NEW MOVIES AND ELECTRONICS YOU NEED: 09/08/08

Monday, September 08, 2008

SHUTTER NOW AVAILABLE

SHUTTER NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE MOVIE SHUTTER FROM IMDB

A newlywed couple Ben and Jane move to Japan for a promising job opportunity - a fashion shoot in Tokyo. During their trip on a dark forest road they experience a tragic car accident, leading to the death of a young local girl. Upon regaining consciousness, they find no trace of her body. A bit distraught the couple arrives in Tokyo to begin their new life. Meanwhile Ben begins noticing strange white blurs in many of his fashion shoot photographs. Jane believes that the blurs are actually spirit photography of the dead girl who they hit on the road, and that she may be seeking vengeance. Written by Brian Corder

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE MOVIE SHUTTER FROM DVDTALK

I think the international film industry is running out of hiding places bone-white ghost people can leap out of menacingly. We've had television sets, cell phones, and now cameras for the new Asian horror remake, "Shutter," and all these productions are beginning to look the same.

Newlyweds Jane (Rachael Taylor, "Transformers") and Benjamin (Joshua Jackson) are sent oversees to Japan to spend their honeymoon furthering Benjamin's photography career. During travel, the couple slams into a young woman with their car, yet not a single trace of the body remains when they regain consciousness. Perplexed, Jane and Benjamin continue about their business, only to find the same woman in spirit form invading snapshots and terrorizing their home. Pushed to the brink of madness, Jane attempts to uncover who this mysterious creature is, only to stumble upon answers that she finds too horrific to confront.

Reconfigured from a 2004 Thai production, the American "Shutter" is so derivative of other Asian chillers, audiences will easily find themselves one step ahead of every single move the picture makes. It's a monotonous directorial effort from Japanese filmmaker Masayuki Ochiai, who is either bound to vanilla Hollywood assumptions of how a horror film should walk and talk, or perhaps is just flat-out incapable of producing an interesting composition. It's difficult to say, but either answer leads back to "Shutter" boring the bejesus out of the audience with its dreary parade of the familiar.

With the aforementioned ghost woman, hostile Japanese locations, and commonplace plotting of righting otherworldly wrongs, "Shutter" limps along, hopeful the few PG-13 scares scattered about will be enough entertainment nutrition to feed the entire film. Ochiai summons no verve to movie, and even worse, no menace. The director leans on his cast to provide the dramatic resonance of the story, but Jackson looks lost with the one-note script and Taylor can't act, or at least fails to pass off a believable American accent to cover her native Australian. The talent flop around the sets trying to sell the threat of the photo demon, but they both end up looking foolish, and towards the end of the film, understandably bewildered.

Unlike "The Ring," "The Grudge," or even this past winter's "One Missed Call," I don't hold bitter animosity towards "Shutter," I just found it unrelentingly boring and needlessly unimaginative. Ochiai can't find his footing with this material, and when it falls back on the tried and true barrage of atrocious boo scares and panicky bad acting, my motor skills immediately shut down, waiting numbly for yet another round of reheated Asian horror leftovers to fall prey to third-act absurdity and fade away to bottom-shelf DVD rental obscurity.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR THE MOVIE SHUTTER.

REAPER SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE

REAPER SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE SHOW REAPER FROM IMDB

On his 21st birthday, Sam discovers his parents sold his soul to the devil before birth and he must now be a bounty hunter for the devil until he dies.

HERE ARE THE DIRECT DOWNLOADS FOR THE SHOW REAPER SEASON 1.

EPISODE 1.

EPISODE 2.

EPISODE 3.

EPISODE 4.

EPISODE 5.

EPISODE 6.

EPISODE 7.

EPISODE 8.

EPISODE 9.

EPISODE 10.

EPISODE 11.

EPISODE 12.

EPISODE 13.

EPISODE 14.

EPISODE 15.

EPISODE 16.

EPISODE 17.

EPISODE 18.

24 SEASON 6 NOW AVAILABLE

24 SEASON 6 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR SEASON 6 OF 24 FROM IMDB

Season 6: Another bad day for Jack Bauer begins with him being handed over to American authorities after 20 brutal months in Chinese custody. Jack's glorious return is short-lived when he realizes that for the previous 11 weeks, the country has gone through a series of horrific terrorist attacks, with over 1000 civilians dead, no suspects in custody, and no end in sight, unless CTU gives Jack up to the terrorists. His country has brought him back, just to give him up again, and it appears as if Jack Bauer's minutes are numbered. Meanwhile, President Wayne Palmer struggles to keep the country intact amid panic, while also fighting major battles within his administration, with the possibility that conspirators from 20 months earlier are still looming in the background. Written by timberstorm

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR SEASON 6 OF 24 FROM DVDTALK

The Show

Warning: Some mild spoilers about 24: Season Six may follow.

How much abuse can one guy take? After enduring five seasons' worth of excruciating punishment, double-crosses and, quite frankly, some of the most reality-straining plotlines on TV, the indefatigable Jack Bauer (Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland) returned for a sixth season of government intrigue and gritty brutality on the always adrenaline-charged drama 24.

Personally, I've always felt that the series peaked with its first season, steadily declined in seasons two through four and snapped back in a big way with season five -- of course, it's probably worth noting that I dipped in and out of seasons two-four, so my judgment on those could be construed as suspect. (And I've only seen bits of season five.) But I was interested in sitting down to consume a full 24-episode chunk of the show that's raised the bar for prime-time dramas -- and even feature films. Indeed, many of Hollywood's tent pole action flicks are being compared to this often breathlessly paced thriller.

Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow's expansive, bloody look at one of America's most indestructible federal agents is at its best when it's dealing with tense face-offs -- it stumbles when it tries to be too ambitious, widening its scope to deal with a multiplicity of plotlines. Granted, 24 TV hours needs some filler to keep viewers from zoning out, but when 24 begins chasing storylines that are better left in the margins, you start to feel the writers straining a bit.

Picking up 20 months after the nervy, crushing conclusion of the show's fifth season (Jack being dragged away to a Chinese prison), 24 wastes little time establishing the main thrust of its sixth season: America, being bombarded by relentless terrorist attacks in heavily populated public places, must find a way to neutralize Hamri Al-Assad (Alexander Siddig), the man they believe is perpetrating the violence. In order to find Al-Assad, current president Wayne Palmer (DB Woodside) orchestrates Bauer's release from captivity and turns him loose on the situation. Bauer soon discovers that former nemesis Abu Fayed (Adoni Maropis) is the real culprit, and sets about bringing him to justice before he can carry out his murderous plans to detonate suitcase nukes across the United States.

