LAS VEGAS SEASON 3 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Third Season

Las Vegas is a television series about the daily lives of the people behind the operations of the Montecito Hotel and Casino. The elite group manages daily casino operations to special events to hotel management. The series gives a sexy spin to the Las Vegas life and shows what it is like for the guys and girls who work behind the scenes to make sure your stay at the fictional Montecito Hotel and Casino is as pleasant as possible, and that means stopping criminals, would-be scam artists, and fowl customers. The storylines deal with identifying card-counting cheaters, stopping armed robberies, foiling diabolical plans to steal money from the casino, dealing with the casino's competition, and so on. For the most part, the stories are episodic, where the plotlines are contained within a single episode. You can watch an episode here or there and not miss much in the big picture. Overall, Las Vegas makes for a flashy fun drama that sometimes is a little cheesy and fake, but the characters are likeable and the stories are engaging. For more details about Las Vegas, refer to DVD Talk's reviews of season one and season two.

The season three characters consist of Ed Deline (James Caan), a former CIA operative and president of operations, Danny McCoy (Josh Duhamel), a former military man and Deline's number two, Mike Cannon (James Lesure), a former valet with a degree in engineering from M.I.T. and a vital asset to the Montecito's security and surveillance operations, Mary Connell (Nikki Cox), the manager of the Montecito Hotel and longtime friend and former lover of Danny, Sam Marquez (Vanessa Marcil), the hottest Las Vegas host in town, and Delinda Deline (Molly Sims), Ed's daughter and the manager of Mystique, the hotel's club and restaurant.

Season three opens with the Montecito Hotel and Casino under new management. Lara Flynn Boyle joins the cast as Monica Mancuso, a young power-hungry woman who at the age of 25 married an 83 year old billionaire. She's rich and looking to prove herself. She believes opening a successful casino is the only way to prove to the world she is more than a young girl who married a rich old man. I found her to be an annoying character whose personality was unlikable and naive and I'm pretty sure the writers intended her to be like that. She does not remain on the cast for the entire season. In the beginning of the season, the cast getting re-accustomed with each other and back into their positions (and a couple promotions) is a storyline at the fore. Monica's push to be the best also plays a pertinent role in the storylines, which ends with her untimely death. Dean Cain joins as Casey Manning to take over for her.

With the new ownership and management of the Montecito, Monica put the cast into disordered at the end of season two. The Montecito was shut down and underwent major remodeling, as well Ed's staff took a beating and he lost most of them. For reasons briefly explained, Nessa Holt (Marsha Thomason) is no longer around. Her father's connections to Ed's past in the CIA led to her to life in a witness protection program. Everyone else also left the Montecito and Ed is eager to get them back. Danny is running his father's construction company, Mike is a valet again, Sam has set up shop in another hotel/casino, and Delinda is running the club Pure at the Caesar. In the season premiere "Viva Las Vegas", Ed works diligently to get everyone back at the Montecito, except for his daughter, who takes charge of Mystique in episode "Whatever Happened to Seymour Magoon?", and Mary who becomes the hotel manager in "The Real McCoy". Once (most of) Ed's team is back together, it is business as usual for this elite crew.

The season begins with the episode "Viva Las Vegas", and besides the storyline of getting the crew back together and Ed trying to get accustomed to Monica's overly abrasive personality, he fears when the Montecito is going to be robbed. When the hotel opens its doors for the first time since the remodel, the casino is going to be victim of a smash and grab. Two other casinos, the Indian and the Riverboat casinos were both recent victims of an armed robbery. Ed's gut tells him they are next and he wants to delay the grand re-opening to work out a few additional details. Despite his reservations, Monica wants to proceed as planned. Her entire reputation is on the line. In the next episode "Fake the Money and Run", Ed and Mike have their hands full when Mike finds a counterfeit chip during a random inspection. It leads to an unbelievable story that is still fun to watch. Meanwhile, Danny deals with two problems. He is still dealing with the loss of his father and he is not quite sure what to do with the house he inherited. His accountant suggested he sell the property, as the taxes are going to bleed him dry. At this point, Rachel Leigh Cook joins the cast as a reoccurring character named Penny Posin. Penny is a sexy, young real estate agent and she becomes Danny's new love interest.

"Double Down, Triple Threat" is a somewhat fun episode. It is a cross-over episode with television series Crossing Jordan. Jill Hennessy and Jerry O'Connell guest star as Jordan Cavanaugh and Woody Hoyt. I was never a huge fan of Hennessy in Law & Order, but I love her in Crossing Jordan. On the flipside, O'Connell annoys the hell out of me. Regardless, the story is enjoyable with Hennessy teaming up with Ed's crew to solve a case of kidnapping and extortion, while Woody recounts the previous evening to Sam and explains why they woke up in bed together. "The Real McCoy" continues a storyline about Danny's father. In his dad's bedroom, he found pictures of dad with a woman he had never met before. He continues to investigate the matter to find out who she is and what her relationship with his father entailed. The story itself is not too interesting, but when Penny gets involved the drama spices up a notch and it becomes much more appealing. This is the last episode Cook appears in. The episode's other major storyline has Sam dealing with her brother and hotel owner Monica and their love affair. Sarah Clarke also guest stars as Olivia Duchey the new hotel manager who steps on too many toes. Ed fires her and Mary takes her place. It is eerie to see Clarke in this role, I am too used to her Nina Meyers role from 24.

In the episode "Everything Old Is You Again", Las Vegas gets a face lift. Danny attends a collectable show being hosted at the hotel and purchases sign for the Jubilee Hotel and Casino, which existed in the 60s. The Montecito was built on the same spot as the Jubilee. In this episode, Danny and Mike ponder how running the operations of a casino and hotel in that era would have been. Everybody's roles are different and how they deal with "problems" is rougher and dirtier. It is a somewhat fun episode and change of pace for the show. "For Sail By Owner" is Monica's last as a living, breathing person. Monica has been basically running the Montecito into the ground with one bad decision after another. Ed quit because of her and Danny is concerned. Danny phones Casey that the hotel and casino is in trouble and probably ripe for purchase. Monica finds out about the phone call and confronts him about the matter on the hotel's rooftop. Unfortunately, a gust of wind blew her over the side and ended her life. Danny is the prime suspect in Monica's death, which is investigated by a green detective. Casey comes to Las Vegas and buys the Montecito. Mike is also found in the stairwell beaten and unconscious.

In "Urban Legends", the Montecito is hosting a car show and they want NASCAR celebrity Jimmie Johnson to be a judge. Mary goes to Jimmie to talk him into doing the show, which he agrees to. Mary is all kinds of sexy and what guy could say no to her? Jimmie surely couldn't. The day's events are complicated when Danny and Mike enter a patron's room to find him in a bathtub covered with ice. His kidney was removed. Ed also deals with Sam, who now owns half of the Montecito (her ex-husband is Casey), and she does not know exactly what she is doing. "Lyle & Substance" presents the cast with a big explosive problem. While monitoring the camera feeds, Danny notices a guy swipe a chip from someone else's stash. When he and Mike apprehend him, the thief offers a tip in exchange for immunity. He claims he knows about a plot to blow up the hotel. The investigation leads Mike undercover working at Bronco Burger. Mike's interview for the job is a tad on the silly side.

