. Julie scrambles for cash, Sandy scrambles to make sense of Kristen's rehab and, to top it all, Ryan loses his cool and gets himself expelled, too.
3. The End Of Innocence: Ryan. Marissa. A romantic beach hut. You do the math. Meanwhile, the math in Caleb's will is easy: Julie gets zilch, Kirsten gets nada. Caleb was broke-and that adds up to a new dynamic fro the Cohens, Coopers and The Newport Group.
4. The Last Waltz: Public school? No problem. Marissa's glad to be at a school where no one knows about her. Oops. Everyone knows. Charlotte closes in on Kirsten. And Summer spies someone lip-locked with Taylor.
5. The Perfect Storm: Is Ryan shipping out? Sandy's mind-meld persuasion skills fail to convince him to stay. But where there's a will, there's another Cohen way. Charlotte now zeroes in on Julie; Summer outwits Taylor.
6. The Swells: Party by night. Surf by first light. The Dawn Patrol beach blast is the backdrop for a developing Marissa-Johnny attraction. Meanwhile, Taylor has a crush on...Seth?! And Ryan again lets his fists do his talking.
7. The Anger Management: Divide and conquer. Taylor schemes to separate Summer and Seth. Volchok tries to goad Ryan into a fight. Julie upends Charlotte's charity scam.
8. The Game Plan: Time to think about the future - college applications are due. Seth's eager, especially if the school is as far away from Newport as possible. Will Summer go with him? Marisa has another plan: She won't apply.
9. The Disconnect: Maybe Seth should accompany Summer to college. She's the one who (surprise!) aces the SAT. Another surprise: Sandy's right-hand man jeopardizes a New port Group account by hanging out at a strip club.
10. The Chrismukkah Bar Mitz-vahkkah: Seth's a man with a holiday plan: Hold an honorary bar mitzvah for Ryan and donate the funds to Johnny's surgery. Now try to convince Ryan to do it...and persuade Johnny to accept it. Also: Julie+Summer's dad? Stay tuned!
11. The Safe Harbor: One semester to go. Wouldn't it go better if Marissa returned to Harbor High? Seth, Ryan, Summer and even Taylor campaign for her readmittance - and Johnny steps out of the way. For now.
12. The Sister Act: Mini-Cooper isn't so mini now. Kaitlin, Marissa's younger sister, returns to O.C.-and she carries lots of emotional baggage. Plus: Kirsten-Julie dating biz is blackmailed into setting up a date for Veronica.
13. The Pot Stirrer: Little sister. Big problems. Kaitlin feels she's spent her whole life in Marissa's shadow - maybe now it's time for some payback. Seth, meanwhile, may be seeing his college plans go up in smoke.

14. The Cliffhanger: The Johnny-Kaitlin-Marissa-Ryan situation finds closure, perhaps, and tragedy for sure. Summer may be running out of forgiveness for Seth's half-truths. And Dr. Roberts makes a startling admission to Julie.
15. The Heavy Lifting: Life goes on. Love goes on. But how can anyone focus on Valentine's Day after Johnny's tragedy? Well, maybe love and understanding are the medicines everyone needs now. Even so, nothing will be easy.
16. The Road Warrior: Ryan road-trips with Sadie. Strip poker, anyone? Summer learns - ew! - about her dad and Julie. Kirsten worries that The Newport Group is corrupting Sandy. And Marisa is a suspect in Johnny's death.
17. The Journey: A little Cohen arm-twisting convinces Ryan that, yeah, he should do something special on his 18th birthday. So who's he going to invite to the party at The Bait Shop? Sadie? For sure. Marissa? Well...
18. The Undertow: Trouble's at the door. It's Jess, Trey's sometime girlfriend, and she's coming on to Ryan like Little Miss Vulnerable. Seth and Summer discover a, uh, wheelbarrow. And all those burning Volchok-Marissa glances ignite a bonfire.
19. A race to the bottom: Marissa's ties with Volchok may send her into substance-abuse freefall...but not before she gathers herself enough to save the Ryan-Sadie match. The Newport Group events turn violent.
20. The Day After Tomorrow: The Sweatshirt Bonfire is the party where all the seniors wear the sweatshirt of the college they'll be attending. Hey, Seth's not wearing a sweatshirt. What's up with that?
21. The Dawn Patrol: No party, no surf. It's a different Dawn Patrol: Ryan's off to Albuquerque to invites his mom Dawn to graduation (maybe). Seth quits Summer (oops). And, at Volchok's party, Marissa sees something secretly poured into a drink (uh-oh).
22. The College Try: Some go East, some stay West for freshmen orientation weekends. Ryan and Marisa arrive at Berkeley, and Summer and student/poseur Seth visit Brown. Familiar faces also surface. Anna is at Brown. And doesn't Theresa's baby look like...Ryan?
23. The Party Favor: Right dress. Wrong date. If you can't go to prom with the person you like, go with someone who makes the person you like jealous. There'll be many memories for the Core 4 after this prom. Not all of them will be happy.
24. The Man Of The Year: Sandy's picture will be on the cover of Riviera. Or, if the DA has his way, on a mug shot. More troubles: Volchok blackmails Ryan into a crime, Kirsten is drinking, and Seth burns down his dad's office. Didn't mean to. Honest.
25. The Graduates: Graduation: A time for friends, family, celebration, remembrance, letting go, and moving on to tomorrow. Odd man out in all the events is Volchok. Then, it happens...