Before long, Bauer is up to his old tricks, but the writers toss in Bauer's evil father (James Cromwell), some shady business with Russians and try to have Bauer wrestle with the violent nature of his job as he shakes off the aftereffects of his Chinese imprisonment. When the writers strip away all of the circus of political intrigue and the chase for suitcase nukes, focusing solely on Bauer's personal journey and efforts to reconnect with his humanity, they achieve some profoundly affecting moments (most notably in the season's final episode). But 24 has to blow stuff up real good to keep the folks watchin', so more often than not, carnage wins the day. I'd like to believe the creative team is striving to attain that perfect balance first glimpsed in the initial season, where the personal and the political played off of each other with equal intensity, rather than continue to amp up the action and render all of the characters as sweaty, dirty chess pieces. This sixth season suggests a more human element as it draws to a close, but odds are, the seventh season will bring the firepower and continue to gloss over the characters at its core ... unless the writers' strike isn't resolved. (As of this writing, the seventh season of 24 has been indefinitely postponed, pending the outcome of the ongoing writers' strike.)

Packaging wasn't available for review, but if Fox continues as it has with previous seasons of 24, the choices are either slim cases and a slipcover, or gatefold packaging. If the retail version is provided for review, I'll amend my review accordingly.

The DVD

The Video:

24 is presented as originally broadcast on Fox, both on its standard and hi-def channels, in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer on this seven-disc set cannot be accurately judged owing to Fox's supplying screener discs rather than final product. Plenty of smearing, pixelation and motion blur are evident throughout the entire run of 24 episodes. Should final product be provided to DVD Talk, this rating will be revised to reflect the quality of the image.

The Audio:

Offered up in Dolby Digital 5.1, some episodes are more immersive than others, and some episodes are a bit louder than others. This could be attributed, again, to the screener discs that Fox provided for review. An optional Spanish Dolby 2.0 stereo track is included, as are optional English, Spanish and French subtitles. For the most part, these 24 episodes are clean and clear, but should Fox provide a retail version of season six for consideration, this rating will be revised to reflect the quality of the soundtrack.

The Extras:

One of the trademarks of 24 season sets is the almost overwhelming amount of supplemental material and the sixth season is no exception -- there's plenty packed into these seven discs that will keep the most ardent 24 fanatics busy for a while. While there are commentary tracks with cast and crew sprinkled throughout exactly half the season -- 12 episodes -- and deleted scenes/alternate takes are included on 13 episodes (a 24 icon pops up onscreen, alerting the viewer to new footage), the bulk of the bonus features are housed on the seventh disc.

A more than likely obsolete feature -- the season seven preview -- is first up, presented in anamorphic widescreen and running a mere 17 seconds. A host of extended/deleted scenes are here, presented in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 2.0 stereo, playable separately or all together for an aggregate of 29 minutes, 57 seconds. The extended/deleted scenes feature optional commentary from co-executive producer Stephen Kronish and co-producer Paul Gadd. The 11 minute, 39 second featurette "Master Illusionist: 24's Special Effects Make-up," is presented in anamorphic widescreen and details the process of making actors look like gruesome. The 18 minute, seven second featurette "24 Season Six: Inside the Writer's Room," is presented in anamorphic widescreen and delivers exactly what it promises: a look inside the writer's room. The 12 minute, 46 featurette "24 Season Six: Opening with a Bang," is presented in anamorphic widescreen and explores the making of the season premiere's explosive opening moments. The two minute, 16 second "Cameo: Ricky Gervais," presented in anamorphic widescreen, reveals "The Office" co-creator's cameo in the second episode (blink and you'll miss his creative partner Stephen Merchant's appearance as a CTU flunky in the season opener).

There are 21 "24 Webcast Diaries" included here, presented in anamorphic widescreen and playable separately or all together (for an aggregate of one hour). Five "24 Mobisodes: 'Day Six Debrief'" are also on board, presented in anamorphic widescreen and playable separately or all together (for an aggregate of 14 minutes, 55 seconds). A one minute, two second global warming PSA from Sutherland, presented in anamorphic widescreen, is thrown in, as is a 17 minute, eight second preview of the season premiere of Prison Break (presented in anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1), a nine minute, 10 second "The Technology of 24" featurette, presented in anamorphic widescreen, and what could possibly be the most completely useless feature on the set, "24 DVD-ROM Exclusives," which asks viewers to put the seventh disc into their PCs (suck it, Mac users!) after each episode of the seventh season to access special content -- that is, if 24 returns for its seventh season.

Final Thoughts:

24 has to blow stuff up real good to keep the folks watchin', so more often than not, carnage wins the day. I'd like to believe the creative team is striving to attain that perfect balance first glimpsed in the initial season, where the personal and the political played off of each other with equal intensity, rather than continue to amp up the action and render all of the characters as sweaty, dirty chess pieces. This sixth season suggests a more human element as it draws to a close, but odds are, the seventh season will bring the firepower and continue to gloss over the characters at its core ... unless the ongoing writers' strike isn't resolved. Even if these 24 episodes are a bit uneven, there's still a treasure trove of supplemental material worth sifting through here. Recommended.

HERE ARE THE DIRECT DOWNLOADS OF SEASON 6 OF 24.

EPISODE 1.

EPISODE 2.

EPISODE 3.

EPISODE 4.

EPISODE 5.

EPISODE 6.

EPISODE 7.

EPISODE 8.

EPISODE 9.

EPISODE 10.

EPISODE 11.

EPISODE 12.

EPISODE 13.

EPISODE 14.

EPISODE 15.

EPISODE 16.

EPISODE 17.

EPISODE 18.

EPISODE 19.

EPISODE 20.

EPISODE 21.

EPISODE 22.

EPISODE 23.

EPISODE 24.

24 SEASON 5 NOW AVAILABLE

24 SEASON 5 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE SHOW 24 SEASON 5 FROM IMDB

Season 5: 18 Months have passed since Jack Bauer stole away across the train tracks after faking his own death. He's now living a quiet life in Bakersfield California, with a new love interest and her teenage son. But when a terrorist sniper's bullet kills one of his dearest friends, Jack Bauer cocks his gun and heads back to Los Angeles, and another day of work as America's most dangerous counter-terrorist agent. Written by timberstorm

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR 24 SEASON 5 FROM DVDTALK

WARNING: The following review contains mild spoilers.

It's not something I'm fond of admitting, but I've never caught a single episode of Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran's 24 on TV. Not one. In fact, if it weren't for the constant "Fox News" plugs during every other episode, I probably wouldn't even know what channel it aired on. Thanks to the convenience of DVD, I was converted to a fan of the nail-biting series a few short years ago, and I haven't looked back since. 24 is simply one of the most addicting shows you'll find on network TV (or digital cable, for that matter), combining an irresistible real-time premise with layered characters, emotional drama, potent action sequences and never-ending cliffhangers. Simply put, every episode feels like a season finale.

Having first been intrigued with 24 after reading the kinetic Season 1 DVD review by our own G. Noel Gross, it didn't take long for yours truly to make a purchase. It did, however, take a few months for me to eventually watch it; having been forewarned of the show's addicting formula, I planned to delay the marathon until my schedule cleared up a bit. After an unexpected week-long break arose during the holiday season, I devoured the first boxed set in roughly five days. Since then, I've looked forward to the annual 24 DVD block each and every year---and though I could easily catch it on TV, something tells me I couldn't handle the constant wait every week.

