NEW MOVIES AND ELECTRONICS YOU NEED: 11/19/06

Sunday, November 19, 2006

JAMES BOND ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL 1 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movies
"Bond. James Bond."

Were ever more iconic words uttered in the annals of cinema history? (It's a rhetorical question, folks -- don't flood me with e-mails.) Tailor-made for splashy, big budget action dramas, Ian Fleming's British superspy James Bond has proved to be one of filmdom's most durable heroes, not to mention one of its most successful and profitable franchises. Playing James Bond made a superstar out of Sir Sean Connery, a mildly successful character actor out of Sir Roger Moore, a Trivial Pursuit footnote out of George Lazenby and to a lesser degree, Timothy Dalton and re-ignited Pierce Brosnan's somewhat flagging career. What effect stepping into the expensive shoes of 007 has for the talented Daniel Craig remains to be seen, as the 21st Bond film, a gritty re-boot titled Casino Royale, opens later this month. Suffice to say, from the trailer anyway, that the no-nonsense Bond is back.

Suave, debonair and misogynistic to a fault, the smooth operator Agent 007 has evolved from a Rat Pack-era jet-setter to a modern day man about the world -- every actor to have filled out 007's tuxedo has had a certain je nais se quoi about him, a rugged, adventurous sensibility that impressed guys and seduced the ladies. In point of fact, if someone wanted to distill the Bond series to its glib essence, you could do it thusly: girls, gadgets and globe-trotting. With minor variations here and there and nods to world events, the Bond films remain refreshingly the same, treading a predictable path with familiar signposts that link each film to the next, providing an astonishing sense of continuity, despite the franchise's numerous ups and downs.

In recent years, Pierce Brosnan has no doubt supplanted Sean Connery in a new generation's mind as the James Bond, but in viewing these films, selected from random points in Bond chronology, it's fascinating to see how each different actor leaves his stamp on this larger-than-life role -- Connery is wryly funny, Roger Moore is a classier, more urbane Bond, Timothy Dalton is hard-as-nails and almost disinterested in the bedroom games while Brosnan combines both, with an emphasis on puns and double entendres. The scripts are also of varying strengths, but with such an ironclad formula, it's not as though many will notice.

I'll go into slightly more detail about each individual film below, but suffice to say that, as far as this first volume is concerned, there are relatively few clunkers (I myself don't particularly for the deadly serious tone of The Living Daylights, but then, I dig the supreme goofiness that is The Man With The Golden Gun). I'd imagine many fans will throw a fit that Sony/MGM/20th Century Fox have elected to release these volumes in non-sequential order, but I think it gives those who might be new to the franchise an opportunity to appreciate all of the Bonds, rather than just Connery, Moore or Brosnan. Also, I should note that I'll be treading into spoiler territory with most, if not all, of the films in this set so virgin eyes beware.

The Bond films have a brief but active history on DVD: first appearing in 2000 (all 19 movies were issued individually as single disc editions and in a box set), all 20 films (now including 2002's Die Another Day) were collected for a second release in 2003, as the "James Bond Collection (Special Edition)" sets -- three in total -- with each box containing seven films. This newest round of sets (again featuring all 20 films, arranged in no particular chronological order) is comprised of four volumes, this time with five films in each box, with each film given a two-disc set. These "ultimate editions" were originally slated to be released in late 2005, but when MGM scrapped this date, these sets were pushed back to this year, timed to arrive with the 21st Bond film Casino Royale. To further frustrate Stateside fans, all of these "ultimate edition" DVDs have been released individually in region two -- as of this writing, it's unknown if and when these region one sets will be offered as stand-alone purchases here in the States. I should probably also point out at this juncture that very little of the supplemental material included on this latest "ultimate edition" is new: much of it has been ported over from the previous DVD releases and from what I can tell, only the "007 Mission Control" features and the "Declassified: MI6 Vault" features are newly created for these "ultimate editions."

This first edition of the planned four "ultimate editions" (the second wave is due to arrive in December 2006) is a very handsome package indeed: all 10 discs are housed inside dual-disc thinpaks, tucked comfortably inside the embossed slipcase, where the informational booklets for all five films are also kept. Kudos to MGM for keeping these sets space-friendly, rather than turning out four shelf-swallowing beasts. The titles in each set are listed on both spines for easy storage and selection, although, again, the chronologically minded will be frustrated.

Goldfinger, dir. Guy Hamilton (1964)

From the opening notes of Shirley Bassey's brassy reading of the film's theme song, you know you're safely in classic territory -- this is the Bond film that many, including myself, first saw as their indoctrination into Fleming's world; despite the two previous films, the entire formula didn't really click into place until this, the third Bond adaptation. It doesn't hurt that Connery's wry performance as Britain's top spy helps smooth over some of the rougher patches -- namely the villainous Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman)'s icy demeanor and Auric Goldfinger's rotund banality.

Goldfinger (Gert Frobe), a voracious hoarder of -- you guessed it -- the shiny gold stuff, sets his sights on irradiating the United States' gold supply at Fort Knox, thereby throwing the world's economy into chaos and reaping a sizable profit when his own stockpile becomes the only untainted cache on Earth. Dodging lasers and Oddjob's (Harold Sakata) deadly bowler, the indefatigable Bond must zero in on the cold-blooded Goldfinger and put a stop to his plan, with help from a armload of nifty gadgets, of course.

Guy Hamilton shepherds his cast through a series of impressive set-pieces, although save for the electrifying, near-silent Fort Knox climax, this Bond film doesn't quite pack the adrenaline-charged bang that future installments would. However, Goldfinger continues to hold up as one of the Sixties' more enduring works.

Diamonds Are Forever, dir. Guy Hamilton (1971)

Connery must've felt that the character of Bond was wearing thin by the time this film rolled around -- maybe it's his blithe delivery of lines or maybe it's the gray hairs starting to pop up on 007's head, but the franchise was definitely starting to show a little wear. Hell, even Blofeld seems bored.

After Blofeld (Charles Gray) is seemingly dispatched in the pre-credits sequence, Bond is tasked with assuming the identity of Peter Franks (Joe Robinson) and tracking down an AWOL shipment of diamonds in glitzy Las Vegas. After crossing paths with eccentric billionaire Willard Whyte (Jimmy Dean), a surprisingly not-dead Blofeld, the femme fatale Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) and, of course, the amusingly monikered Bond dame Plenty O'Toole (Lana Wood), Bond finds himself tasked with shutting down a diamond-studded satellite with the power to incite wars the world over.

Save for the extended, action-packed climax aboard a oil rig, much of Diamonds Are Forever is pretty rote -- none of the action sequences really have much pop (no, not even that nifty driving on two wheels into an alley trick) and Connery seems as though he'd rather be anywhere else, just going through the motions and dutifully doling out quips. This would be Connery's last appearance as Bond until his bizarre one-off return as 007 in 1983's Thunderball riff Never Say Never Again (which competed with the "officially sanctioned" Octopussy, starring Bond 3.0, Roger Moore).

The Man With The Golden Gun, dir. Guy Hamilton (1974)

Sir Roger Moore's sophomore outing as Bond, following 1973's Live and Let Die, and Guy Hamilton's last appearance behind the camera (until his uncredited work on 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me) finds 007 visiting southeast Asia in an effort to hunt down the expert assassin Scaramanga (Christopher Lee). It's a film very much of its time, with references to the ongoing energy crisis as well as plenty of attention given the then-burgeoning martial arts craze -- Moore doesn't look entirely comfortable busting out judo moves, but hey, even 007 has to keep up with Bruce Lee, right?