The DVD

Video:
The video in this release is given in an enhanced anamorphic 1.78:1 ratio widescreen color format. The picture quality is quite good. It suffers from a slight grain, but detail remains to be sharp and clear. However, there are some occasional moments when the picture suffers compression artifacts. This is a rare occurrence, but it does happen.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is in English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo sound. Overall, the sound quality is very good, providing an audible and clean audio track. Like most TV on DVD releases the majority of the audio track is spoken dialogue and sounds rather flat. However, music does sound rich and vibrant.

The release has subtitles in French and Spanish. It is also supports closed captioning.

Extras:
The third season of The O.C. comes with several featurettes as extras. They are spread across the entire collection. Here are the listings of the extras.

Extras on Disc 3

Making of the Subways (2:56) is a short clip with the band members of the Subways. It shows behind the scenes footage with the band on set. It also features a short interview. Nothing very exciting happens or is said.

Extras on Disc 5

What's in a Name? (13:48) is a featurette that stars creator Josh Schwartz. Schwartz begins with a brief introduction and prelude to the featurette's contents. The O.C. has a lot of characters and he started using names of people he knew. He talks about the characters with the names Jeff Frankel, Cameo McMillan, Matt Miller, Matt Ramsey, Nick Mercer, Joel McKuin, Kevin Volchok, Lisa Robin, Jim Mercer, Diana Kahn, and Steve Peiser, and relates the names to the real people.

Extras on Disc 7

From Script to Screen: The Party Favor (16:14) features a variety of cast and crew talking about the episode "The Party Favor". It begins with various cast and crew giving their experiences with prom (or at least a semi-humorous attempt). Apparently, only a couple of these beautiful people went to prom (or remember going). Next, we are given a behind the scenes look into various aspects of production (writing, props, directing, etc.) while Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage, John Stephens, David Karl Calloway, Michael Lange, Thomas Fichter, and others talk about the writing process, production, and everything else necessary to put an episode together.

Pass the Remote (19:28) stars Josh Schwartz and John Stephens. It provides a video commentary about the episode "The Pot Stirrer". The two talk about select aspects of the episode, e.g., the characters humorous dynamic, the storyline, illegal use of drugs, and so on. Afterwards, Schwartz is with J.J. Philbin and they have a similar discussion for the episode "The Undertow".

Gags and Goofs (11:14) is your basic bloopers reel. It captures a side that you do not see in most of the cast members due to the dramatic nature of their roles. It is worth a few laughs.

Final Thoughts:
The O.C. is a television drama about a group of wealthy individuals who live in Orange County. This particular show focuses on a young teenager who grew up in a poor family and was given a second chance at life when he was adopted into a wealthy family. Now, in "the O.C.", he and his new friends and family find themselves in a lot of soapy, melodrama. This season sees a naughty teacher/student relationship, the rich turned poor, character deaths, bad relationships, and lots of new faces to spice things up. What is good about this show is how the stories are handled. They remain at a very dramatic level, but at the same time they feel very intelligent and also incorporate a great deal of humor to keep your interest.

In the end, I had a great first experience with The O.C. While it took about four episodes to get into the show (I have never seen the show prior to this review), once I got through those four episodes I found I really enjoyed it. I think if I had sat through season one and two, I probably would have enjoyed it even more. Regardless, The O.C.: The Complete Third Season comes recommended.