After four successful seasons of groundbreaking material (including the underrated Season 3), most fans didn't think that Surnow, Cochran and company could keep the momentum going for a fifth time. We were pleasantly surprised as the clock ticked away, weaving through the well-paced plot, unpredictable twists and surprisingly little filler. Sure, the familiarity of Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and his constant struggle with terrorists, betrayal, covert operations and government intervention proved familiar, yet 24 seemed as fresh and energetic as ever. It's not often that a popular and critically acclaimed series manages to top itself after four solid years, but this is pitch-perfect programming from start to finish. It's not without a few convenient plot devices and gray subplots---including a few scenes with the junkie sister of acting CTU director Lynn McGill (Sean Astin)---but let's look on the bright side: there's no cougar traps, paranoid guys in bomb shelters, liquor store robberies or bouts with amnesia.

Another reason why Season 5 works so well: the threats are more formidable and varied than ever, even though a few are slightly borrowed from earlier seasons. This time around, terrorists have acquired a collection of Sentox nerve gas, though how they were acquired remains a mystery for some time. Strategically placed in and around the Los Angeles area, these canisters of gas pose a threat to CTU and the general public many different times throughout the day. The returning President ~~Richard Nixon~~ Charles Logan (Gregory Itzen) proves to be an interesting leader in his own right, appearing cowardly, sympathetic, vengeful, optimistic and unpredictable as the tragic events unfold.

The President's better half, Martha Logan (Jean Smart), also adds an interesting element to the story, as her moral convictions and "paranoid delusions" seem to be loosely based on Nixon-era whistleblower Martha Beall Mitchell. Perhaps the best of the bunch, though, is former federal agent Christopher Henderson (Peter Weller), a complex "patriot" who proves to be a formidable threat to our hero. Thankfully, Henderson isn't just a psycho laughing behind a wall of monitors; he develops into a layered and memorable character, despite his limited screen time.

The unpredictability increases as major characters are killed off---in fact, two are gone in the first 15 minutes, with several more as the clock ticks away. One is especially moving, despite the character's relatively short history with the series. Moments like these prove that 24 isn't always about explosions and chase sequences; there's a real heart underneath, ensuring that we care for certain supporting characters as much as we root for Bauer himself. Speaking of our hero, his "Terminator" status is still in full effect: Jack Bauer escapes death more times than we care to count, balancing his own moral agenda with his former duties as a CTU field agent. The stubborn, durable nature of his character ensures that Season Five won't be his last year; in fact, Sutherland recently signed on for three additional seasons of the series, not to mention a 24 feature film. Long story short: he'll be around for a while.

As with other seasons, the gripping nature of the story is almost frustrating at first: we know there are plenty of twists and turns ahead, we just have to wait patiently for the story to unfold. From 7:00 am to 7:00 am, the 24 hours that comprise Season Five truly are the most consistent in recent memory. There isn't a bad episode in the bunch---and though a few episodes occasionally deviate from the main storyline, they're all completely salvaged by the top of the hour. All things considered, it's as perfect as TV gets these days and deserving of its five-star rating.

Presented on DVD by Fox Home Entertainment, 24 continues to be a perfect fit for home viewing on modest setups or full-blown home theaters. Those who haven't yet seen this latest season can finally do so at their own pace, while those who enjoyed it on TV already should appreciate the faithful technical presentation and entertaining bonus features. It's a perfectly well-rounded package in all departments, though fans of the series should expect nothing less.

Video & Audio Quality

As with past seasons, 24 has been presented in its original 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and looks fantastic. The anamorphic transfers preserve the series' stylized but natural color palette, while only the darkest of scenes tend to be a bit on the murky side. Digital problems (such as edge enhancement and pixellation) don't seem to be an issue at all, rounding out the visual presentation nicely. The audio is presented in an energetic Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround mix (also available in Spanish 2.0 Surround), boasting immersive action sequences and subtle atmospheric touches during quieter moments. Dialogue sounds clean and clear, but the strong dynamic range ensures that explosions and gunfire also pack quite a punch. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are provided during the episodes only.

Menu Design, Presentation & Packaging Seen below, the menu designs are a bit too "tech-heavy" for their own good, but the navigation is easy to get accustomed to. Each 42-minute episode has been divided into 12 chapters (with a handy "Play All" option on each disc), while no apparent layer changes were detected during playback. The actual packaging was not included with this screener copy, so it's uncertain whether they're sticking with the original gatefold packaging or switching to the preferred slim case and slipcover combo. If the retail version is provided, this section will most certainly be updated.

Bonus Features Fans of creator input should enjoy what's provided here, beginning with a collection of Audio Commentaries spread across the first six discs. As with past seasons, the most feature the writer and/or director of each particular episode, often paired with a main or supporting character to keep things moving. This makes for a balanced and entertaining series of commentaries with plenty of great info and trivial tidbits, even when the onscreen action proves distracting. During these commentaries---which are typically present on the first and last episodes on each disc---we hear from star Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), director/producer Jon Cassar, director/producer Manny Coto, actor Jude Ciccolella (Mike Novick), writer/producer David Fury, actor John Allen Nelson (Walt Cummings), writer/producer Evan Katz, director/producer Brad Turner, co-creator Robert Cochran, actor Gregory Itzen (President Logan), writer/producer Michael Loceff, writer/producer Howard Gordon and several others.

The remainder of the extras are confined to Disc 7 and continue 24's trend of insightful extras presented in a professional manner. Leading things off is a Season 6 Teaser (11:41) sponsored by Toyota---and while there's plenty of interesting story development here, a portion of it looks suspiciously like a car commercial. Also included is a brief Trailer (0:44) for the upcoming season, scheduled to premiere on January 14th, 2007 as a two-night, four-hour event.

Things pick up nicely from here on out, as we're treated to four production-related featurettes that don't overlap much with the commentaries. First up is "Supporting Players" (20:26, below left), a series of interviews with the semi-regulars and their experiences on set. A few also manage to plug their off-camera hobbies, which include folk music recording, motivational speaking, stand-up comedy, teaching yoga and more (you'll have to figure out who does what for yourself). Up next is "Unsung Heroes: The 24 Camera Department" (40:11, below right), which follows some of the camera operators as they shoot several key scenes from Season 6. It's a bit more technical than most of the other featurettes, but there's some good explanation of how 24's look is achieved.

Also here is "Music by Sean Callery" (9:47), a short piece with the composer and a tour of his studio. We also get to see a key Season 5 scene overlapped with different musical themes to alter the mood. Last but not least is "Logan's Retreat" (5:54), a brief tour of the presidential set---amazingly enough, built entirely on stage---and how many of the props were designed or acquired.