"All Quite on the Montecito Front" revisits the almost-taboo relationship between Danny and Delinda. In the past the two have seen some heat, most notably in the series' pilot when Ed caught them in bed together. In this episode, romance brews again and they are definitely headed places together. But as their relationship is on the taboo side, they keep it hush-hush. Unfortunately, Jillian (Cheryl Ladd), Delinda's mother, unknowingly complicates matters when she invites Delinda's old boyfriend Derek Stephenson (Shawn Christian) to visit. Delinda and Derek hit it off and it leaves Danny out in the cold. Casey also sends the cast on a team building exercise, paint balling. In the final two episodes of the season, the biggest story is about Delinda, Derek, and wedding vows. In "Fidelity, Security, Delivery", she agrees to marry him. Sam and Woody also go away for a romantic weekend while Danny and Mike spy on some guests' wives. In the season finale, "Father of the Bride" there is a lot going on. First off, Delinda's wedding is in the works with the wedding planning, a wild bachelorette party and twelve male strippers, a dull bachelor party and no strippers, choosing the maid of honor and best man, and dealing with past romances, e.g. Danny and Delinda. The fun part about the wedding is Danny and Sam's competition to be the firsts to get a date. However, the real meat of the episode is about Ed and his CIA past. Two spooks come to Vegas to try to get Ed to work on an operation that he thought was over twenty years ago.

Overall, the season three episodes of Las Vegas are both entertaining and engaging. The characters are all animated and lively, which is partly what makes this show so enjoyable. In addition to the main cast, there are lots fun guest stars and supporting roles (some celebrities and some not), and their antics give the show a comical edge in addition to the show's racy, sexy appeal. The stories are the weak link in the show. The stories tend to be somewhat narrow, as a lot of material is fit into a single episode and it is repetitive in nature. Regardless, the season three episodes are entertaining and should keep you coming back for more.

Episode Guide
1. Viva Las Vegas
2. Fake the Money and Run
3. Double Down, Triple Threat
4. Whatever Happened to Seymour Magoon?
5. Big Ed De-Cline
6. The Real McCoy
7. Everything Old Is You Again
8. Bold, Beautiful and Blue
9. Mothwoman
10. For Sail by Owner
11. Down and Dirty
12. Bait and Switch
13. The Bitch Is Back
14. And Here's Mike with the Weather
15. Urban Legends
16. Coyote Ugly
17. Lyle & Substance
18. Like a Virgin
19. Cash Springs Eternal
20. All Quit on the Montecito Front
21. Chaos Theory
22. Fidelity, Security, Delivery
23. Father of the Bride

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 noticeable compression artifacts. Overall, the picture is relatively clean and should look good on big screen televisions.

Audio:
The audio track in this release is in English 5.1 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:
For extras, there is not much. There is a gag reel, a featurette, and some trailers. The "Gag Reel" is approximately seven minutes of filming goofs, some shots of bare female chests, and the cast acting all-around silly. It is a pretty fun clip to watch. "In With the New" is a pretty worthless extra. It is two and a half minutes of footage of the new hotel set being built (not in real-time). It is uneventful and I am shocked I watched the entire thing. The trailers include Amazing Stories, The Incredible Hulk, Fear Factor, Saturday Night Live, Magnum P.I./The A-Team/Knight Rider, Battlestar Galatica, and Coach. The trailers can be watched individually or all at once via the play all option.

Final Thoughts:
Las Vegas is a fun and engaging television series about the sexy, racy Vegas lifestyle, or at least the lifestyle from the perspective of the people who operate behind the scenes at hotels and casinos. The stories typically have a dramatic tone with a dash of action and several comical moments to keep you laughing. The material is written in a way to be engaging and leave you wanting more. And while some of the stories (and characters) are fluffy and unrealistic, it is done is a way you can enjoy. However while I praise the show, I was disappointed to not see more complex story arcs. There were story arcs, but they tended not to be very big. In the end, Las Vegas: Season Three - Uncut & Uncensored is worth the money. You will like the characters, enjoy the storylines, and finish wanting more.

Note these DVDs are uncut and uncensored. While watching the season episodes, I did not notice any foul language you won't already find on network television, but there were a few of scenes with topless girls scattered throughout the episodes.

LAS VEGAS SEASON 2 DVD TALK REVIEW

Following up on what was one of the best debut seasons of 2003-2004 TV season would normally be a tricky endeavor, however for the back to basics Las Vegas, it was an easy task to avoid the sophomore slump. The reason it was so easy is that like TV shows of past, it followed a tried and true formula and essentially ended the same every week. Now sure it was a predicable show, with the good guys always coming out on top, but the way in which it's presented to the view is what makes Las Vegas a hit.

Returning to Sin City are Josh Duhamel as Danny McCoy, an ex-Marine who was called back into active duty in the finale of season one; James Caan in a great role as the boss, Ed Deline; Molly Sims as his ditsy with a genius IQ daughter, Delinda; the beautiful in her curly hair Marsha Thomason as pit boss Nessa; Nikki Cox as Mary, long time friend and love interest to Danny; Vanessa Marcil, the dream of all whales in Vegas as one of the top casino hosts in Vegas, Same Marquez; and rounding out the main cast of season two, James Lesure as the jack of all trades engineer who moonlights as a valet, Mike Cannon.

The story for each episode sets up the same, there's a problem of sorts be it card counters, security systems being breached or even money being laundered through the fictional Montecito Casino. Have no fear however, as the fearless group of co-workers and friends eventually band together to solve whatever mystery unfolds before the final commercial break, ending with the group all together having a last laugh at the events of the day, like a modern day Love Boat or Scooby Doo mystery.

Season Two consists of twenty four episodes spread across three double sided DVDs, with obviously no artwork on the DVD itself. Each side contains four episodes, each with their own little sub menu that has a brief summary of the episode you're about to watch, which is a nice feature to help you remember if you've seen an episode previously. One thing that this series does not have a shortage of, well aside from gratuitous cleavage, is guest stars whose appearance sometimes takes on more than a short cameo. The list of guest stars this season is: Michael Buble, George Hamilton, The Black Eyed Peas, Jill Hennessy and Jerry O'Connell in their crossover episode with Crossing Jordan, Alec Baldwin, The Polyphonic Spree, Michael Lowry, Duran Duran, Jay Mohr, Dean Cain, The Pussycat Dolls, Dale Foley, Jon Lovitz, Snoop Dogg, even Gladys Knight and Jon Bon Jovi make appearances.

I've only got two nitpicks with this DVD season set the first being the Universal Logo that is played before every single episode you watch. Is it not enough that we see the logo during the initial boot up of the DVD? The second nitpick which really would have been nice was the first half of the crossover episode that Crossing Jordan and Las Vegas did one third of the way through the season, instead we only get the episode we have here, and lose out on half the story like why the characters are in Vegas. Seems minor, but would have really helped out with continuity.