DVD TALK REVIEW OF SUPERMAN RETURNS

As a fan of both comic books and movies, I'm disappointed to say that I've only enjoyed a handful of the comic book-related movies I've seen so far. More often than not, we've got to suffer through a dozen Elektras and Fantastic Fours before we get something as meaty as Batman Begins or Sin City to chew on. As far as the iconic figure Superman goes, his cinematic sum has been sorely lacking in recent years: after a great original movie and a decent sequel, Superman III and IV fizzled out the big-screen franchise roughly two decades ago.

Things got even more frustrating in the mid 1990s, as it seemed that everyone and their mother were slated to direct, produce and/or write the next installment of Superman. Kevin Smith finished two different drafts of the screenplay before producer Jon Peters blocked his attempts; in fact, Smith told the complete story during An Evening with Kevin Smith, hinting that Peters' dreams of giant mechanical spider battles would soon come true in the dreadful Wild Wild West (1999). Tim Burton was brought on shortly thereafter (with Nicholas Cage penciled in as Superman), but left due to creative differences; the same would later be said of Charlie's Angels director Joseph "McG" Nichol. The frequently re-titled film was shelved even further when director Brett Ratner came on board, but no one was signed to play the title character. For the time being, it looked as if Superman's theatrical return would never see the light of day.

Luckily, the studio got their act together when director Bryan Singer was nailed down as director of the project in July of 2004. Having cut his teeth on the first two well-received X-Men films, Singer turned down X3 in favor of the newly-titled Superman Returns. With Kevin Spacey (The Usual Suspects) and Kate Bosworth (Wonderland) signed on as Lex Luthor and Lois Lane, the virtually unknown Brandon Routh was hand-picked by Singer to wear the red and blue tights. Roughly $200M later, the final cut made its way to theaters---and though it didn't quite live up to box office expectations, there's no doubt that Superman Returns is a worthy adaptation of the Superman legacy. Long story short: the late Christopher Reeve---not to mention creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster---would be proud.

More than a standard-issue superhero action/drama, Superman Returns is a spiritual, poignant character study for one of the industry's most enduring icons. This time around, the Man of Steel has abandoned Earth for five long years; in his absence, Lois Lane has written a scathing, Pulitzer Prize-winning piece called "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman" (ouch!), having also become a mother and soon-to-be wife. Meanwhile, Lex Luthor has conned his way into a fortune, using the proceeds to seek out crystals from the Fortress of Solitude; naturally, he'd use these crystals to shift the planet's landscape for his own benefit. After all, what kind of super-villain would Luthor be if he didn't?

Over the course of this three-hour adventure, Superman reassures Lois and the rest of the world that yes, they need Superman more than ever. It almost borders on "What If?" territory, yet the sweeping, dramatic story is told with such care and conviction that it's easy to get behind. Routh handles the dual role perfectly---almost too perfectly, as he's an uncanny match for the late Christopher Reeve in both likeness and demeanor. From clumsy and bumbling to confident and heroic, Routh keeps the transition smooth. With that said, you'd think more citizens of Metropolis would be able to make the Clark/Superman connection: as usual, the glasses and parted hair are enough to fool everyone.

There are, of course, a few nitpicks that make themselves known during Superman Returns. Kate Bosworth does a fine job as the spirited Lois Lane, but she just doesn't seem old enough to be a seasoned, Pulitzer-winning journalist. Kevin Spacey chews the scenery nicely as the dastardly Lex Luthor, yet a few of his goombas are a bit too cookie-cutter to seem like a genuine threat to the city. There's one issue that corrects itself quickly, involving a certain younger character who comes of age: he's thankfully pushed to the background during the last third of the film, but at least his eventual "introduction" provides a nice jolt during the second act.

All things considered, Superman Returns is a fantastic film that mixes familiar elements with a contemporary style to keep everything fresh. It's also nice to see a few familiar faces and winks at Superman lore, including the opening title sequence, the "resurrection" of Marlon Brando as Superman's father, Jor-El (via digital trickery) and a clever nod to the famous Action Comics #1 cover. Superman Returns was obviously a labor of love for the cast and crew, proving to be as invaluable to the franchise as Batman Begins was to DC's other cultural icon. The DVD presentation by Warner Bros. pairs the main feature with an excellent technical presentation and a nice spread of bonus material, though a slimmer single-disc edition is also available for casual fans. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Video & Audio Quality:

Presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio and anamorphically enhanced for widescreen displays, Superman Returns looks very good with a few reservations. The film was reportedly shot entirely on high-definition video, so the limitations of certain scenes are likely due to the source material, not the transfer. Certain outdoor scenes look remarkably crisp, vibrant and colorful, while darker sequences display mild amounts of grain and seem slightly muddy. Overall, the positives certainly outweigh the negatives, while Warner's excellent track record earns them a slight handicap.