However, by grafting on topical elements from the period, The Man With The Golden Gun feels kind of airless, a film that you can't as easily suspend your disbelief for -- sure, the main story of cat-and-mouse between Bond and Scaramanga holds up well, but the desperate search for the solex agitator, lines of dialogue about an energy crisis and lingering in karate schools just makes this Bond outing feel a little musty.

That's not to say that Moore doesn't bring quite a bit of roguish energy to his second time in 007's shoes -- and howzabout Lee's turn as Scaramanga? The entire climax is a feverish delight, complete with witty banter, genuine tension and plenty o' explosions. The Man With The Golden Gun may not have aged very gracefully, but it's still, in my opinion, one of the better Bonds.

The Living Daylights, dir. John Glen (1987)

Timothy Dalton's debut as the dashing 007 marks a notable shift in the geopolitical make-up of the world -- much of the dramatic tension centers around the murky, shifting loyalties of the Cold War, with Bond entangling himself with the KGB and muhajadeen, bringing a harsh dose of realism back to a series that was starting to wander off-track .

Political assassinations and intrigue -- something approaching a real, gritty spy thriller is what The Living Daylights has to offer and I'd argue that draining much of the more fantastical, globe-trotting elements out of the film kind of makes Bond seem less like a cinematic icon and more like a believably crafted protagonist for a standard-issue Eighties action drama. Dalton lends quite a bit of gravitas to the role of Bond, with a genuinely intelligent Bond girl -- Kara Milovy (Maryam D'Abo) -- this time around and a dense, complicated plot that certainly might befuddle any casual viewers.

Dalton would only keep his 007 status for one more movie -- 1989's Licence To Kill -- and the near-flatlined Bond franchise would lie dormant until the injection of fresh blood (Pierce Brosnan) and the smash success of 1995's Goldeneye, which reinvigorated the series. The Living Daylights is an interesting misstep, a worldly thriller that feels like Bond, but mostly in name only.

The World Is Not Enough, dir. Michael Apted (1999)

And to round out this first volume, a dash of Pierce Brosnan, arguably a Bond just as beloved as Connery -- and one whom kick-started the 007 franchise back to life, as previously mentioned, in 1995 with Goldeneye. This film, Brosnan's third appearance as Bond, is typical of the late Nineties-early Oughts Bond films -- bigger, louder and ever more narratively incoherent. With its oil stealing and nuclear bomb thieving, The World Is Not Enough often feels like a hybrid of earlier Bond films.

Brosnan has slipped quite comfortably into the role of Bond by this third film, arming himself with sly quips and killer reflexes -- not to mention a pretty high tolerance for throwing himself off of buildings and ledges. While I don't buy Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist for a minute (or her horrible name), Sophie Marceau isn't a particularly menacing villain either. To make matters worse, M (now played by Judi Dench) is kidnapped for no real reason other than to up the stakes a little bit and the charismatic Robert Carlyle is given nothing to do as the impervious Renard.

The World Is Not Enough is most bittersweet when concerning Q -- Desmond Llewelyn, who appeared in 17 Bond films, passed away in December 1999, after having completed work on this installment of the series. John Cleese was introduced as "R," his replacement and continues to appear in the films. While certainly not the weakest of the Brosnan Bonds (I'd bestow that dishonor upon Die Another Day), The World Is Not Enough pales in comparison to Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies.

The DVDs

The Video:

Goldfinger
Put simply, this 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer is damn near a revelation -- having been restored frame-by-frame by the fine folks at Lowry Digital Images, Goldfinger fairly pops off the screen with vibrant, saturated colors and crisp, rich blacks. You might even say this image is too clean -- there are several instances where you can see the seams in the rear projection or effects work, but these are minor, nit-picky points. Sit back and revel in this slick, sharp picture.

Diamonds Are Forever
With nary a speck or scratch, this 35-year-old image looks sterling with this 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, having been buffed and polished by the Lowry Digital Images team. The vivid colors, inky blacks and warm skin tones look great and again, there are instances where the restoration works overtime, revealing the lame effects work (those missiles exploding aren't fooling anybody). Aside from these fleeting seams shown, this is an exceptional image.

The Man With The Golden Gun
Not to sound like a broken record, but again, this 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer of three-decades-old material is flat-out amazing -- sharp, clean and lush, it looks as though Roger Moore was racing around Bangkok with Britt Ekland just yesterday. The Lowry Digital Images team scores another hit with this fantastic restoration; there's not a defect to be found.

The Living Daylights
Just about to turn 20 years old, this 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer nevertheless is sparkling -- the penultimate film in this first set to have undergone the Lowry Digital Images treatment, the Viennese and Afghan locations are vibrant and free of grain or shimmer. Crisp, saturated and spotless, this image is a breathtaking sight.

The World Is Not Enough
Despite its relative youth (although the film is coming up on a decade anniversary), The World Is Not Enough was also given the Lowry Digital Images once-over, resulting in this flawless 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. I'm beginning to run out of adjectives to describe just how eye-popping these transfers are, but once again, the image is slick, sharp and devoid of any scratches or specks. A sumptuous visual representation.

The Audio:

Goldfinger
The oldest film in this set sounds relatively modern -- thanks to the Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks. Neither of these have the room-filling punch of a modern movie soundtrack, but both are appropriately lively when necessary (explosions, gunshots and revving engines). For the purists among you, the original mono soundtrack is included, as is a French Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and a wide variety of optional subtitle flavors: English, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Thai.

Diamonds Are Forever
Considering Diamonds Are Forever is pushing 40, it sounds pretty solid here, although, surprisingly, not as robust as I thought it would: equipped with Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks, the action sequences (and explosions in particular) lack a certain fullness and punch. However, the dialogue and that great Shirley Bassey-fueled theme song sound rich and clean. Again, the original mono track is preserved for posterity, with a French Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and a veritable United Nations of optional subtitles on board: English, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Thai.

The Man With The Golden Gun
As with Diamonds Are Forever, the re-mastered Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks feel full at times and thin at others -- mostly in scenes with a lot of dialogue. The action sequences pack some punch (most notably the climactic island implosion), but again, lack the commanding presence of more recent films. The diehards can revel in the original mono track, with a French Dolby Digital 5.1 track and a multitude of optional subtitles, available in English, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Thai.

The Living Daylights
Plenty of gunfire and explosions to give the re-mastered Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 soundtracks a workout here -- dialogue, the not half bad A-Ha theme song and every whizzing bullet is reproduced with crystalline fidelity and presence. In a bit of an upgrade from the previous films in the set, the original Dolby 3.0 stereo soundtrack is here and perfectly adequate. Also on board is a French Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack and, in keeping with the other films offered, a plethora of optional subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Thai.

The World Is Not Enough
No mono or stereo tracks here, thank you very much -- we're back in modern multiplex moviegoing with the original Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, which is augmented with a DTS 5.1 track that edges out the Dolby Digital ever so slightly in terms of warmth and clarity, as well as fullness. A French Dolby Digital 5.1 track is also included here as is the requisite bounty of optional subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Thai.

Extras:

Goldfinger
Split across two discs, Goldfinger recycles much of the supplemental material from the previous 2000 and 2003 releases. On the first disc, a pair of commentary tracks -- one featuring director Guy Hamilton, actors Sean Connery, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell, Michael Mellinger and Honor Blackman; one featuring the Ian Fleming Foundation's John Cork, stuntman George Leech, optical effects supervisor Cliff Culley, stuntman (and Connery double) Alf Joint, draughtsman Peter Lamont, composer John Barry and crew members Joe Fitt and Burt Luxford -- accompany the film, providing plenty of information, trivia and fond remembrances.