We're also treated to a nice collection of Deleted and Extended Scenes (23 clips, 38:50 total), presented with optional commentary by writer/producer Stephen Kronish and editor Scott Powell. Most of these are very minor moments---phone calls and private conversations, for example---and seem to have been cut for time, not content. Elisha Cuthbert fans will be glad to see one scene in particular, which was scheduled to be her first appearance of the season but was dropped to make the eventual "reunion" more effective. Kronish and Powell do a good job explaining why these scenes didn't make the cut during their optional audio commentary, though there are frequent gaps during lengthier clips of dialogue. If you prefer, these additional scenes can also be accessed during their respective episodes by way of a convenient subtitle option on the "Special Features" menu. All are worth watching at least once.

The bonus features close out with an 100th Episode Reel (7:14), basically a highlight montage from all six seasons; as well as a "24: Behind the Scenes" Book Sample (0:52). The latter includes a few comments from Jon Cassar, immediately followed by a brief gallery of behind-the-scenes photos from the book (in stores now). All extras are thoughtfully presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, though they don't include optional subtitles or Closed Captioning support.

As if it weren't painfully obvious by now, 24 on DVD is about as irresistible as the medium gets. This fifth season is perhaps the finest yet, boasting strong performances, tight direction and enough suspense to satisfy the most hardened action junkies. The DVD presentation by Fox Home Entertainment supports the series perfectly, boasting a top-notch technical presentation and a solid assortment of bonus material. Those new to the world of 24 are strongly encouraged to start from the beginning, but everyone else should consider this release a no-brainer. Highly Recommended.

HERE ARE THE DIRECT DOWNLOADS FOR SEASON 5 OF 24.

EPISODE 2.

EPISODE 3.

EPISODE 4.

EPISODE 5.

EPISODE 6.

EPISODE 7.

EPISODE 8.

EPISODE 9.

EPISODE 10.

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EPISODE 13.

EPISODE 14.

EPISODE 15.

EPISODE 16.

EPISODE 17.

EPISODE 18.

EPISODE 19.

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EPISODE 21.

EPISODE 22.

EPISODE 23.

EPISODE 24.

24 SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE

24 SEASON 1 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE SHOW 24 FROM IMDB

The first season of the show featured Agent Jack Bauer, a government agent, attempting to stop the assassination of a presidential candidate while at the same time uncovering a mole within CTU (Counter-terrorist Unit). The show has since continued with different espionage conflicts throughout the seasons, but the show is always run in real-time format. Written by Flotis

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR SEASON 1 OF 24 FROM DVDTALK

The Show

Warning: Some mild spoilers about 24: Season One may follow.

This is where it all began -- and we're not just talking about the resurgence of Kiefer Sutherland's career. 24 was one of the most intriguing new offerings of the 2001-02 TV season; a show split up over one day, unfolding in real time? Crazy or boring, but certainly not addictive, mind-melting television culminating in one of the great climaxes the medium's ever seen -- right? Right?

Had the first season not been so masterfully executed, deftly cast and brilliantly realized, we wouldn't even be talking about 24 -- it'd be a curious footnote in the history of the boob tube. But since creators Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow had the vision (and perhaps more importantly, the marbles) to tackle this massive undertaking, we've been gifted with one of the 21st century's more fascinating prime-time dramas.

Personally, I've always felt that the series peaked with its first season, steadily declined in seasons two through four and snapped back in a big way with season five -- of course, it's probably worth noting that I dipped in and out of seasons two-four, so my judgment on those could be construed as suspect. (And I've only seen bits of season five.) Still, this is a TV show that's raised the bar for prime-time dramas (not to mention other prime-time action shows) -- and even feature films. Indeed, many of Hollywood's tent pole action flicks are being compared to this often breathlessly paced thriller.

Cochran and Surnow's expansive, bloody look at Jack Bauer (Sutherland), one of America's most indestructible federal agents, is at its best when it's dealing with tense face-offs -- it stumbles when it tries to be too ambitious, widening its scope to deal with a multiplicity of plotlines. Granted, 24 TV hours need some filler to keep viewers from zoning out, but when 24 begins chasing storylines that are better left in the margins, you start to feel the writers straining a bit.

But this season takes place before errant cougars or gooey love subplots -- it's remarkably free of fat and keeps rocketing forward, holding on to the rails as you breathlessly wait to see whether Senator David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) will be victorious in the California presidential primary, if Jack will track down his wayward daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) and his missing wife Teri (Leslie Hope), or if the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) can ferret out the traitor in its midst, threatening to upend everything and put numerous lives at risk.

Amid all the chaos, there's the threat of an attempt on David Palmer's life, which ratchets the tension up even further. These first 24 hours, from midnight on, culminate in one of the most searing conclusions I've ever seen on episodic television; in the essays accompanying this newly created set, both creators admit that the decision made to end the season -- their first, no less -- on such an uncompromising note was terrifying (and liberating).

So while I think the ensuing seasons have been hit and miss, there's no doubt that 24 has retained its fans and become something of an adrenaline-charged franchise, a building block for the Fox network. The 2007 writers' strike derailed plans for a seventh season, pushing it back until 2009, but according to reports, a two-hour film will air this fall, bringing viewers up to speed before the seventh season proper gets underway in January 2009. Why not take some of that time between then and now to get re-acquainted (or familiar) with the season that started it all?

The biggest upgrade between this "special edition" and the 2002 edition is in the supplements, but there are tweaks in other areas as well (thanks for adding in chapter breaks, Fox!), most notably the packaging. The 2002 release of 24's inaugural season was a six-disc gatefold housed inside a slipcover, with an episode guide tucked into one of the fold-out sleeves.

The revised "special edition" features a slick-looking metal case (sporting a resettable digital timer - sweet!), which holds a hefty cardstock booklet with dual-sleeved pages that contain all seven discs. More details can be found about the supplements below.

The DVD

The Video:

24 is presented as originally broadcast on Fox, both on its standard and hi-def channels, in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer on this seven-disc set appears to be unchanged from the 2002 edition; while there's the occasional instance of grain, moire patterns or fleeting softness, these 24 episodes look solid -- though not as crisp as later seasons. It's a little surprising that Fox didn't elect to give these groundbreaking episodes a digital spit and polish, so perhaps another "ultimate special edition" is in the offing ...

The Audio:

Even more frustrating than the untouched visual transfer is the ported Dolby 2.0 stereo track from the original set -- no Dolby Digital 5.1? C'mon Fox -- all the other seasons (to the best of my knowledge) have 5.1 surround tracks. Why on earth would you re-release the first season with just a simple stereo track? (I've gone so far as to dock this set a full star, simply because this decision is hopelessly idiotic.)At least it gets the job done, conveying dialogue, score and plenty of gunfire with clarity and warmth. An optional French Dolby 2.0 track is included, as are optional English and Spanish subtitles.

The Extras:

One of the trademarks of 24 season sets is the almost overwhelming amount of supplemental material and the lack of any substantial bonus features set the original, 2002 edition apart from subsequent seasons -- and not in a good way. Fortunately, Fox has rectified that oversight with this new "special edition," including a seventh bonus disc of supplements not found in the initial release. While the execution isn't quite as flashy as in later sets -- the deleted scenes/alternate takes aren't integrated into episodes, for example -- the material's here and easily available, so that should count for something.