The DVD:
1. Have You Ever Seen the Rain?
2. The Count of Montecito
3. Blood Is Thicker
4. Catch of the Day
5. Good Run of Bad Luck
6. Games People Play
7. Montecito Lancers
8. Two of a Kind (Crossing Jordan crossover)
9. Degas Away with It
10. Silver Star
11. My Beautiful Launderette
12. When You Gotta Go...
13. Sperm Whales and Spearmint Rhinos
14. The Lie Is Cast
15. Whale of a Time
16. Can You See What I See?
17. Tainted Love
18. To Protect and Serve Manicotti
19. One Nation, Under Surveillance
20. Hit Me!
21. Hide And Sneak
22. Letters, Lawyers and Loose Women
23. Magic Carpet Fred
24. Centennial


How's it look:

The transfer and print on Las Vegas: Season Two is a pristine anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1) presentation that didn't fail to impress me throughout the season. But this should be expected being only months since the finale to the season was mere months ago. Colors were as sharp as they were in the initial broadcast, and I did not notice any type of pixelation or edge enhancement.

How's the Sound:

The episodes themselves sound great in the 5.1 Dolby Digital option offered, with the surrounds used quite well especially in the casino, with ambient noise coming from them helping to immerse the viewer into the casino.

One huge disappointment on this release which was carried over from the first DVD set is the opening song that plays during the credits was altered. The new song just doesn't have the same punch and beat that the broadcast opening had, so that removes some of the enjoyment from viewing.

Extras:

A fairly weak package of extras on this release with only two features to watch. First up is a nearly fifteen blooper and gag reel that encompasses both season one and two. I'm assuming that this is where NBC decided that they could add the Uncut & Uncensored, because all the flubs that involve colorful language are in here, uncensored. Sure some other in episode footage might linger on cleavage a little longer, but after watching most episodes in their original run and then again here, I was hard pressed to see any major differences.

The other feature is a guided walk through of the Palms casino, which is featured quite prominently throughout the show. The interesting part about this is the ability to see into some of the high roller suites that the likes of us normal people would never get to see into.

Closing Thoughts:

For fans of the series, this is a good collection, but not exactly a great one, thanks to the exclusion of the originally aired title music. That coupled with the fact that it's quite light in the extras department detract from the DVD, but not enough to take away an excellent second season of a very fun, entertaining and mindless TV series that still has me tuning in every Monday night. Recommended.

LAS VEGAS SEASON 1 UNCUT AND UNCENSORED DVD TALK REVIEW

The Movie:

One of the better recent new television shows, "Las Vegas" is a much-needed boost for NBC - a quality show that seamlessly slips between comedy and drama, while managing to bounce between several subplots in every episode. It's a fun series that looks slick and sleek, yet all its whip pans and zooms and creative editing choices don't overwhelm well-constructed stories and compelling characters.

The show takes place at the Montecito casino and hotel in Las Vegas. Ruled over with an iron fist by former CIA operative Ed Deline (James Caan), the place runs smoothly, despite a series of con artists, criminals and other riff-raff that find their way through the doors. Danny McCoy (Josh Duhamel) is in charge of security and is Ed's extra pair of eyes and ears on the floor of the casino. As the series opens, Danny has just screwed up big time, getting caught sleeping with Delinda (Molly Sims), who Danny finds out is Ed's daughter. Although Danny eventually gets back into Ed's good side, he gets tested in "Semper Spy", where Ed's "vacation" turns out to be an excuse to watch Danny try to solve a series of rather major issues, including having hundreds of guests locked out of their room.

The series doesn't start off on the right foot with the pilot episode, which has some fun with Danny getting caught, then becomes a bit sluggish as it focuses on Danny going into a basic sleuth mission looking for a missing high roller. As the first season goes on, however, the show finds more for supporting players Nikki Cox (as an event planner), James Leisure (as a head valet and security worker that knows everything and everyone) and Marsha Thomason (as a sharp-tongued pit boss). There's also some fantastic guest star appearances, as well. Alec Baldwin (as a former CIA friend of Ed's that's now working in security) is absolutely phenomenal up against Caan. Baldwin's guest ep - "Hellraisers and Heartbreakers" - is one of the show's best in its run so far. Jean-Claude Van Damme also turns up as himself, filming a movie at the casino when an accident occurs during a stunt. Musical guests include Brooks and Dunn, who are actually pretty amusing in their non-singing scenes. Even the bit part casting is excellent, as many of the more unknown actors who come up for bit parts, such as people looking for romance or trying to restart their lives at the tables, are quite good.

Overall, "Las Vegas" is a fun series that offers a balance between the visual flash and flair of "Vegas" and good, fun and often compelling stories. The performances from the cast are great and the whole ensemble has good chemistry. Hopefully, the creators can keep coming up with great stories for these characters because, more often than not, the first season is a jackpot.

The DVD release of the series promotes itself as being "uncut and uncensored", but there really doesn't seem to be too much "wild" footage, which isn't surprising, given that well, this is a TV show. However, there is another issue - the opening credits have been changed: now there is a different tune instead of the remix of the Elvis track "A Little Less Conversation", which worked so well to open the show. Bit of a bummer.

2. Pilot
3. What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas
4. Donny, We Hardly Knew Ye
5. Jokers and Fools
6. Groundhog Summer
7. Semper Spy
8. Pros and Cons
9. Luck Be a Lady
10. Year of the Tiger
11. Decks and Violence
12. Blood and Sand
13. Hellraisers and Heartbreakers
14. The Night the Lights Went Out in Vegas
15. Things That Go Jump in the Night
16. Die Fast, Die Furious
17. New Orleans
18. You Can't Take It with You
19. Nevada State
20. Sons and Lovers
21. The Strange Life of Bob
22. Family Jewels
23. The Big Bang
24. Always Faithful


The DVD

VIDEO: "Las Vegas" is presented by Universal in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen for this DVD release. All 23 episodes are presented across three dual-sided/single-layer DVDs. The video quality is merely good, which is a little bit of a disappointment. Sharpness and detail are generally satisfying, although small object detail is a bit lacking at times. Definition is a little inconsistent though, with some scenes looking better than others. The picture seems just a touch on the dark side, as well, which takes away from the sparkle of Vegas a bit.

Some other concerns present themselves, as well. Some mild edge enhancement is visible fairly often, as are some minor traces of pixelation. The elements are in fine condition though, with no wear or damage. Colors look fine enough (as with the detail, sometimes better than others), but sometimes came up just under expectations. Flesh tones looked accurate and natural.

SOUND: "Las Vegas" is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. It's nice to have the series in 5.1, but the sound design isn't anything too extraordinary. There's some light ambience and occasional sound effects heard in the rear speakers, but the surrounds are mostly silent. Audio quality is fine, with well-recorded dialogue and effects and rich, dynamic-sounding music.