The second disc contains the bulk of the bonus features. For each two-disc set in this volume, the menus are laid out in an identical fashion. Each supplemental disc has five headings (as detailed below) which contain the supplements. For Goldfinger, the "Declassified: MI6 Vault" holds the following: the three minute, 11 second "Sean Connery On The Set of Goldfinger" featurette, presented in full screen; screen tests for Theodore Bikel (five minutes, 38 seconds) and Tito Vandis (four minutes, 12 seconds); the 11 minute, 42 second "On Tour with the Aston Martin DB5" featurette, presented in fullscreen and the three minute, 58 second Honor Blackman open-ended interview featurette, which was sent out to TV stations at the time of the film's release for promotional purposes.

The "007 Mission Vault" is likewise identical on all five films in this set -- it's a superfluous feature, one which basically presents clips germane to each of the subheadings -- "007," "Women," "Allies," "Villains," "Mission Combat Manual," "Q Branch" and "Exotic Locations" -- that are playable all together or separately. There's no narration or other information; it's quite literally brief clips from each film. The "Mission Dossier" heading includes the 26 minute, two second "The Making of Goldfinger" documentary, presented in fullscreen and narrated by Patrick MacNee, as well as the 29 minute, 14 second "The Goldfinger Phenomenon," also in fullscreen and narrated by MacNee. Rounding out this section is a vintage publicity featurette, running two minutes, 15 seconds and presented in fullscreen.
The "Ministry of Propaganda" includes the original theatrical trailer, three TV spots, original radio interviews with Connery and a staggering 33 radio spots. Finishing up this first set is a photo gallery.

Diamonds Are Forever
The first disc here sports a single, stuffed commentary track, featuring director Guy Hamilton, co-screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz, composer John Barry, actors Jill St. John, Joe Robinson, Marc Lawrence, Lana Wood, Bruce Glover, Shane Rimmer, Trina Parks, Jimmy Dean and Putter Smith, production designer Ken Adam, set decorator Peter Lamont, continuity supervisor Elaine Schreyeck, stunt man George Leech and lyricist Don Black, all of which is moderated by Bond historian David Naylor.

Moving onto the second disc, the "Declassified: MI6 Vault" houses the five minute, 12 second "Sean Connery 1971: The BBC Interview," presented in fullscreen; the four minute, 36 second "Lesson #007: Close Quarter Combat," presented in fullscreen; a two minute, 22 second anamorphic widescreen mini-featurette about the oil rig attack, with commentary from producer Michael Wilson; a one minute, 55 second anamorphic widescreen mini-featurette with test footage of the satellite and commentary from Wilson; one minute, 53 seconds of explosion test footage, again presented in anamorphic widescreen with commentary from Wilson; alternate/expanded angles for six different sequences --elevator fight, moonbuggy chase, Vegas car chase, Bambi & Thumper and Bond arrives on the oil rig -- and six deleted scenes, playable separately or together for an aggregate of seven minutes, 36 seconds.
As stated above, the "007 Mission Vault" is likewise identical on all five films in this set -- it's a superfluous feature, one which basically presents clips germane to each of the subheadings -- "007," "Women," "Allies," "Villains," "Mission Combat Manual," "Q Branch" and "Exotic Locations" -- that are playable all together or separately. There's no narration or other information; it's quite literally brief clips from each film. The "Mission Dossier" heading includes the 30 minute, 38 second featurette "Inside 'Diamonds Are Forever'," presented in fullscreen and the 41 minute, 20 second featurette "Cubby Broccoli: The Man Behind Bond," presented in fullscreen. The "Ministry of Propaganda" houses a teaser and theatrical trailer, five TV spots and three radio ads, with a photo gallery completing the two-disc set.

The Man With The Golden Gun
A pair of commentary tracks can be found on the first disc -- one containing edited together appearances from director Guy Hamilton, actors Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Soon-Talk Oh, production designer Peter Murton, cinematographer Oswald Morris and continuity supervisor Elaine Schreyeck, all of whom are moderated by Bond historian David Naylor and another (from what I can discern) new to this set and featuring Sir Roger Moore.

The second platter contains the meat: the "Declassified: MI6 Vault" encompasses the two minute, 59 second clip of Moore and co-star Herve Villechaize appearing on "The Russell Harty Show"; the one minute, 32 second "On Location with The Man With The Golden Gun," presented in fullscreen with commentary from Bond producer Michael Wilson; the three minute, 30 second featurette "Girls Fighting," presented in anamorphic widescreen with Wilson commentary; the genuinely fascinating, five minute and 17 second "American Thrill Show Stunt Film" clip that includes commentary from JM Productions president Jay Milligan and the five minute, five second featurette "Guy Hamilton: The Director Speaks," presented in anamorphic widescreen. As stated above, the "007 Mission Vault" is likewise identical on all five films in this set -- it's a superfluous feature, one which basically presents clips germane to each of the subheadings -- "007," "Women," "Allies," "Villains," "Mission Combat Manual," "Q Branch" and "Exotic Locations" -- that are playable all together or separately. There's no narration or other information; it's quite literally brief clips from each film.
The "Mission Dossier" section houses the 30 minute, 56 second featurette "Inside The Man With The Golden Gun" and the 28 minute, 36 second featurette "Double-O Stunts." The "Ministry of Propaganda" includes a teaser trailer, theatrical trailer, two TV spots and three radio spots, with a photo gallery tying everything up in a nice, big bow.

The Living Daylights
Again moderated by Bond historian David Naylor, the first disc features a commentary track which includes contributions from director John Glen, actors Maryam D'Abo, Jeroen Krabbe, Andreas Wisniewski, Joe Don Baker, cinematographer Alec Mills, publicist Jerry Juroe, production supervisor Anthony Waye, effects supervisor John Richardson, co-producer/co-writer Michael Wilson and still unit photographer Keith Hampshire.

Next up, on the second disc, the "Declassified: MI6 Vault" contains a pair of deleted scenes with a Glen introduction; the 48 minute, 28 second featurette "Happy Anniversary 007," presented in fullscreen; a quartet of "silver anniversary" mini-docs are here -- the six minute, 18 second Cubby Broccoli featurette; the four minute, 49 second Maryam D'Abo featurette; the three minute, 30 second "Around The World with James Bond" featurette and the one minute, 59 second "The New Bond Car" featurette -- as is the four minute, 34 second featurette "Timothy Dalton: The New James Bond/Vienna Press Conference," the seven minute, 12 second featurette "Timothy Dalton: On Acting," another five minutes, 45 seconds of Dalton and D'Abo interviews, finishing up with eight minutes, four seconds of "Ice Chase" outtakes, complete with Glen narration. As stated above, the "007 Mission Vault" is likewise identical on all five films in this set -- it's a superfluous feature, one which basically presents clips germane to each of the subheadings -- "007," "Women," "Allies," "Villains," "Mission Combat Manual," "Q Branch" and "Exotic Locations" -- that are playable all together or separately. There's no narration or other information; it's quite literally brief clips from each film.
"Mission Dossier" contains the 33 minute, 38 second featurette "Inside 'The Living Daylights'," the 43 minute, three second featurette "Ian Fleming: 007's Creator," the four minute, 32 second music video for A-Ha's rendition of the theme song, as well as a three minute, 54 second music video making of. The "Ministry of Propaganda" is outfitted with two teaser trailers and one theatrical trailer, with a photo gallery finishing things off.

The World Is Not Enough
Last but not least, this most modern Bond film in the set is bestowed a pair of yack-tracks -- one from director Michael Apted and the second featuring comments from production designer Peter Lamont, secnd unit director VIc Armstrong and composer David Arnold.