The episode guide includes letters from co-creators Surnow and Cochran; both are great, quick reads that shed some light on the thoughts of the men that dreamed up this successful series. On the first disc, a vintage, one minute and 33 second Kiefer Sutherland introduction (presented in fullscreen) hits the highlights of season one and is playable before the pilot -- this was carried over from the initial six-disc set. Also included on the pilot is a fitfully insightful commentary track from director Stephen Hopkins and director of photography Peter Levy; the two men discuss the show's origins, the difficulties of shooting such a complex series and the changes made between the first filming and Fox's eventual tweaks for broadcast. The ensuing episodes have no bonus material, and we pick up on the sixth disc and the season finale, which includes a engaging, reflective commentary track from actress Leslie Hope (who admits that she's watching this episode for the first time) and director Hopkins; the pair are far more relaxed than Hopkins and Levy.

The bulk of the bonus features are housed on the seventh disc. Twenty-five extended/deleted scenes are included, playable separately or all together for an aggregate of 26 minutes, 23 seconds (presented in anamorphic widescreen); a two minute, 27 second alternate season finale ending (presented in anamorphic widescreen) includes optional commentary from Surnow that fleshes out the creators' motivations for choosing the ending they did -- this is the other bonus ported over from the original six-disc set; the 24 minute, 40 second featurette "The Genesis of '24'" (presented in anamorphic widescreen) examines, well, the show's origins and features interviews with the creators, cast and crew discussing the concept, the cast, the style, the pilot and the series along with two "The Rookie" vignettes sponsored by Degree deodorant, running six minutes, 34 seconds and 10 minutes, respectively (both are presented in fullscreen).

Final Thoughts:

24 has to blow stuff up real good to keep the folks watchin', so more often than not, carnage wins the day. I'd like to believe the creative team is striving to re-capture the perfect balance first glimpsed in this initial season, where the personal and the political played off of each other with equal intensity, rather than continue to amp up the action and render all of the characters as sweaty, dirty chess pieces, but perhaps the seventh season will surprise me. This "special edition" of the inaugural season doesn't spruce up the video or audio, but does sweeten the pot with some worthwhile supplements. If you haven't added this set to your collection, now's your chance. Highly recommended

24 SEASON 2 NOW AVAILABLE

24 SEASON 2 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR THE SHOW 24 SEASON 2 FROM IMDB

Season Two: It's been more than a year after Jack Bauer experienced the longest and most painful day of his life. But things are about to get much worse. A nuclear bomb has been planted in Los Angeles. President David Palmer has no choice but to call Jack back to CTU for another day of hardships. Mason, the new head, is, of course, not happy about this. Now, his daughter Kim is running from her employer, who is threatening to kill her. Palmer now must deal with his political staff, most of which are plotting against his actions on how to deal with the crisis. And Jack must face the toughest challenge of his life... finding the bomb with aid from the woman who killed his wife, Nina Myers. The clock is ticking... Written by Kaufman

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR 24 SEASON 2 FROM DVDTALK

The following review takes place between the top of this page and the bottom. The reading happens in real time. THE EPISODES Take the phone off the hook and lock the doors because here at last is the much-anticipated 24: Season Two from Fox DVD, and it's a real winner. We already know that Fox is perhaps the studio leader when it comes to producing great box sets of television programs, but 24: Season Two is going to be the set by which all future sets are judged. It's as top-notch in quality as the 24 series is itself. And it's a must-have for DVD lovers everywhere. Season Two begins roughly 18-months after Season One ended. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) has left the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) in Los Angeles following the tragic death of his wife and has no desire to get back into the game again. That is, until President David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) calls him up with an urgent message that the country needs his help. Jack is reluctant, but agrees to go to CTU to find out what the situation is. As it turns out, terrorists have planted a nuclear bomb somewhere in Los Angeles, and it will be detonated sometime in the next 24 hours. If those sound like major spoilers, don't worry…all that information will be given to you in the very first episode. The real story begins as Jack uses his resources to track down the bomb, go up against an old nemesis, make a new friend, lose an old acquaintance, and eventually get to the bottom of who is really behind this terrorist plot and what they hope to accomplish. Oh, and somewhere in there, Jack's daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) almost gets eaten by a cougar…but the less said about that, the better! I don't know if Season Two of 24 is better than Season One, but one can certainly make the argument that it is – and that's quite a statement, since the first season of the show was spectacular. Unlike the first season, this day in the life of Jack Bauer ends with a cliffhanger – one that will leave you breathless and in anticipation for Season Three, which I presume, is exactly why Fox released Season Two on DVD a little less than two months before the premiere of the next season. In fact, 24 was on the verge of cancellation in its first year – but thanks to the release of Season One on DVD (where this reviewer first saw it), enough new fans were added for Season Two to make the show a successful hit. Now, no doubt, even more fans will be added to the rolls, and I wouldn't be surprised to see 24 finish its third year as one of the top ten series on TV. The good thing about watching this set (especially if you are watching it for the first time) is that you don't have to wait seven days to see the next hour in Jack's life. One gets a better look at just how well-planned out the series is by looking at the shows back-to-back. It's a remarkable and innovative program, and it's nice to see Fox give it the justice it deserves in this box set. THE DVD Video: Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, the transfer is simply stunning. There are no signs of dirt on the print or pixilation, and the flesh tones are nicely balanced. Some may notice that there is a slight "grainy" look to the picture, but that's the intended look of the show, the way it was originally presented, and the way it was intended to be seen. In other words, this is a real top-notch transfer by Fox. Audio: The audio is presented in 5.1 Dolby and sounds fantastic. Dialogue is crisp and properly balanced, and the soundtrack becomes very aggressive during action sequences, but without becoming so loud or overbearing that you find yourself adjusting the volume between the dialogue-heavy scenes and the action-heavy ones. Like the video, this is a top-notch job. Extras: This box set comes with seven discs, with four episodes on each of the first six discs, plus a seventh disc filled with bonus features. Pay attention, all you other studios out there looking to put your television series on DVD – because Fox has just raised the standard on what "must-haves" should accompany such as set. The best extra on this set is the two-part 24 Exposed featurette, which goes into details about all the aspects of production as the cameras follow the filming of the final two episodes of Season Two. Here we get to see many of the actors, writers and producers of the series behind the scenes, see how script meetings are conducted, how the actors work with the director to make the scene the best it can possibly be, and even get a few bloopers and funny moments from the cast and crew. One of the best behind the scenes featurettes I have ever seen on a DVD of any kind, 24 Exposed is one of those bonuses that justifies the entire price of the set (which isn't that high to begin with!). A word of warning though, major spoilers of Season Two are in these featurettes, so make sure you've seen all the episodes before you watch this portion of the bonus features! Also on Disc 7 is a featurette entitled On The Button which shows how an explosion that happened at CTU (early in Season Two, so not a big spoiler here) was filmed. Another bonus feature is a Multi-Angle Scene Study, which allows viewers to view a scene from two different cameras. Angle one gives viewers a side by side (actually, it's top and bottom) comparison, while angle two shows one camera only, and angle three shows only the second camera. It's kind of a neat little bonus, but it doesn't have the replayablity of the other extras in this set. Finally, Disc 7 contains 44 Deleted Scenes from various episodes in Season Two. These can be watched with or without commentary (by Jon Cassar and Rodney Charters for the first 22 scenes, and by Cassar and Howard Gordon for the other 22 scenes). The good news is that Fox has also included these deleted scenes with the actual episodes – giving viewers the option of turning on a "24" icon that, when it appears during the episode, viewers can click on to jump to the deleted scene, so they can watch it exactly where it would have appeared. Selected episodes on the first six DVDs also contain Episode Commentary Tracks from different members of the cast and crew, including Kiefer Sutherland contributing to the commentary track on Disc 5 and Dennis Haysbert contributing to one on Disc 6. THE BOTTOM LINE The bottom line on this one? Run…don't walk…to your nearest DVD store or online-retailer and pick this one up! The clock is ticking…so don't miss out! This is one of the best DVD releases of 2003!