EXTRAS: There is a commentary on the pilot by creator Gary Scott Thompson and Actors James Lesure, Molly Sims, Nikki Cox and Marsha Thomason, one on "Hellraisers and Heartbreakers" by creator Gary Scott Thompson and actor James Caan, one on "The Night the Lights Went Out in Vegas" by creator Gary Scott Thompson and actor Vanessa Marcil and finally, one on "Always Faithful" by creator Gary Scott Thompson and actor Josh Duhamel. The pilot commentary is a little crowded, but the other tracks are usually fun and insightful, as the cast members and Thomson offer an informative discussion regarding sets, casting, the tight production schedule and other elements.

The second side of the third disc offers the majority of the featurettes. The first piece is the nearly 9-minute "Inside the Montecito", which takes a look at the sets of the series, with different actors and crew members showing the viewer around the different areas of the production. "Las Vegas: The Big Gamble" is a 20-minute look at the city itself, offering some of the history behind the neon.

Rounding out the supplements are some promos for the AFL (Arena Football League) (kind of a weird cross-promotion, I think) and Las Vegas (both the city and the show). On the first disc is "Rumble in the Montecito", which is a short film that promotes the AFL, as well.

Final Thoughts: "Las Vegas" is an entertaining series that often skips between genres and tones quite well - it's funny, thrilling, maybe even a little dramatic and emotional at times. The cast is outstanding and the show clicks far more often than not. Universal's DVD comes up a bit short in terms of video quality, but the audio is fine and the supplements are worthwhile. Recommended.

BLOOD DIAMOND DVD TALK REVIEW

This week's lesson in good citizenship comes from "Blood Diamond," the unsubtle film (with the unsubtle title) that is meant to make us think twice about buying diamonds. As one of the characters puts it, "People back home wouldn't buy a ring if they knew it cost someone a hand." But come on, what if the ring is really pretty and costs the requisite three months' salary? What's a girl to do?!

"An Inconvenient Truth" told us not to use so much gasoline, "Fast Food Nation" tried to guilt us into banishing hamburgers, and now diamonds are off the table, too. 2006 has indeed been a banner year for killjoy movies.

There is artistic merit in "Blood Diamond," though, at least to some extent. Directed by Important Issues filmmaker Edward Zwick ("Glory," "Courage Under Fire," "The Last Samurai"), it spotlights the brutality of the "conflict diamond" trade without seeming gratuitous or exploitative, and provides some fairly compelling personal stories to give it dramatic weight (something "Fast Food Nation," a similar agenda-oriented film, lacked).

It's set in 1999, with the African nation of Sierra Leone in a state of civil war over its vastly lucrative diamond mines. A radical anti-government group called the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) routinely invades villages to acquire new laborers for its diamond mining operations, an invaluable financial resource for its war efforts. They'll force able-bodied men to work for them, brainwash children into becoming gun-toting terrorists, and kill or maim everybody else.

Since legitimate diamond companies won't trade in gems with such a blood-soaked history, the RUF illegally transports them across the border into Liberia. (I won't tell you how they're smuggled, but the first thing you'll need is a goat.) That way, the multi-billion-dollar corporations that sell diamonds to the public can do so with a clean conscience: "These diamonds didn't come from Sierra Leone. They came from Liberia!" Plausible deniability helps everyone sleep better at night.

(All of this is as of 1999, by the way. Some things have changed since then, though conflict diamonds still account for 1 or 2 percent of the worldwide diamond trade.)

That's the background, all of which is conveyed effectively in Charles Leavitt's concise screenplay. The story involves Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Sierra Leone man who is forced into the mining camp by the RUF while his wife and daughters flee and his son, Dia (Kagiso Kuypers), is recruited for training. He escapes from the camp during a government attack, but not before hiding a massive diamond whose finding he neglected to report to his taskmasters.

He and his valuable hidden stone come to the attention of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), a Rhodesia-born smuggler and mercenary who longs to get off this continent for good, and Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), a do-gooder American journalist who wants to open the world's eyes to the travesty of the blood diamonds. Solomon wants to find his family and retrieve the diamond to keep it out of evil hands; Danny wants to sell the diamond for serious cash; and Maddy wants to use it as bait to catch one of the hypocritical diamond companies in the act of buying a gem they know is tainted. One stone, three purposes.

The movie finds drama in the conflicting personalities of Solomon and Danny. Solomon is an honest, decent man who can barely find the wherewithal to lie even when his life depends on it, while Danny will say or do anything if it furthers his goals. There's a nice arc for Danny as he gains some measure of redemption over the course of the film, and DiCaprio acquits himself well enough, even handling the white-African accent better than the film's advertisements would lead you to believe.

Hounsou, best known for "Amistad" and "In America" (for which he was Oscar-nominated), brings his characteristic intensity to the role of Solomon. Hounsou tends to play men with dignity and gravitas, wounded by the stings of fate but stoic in the face of adversity. "Blood Diamond" has him cry out in anguish a few too many times, I think -- one such jarring outburst goes a long way -- but it's an earnest, solid performance.

The relationship between Danny and Maddy is underdeveloped and unnecessary, the fine acting of Jennifer Connelly notwithstanding. Her character plays a vital role in the film's story, though, highlighting the futility of media exposure when it comes to crises like these. You can wring your hands over the plight of these poor villagers, and maybe you'll even send a check to some humanitarian organization. But what good will it really do?

That bleak fact renders the film something of a wash. Our eyes are opened to the problem, but what are we supposed to do about it? The only way to be absolutely certain that your diamond didn't come at the cost of someone's life is to stop buying diamonds altogether -- yet that would have a catastrophic impact on a lot of legitimate (and fragile) world economies. Not all lessons in good citizenship are pleasant, I guess.

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS DVD TALK REVIEW

Mix "The Breakfast Club" with "Home Alone" and you get "Unaccompanied Minors," an agreeable, not-too-dumb kids' comedy about a handful of 12-year-olds stranded by a blizzard at an airport on Christmas Eve. It's a genius move, really: The target audience is too young to remember "Home Alone," let alone "The Breakfast Club," so the material might as well be brand-new!

The airport is the fictional Hoover International, set in an unnamed Midwestern state. (The film was shot in Salt Lake City, making it fun for a former Salt Laker such as myself to identify the sites used -- the central library and the Salt Palace, mainly.) It's the layover spot for thousands of last-minute travelers, including quite a few unaccompanied minors -- kids flying without a parent or guardian, in layman's terms. When the weather grounds all the flights, it's up to the crusty airport manager, Oliver (Lewis Black, always a good choice for a character described as "crusty"), to keep the UMs safe and supervised.

Most of UMs are whisked away to a nearby hotel for the night, but several had escaped the confines of the UM room at the airport (which looks like a daycare center gone mad) when the transport was made. Those several are our heroes: normal kid Spencer (Dyllan Christopher), rich pretty girl Grace (Gina Mantegna), rebel girl Donna (Quinn Shephard), nervous nerd Charlie (Tyler James Williams, star of TV's "Everybody Hates Chris"), and silent weirdo Beef (Bret Kelly). Having missed the shuttle to the hotel, they're now forced to stay in the unaccompanied minors room all night, supervised by a young, hapless airport employee named Zach (Wilmer Valderrama).