Disc number two does the heavy lifting, supplementally speaking: the "Declassified: MI6 Vault" section features seven deleted/extended scenes with introduction from Apted, as well as extensions and alternate angles for the "Boat Chase" scene, also featuring an introduction from Apted; the 25 minute, two second vintage featurette "James Bond Down River" is here, as is the four minute, 25 second featurette "Creating An Icon: Making The Teaser Trailer" and the nine minute, 46 second presentation of a Hong Kong press conference. As stated above, the "007 Mission Vault" is likewise identical on all five films in this set -- it's a superfluous feature, one which basically presents clips germane to each of the subheadings -- "007," "Women," "Allies," "Villains," "Mission Combat Manual," "Q Branch" and "Exotic Locations" -- that are playable all together or separately. There's no narration or other information; it's quite literally brief clips from each film.
The "Mission Dossier" section includes the 15 minute, five second featurette "The Making of 'The World Is Not Enough," the 22 minute, 49 second featurette "The Bond Cocktail," the poignant three minute, 21 second featurette "Tribute to Desmond Llewelyn," the four minute music video for Garbage's theme song and nine clips billed as "The Secrets of 007: Alternative Video Options," which takes viewers through the early stages of filmmaking. The "Ministry of Propaganda" houses a theatrical trailer and a photo gallery completes the two-disc set.

Final Thoughts:

As the world awaits Casino Royale to re-boot the James Bond franchise yet again, these newly released "ultimate editions" provide the perfect chance for those who've not yet pulled the trigger and bought Bond on DVD to do so. Those who have purchased one (or both) of the previous Bond DVDs should be sorely tempted to upgrade based upon the sterling treatment afforded each film by Lowry Digital Images. Tailor-made for splashy, big budget action dramas, Ian Fleming's British superspy James Bond has proved to be one of filmdom's most durable heroes, not to mention one of its most successful and profitable franchises. These sets, with some of the best audio/visual presentations this reviewer has seen in 2006, and plenty of supplemental material to sate even the most diehard Bond fan, easily secure DVD Talk's highest rating: Collector Series.

CHARMED SEASON 5 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Fifth Season

Charmed is a television series about the three Halliwell sisters, who in their mid-twenties discovered they are witches with magical powers. As an added bonus, they find out that they are good witches and they are supposed to use their powers only for noble altruistic acts. And in no case should they use it for personal gain (which they have tried to on a few occasions in past seasons and there are always important lessons and repercussions to be learned). In the first season, we learn that they are a staple against evil, and highly covenanted by dark forces. Their powers hold great potential for evil warlocks and demons. The sisters for the first three season were made up of Prue (Shannen Doherty), the older sister with the ability to move physical matter with her mind, Piper (Holly Marie Combs), the middle child with the ability to freeze time within a confined space, and finally the youngest sister Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), who has the power of second sight--she can see past, present, future by coming into contact with an object or a person. And in season four, a new cast member Rose McGowan as Paige replaced Doherty. For more details about this series and its characters, please refer to my reviews of season one, season two, season three, and season four.

Like season four, I found season five to be a lot of fun. However I enjoyed season four a lot more because of the story arcs revolving around the source, Phoebe's twisted relationship with Cole, and Paige coming into her own were a lot more intriguing. Still season five packed a punch with some action, drama, and plenty of stories to drawn you in wanting more. This season is notable because it features some big changes for the series. This is the final season for Cole Turner, a new character Chris is introduced, Piper and Leo's baby is born, and Leo finds himself with a new role in the ordering of things.

In the first half of season five one of the major story arcs deals with Phoebe and Cole's relationship. In the past season, Cole became the source of all evil and made Phoebe his evil queen. The sisters were able to vanquish him in the end, but his love for Phoebe eventually brought him back into the real world. When Cole returned, he came with unspeakable powers which he used to manipulate Phoebe and those around her into getting her back. In the end, his obsession to win Phoebe back is his demise. The story is intriguing, but not nearly as strong as when Cole was turning into the source. I always liked this character and was sorry to see him go. There was also an interesting side story with Cole ascending into a higher power, which could have made a very exciting story if covered in more detail.

Another fairly big story arc in the early portion of the season is Piper and Leo's holy pregnancy. Their unborn baby is a source of utter power with magic the world has never seen before. As the baby grows inside of Piper, her powers get stronger and stronger. Eventually he is born and becomes the center of attention for many demons who want the baby's power. Throughout the season it is hinted at that the baby is very important to the overall battle of good and evil. The pregnancy is also interesting for the characters because Piper's condition require Paige to take a more active role in the demon hunting. Paige even quits her job (after getting promoted to a full fledged social worker) to pick up the slack for Piper. Eventually, the two butt heads because they both want to take point as the lead witch. Some other interesting things happen in this season, which includes Darryl getting promoted to lieutenant, Phoebe's job as an advice columnist really start to bloom and take her places, some interesting details about Grams' past love life are revealed, Paige is given her first charge as a whitelighter, and Phoebe dates her new boss Jason.

For individual episodes, there are plenty to keep you intrigued. The season premiere episode "A Witch's Tail" guest stars Jamie Pressly as a mermaid looking for love. Pressly makes a deal with a sea hag to give her immortality to the hag in return for making her human to find a soul mate above ground. Of course the sea hag has an alternative agenda that is messed up when the sisters get involved. And things start to really go wrong when Phoebe turns into a mermaid herself. "Witches in Tights" is a somewhat goofy story. In this episode the girls meet a young boy who has the ability to make his drawings come to life. A demon forces him to use his superhero to kill and Elder, but the Charmed Ones get in the way when the boy uses his gift to turn them into super heroines. Hence the title since super heroes are renowned for their spandex like outfits. "Y Tu Mummy Tambien" guest stars Adrian Paul (Highlander: The Series). I was glad to see Paul, but disappointed to see him as a bad guy. He played Jeric, a demon who is looking to find a host body for his love Isis. Think about The Mummy.

"Centennial Charmed" is a somewhat sad episode for those who like Cole Turner. It is his final appearance in the series. "The Day The Magic Died" is when Piper and Leo's baby Wyatt is born. In this episode, the witches find themselves in the unimaginable. A group of demons and warlocks want to have a peace summit with the Charmed Ones after magic disappears from both sides lose their magic. "Sense And Sense Ability" is an episode where the Charmed Ones fall victim to speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil. An old crone looking to steal baby Wyatt uses a magical monkey to cause Piper lose her sight, Phoebe her hearing, and Paige her voice. Without their basic senses, they have o adapt and overcome the crone's attacks to disoriented them and steal the baby. This is a somewhat interesting episode because they have to rely on very different techniques to save their butts.

The two-part season finale "On My Goddess!" introduces a lot of changes for the cast and a lot of drama to keep you wanting to see what happens in season six. In the early portion of the episode, the Titans Chronos, Demetrius, and Meta are freed from an icy prison the Elders confined them in. Wanting revenge the Titans intend to wage war against the heavens and bring total destruction and pain to the world by removing all the "good". As former Gods, they hold powers unrivaled by anyone. Chronos and Demetrius start their reign of terror by killing most of the Elders. Meanwhile a new character, Chris Perry (Drew Fuller), enters the show (for the finale and season six). He is a whitelighter who traveled back in time to help the Charmed Ones shape a future where the Titans did not control the heavens.

Chris advises Leo to take control of the heavens and grant the sisters with the powers of the Gods. Piper is turned into the Goddess of Earth, Phoebe into the Goddess of Love, and Paige into the Goddess of War. With Chris's aid (and without Leo) the girls must use their new powers as Gods to destroy the Titans. What really makes this episode so intriguing is not the story so much, but the ramifications the events bring to the series in general. Leo is promoted from a whitelighter to an Elder, which dramatically changes his relationship with Piper. The addition of Chris gives the series a subtle level of interest, because he is a mysterious guy you aren't exactly sure if you are supposed to like or dislike.