HERE ARE THE DIRECT DOWNLOADS FOR SEASON 2 OF 24.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 1 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 2 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 3 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 4 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 5 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 6 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 7 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 8 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 9 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 10 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 11 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 12 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 13 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 14 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 15 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 16 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 17 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 18 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 19 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 20 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 21 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 22 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 23 OF 24 SEASON 2.

HERE IS THE DIRECT DOWNLOAD FOR EPISODE 24 OF 24 SEASON 2.

24 SEASON 3 NOW AVAILABLE

24 SEASON 3 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR SEASON 3 OF 24 FROM IMDB

Season 3: 3 years after the 2nd season, Jack Bauer is still working at CTU along with his daughter, Kim, and her boyfriend, Chase. Things begin to heat up as a drug cartel threatens to release a virus if their leader is not released. President Palmer is running for re-election and has to deal with a smear campaign launched by his opponent, and a traitor is operating in CTU. It's gonna be one hell of a day! Written by TIM1370

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE SHOW 24 SEASON 3 FROM DVDTALK

The Third Season

If you would have asked me what I thought about the third season of 24 eight episodes into it, I would've told you it sucked. Why? Because the first third of season three feels a little too much like the previous seasons. In other words, it's really nothing new. It's the same old same old. However, it turns out that this is far from the truth, because the third season contains enough twists and turns (in the last two thirds of it) to make it almost as exciting as the earlier two seasons. In the end, while similar approaches are taken in seasons one and two, they are different enough that they are still very entertaining. I guess what works, works and the third season definitely works.

The same format found in the previous two season of 24 are used again. In it, Kiefer Sutherland stars as Jack Bauer. Bauer is you non-typical bad ass federal agent who works for the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU). Each season covers a single day, where Jack and many others go through an intense twenty-four hour period. This third season is the third long day, which occurs three years after season two. The basic story of this season surrounds a scary issue, bioterrorism. A manufactured viral agent threatens the wellbeing of the United States. This virus has the capability to kill a host after a mere twenty-four hours of infection. And to make matters worse, it is airborne and highly contagious. If released upon the general population, it would be a matter of weeks before the entire United States was infected. This terrorist threat reoccurs throughout the third season, but in different lights. The reason is that the story isn't what it seems to be. There are many twists and turns upon the plot, and it isn't until the last third of the season that the real plot is uncovered.

The third season also continues to focus on another aspect that comes from the President of the United States of America and his aides. Dennis Haysbert returns as President David Palmer, who is currently up for re-election. And surprisingly, being up for re-election is just as thrilling and exciting as how CTU handles the terrorist threat. Old faces return, like David's ex-wife Sherry Palmer. Together, they get stuck in a web of lies, deceit, and murder. It's an interesting development for David, because in the earlier two seasons he was such a pure and good guy. Now he returns in season three, with a dark side.

In general, the reason that the third season continues to be as successful as the previous seasons is because it continues to provide a wonderful mix of action, drama, and suspense. Although, the manner in which it is given does seem debatable in its realism. For instance, several of the characters work in CTU together and they have personal relationships, which are beyond friendship. In most critical government positions (and many corporations), you can't work with those that have you have significant personal relationships with (i.e. spouses, children, emotional relationships, etc.) The reason is that someone you are close to is more likely to look the other way if you do something bad and it happens a couple of times in this season. Another major kick of unrealism covers the human body. There are several instances when characters suffer near-death casualties, but manage to survive and within hours they are fully functional with only a bandage. Other elements of unrealism fall upon the twists and turns that are introduced. Things are introduced in storyline of the third season that are so damn extreme. Of course, they're still very intriguing.

Besides the realism factor, I had a difficult time with some of the characters. Kim Bauer (Elisha Cuthbert) returns in this season working for CTU. The problem is that her character is pretty pointless (at first). She doesn't really seem to add very much, exception her relationship with her father and a forbidden love with her Jack's partner. I say this because her role is pointless at first. However, as the season progresses, she seems to jump from clueless to smart and the transition seems unreal. Many other characters from earlier seasons appear in this season. However, most fit their roles fine. A couple of the new characters got on my nerves, I felt Jack's new partner, Chase Edmunds (James Badge Dale) was a bit too young for his role and CTU analyst Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub) was outright annoying.

Overall, I feel that the third season has quite a lot to offer in terms of entertainment. The storyline unravels some very gripping content. However, it isn't an extremely strong season, as there is quite a bit that isn't absolutely amazing. The first third of the season tended to be pretty bland (as it felt like earlier seasons), but after that, there were enough gripping developments that I feel the third season is almost as good as the previous two seasons.

Episode Guide

1. 1:00pm - 2:00pm
2. 2:00pm - 3:00pm
3. 3:00pm - 4:00pm
4. 4:00pm - 5:00pm
5. 5:00pm - 6:00pm
6. 6:00pm - 7:00pm
7. 7:00pm - 8:00pm
8. 8:00pm - 9:00pm
9. 9:00pm - 10:00pm
10. 10:00pm - 11:00pm
11. 11:00pm - 12:00am
12. 12:00am - 1:00am
13. 1:00am - 2:00am
14. 2:00am - 3:00am
15. 3:00am - 4:00am
16. 4:00am - 5:00am
17. 5:00am - 6:00am
18. 6:00am - 7:00am
19. 7:00am - 8:00am
20. 8:00am - 9:00am
21. 9:00am - 10:00am
22. 10:00am - 11:00am
23. 11:00am - 12:00pm
24. 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Includes Deleted Scenes & Alternate Takes

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in a beautiful 1.78:1 ratio anamorphic widescreen color format. The picture quality is very good, providing a sharp and clear image. For the most part, it looks nearly flawless. However, there are times when the picture exhibits a slight grain, which becomes more noticeable during scenes filmed in a dark setting.