But there's a problem: Spencer's bratty little sister DID go to the hotel, and he can't leave her alone! He promised their mom he'd take care of her! The hotel is apparently within easy walking distance of the airport, so Spencer and his new friends band together to escape from Zach and Oliver and make their way to it.

(You ask: If the hotel is so close, why can't someone just drive the kids over to it? Why do they have to stay at the airport? Is it punishment for missing the shuttle? Shh! You ask too many questions!)

The screenplay, by Jacob Meszaros and Mya Stark (the first feature credit for both of them), is nothing special. The kids perpetrate schemes that are increasingly slapsticky and increasingly less believable, and the Christmas schmaltz gets played up a lot near the end. But hey, 'tis the season, right? Besides, the director is Paul Feig, creator of TV's "Freaks & Geeks" and a regular director of "The Office" and "Arrested Development." That explains why cast members from those shows pop up all over the place, as do several performers from "Kids in the Hall" and "The Daily Show." That's a lot of cool street cred for a formulaic tween comedy, and if Feig is working below his usual cleverness level here (you gotta pay the bills, after all), at least he and the kids seem to be having fun doing it.

APOCALYPTO DVD TALK REVIEW

"Apocalypto" is a crazy film. It is the work of a crazy person, a raving lunatic whose name is Mel Gibson. Even without his Jew-bashing escapades earlier this year -- and honestly, is it possible to TOTALLY disregard that when viewing his work now? -- Gibson's latest would still seem bizarre, almost unique in its mixture of over-the-top bloodletting, ambitious storytelling, and lowbrow slapstick humor.

Slapstick humor? In an action-oriented tale of survival in 15th-century America? How does THAT fit? Well, it doesn't, really, but that's part of Gibson's fascinatingly insane mentality. Gibson likes Three Stooges buffoonery and bawdy sex jokes, and thus so do the Mayans in his movie.

Mel is fond of the violence, too, as his two most recent directorial works -- "Braveheart" and "The Passion of the Christ" -- have amply demonstrated. Not just violence, either, but torturous, graphic violence, performed by malicious villains who want to see their victims suffer. "Apocalypto" is chockablock with such mayhem, though Gibson is occasionally restrained in the way he shows it, often cutting away rather than depicting it unflinchingly. Still, though: plenty of violence. Make no mistake. In one laughably crude shot, we see things from the point of view of a head that has just been severed and is bouncing away.

Performed in the Mayan tongue (with English subtitles) by mostly non-professional actors, the story's hero is Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), a young husband and hunter whose wife (Dalia Hernandez) is pregnant with their second child. When their village is ravaged by another tribe, Jaguar Paw hides the missus and their son in a pit and rejoins the fight, only to be captured with his fellow men and dragged back to the opposing tribe's compound of temples and pyramids, where ritual sacrifices are on the agenda.

The second half of the film has sparse dialogue and focuses on a "Most Dangerous Game"-style hunt through the forest, with Jaguar Paw attempting single-handedly to defeat his enemies and save his family like a pre-Columbian Rambo. These scenes are thrillingly shot, just as the temple sequence is nightmarish and gory, and the ravage of the village is intense and unsettling. No question, it's an entertaining motion picture, an expensive production with cheap sensibilities (more violence = more fun) that manages to be both artsy-fartsy and just fartsy.

So what's the point? Who knows. There are hints of parallels to modern times, vague suggestions of things that might have caused the Mayan decline, and some strange sexual metaphors in the playful early scenes involving one of Jaguar Paw's hapless tribesmen. The violence is repellant, and it's hard not to become disgusted with Gibson's arrogance and megalomania: It's his money, and he'll by-gum make this historical epic as vulgar and whacked-out as he wants. I say let him. It's fascinating to see what a millionaire does with his money when he doesn't care what people think anymore.

THE HOLIDAY DVD TALK REVIEW

I respect that writer/director Nancy Meyers can churn out safe, cozy mass entertainment that racks up big box office, and seems to favor the female audience ("What Women Want," "Something's Gotta Give"). However, I'm still waiting for Meyers to make a picture that doesn't make my skin crawl and my brain turn to mush.

Englishwoman Iris (Kate Winslet) is frustrated in love, nurturing affection for an engaged man (Rufus Sewell) who loves to prey on her feelings. Searching for a getaway, she finds a website where she can exchange houses with another lost soul for a brief period of time. The ideal candidate is Amanda (Cameron Diaz), a high strung Los Angeles movie professional who is feeling the burn after a failed relationship. Flying to England, Amanda finds unexpected attraction in the arms of Iris's brother, Graham (Jude Law), while Iris soaks up the L.A. wonderland with help from a neighboring writer (Eli Wallach), and a film composer (Jack Black).

"Holiday" is relaxed, mid-tempo entertainment, and I don't fault it for aiming to please as many paying customers as it can. Where I think the picture, and the whole Meyers routine for that matter, goes wrong is in the execution. What the filmmaker has here is an extremely wordy screenplay, modeled after the more lightly screwball comedies of yesteryear, but no real plan of attack.

The story might seem a simple one of romance and personal inventory, but Meyers inflates it to unwieldy size, bloating out the film to 135 minutes. I enjoyed the character detail, but when the focus isn't on furthering the personalities and their dreams, Meyers fills the blank spots with scenes that can only be described as "dorky." The audience is subjected to not one, but two moments where our female leads have to "rock out" to a song they've selected; Winslet humiliated further by having to play air guitar with a pillow in bed. Meyers also instructs these women to squeal like schoolgirls when they find success, which, for the often bracing appeal of Cameron Diaz, is not a good idea. The less squealing she does, the better.

It takes quite a while for "Holiday" to settle down, but once it finds those calm grooves, the Christmasy, red-wine mood of the film assumes control. Meyers is blessed with the casting of Kate Winslet, who energizes the film with her spunk and inherent sweetness. Winslet works an almost Harry Potteresque feat by making her character feel real in a screenplay that gobbles artifice like M&Ms. She expresses Iris's heartbreak and romantic whiffing with authenticity and survives Meyers's bizarre attempts to make an ass out of her.

Diaz, by comparison, is a total spaz. Miscast as a Hollywood icon of power, Diaz never settles down in the role, mugging her way around the film in sharply irritating ways.

The boys do what they can with their bluntly drawn roles, but Meyers's has assigned these gentlemen halos right from the start, leaving any hope for character dimension thrown right out of the window. Law plays the ideal single man: wounded in love and successful, yet needy in domestic requirements. Combine that with Law's dazzling good looks, and the character might as well have "I cuddle after sex" tattooed on his forehead.

On the other hand, Black plays the likable, non-threatening tubby schmo with a "that's not a banana in my pocket" weirdness. Especially coming after the Tenacious D movie, it's bizarre to watch Black in soft-spoken, boyfriend mode. Mercifully Meyers's lets the old Black out to play for a handful of scenes; only then do you register the charms that appeal to Iris.