Despite any reservations with the video quality, there's no doubt that the 5.1 Dolby Surround mix (also available in Spanish) really gets the job done. Dialogue is clear and easily understood---except for portions of Marlon Brando's vintage monologue, which purposely sound a bit thin and hollow---while the numerous action sequences come to life with vibrancy and atmosphere. From the nearly-doomed airliner to the rising of Lex's new continent, several scenes take full advantage of the rear channels and subwoofer, much to the dismay of neighbors nationwide. Optional English subtitles are provided during the main feature, though the extras are only subtitled in French.

Menu Design, Presentation & Packaging: Surprisingly basic and straightforward, the menu designs for Superman Returns (seen above) are smooth, simple and easy to navigate. The 154-minute main feature has been divided into 41 chapters, while no discernable layer change was detected during playback. This two-disc set is housed inside a slim double keepcase, which also includes an embossed slipcover and a few promotional inserts. Unfortunately, the cover art is a bit lacking.

Bonus Features: Confined solely to Disc 2 is a nice mix of bonus features, though the lack of a feature-length audio commentary is a bit disappointing. Luckily, the exhaustive documentary "Requiem for Krypton: The Making of Superman Returns" (5 parts, 2.53:31 total) helps to make up for it. This feature-length piece explores the pre-production and casting, design and look of the film, the actual shooting (including "Superman on the Farm", "Superman in the City" and "Superman in Peril"), a tongue-in-cheek look at the villainous Lex Luthor and the film's final wrap.

Featuring tons of participation and comments from the cast and crew---including director Bryan Singer, who looks understandably freaked out at times---"Requiem for Krypton" proves to be an entertaining but down-to-earth overview of the film's production. Routh composes himself nicely during what must have been a stressful experience, remaining generally low-key and calm during many of the segments. From the green-screen sets (below left) to an extra's point of view, nearly every base is covered in mild to moderate detail. You'll also want to stick around for the closing credits, as we're also treated to a brief blooper reel that may or may not include Marlon Brando.

Next up is an interesting visual effects snippet, "Resurrecting Jor-El" (3:59, below right), showing us a step-by-step demonstration of how Brando's character was brought back to life for the film. Many die-hard fans already caught a glimpse of this demonstration months ago on the Internet, but it's good to have it preserved on this release.

Also here is a collection of Deleted & Extended Scenes (11 clips, 14:45 total), including "The Date", "Family Photos", "Crash Landing / X-Ray Vision", "Old Newspapers", "Are You Two Dating?", "Martinis & Wigs", "I'm Always Right", "Jimmy the Lush", "Language Barrier", "Crystal Feet" and "New Krypton". Most are quiet, dramatic moments that occur during Clark's time back on the farm; they're all presented in finished form, but a few shots haven't been digitally scrubbed to erase support wires and the like. They're relatively minor moments, all things considered, but certainly worth a look.

Closing out the extras is a Trailer Gallery, including the excellent teaser and trailer for the film, as well as two related video game previews and a plug for the upcoming Christopher Reeve Superman boxed set. You'll also want to keep your eyes peeled for an Easter Egg featuring additional line flubs by Kevin Spacey.

All film-related bonus features are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and 1.33:1 aspect ratios, tightening the overall look of this solid 2-disc set. Again, the only subtitles included during the extras are in French. Le sigh.

Final Thoughts

Easily one of the best comic book films in recent memory, Bryan Singer's Superman Returns is a three-hour ride that literally flies by (*groan*). It's not without a few nitpicks along the way, but it's hard to complain when such a long-overdue film hits so many of the right notes. It's good to know that the relatively disappointing box office totals won't stand in the way of future installments, as Singer, Routh and company seem to have the superhero and his alter-ego locked down tight. Warner's DVD treatment is relatively satisfying in all departments, boasting a solid technical presentation and an entertaining mix of bonus material. Whether you're a Superman disciple or just a fan of great action and drama, this excellent 2-disc Special Edition is certainly worth picking up. Highly Recommended.