Overall I didn't feel the same momentum with the storylines in season five as I did with season four, but it was still quite exciting. What I did like about season five was how the storylines were still fairly inventive and entertaining. There were several story arcs that proved to be gripping and the way season five ended left me wanting more. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the various changes for the cast turn out in season five. In the end, fans of the series should appreciate another season of Charmed on DVD.

Episode Guide
1. A Witch's Tail Part 1
2. A Witch's Tail Part 2
3. Happily Ever After
4. Siren Song
5. Witches in Tights
6. The Eyes Have It
7. Sympathy For The Demon
8. A Witch In Time
9. Sam, I Am
10. Y Tu Mummy Tambien
11. The Importance Of Being Phoebev 12. Centennial Charmed
13. House Call
14. Sand Francisco Dreamin'
15. The Day The Magic Died
16. Baby's First Demon
17. Lucky Charmed
18. Cat House
19. Nymphs Just Want To Have Fun
20. Sense And Sense Ability
21. Necromancing The Stone
22. Oh My Goddess! Part 1
23. Oh My Goddess! Part 2

The DVD

Video:
This DVD release is given in 1.33:1 ratio full frame color. The picture quality is viewable. Most viewers will not be troubled with the quality, but some may notice that it has its faults. The image has a noticeable grain that is really noticeable during dark scenes. There are also a few occurrences of compression artifacts in the picture.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is in English and French 2.0 Dolby digital stereo. The audio in this release comes off fairly flat. However as with most TV on DVD releases it's not necessarily bad, as the majority of the audio is spoken dialogue. The sound quality is good, providing an audible and clean audio track. Music comes off fairly rich and sound effects tend to take advantage of the right and left channels. This release comes equipped with closed captioning.

Extras:
There are no extras included with this DVD release.

Final Thoughts: Charmed is a television series I started to get into with season three. Since, I have found the show to be a lot of fun with lots of drama, action, and science fiction. Season five presents viewers with a lot of changes for the cast and several intricate story arcs to keep you glued to your seat. While not as strong as season four, there is still enough content to keep you wanting more. This season set comes recommended.

CHARMED SEASON 4 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Fourth Season

Charmed is a television series about the three Halliwell sisters, who in their mid-twenties discovered they are witches with magical powers. As an added bonus, they find out that they are good witches and they are supposed to use their powers only for noble altruistic acts. And in no case should they use it for personal gain (which they have tried to on a few occasions in past seasons and there are always important lessons and repercussions to be learned). In the first season, we learn that they are a staple against evil, and highly covenanted by dark forces. Their powers hold great potential for evil warlocks and demons. The sisters for the first three season were made up of Prue (Shannen Doherty), the older sister with the ability to move physical matter with her mind, Piper (Holly Marie Combs), the middle child with the ability to freeze time within a confined space, and finally the youngest sister Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), who has the power of second sight--she can see past, present, future by coming into contact with an object or a person. And in season four, a new cast member Rose McGowan as Paige replaces Doherty. For more details about this series and its characters, please refer to my reviews of season one, season two, and season three.

Season four picks up where season three left off. In the concluding episodes of season three, the sisters were exposed as witches and their future became very bleak. In order to save them from a horrendous future, Prue made the ultimate sacrifice and gave her life up in turn for The Source to use one of his minions to reverse time to prevent their exposure. In season four, Prue is dead and the power of three is no more, or so it seems that way. What the sisters did not know is there was a fourth sister. Rose McGowan joins the cast as Paige Matthews, a product of the forbidden love of the Halliwell sister's mother and her Whitelighter Sam. In the season four premiere episode "Charmed Again" Phoebe and Piper struggle with the loss of their sister and coming to terms with the fact they have a step-sister they never knew about.

Paige, like her sisters, is a special witch and is able to fill the void of Prue as third sister. She, however, is even more special than her sisters. Since Paige was the product of a witch and Whitelighter, she receives powers from both. Paige has the ability to move objects with her mind as Prue did, but she is also able to orb (teleport) and heal as Whitelighters do. At first I wasn't quite sure what to think of Paige, because I had never seen an episode of Charmed past season three, but I quickly found she fit right in. The loss of Prue and the addition of Paige changed the character's dynamics in a good way. Phoebe is no longer the young inexperienced one (Paige is) and Piper must take on the responsibility of being the older sister as Prue once did. This change works out nicely, because it also helps to show how much the characters have grown since the first season.

As for the season four stories, they are better than ever. I thought the first two seasons were intriguing, but nothing spectacular. The stories were always missing something to keep me drawn and wanting more. With season three, I found it was a lot better. The story arcs became more complex and the drama increased with the addition of Cole Turner. In other words, the generic formulaic approach I noticed in the first two seasons was less noticeable. Season four only gets better with some great story arcs, plot twists, and a heightened level of drama. After watching season four, I can say without a doubt I'm in love with this show.

The stories in season four continue to deal with sister's biggest, baddest foe The Source, who is the source of all evil and ruler of the underworld. In the beginning of season four, the sisters continue to fight The Source, who becomes pro-active in his efforts to kill the Charmed Ones. The other big story is about Cole and Phoebe. Their love continues to grow, but at the same time Cole gets drawn back to the evil side. This makes for a great story because watching Cole go from bad to good in season three was pretty intense and seeing him go good to bad is even more enticing. I won't go into more detail, because I would hate to spoil it for you. Needless to say, the season four story arcs pack a punch and they will leave you clinging to your seat wanting more.

In the end I found with season four of Charmed how much I like the show. The stories are much better crafted than in earlier seasons and the amount of drama, science fiction, and action should prove to be more than enough to keep you enticed and wanting more. Charmed: The Complete Fourth Season comes highly recommended.

Episode Guide
1. Charmed Again
2. Hell Hath No Fury
3. Enter The Demon
4. Size Matters
5. A Knight To Remember
6. Brain Drain
7. Black As Cole
8. Muse To My Ears
9. A Paige From The Past
10. Trial By Magic
11. Lost And Bound
12. Charmed And Dangerous
13. The Three Faces Of Phoebe
14. Marry-Go-Round
15. The Fifth Halliwell
16. Saving Private Leo
17. Bite Me
18. We're Off To See The Wizard
19. Long Live The Queen
20. Womb Raider
21. Witch Way Now?

The DVD

Extras:
There are no extras included with this DVD release.

Final Thoughts: Like season three, season four strays away from the generic format found in the first two seasons. Instead the stories include some well-written story arcs that focus on the never-ending battle between good and evil, and lots of stories that add to character development and their relationships, as well as some devilish supporting characters. The good and evil story arc proves to be the most interesting and intriguing part of season four and it will keep you on the edge of your seat as you sit through a variety of great plot twists. This season set comes highly recommended. It has a great mix of science fiction, action, and drama.

CHARMED SEASON 3 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Third Season

Charmed is a television series about the three Halliwell sisters, who in their mid-twenties discovered they are witches with magical powers. As an added bonus, they find out that they are good witches and they are supposed to use their powers only for noble altruistic acts. And in no case should they use it for personal gain (which they have tried to on a few occasions in past seasons and there are always important lessons and repercussions to be learned). In the first season, we learn that they are a staple against evil, and highly covenanted by dark forces. Their powers hold great potential for evil warlocks and demons. The sisters are made up of Prue (Shannen Doherty), the older sister with the ability to move physical matter with her mind, Piper (Holly Marie Combs), the middle child with the ability to freeze time within a confined space, and finally the youngest sister Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), who has the power of second sight--she can see past, present, future by coming into contact with an object or a person. For more details about this series and its characters, please refer to my reviews of season one and season two.