Eventually, "Holiday" reveals itself to be a valentine to older cinema values; to the purity of screen romance. This aesthetic is embodied by legendary actor Eli Wallach, who plays an old guard screenwriter, heartsick over the way the film business is conducted today. Actually, Wallach isn't so much a character, but a ridiculous mouthpiece for Meyers's ham-fisted frustrations with modern Hollywood business practices. Why this material is plopped in the middle of a romantic comedy, only Meyers knows.

"The Holiday" is a fairytale; a healthy portion of romantic idealism to nibble on during the holiday season. If you can mentally block out the more extreme ideas for entertainment that Meyers constantly trips herself on, there's a minute glimmer of joy to be had from this frosty piece of cake. But you have to work awfully hard to find it.

X-MEN 3 DVD TALK REVIEW

The Story So Far...
Though the exploits of Charles Xavier and his school of mutants have been hugely popular as a comic-book franchise for decades, until Bryan Singer got his hands on them, they were relegated to just a few decent cartoon series. Then, the director, and an all-star cast, put together one of the best comic-book movies ever, and followed it with a sequel that was just as entertaining. The films have been released a number of times in the years since, and DVDTalk has reviews of them: X-MenGeoffrey Kleinman | Aaron Beierle; X-Men 1.5: Aaron Beierle | Jason Bovberg; X2: David Blair | Aaron Beierle

The Movie
When I first saw X-Men, I was ecstatic. This was everything I had ever wanted in a superhero movie: a great storyline, fantastic actors, excellent special effects and some loyalty to the source material. Then, they followed it up with X2 and I was hardly disappointed, as they built on everything the first film introduced, and ended on a terrific moment that brought both films to an appropriate conclusion. So when it was announced that the man behind those first two films, director Bryan Singer, was moving on to work on his Superman film, my hopes for X3 fell a bit. The announcement of Matthew Vaughn joining the crew left me indifferent, but when he left shortly before production started, and was replaced by Rush Hour director Brett Ratner, I wrote off X3 as something of a pointless sequel.

I have enjoyed many of Ratner's films, but nothing he's done told me he had what it took to tackle the challenge and expectations, especially under the circumstances that saw him join the film. But, it's the X-Men, and the cast is essentially the same, so I was certainly going to give it a chance. That chance paid off as Ratner overcame the obstacles to pull together a high-energy, entertaining popcorn movie that was just as action-packed as its prequels. This film certainly doesn't have the same subtexts (for example, using mutant powers as a metaphor for homosexuality) or complexities of character, but if you just want to see a mega mutant melee, this is the right movie for you.

Picking up from the finale of the second film, X3 explores the effects of Jean Grey's (Famke Janssen) actions and what they have done to the team. They still call Xavier's school home, but something is off. When Cyclops (James Marsden) takes off to cope with his pain and some odd thoughts in his head, it begins to reveal just what happened at the end of the second film. Another plot, featuring the introduction of Angel, the winged mutant, sees a "cure" for mutant powers developed, which creates a rift among the superpowered, some of whom want the drugs. Of course, the supervillain Magneto (Ian McKellan) sees this as a threat to his species, and forms a brotherhood of mutants in an effort to stop the cure's production. Along the way, his path crosses with that of Jean Grey's story, creating a double-barrel case of trouble for the X-Men.

While a scene in which Xavier and Magneto argue to gain control of Jean Grey's powers is as dramatic, compelling and visually exciting as anything in the trilogy, the majority of the film comes off as answers in search of questions, as big action scenes without much motivation or reason are linked together by scenes desperately attempting to explaining them. There's no arguing that the displays of superpowers aren't examples of great action filmmaking, but cohesive it's not. It's Ratner's inexperience with quiet, emotional scenes and the screenwriters' seemingy apparent lack of interest in such moments that robs X3 of the power the other X films have, with the exception of Angel's emotional first apearance. The Rogue/Iceman love story, which could have anchored the film the way the Iceman/Pyro story did in X2, is given half-hearted treatment, and there's nothing nearly as earnest as the "coming out" scene in X2.

On the acting side of the ledger, most of the recurring cast is going through the motions established in the previous movies, though Hugh Jackman manages to still command the screen without doing anything all that different. Ellen Page (Hard Candy) is a nice addition as Kitty Pride, playing the part of the rookie with the right amount of insecurity, while the supervillains seem to get the most fun, showing a wide range of powers and looks. Only Vinnie Jones, in a thankless role as the musclebound Juggernaut, and Halle Barry, as the team leader and comedic lightning-rod Storm, will want to leave this film off their resume, as neither advanced their causes as actors. It's amazing how the character of Storm simply doesn't work well, but considering it's been two directors and a host of writers so far and just one actress, it might just be her fault.

It may sound like I'm slamming this film, and I will admit I displayed the trademark behavior of the frustrated filmgoer--making fun of the film while it played--but I definitely enjoyed X3 as mindless entertainment. It's simply a guilty pleasure, but after the first two films, this movie should have aspired to be more than that. That's the film's biggest sin: it's not a Bryan Singer film, it's a Brett Ratner film. Other than that, it's a good time.

The DVD
Fox is releasing X3 in two versions, a standard edition, and a collector's edition that comes with a 100-page book. DVDTalk reviewed the standard version in September of 2006 (review). This release also arrives on one disc, which is packed in the same standard keepcase, though the keepcase is inside of a cardstock slipcase, which has a gatefold cover, featuring a nice wide photo of the film's stars. The slipcase, which also holds the bonus booklet (see The Extras), is inside of a clear acetate slipcover that's embossed with one of Wolverine's claws. It's certainly an attractive package. Popping the DVD into your player, you get the choice to join Magneto's brotherhood or take a stand with the X-Men, which affects which animated, anamorphic widescreen menus you see. These menus, which feature well-used surround sound effects, are nicely done, but whoever thought to use a yellow cursor highlight on an orange background wasn't doing any favors to the viewer.

The menus offer a choice to watch the film, select scenes, adjust languages and check out the special features. Language options include English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and DTS 6.1 ES tracks and French and Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0, while subtitles are available in English and Spanish, along with closed captioning.

The Quality
For this release, we received a final retail version, so the anamorphic widescreen video wasn't affected by the watermarks put on screener copies of X3. The image is uniformly high in quality, with excellent color, a top-notch level of detail and none of the digital artifacts seen in the previous version. The high-energy action scenes, like the training missions in the Danger Room show none of the problems seen before. There's also no dirt or damage present. The only downside at all is some softness in the transfer, though that may have been present in the original film.

This disc features the same sound, with is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and DTS 6.1 ES. While the 5.1 track is very good, delivering an enveloping soundfield that makes good use of the sides and rear speakers, via panning and solid mixing, it's the DTS track that makes this movie the most fun to listen to. This is an action blockbuster, first and foremost, and that means an all-out aural assault via every speaker, as the fight scenes fill the room with rich, deep sound effects and music. Turn up your system, hope the neighbors aren't home and feel the rumble of the bass and the you-are-there experience.