Audio:
The language options include an English 5.1 Dolby digital track and a Spanish stereo surround track. Like most television series, the audio is dialogue intensive, which comes off very audible and sounds very clean and clear. For the most part, the dialogue does not take advantage of the surround sound setup. It focuses on the forward channels, and occasionally takes advantage of the left and right channels. The sound effects tend to take advantage of the surround sound setup and generally come off very rich and vibrant. There are also subtitles in English and Spanish.

Extras:
The third season of 24 is jam packed with special features. The box set includes seven discs. The first six discs contain the episodes and also include audio commentaries and deleted scenes. The commentaries cover the following episodes: "3:00pm - 4:00pm" with Howard Gordon and Kiefer Sutherland, "5:00pm - 6:00pm" with Evan Katz and Riley Smith, "10:00pm - 11:00pm" with Howard Gordon and Sarah Clarke, "1:00am - 2:00am" with Joel Surnow and Mary Lynn Rajskub, "5:00am - 6:00am" with Robert Cochran, Reiko Aylesworth, and Carlos Bernard, and "10:00am - 11:00am" with Carlos Bernard, James Badge Dale, and Tim Iacofano. They are great for the fans. The deleted scenes can be accessed during the episodes that have them (they are listed in bold in the episode guide). For the episodes that have them, you have the option to watch them at the point during the episode when they were intended. The deleted/alternate scenes are also found on the seventh disc (which is dedicated to bonus features). When accessed on disc seven, they can be viewed with commentaries from Jon Cassar, Howard Gordon, and Michael Loceff.

The majority of the special features on disc seven are featurettes. There are a total of four featurettes. The first is "24: On the Loose (32:17)", which is a behind the scenes featurette that covers the making of season four. It includes the perspective from the cast and crew, with a strong emphasis on the extras. "Boys and Their Toys (11:28)" is a behind the scenes perspective covering the borrowing, setup, and use of F-18s fighter planes from the Department of Defense in the series. The next featurette is "Biothreat: Beyond the Series (24:35)", which is a look into the development and research of creating a believable virus to use in storyline of season three. The final featurette is "Multi-Angle Study (6:11)" which is an examination of the midnight shootout from episode 12 (12:00am - 1:00am). You can view various takes from two different cameras or both cameras at once. Also found on the seventh disc is the "Season 4 Teaser (2:15)" and "Season 4 Promo (6:31)" and a trailer for Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt in their upcoming movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith.

Final Thoughts:
Overall, I felt that the third season of 24 was done very well. The entertainment and replay value are high. However, the third season does not have the same high-pace gripping feeling that the first season had. I personally feel that the first season was the absolute best of the series, with seasons two and three right behind it. Fans of the series should be more than happy with this season and newcomers (if you skip the earlier seasons, not recommended) should still be able to enjoy season three.

24 SEASON 4 NOW AVAILABLE

24 SEASON 4 NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

HERE IS THE SUMMARY FOR SEASON 4 OF 24 FROM IMDB

Season 4 takes place 18 months after Season 3. Jack has been fired by Tony Almeida's replacement, Erin Driscoll, as have most of the agents featured in Season 3, except Chloe O'Brian. Jack now works for the Secretary of Defense, James Heller, and is dating his daughter, Audrey Raines. Jack has sworn to put his past behind him, but as a new threat emerges and Jack finds himself on the verge of returning to the life he tried to forget. Written by cubsfanatic8228

HERE IS A REVIEW FOR THE SHOW 24 SEASON 4 FROM DVDTALK

The Fourth Season

Note: This review for 24: Season Four comes several months after the initial DVD release. The reason is that I have not gotten a chance to watch season four until now (I have a huge backlog of DVDs to watch, who doesn't?) and I am reviewing a personal copy. Having just finished it, and with the DVD release of season five, hopefully, coming out at the end of the year, I thought I would share my opinions about season four, which are for the most part very positive.

For those who are not familiar with the series, 24 is a somewhat unique drama about a fictional government agency called the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU). Mostly set in the CTU Los Angles branch office, the CTU agents and computer savvy technicians sift through various leads and evidence to uncover and thwart potential and actual terrorist activity. CTU is a huge operation that interacts with other federal agencies like FBI, NSA, DIA, as well as local, county and state law enforcement on a daily basis. The series uses a unique format you will not find in most television programming. A single season consists of twenty-four episodes, with each episode counting for a single hour in the show's universe. An entire season will span only a twenty-four hour period. During which, a lot of things can happen.

Headlining the cast is Kiefer Sutherland, who was recently awarded an Emmy for "Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series" for his performance in season five as Jack Bauer (he also had a nomination for season four, but lost to James Spader, Boston Legal). What the series does best is putting together an intrinsic, gripping, and engaging storyline with lots of twists and turns, high tech gadgets, intense gunfights and action sequences, devious good and bad characters, and an exposure to a dramatic, yet fictional world about the war on terrorism. For more details about the series please refer to DVD Talk's reviews of 24 season sets.

In my review of 24: Season Three, I had a minor gripe about the series being slightly redundant and due to this reason, season three started off shaky. The fact of the matter is the redundant nature in Jack Bauer going through one day with nonstop action is what makes the series so compelling. I probably should have complained about how annoying Kim Bauer is or something along those lines. Regardless, season four sees no flaws in the redundant department. (Yes there is some redundancy, but what works, works). The issues with season four are more or less with its characters and some poor attempts with drama. We will get into this later.

Season four begins with Jack Bauer in a completely different position. In season three Bauer had to use heroin while undercover and he developed an addiction. Because of his addiction, the new CTU director Erin Driscoll (Alberta Watson) released him from his job. Eventually Jack finds himself as the special assistant to the Secretary of Defense James Heller (William Devane), who, by the way, is fantastic in his role. Life is completely different for Jack, working behind a desk in the nation's capital. He also ventures into a love affair with Heller's daughter Audrey Raines (Kim Raver), who is married, but separated from her husband Paul (James Frain). Audrey is a senior policy analyst at the Department of Defense and can be found by her father's side more often than not.

On this particular day, a chain of terrorist attacks occur, starting with a bomb on a train that seems to have no purpose. Later in Los Angeles, Jack goes to CTU to confirm some budget related items while the secretary and his daughter make an impromptu visit to Heller's son Richard. At Richard's place, the secret service envoy is attacked and Heller and Audrey are kidnapped by terrorists with the intent to execute him on a live webcast over the internet. When the kidnapping occurs, Jack jumps back into his old position on a "provisional" basis, despite director Driscoll's concerns about him. As the story progresses, old and new faces alike join Jack to stop the terrorists from reaching their ultimate goal. I won't go into anymore details about the plotline, but let's just say there is a lot of stuff to follow.

Some of the new characters include Edgar Stiles (Louis Lombardi), a talented computer technician who has to deal with his own personal problems while trying to provide continued support to the CTU field agents, Sarah Gavin (Lana Parrilla), a computer technician with an attitude, Curtis Manning (Roger R. Cross), CTU Los Angeles' second in command, Bill Buchanan (James Morrison), the CTU regional director with a personal tie to Michelle Desseler, and Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin), the President of the United States who has a devious political mind. Some of the old faces include Chloe O'Brian (Mary Lynn Rajskub), David Palmer (Dennis Haybert), Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard), and Michelle Desseler (Reiko Aylesworth).