Season three is a pretty big deal for series' fans and viewers. It is Shannen Doherty's last season as a cast member. She appears in all of season three's twenty-two episodes and in season four she is replaced by the new character Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan). Since I haven't seen much of McGowan in the series, (I stopped paying attention to the series after Doherty left) I can't really say to whether or not this change was a good thing. On the one hand if you have read my season one or two reviews, you'll know I haven't been holding the show with very high regard, despite I used to enjoy watching an episode here and there when it first aired. However, I am at an impasse now because I thought this was a good season.

Overall, season three was handled better than the first two seasons. My problem with the earlier seasons is that the episodes and storylines were fairly generic. In most cases the episodes were overly predictable and repetitive. To my surprise, the third season deviates from the previous model found in the first two seasons. Instead of being predictable and repetitive, the season included plenty of variation, although that is not to say it wasn't a complete surprise of originality. Instead let's just say it was just much better. There are several different aspects that provide this season with its new edge.

Firstly a new character, Cole Turner (Julian McHahon), was introduced and he added a lot of intrigue to the season. What made this character so interesting was the relationship he developed with the Charmed Ones. More specifically how it came to be. In the early part of the season, he was introduced as the Assistant District Attorney prosecuting a case involving Darryl and the sisters. This is how he found his way into the girls' lives. As the season progressed Cole's true nature was revealed. He is a half human, half demon working on behalf of the Triad and the Source to eliminate the sisters. Unfortunately for the bad guys, Cole's human half develops feelings for Pheobe and he gets caught on the brink between good and evil. He becomes an integral part of this season and the stories involving him and the sisters are what I really enjoyed most about this season.

Something else that worked for this season is another sappy love story. In the earlier seasons we've witnessed the chemistry develop between Piper and Leo (the girls' Whitelighter, guide and guardian angel) and they finally try to make their relationship permanent. It is a side story that finds itself surfacing in nearly every episode. Next we have Inspector Daryl Morris. He is the detective who was partnered with Andy in season one and since has been suspicious about the sisters' actions. In season two he learned about them being witches and in season three he plays a stronger part in the stories.

Lastly we have a general story that ties into Cole Turner, the Triad, and the Source. In past seasons there have been hints to what the Triad is, three old guys in robes who chant and summon demons. This season pushes that story forward with the evil side taking a more active role in killing the charmed ones. In addition the Source, the big bad guy in charge, also plays a bigger role in the overall scheme of things. The bigger picture of good and evil fighting a war against each other adds another layer of excitement.

Together it is these aspects that make this season much stronger than the first two. In addition the stories seem to be better written and offer slightly more diversity in the bad guys--demons, warlocks, etc. The season also included some story arcs that were handled fairly well. Both of which are complaints I had with the earlier seasons, because they were lacking. However while I have praised this season so far, it isn't without fault. The acting performances from some of the supporting roles, i.e. the villain of the week, tend to be pretty poor. Despite, this season came off a lot stronger and I think this season is worthy of a recommended rating.

Episode Guide
1. The Honeymoon's Over
2. Magic Hour
3. Once Upon A Time
4. All Halliwell's Eve
5. Sigh Unseen
6. Primrose Empath
7. Power Outage
8. Sleuthing With The Enemy
9. Coyote Piper
10. We All Scream For Ice Cream
11. Blinded By The Whitelighter
12. Wrestling With Demons
13. Bride And Groom
14. The Good, The Bad And The Cursed
15. Just Harried
16. Death Takes A Halliwell
17. Pre-Witched
18. Sin Francisco
19. The Demon Who Came In From The Cold
20. Exit Strategy
21. Look Who's Barking
22. All Hell Breaks Loose

The DVD

Extras:
There are no extras included with this DVD release.

Final Thoughts:
This season of Charmed is significant, because it is the last season Shannen Doherty is on cast and it is also a big improvement over the first two seasons. In general the stories strayed away from the very generic format introduced in season one. Instead the stories add more intrigue and interest by including story arcs about the characters and their relationships, a bigger picture of the battle between good and evil, the introduction of the new character Cole Turner, and Inspector Morris playing a bigger part in the episodes. Together these aspects made this season a lot more entertaining and I'm looking forward to seeing how season four pans out without Doherty playing the dominant role.

CHARMED SEASON 2 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Second Season

Charmed is a television series about the three Halliwell sisters, who in their mid-twenties discovered they are witches with magical powers. As an added bonus, they find out that they are good witches and they are supposed to use their powers only for noble altruistic acts. And in no case should they use it for personal gain (which they try to on a few occasions in this season and there are always important lessons and repercussions to be learned). In the first season, we learn that they are a staple against evil, and highly covenanted by dark forces. Their powers hold great potential for evil warlocks and demons. The sisters are made up of Prue (Shannen Doherty), the older sister with the ability to move physical matter with her mind, Piper (Holly Marie Combs), the middle child with the ability to freeze time within a confined space, and finally the youngest sister Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), who has the power of second sight--she can see past, present, future by coming into contact with an object or a person. For more details about this series and its characters, please refer to my first season review.

Perhaps I was not made for Charmed, but like the first season, this second season didn't really come off as particularly strong to me. But in the overall scheme of things, I did enjoy this season a smidgen more than season one (although not enough to give this season set a higher recommendation). The problem I had with this season was due to it being pretty much the same as the first season. If anything is different, there seems to be more cleavage than ever. And I'm not joking. Well, maybe I am. But there were several joked mixed into this season about the boobage and some of them were cleverly and funny. Seriously, when you get to the meat and bones this season is very much the same as the first season.

The major differences are with the cast. Obviously Andy isn't around since he disappeared at the end of season one. The cast roles from the main characters are a lot more concrete and there is less time spent with the Halliwell sisters getting accustomed to life together. New love interests appear for them as well. Leo's role as a white lighter is more precedent. However, beyond those details the underlying essence of the show is pretty much the same. We get episodes that feel somewhat repetitive. Sometimes it's okay and sometimes it's not. I personally think the generic format hurts the show. It could really do well if it had more story arcs incorporated in it.

On the plus side, this season did stray away from the generic format in a manner of speaking. In season one the way that the bad guys are handled always seems to be the same. Piper freezes them and then Prue throws them into something, which knocks them out, and the girls use the power of three to banish them. The endings get a little more variation than in the introductory season and in some cases they need to call on someone else to finish the job. Still, it wasn't a great improvement. Why? Because like the first a lot of the episodes have big climatic battle with the evil warlock/demon that are over before you know it.

Two prime examples come from the last two episodes "Apocalypse Not" and "Be Careful What You Witch For". I mention both of these episodes because their stories have some great setups and could have turned into some amazing story arcs that spanned into the next season or even across a couple of episodes. But of course, the episodes build a fairly decent story and end far too quickly. In "Apocalypse Not", the sisters go up against the four horsemen who are destined to bring the apocalypse, the end of the world. There are also some interesting insights into the divine battle between Heaven and Hall. This simple story could have been played out more and really added some much needed substance. The other episode (and season finale) "Be Careful What You Witch For" turned out pretty terrible. French Stewart (Harry Solomon from 3rd Rock From the Sun) guest starred. Stewart plays a genie in a bottle and he makes a pack with a very unholy order to win his freedom from his little bottle. The story ends up with Prue dead and Piper and Phoebe powerless without the power of three. Of course, the story seems to wrap itself up before it should have.

Overall I thought this season was better than the first season, but it was still not a particularly strong one. I think this season makes a great watch for a single viewing, but not to watch over and over again. Although I should note the episode "She's A Man, Baby, A Man!". It is a pretty funny episode where Prue gets turned into man to catch a nymphomaniac demon. What's great about this episode is how the three sisters react to the change. It's just funny.