The Extras
The pickings are pretty slim here, making it seem that a better version (3.5?) is coming someday in the near future. The main bonus features are a pair of feature-length audio commentaries. First up is director Brett Ratner and writers Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg, who are basically just hanging out watching the flick. Considering how Ratner ended up on this project and how intense his schedule must have been, I expected much more in terms of the information provided, but they barely scratch the surface of the film. The second track, a producers get-together with Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter, doesn't provide much more insight, sticking to what it took to make a scene come together. No one willing to discuss the directors' revolving door? How about addressing the Halle Berry issue? These "isn't that great" tracks just aren't cutting it anymore.

The remainder of the extras is made up of deleted scenes, which is where things get interesting. Apparently, there are different versions of this DVD available, some with 10 scenes, some with 21. The standard edition we reviewed had 10 scenes, but this collector's edition has 21, which the additional scenes being mainly additional violence or small character moments. On the whole, they really should be called extended/alternate takes, because that's just what they are. Some of them, like the longer fight scenes, are interesting due to the increased mayhem, but they are mostly superfluous, as the movie overdoes many of these moments already. These scenes can be viewed as a group or individually, with or without commentary, by Ratner, Penn and Kinberg. Some are so short they don't get to say much, while others see the trio just chatting. Also in here are a trio of alternate endings, parts of which ended up in the final film, and one that serves as a set-up for a sequel.

Also on the disc are two X3 trailers, a "24" trailer, three trailers for other Fox Marvel films, and two previews of upcoming Fox projects. A trailer for "A Night at the Museum" is joined by an animatic from "The Simpsons Movie."

In this collector's edition DVD, a perfect-bound booklet is also included, which has reprints of "X-Men" issues number one, four and nine, each with a new introduction by Stan Lee, along with a new story about Lee, featuring Xavier and Magneto. It's cute, but is mostly a wrap-up of the X-Men's history, with art by Ron Lim, Ben Oliver, Ron Frenz, Klaus Janson, Sean Chen, John Romita, Jr., Pasqual Ferry, Leinil Francis Yu, Howard Chaykin and Brandon Peterson. I wouldn't consider this a must-have.

The Bottom Line Nothing against Brett Ratner, but X-Men movies need a director who can make the epic feel intimate, something Singer does with ease. Though it's a let-down from the previous two films' ability to mix an intelligent story with kick-ass action, this is still a solid superhero flick, with some wild, if overdone battles and more new mutants that you can shake a sharp, regenerated arm bone at. Compared to the first two films' DVDs, the disc feels like the opening act to an eventual double-dip, with much fewer extras than those releases. And compared to the standard edition, the collector's edition feels pretty hollow, considering you're paying an extra 10 dollars for some fancy packaging and a comic booklet. Once you get inside though, the video can now be considered quite good, and the audio will rock your socks. If you're a casual fan of Professor X's gang, a rental should do you fine, so you can kill time until a more impressive release arrives. The hardcore fans might not be able to hold off though, and they should stick to the standard edition, as this just isn't worth the expense.

FRIENDS THE COMPLETE SERIES DVD TALK REVIEW

As one of the longest-running and most successful American sitcoms in television history, David Crane and Marta Kauffman's Friends (1994-2004) amassed a huge following during its ten-season run. Revolving around a group of six friends in New York City, the series never broke a great deal of ground in the heavily-tread genre; instead, it simply persevered with sharp writing, entertaining stories and memorable moments. Fans of Friends grew to love the characters as they waded through the confusing late twenties / early thirties stage of life, from the earliest glimpses of real independence to the reality of settling down with a family (or staying single, whatever). Through weddings, births, new jobs and plenty of running gags, the polished formula and popular momentum made Friends an easy show to get comfortable with.

The series has been released on DVD a number of times already, from the popular multi-disc season sets to the slimmed-down Best of Friends collections and even a few themed releases ("The One With All the Weddings", etc.). Loyal owners of each and every season set could even purchase a deluxe wooden box to house their prized possessions, but only if they had plenty of shelf space available. Friends: The Complete Series is simply the same gift wrapped in more compact packaging, so any fans fretting about a double-dip shouldn't worry: this one's strictly aimed at those who haven't bought many of the seasons yet (and rabid collectors with $200 to spare, of course). Either way, you've been warned.

Though the organization of the series is somewhat odd at first glance, the included booklet (tucked inside the box) indexes every last bit of included content...so don't lose it. It includes the complete list of episode names, numbers, credits and descriptions; this is of major importance, since the discs themselves only list the numbers. The actual discs include the same content as the original releases---from the menu designs to the bonus features---though they sport all-new artwork. All 10 seasons are divided among six hardbound "books" (which hold roughly 7 discs apiece), featuring photos of each of the main characters. So while it might take a minute to find out what disc "The One With Joey's New Brain" is on (Disc 27!), those who favor chronological marathons shouldn't notice much of a difference.

From "The Pilot" to "The Last One", this gargantuan release is the most economical way to get all 236 episodes in one handy package. For additional help navigating the maze, I've assembled a complete index of this collection's content, organized book-by-book and disc-by-disc. All discs with additional extras have been marked with a star (*), though the actual bonus features will be covered in more detail later on. WARNING: Many, many spoilers are ahead, as if it weren't painfully obvious.

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(Episodes #1-43)

This first book takes us from the pilot episode to three-quarters of the way through Season Two. Most fans of the series are more than familiar with the earlier days of Friends; they naturally show their age, placing this show squarely in the early 1990s. Though it would take several more seasons for Friends to get completely comfortable in its own skin, there are several standout episodes along the way, including the first of many two-part episodes, the first of many Thanksgiving celebrations and the first romance between two of the main characters. Also of note is the post-Super Bowl episode, which remains the most-watched episode of Friends (though its season-long ratings were more consistent in later years). Even with a few stumbles along the way, it's easy to see here that Friends got off to a great start, paving the way for even more consistent future seasons.

Of course, what sitcom would be complete without the occasional guest appearance? During its ten-year lifespan, Friends featured a lineup of familiar (and soon-to-be familiar) faces that rivaled The Simpsons for pure name value. Guest stars for this batch of episodes include Elliott Gould, Hank Azaria, Morgan Fairchild, Jay Leno, John Lovitz, Helen Hunt, George Clooney, Noah Wyle, Jennifer Grey, Chrissie Hynde, Harry Shearer, Jonathan Silverman, Steve Zahn, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael McKean, Mrs. Roper, Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dan Castellaneta, Chris Isaak and more. Whew!