The lead villain Harbib Marwan is played by Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) and Vosloo makes an excellent bad guy providing his character a cool and almost charming demeanor. For strong supporting villains, the Araz family is also very strong in their roles. The Araz family moved to the United States and became naturalized citizens with intent of preparing for this one day. At the head of the family is Navi (Nestor Serrano), a father who believes his cause is more important than anything else. Dina (Shohreh Aghdashloo) is the striking woman married to Navi. She is strong, cunning, and devilish. The cause is important to her and she will kill anyone without hesitation who gets in the way. The exception is her son Behrooz (Jonathan Ahdout), who after witnessing his Caucasian girlfriend being murdered, decides killing thousands of people is not worth it.

Overall what works for season four of 24 is the nonstop action and the overly gripping storyline. How everything unfolds with lots of twists and turns make the season an exciting adventure you will not want to miss. However, while I praise season four, not everything is perfect. There are some elements that I think the season would have been a lot stronger without (or at least toned down). In an attempt to add relationship drama to storylines, there are two love triangles.

While these are great for soapy melodramas, they just did not seem to fit in right with the ambiance of 24. First of all, Jack loves Audrey, Audrey loves Jack, but she also loves her husband Paul, who loves her. There is an entire subplot that deals with this relationship. While it does add some drama to the events, sometimes it felt overplayed and hokey. The other bit of drama comes from Tony, Michelle, and Bill. The two guys both like Michelle and she likes them. It is a wishy-washy subplot that ends with butterflies and rainbows.

Some other points I did not care for dealt with the characters and their personal issues. For instance, Erin Driscoll's daughter has severe medical problems and she is forced to decide what was more important, caring for her daughter or running CTU during the crisis. What I did not like about it was how Watson portrayed her character. She made a great director, very cold and distance, but when she tried to show compassion with her daughter, it felt all wrong.

Overall, season four of 24 presents a strong set of twenty-four episodes with a sadistic plot against the United States of America with only Jack Bauer and the valiant employees at CTU to save the day. If you have not had a chance to pick up this season set, I highly suggest you do. Within the first minute or two, you will be sucked in and forced to watch the entire season set nonstop! And thankfully when you are done watching the season episodes, there are a ton of special features to keep you in Jack's exciting world.

Episode Guide
1. 7AM to 8AM
2. 8AM to 9AM
3. 9AM to 10AM
4. 10AM to 11AM
5. 11AM to 12PM
6. 12PM to 1PM
7. 1PM to 2PM
8. 2PM to 3PM
9. 3PM to 4PM
10. 4PM to 5PM
11. 5PM to 6PM
12. 6PM to 7PM
13. 7PM to 8PM
14. 8PM to 9PM
15. 9PM to 10PM
16. 10PM to 11PM
17. 11PM to 12AM
18. 12AM to 1AM
19. 1AM to 2AM
20. 2AM to 3AM
21. 3AM to 4AM
22. 4AM to 5AM
23. 5AM to 6AM
24. 6AM to 7AM

The DVD

Video:
The video in this release is given in an 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 moments when the picture suffers compression artifacts and hints of edge enhancement. This is most noticeable during the darker scenes. Overall it is a great looking picture.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is in English 5.1 Dolby digital surround and Spanish 2.1 Dolby digital surround. In general, the sound quality is very good and it provides an audible and clean track. The dialogue is usually a little flat while music and sound effects come off rich and vibrant. Additionally the 5.1 track is dynamic and makes good use of the surround sound capability.

There are subtitles included in English and Spanish, as well as support for closed captioning.

Extras:
There thirty-nine deleted scenes and alternatives takes included in this set. They can be viewed as standalone features with optional audio commentary when accessed on the special feature disc or watched during episode play. In the case of the latter, special subtitles can be turned on that will allow you to access the deleted scenes or alternative takes as relevant to the episode. The episodes that include deleted scenes and alternative takes are "7AM to 8AM", "1PM to 2PM", "4PM to 5PM", "5PM to 6PM", "6PM to 7PM", "7PM to 8PM", "8PM to 9PM", "9PM to 10PM", "10PM to 11PM", "1AM to 2AM", "4AM to 5AM", "5AM to 6AM", and "6AM to 7AM".

The season set also features episode commentaries for half of the season's episodes. They include "7AM to 8AM" with Joel Surnow and Mary Lynn Rajskub, "12AM to 1PM" with Joseph Hodges and Jon Cassar, "2PM to 3PM" with Stephen Kronish and Peter Lenkov, "3PM to 4PM" with Evan Katz and Shannen Doherty, "4PM to 5PM" with Nestor Serrano and Stephen Kronish, "8PM to 9PM" with Tim Iacofano and Shohreh Aghdashloo, "9PM to 10PM" with Roger Cross and Bryan Spicer, "10PM to 11PM" with Bryan Spicer and Arnold Vosloo, "12AM to 1AM" with Jon Cassar and Sean Callery, "1AM to 2AM" with Paul Gadd and Kenneth Kobett, "4AM to 5AM" with Matt Michnovetz and Duppy Demetrius, and "6AM to 7AM" with Bob Cochran and Scott Powell.

Located on the special features disc are a collection of featurettes. The first item is "Season 5", which includes "Season 5 Prequel", which takes place twelve months after the end of season 4 and it is an exclusive teaser about Jack in Chicago between season 4 and season 5, and "Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making a Scene", which details the making of the "Season 5 Prequel".

"Breaking Ground Building: The New CTU" is a behind the scenes featurette about the production of the CTU set for season four.

"Blood On The Tracks" is another behind the scenes featurette that focuses on the production and related events that dealt with putting together the opening scene for season four, the terrorist attack on the train.

"Lock And Load" is the third and final behind the scenes featurette, which is about the scene in episode "12PM to 1PM" when Jack rescues Heller and Audrey.

"Extended and Deleted Scenes" is a collection of thirty-nine deleted scenes and alternative takes, which can be viewed with optional audio commentary.

"24: Conspiracy" is a collection of twenty-four mobile phone episodes put together as a promotion for season four. The storyline is about the CTU branch in Washington DC. Each episode is one minute long. The episodes can be watched individually or in one lump with the play all feature.

"The Longest Day Music Video" is a music video of the same name.

"Inside Look" is an extended preview about The Sentinel.

"24: The Game Trailer" is a trailer for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game.

Final Thoughts:
Since 24's first season, the series became an instant success. Millions of viewers tune in to watch the latest day in the life of Jack Bauer and his fellows at CTU stop the latest murderous and intrinsic terrorist plot against the United States of America. 24 is television you do not want to miss out on. If you still haven't gotten around to watching season four, I highly suggest you purchase a copy, sit down, and watch the season in its entirety. And of course, if you are new to 24, start with season one for the best viewing experience. Regardless, 24: Season Four comes highly recommended.