Episode Guide
1. Watch Trial
2. Mortality Bites
3. The Painted World
4. The Devil's Music
5. She's A Man, Baby, A Man!
6. That Old Black Magic
7. They're Everywhere
8. P3 H2O
9. Ms. Hellfire
10. Heartbreak City
11. Reckless Abandon
12. Awakened
13. Animal Pragmatism
14. Pardon My Past
15. Give Me A Sign
16. Murphy's Luck
17. How To Make A Quilt Out Of Americans
18. Chick Flick
19. Ex Libris
20. Astral Monkey
21. Apocalypse Not
22. Be Care What You Witch For

The DVD

Audio:
The audio track in this release is in English 2.0 Dolby digital stereo. The audio in this release comes off fairly flat. However as with most TV on DVD releases it's not necessarily bad, as the majority of the audio is spoken dialogue. The sound quality is good, providing an audible and clean audio track. Music comes off fairly rich and sound effects tend to take advantage of the right and left channels. This release comes equipped with closed captioning.

Extras:
This box set is another Paramount DVD release that comes with no extras.

Final Thoughts: I was hoping I would enjoy season two a lot more than I did season one, but that wasn't the case. In fact this season left me frustrated that the episodes did not take advantage of the situations they setup, as there was some great potential for intriguing story arcs, and the episodes always seemed to end abruptly. In the end there just isn't a lot different between the first and second season. If you enjoy the fairly generic format Charmed has to offer, than season two should really blow you away. But with no extras and what I consider limited replay value, I think this box set is best for rental.

CHARMED SEASON 1 DVD TALK REVIEW

The First Season

Charmed is a series about the three Halliwell sisters, who in their mid-twenties discover that they are witches with magical powers. As an added bonus, they find out that they are good witches and they are supposed to use their powers only for noble altruistic acts. In the first season, we learn that they are a staple against evil, and highly covenanted by dark forces. Their powers hold great potential for evil warlocks and demons.

Prue (Shannen Doherty) is the oldest sister, with a domineering and bossy personality (which Doherty seems a natural at, remember Beverly Hills 90210?). She has the ability to move physical objects without physical touch like telekinesis. (But it's magic!) The sister in the middle is Piper (Holly Marie Combs), who can freeze time within a confined space. She is the shy and timid one of the bunch. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) is the youngest sister with power of second sight. She can see into the future, past, and present by coming into contact with an object or a person. There are also two inspectors from the San Francisco Police Department that are on the first season cast. The first is Andy Trudeau (Ted King), who is a childhood friend of the Halliwell sisters and Prue's high school sweetheart. Darryl Morris (Dorian Gregory) is Trudeau's partner and he plays a very small role in the series. Overall, the first season is entertaining, but at times it feels a bit monotonous.

The basic premise of each episode follows a fairly generic format. One of two things happens (and sometimes both), either a warlock/demon attempts to kill an innocent person and the charmed sisters stop him or a warlock/demon tries to kill the charmed sisters to get their power. Of course, they always miraculously prevail against evil. This format becomes a problem with the season, as it becomes slightly repetitive. However, that is not the only aspect of this season that is repetitive. The way that the bad guys get handled always seems to be the same. Piper freezes them and then Prue throws them into something, which knocks them out, and the girls use the power of three to banish them. Of course there are a few variations, but they're quite similar.

One aspect of this season that is done pretty well is the focus on character development. The season spends a lot of time developing the characters and their relationships. This includes the Halliwell sisters becoming accustomed with one another, finding themselves, accepting their powers and new role in life, and a little focus on their love lives. There is also another focus in each episode that connects the charmed sisters with the San Francisco Police Department. Since Inspector Trudeau has such a close relationship with Prue and the girls are always seem to be chasing murderers, he's repeatedly finding them connected to various crime scenes. This becomes an important aspect to the series, because the girls are always trying to dodge Trudeau's suspicion.

Overall, I did not find that the first season was as exciting as I remember it. The entire season seemed to bring very little in terms of excitement. At first the series held its entertainment value, but slowly it began to degrade, which was again, mostly because each episode felt similar to the last. However, there were a couple of notable story arcs in the season. In the first half of the season a great story was introduced. It follows the basic format, but is extended across multiple episodes and includes plenty of deception. It's a fun story because we get to see a relatively nice person turn into a sinister villain. Another pretty exciting story arc happens at the very end of the season. It's another good set of episodes that puts the Halliwell sisters in the verge of being exposed. Of course, there's a lot more surrounding it, like Inspector Trudeau being investigated by Internal Affairs.

Despite the slightly repetitiveness of the season, there were still enough interesting episodes and stories to keep you entertained. However, none of it is anything I could ever imagine wanting to watch again. For that reason, the first season of Charmed is bested suited for a rental. However, fans should be quite pleased to have the chance to see the first season on DVD.

Episode Guide
1. Something Wicca This Way Comes
2. I've Got You Under My Skin
3. Thank You For Not Morphing
4. Dead Man Dating
5. Dream Sorcerer
6. The Wedding From Hell
7. The Fourth Sister
8. The Truth Is Out There And It Hurts
9. The Witch Is Back
10. Wicca Envy
11. Feats Of Clay
12. The Wendigo
13. From Fear To Eternity
14. Secrets And Guys
15. Is There A Woogy In The House?
16. Which Prue Is It Anyway?
17. That '70s Episode
18. When Bad Warlocks Turn Good
19. Out Of Sight
20. The Power Of Two
21. Love Hurts
22. Deja Vu All Over Again

The DVD

Extras:
This release is another Paramount DVD release that comes with no extras.

Final Thoughts:
I remember that I used to enjoy watching Charmed. Unfortunately, I have found that the series is not as exciting as I remember. The first season does a decent job providing enough stories to keep you entertained, but none seem to be truly gripping or compelling to make you want more. Also considering the repetitiveness of this season, it should make for a good rental. I look forward to seeing the later seasons, as the series definitely has potential.

CHARMED SEASON 6 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Sixth Season

Charmed is a television series about the three Halliwell sisters, who in their mid-twenties discovered they are witches with magical powers. As an added bonus, they find out that they are good witches and they are supposed to use their powers only for noble altruistic acts. And in no case should they use it for personal gain. In the first season, we learn that they are a staple against evil, and highly covenanted by dark forces. Their powers hold great potential for evil warlocks and demons. The sisters for the first three season were made up of Prue (Shannen Doherty), the older sister with the ability to move physical matter with her mind, Piper (Holly Marie Combs), the middle child with the ability to freeze time within a confined space, and finally the youngest sister Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), who has the power of second sight--she can see past, present, future by coming into contact with an object or a person. And in season four, a new cast member Rose McGowan as Paige replaced Doherty. For more details about this series and its characters, please refer to my reviews of season one, season two, season three, season four, and season five

In the close of season four, a new character named Chris from the future came to aid the Charmed Ones in their fight evil. Specifically, he came to help prevent Piper and Leo's son Wyatt from turning evil. How he was introduced made him an intriguing character, as you were never quite sure if you could trust or if you were even supposed to like him. In season five, the story continues with Chris serving as the girls' whitelighter and Leo an Elder.

The initial storyline dealing with Chris is trying to figure him out and what exactly he is doing. Because no matter what he does, he always seem to have some alternative plan he fails to reveal to the girls or Leo. His behavior puts Leo on an almost obsessive path to find out what Chris is hiding. It makes for an intriguing storyline that sadly halts mid-season when Chris's past and real plans for coming back in time are revealed. However, while the storyline about Chris's dark plan ends almost prematurely, it continues with another intriguing plot of evil. When the sisters find out what Chris is up too, it is apparent there are other forces at play that want baby Wyatt. Someone or something wants to turn Wyatt evil and it is up to the cast to prevent it from happening. The storyline is intriguing with conspiracies and good-guys-gone-bad. It runs until the end of the season.

Paige lost her job as a social worker in season four because of the commitments to being a fulltime witch. Unable to find suitable work, she signs on at a temp agency that turns out to be more than just a temp agency. She finds herself being put on jobs by a higher power. At these jobs are suffering innocents that she saves. One of the guys she helps is a warlock named Richard, who becomes a significant love interest and a guy Paige's sisters refuse to trust.

Piper deals with her new life--one without Leo. Leo became an elder at the expense of their relationship. Without Leo, Piper loses control in the beginning of the season and becomes a Valkyrie. The transition is somewhat similar to what happened to Phoebe when she lost Cole and turned into a mermaid in the beginning of season five. In addition, Piper and the gang are forced to handle Wyatt's super duper magic abilities. Little Wyatt conjures a dragon in one episode that later results in the Cleaners coming to take him away. The Cleaners are a neutral party who do whatever they must to keep magic a secret from mundane life on Earth. We also see Piper go on a demon hunting rampage to protect Wyatt from the unknown demon who supposedly turns him evil.

Phoebe acquires the power of empathy. She gains the ability to feel other people's emotions, which really helps her in sifting out dishonesty and providing advice to her readers. It becomes a pretty big deal when she starts acting out everyone's emotions around her, and she has to take a special potion to weaken the magnitude of her new power. Phoebe and her boss Jason continue their romantic relationship, which ends with Phoebe moving to Hong Kong with him. However, it ends with a sad note when Jason finds out Phoebe is a witch. Phoebe also loses her active powers late in the season (premonitions, levitation, empathy) after she is caught abusing her powers for personal gain.

Darryl continues to help the Charmed Ones out as he can. In one episode, Paige casts a spell that gives him super strength that he uses to save hostages being held at gunpoint in a bank. But the most interesting involvement with Darryl is the episode "Crimes And Witch-Demeanors". After the girls are caught abusing their magic, Darryl is implicated as a murderer and the sisters are put on trial. Darryl's life is the price. After almost losing his life, Darryl refuses to help the sisters in any way.

For general fun episodes, this season has a few. In "Power Of Three Blondes", former Playboy Centerfold Jenny McCarthy guest stars. Phoebe, Piper, and Paige are victims of identity theft. Three evil blonde sisters cast an identity spell to make the world believe they are the Charmed Ones. What is fun about the episode is the mood. The guest starring characters are over-the-top and make a silly compliment to the good sisters. "Witchstock" is another fun episode. The story itself is not the strongest, but the situation it puts the cast in is quite entertaining. Grams and Leo are love-going hippies. Other episodes include "I Dream of Phoebe", Charmed's take on I Dream of Jeannie, "Sword And The City", the sisters' world crosses with King Arthur's, "The Legend Of Sleepy Halliwell", Sleepy Hollow meets Harry Potter, and "Witch Wars", a demon inspired reality television series, where the participants hunt witches.

Overall, season five was an enjoyable season. The season featured several exciting storylines with lots of drama, intrigue, action, and a dab of mystery/suspense. I loved the story arcs dealing with the girls, Leo, and Chris. Getting to know Chris more as a character was quite fun, as well as the relationship the developed between him and the rest of the cast. In addition, the season story arc about a demon trying to turn baby Wyatt evil made for a good watch. In the end, season five is an exciting addition to the series and worth picking up.

Episode Guide

1. Valhelley Of The Dolls, Parts 1 & 2: Paige tries to cure Piper's memory loss, but her spell goes amiss and Paige suffers total amnesia. Needing Leo's help, Phoebe and Paige discover that he is being held captive by warrior-maidens on the Island of Valhalla.
2. Forget Me... Not: When a child inadvertently brings a dragon to life, the Cleaners spring into action to protect the magic from being exposed. The Charmed Ones take on the Cleaners in order to protect the child. 3. Power Of Three Blondes: When The Charmed Ones' identities are magically stolen by three evil sisters, they must out smart the sinister trio to get their lives back.
4. Love's A Witch: Paige becomes immersed in an ongoing feud between two magical families, the Montanas and the Callaways, and attempts to bring about a truce.
5. My Three Witches: The Charmed Ones learn a valuable lesson in magical priorities when a Whitelighter and a demon cast them into an alternate reality.
6. Soul Survivor: Paige discovers that her new boss has sold his soul to the demon Zahn. Despite her sister's pleas, Paige makes the ultimate sacrifice to save her boss.
7. Sword And The City: A bevy of magical beings arrive at the manor after The Charmed Ones agree to help the Lady of the Lake protect Excalibur, the legendary Sword in the Stone.
8. Little Monsters: The Charmed Ones believe that they can raise a half-demon infant to not be evil when they become foster parents after vanquishing the demon's parent.
9. Chris-Crossed: When a witch from an elite assassin family arrives to take Chris back to the future, The Charmed Ones must pull together to save him.
10. Witchstock: Paige is transported back in time via a pair of Gram's magical go-go boots. Piper and Phoebe must prevent Paige from changing the past and disrupting the lineage of The Charmed Ones.
11. Prince Charmed: Piper's overprotective tendency toward her son causes her to sear off men for the rest of her life. Paige and Phoebe conjure up a Mr. Right to remind Piper of the importance of love.
12. Used Karma: Dangerous supernatural events results when Phoebe is the accidental recipient of the spirit of Mata Hari, a stripper and double agent during World War I.

13. The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell: A Magic School mentor calls upon The Charmed Ones to find out who cast the spell of darkness upon the school and conjured up the Headless Horseman - who's been busy beheading the teachers!
14. I Dream Of Phoebe: Magical misfortune abounds and wishes go awry when Phoebe is tricked into becoming a genie after she frees that genie from a bottle.
15. The Courtship of Wyatt's Father: Phoebe and Paige believe that Leo and Paige are dead after they are accidentally sent to the Ghostly plane by a Darklighter.
16. Hyde School Reunion: Phoebe's wild teenage personality takes over when she inadvertently casts a spell on herself before her high school reunion. Her delinquent former classmates then use her magic for wrongdoing.
17. Spin City: Piper is kidnapped and cocooned by a Spider Demon, a creature who emerges every hundred years to feed of magical beings. Chris mutates into a spider after becoming infected with the Demon's venom.
18. Crimes And Witch-Demeanors: The Charmed Ones are put on trial for recklessly abusing their powers after Phoebe and Paige are caught on tape using their powers.
19. A Wrong Day's Journey Into Right: Paige unknowingly conjures up Mr. Right's evil twin, Mr. Wrong, who uses his magical pheromones to trick her into believing that she must kill her sisters to realize her secret desire.
20. Witch Wars: The Charmed Ones' powers are in jeopardy when they are tricked into taking part in a new demonic reality television show, where demon contestants compete to hunt down the sisters. The winning demon acquires their powers.
21. It's A Bad, Bad, Bad World, Parts 1 & 2: After Chris and Leo fall through a portal that transports them into an evil mirrored world, Phoebe and Paige must travel to the parallel universe to rescue them while battling their evil counterparts.

The DVD

Extras:
There are no extras included with this DVD release.

Final Thoughts:
What is appealing about a show like Charmed is that it is fun. The characters are all likable and the storylines offer intriguing tales set in a fantasy world in midst of a constant battle between good and evil. What season six did particularly well was handling individual character development and furthering the character's relationships, as well as producing several engaging story arcs filled with deception and mystery. It is a captivating season and one that fans should appreciate.