Book One Episode Listing

Disc One - SEASON ONE BEGINS - Pilot, "The One With the Sonogram at the End", "The One With the Thumb", "The One With George Stephanopoulos, "The One With the East German Laundry Detergent", "The One With the Butt"

Disc Two - "The One With the Blackout", "The One Where Nana Dies Twice", "The One Where Underdog Gets Away", "The One With the Monkey", "The One With Mrs. Bing", "The One With the Dozen Lasagnas"

Disc Three - "The One With the Boobies", "The One With the Candy Hearts", "The One With the Stoned Guy", "The One With the Two Parts" (Parts 1 & 2), "The One With All the Poker"

Disc Four* - "The One Where the Monkey Gets Away", "The One With the Evil Orthodontist", "The One With the Fake Monica", "The One With the Ick Factor", "The One With the Birth", "The One Where Rachel Finds Out"

Disc Five - SEASON TWO BEGINS - "The One With Ross' New Girlfriend", "The One With the Breast Milk", "The One Where Heckles Dies", "The One With Phoebe's Husband", "The One With Five Steaks and an Eggplant", "The One With the Baby on the Bus"

Disc Six - "The One Where Ross Finds Out", "The One With the List", "The One With Phoebe's Dad", "The One With Russ", "The One With the Lesbian Wedding", "The One After the Superbowl" (Parts 1 & 2)

Disc Seven - "The One With the Prom Video", "The One Where Ross and Rachel...You Know", "The One Where Joey Moves Out", "The One Where Eddie Moves In", "The One Where Dr. Ramoray Dies", "The One Where Eddie Won't Go"

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(Episodes #44-79)

The second book closes out Season Two, runs through Season Three and begins the fourth year. Along the way, we're treated to a handful of episodes featuring Tom Selleck, Chandler dealing with his frequent Janice relationship, Phoebe's haunted dollhouse, the infamous "Smelly Cat" commercial, the Thanksgiving football showdown and the continued saga of Ross and Rachel's relationship. It's a fairly solid group of episodes, all things considered; Friends was a series that seemed to refine its formula and cast chemistry gradually, which would soon come to fruition during its most popular years.

This time around, Friends doesn't seem to rely on guest stars as much, though several participants return as their respective characters over the next few years. Guest stars for this batch of episodes include Tom Selleck, Adam Goldberg, Charlie Sheen David Arquette, Isabella Rosselini, Sherilyn Fenn, Jon Favreau, Ben Stiller, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Teri Garr, Penn Gillette, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and more.

Book Two Episode Listing

Disc Eight* - "The One Where Old Yeller Dies", "The One With the Bullies", "The One With Two Parties", "The One With the Chicken Pox", "The One With Barry & Mindy's Wedding"

Disc Nine - SEASON THREE BEGINS - "The One With the Princess Leia Fantasy", "The One Where No One's Ready", "The One With the Jam", "The One With the Metaphorical Tunnel", "The One With Frank, Jr.", "The One With the Flashback", "The One With the Race Car Bed"

Disc Ten - "The One With the Giant Poking Device", "The One With the Football", "The One Where Rachel Quits", "The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister", "The One With All the Jealousy", "The One Where Monica and Richard Are Friends"

Disc Eleven - "The One With Phoebe's Ex-Partner", "The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break", "The One the Morning After", "The One Without the Ski Trip", "The One With the Hypnosis Tape", "The One With the Tiny T-Shirt"

Disc Twelve* - "The One With the Dollhouse", "The One With a Chick and a Duck", "The One With the Screamer", "The One With Ross' Thing", "The One With the Ultimate Fighting Champion", "The One At the Beach"

Disc Thirteen - SEASON FOUR BEGINS – "The One With the Jellyfish", "The One With the Cat", "The One With the Cuffs", "The One With the Ballroom Dancing", "The One With Joey's New Girlfriend", "The One With the Dirty Girl"

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(Episodes #80-121)

The third book picks up Season Four partway through and continues to the end of Season Five. It's easy to see that Friends has really hit its stride by this point, featuring some of the series' best moments overall. Along the way, Monica and Chandler's relationship begins to blossom, Ross gets married (twice, sort of), Rachel starts another job, Joey chooses a meatball sub over his friends, we get another classic Thanksgiving episode, Ross loses his prized turkey sandwich and the series passes the 100th episode mark. It's quite possibly the best run of the series (closely tied with the Season 6-7 era, most of which is found in the next book), making it easy to see why Friends did so well during its "mid-life crisis".

There seems to be even less reliance on guest appearances this time around, though Michael Rapaport's supporting role as a police officer is worth looking out for. Other guest stars for this batch of episodes include Charlton Heston, Fergie (the original), Olivia Williams, Hugh Laurie, George Newbern, Soleil Moon Frye, Joanna Gleason and more.

Book Three Episode Listing

Disc Fourteen - "The One Where Chandler Crosses the Line", "The One With Chandler in a Box", "The One Where They're Going to Party!", "The One With the Girl from Poughkeepsie", "The One With Phoebe's Uterus", "The One With the Embryos"

Disc Fifteen - "The One With Rachel's Crush", "The One With Joey's Dirty Day", "The One With All the Rugby", "The One With the Fake Party", "The One With the Free Porn", "The One With Rachel's New Dress"

Disc Sixteen* - "The One With All the Haste", "The One With All the Wedding Dresses", "The One With the Invitation", "The One With the Worst Best Man Ever", "The One With Ross' Wedding" (Parts 1 & 2)

Disc Seventeen - SEASON FIVE BEGINS - "The One After Ross Says Rachel", "The One With All The Kissing", "The One With the Triplets" (AKA "The One Hundredth", "The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS", "The One With the Kips", "The One With the Yeti", "The One Where Ross Moves In"

Disc Eighteen - "The One With All the Thanksgivings", "The One With Ross' Sandwich", "The One With the Inappropriate Sister", "The One With All the Resolutions", "The One With Chandler's Work Laugh", "The One With Joey's Bag"

Disc Nineteen - "The One Where Everybody Finds Out", "The One With the Girl Who Hits Joey", "The One With the Cop", "The One With Rachel's Inadvertent Kiss", "The One Where Rachel Smokes", "The One Where Ross Can't Flirt", "The One With the Ride-Along"

Disc Twenty* - "The One With the Ball", "The One With Joey's Big Break", "The One in Vegas" (Parts 1 & 2)

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(Episodes 122-164)

The fourth book starts strong and stays strong, kicking off with the Season 6 premiere and taking us through the bulk of Season 7. Along the way, Monica and Chandler's romance reaches a boiling point, Ross and Rachel drift slightly apart (annulment will do that to a couple), Joey hooks up with a dancer, we see "what could have been" during a classic two-part episode, Ross and Monica dance on Dick Clark's New Years' Eve special and Rachel finally turns 30 (which prompts a few amusing memories). Though Phoebe and Ross are slightly pushed to the background here, the rest of the main characters carry the weight nicely. As most sitcoms typically fizzle out after a few years, it's great to see that Friends wasn't just a late bloomer; already passing the 150th episode mark, this seven-disc run is home to plenty of great moments and milestones.

Guest stars for this batch of episodes include Ron Glass, Elle MacPherson, Reese Witherspoon, Bruce Willis, Kristin Davis, Eddie Cahill, Jason Alexander, Susan Sarandon, Gabrielle Union and more.

Book Four Episode Listing

Disc Twenty-One - SEASON SIX BEGINS - "The One After Vegas", "The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel", "The One With Ross' Denial", "The One Where Joey Loses His Insurance", "The One With Joey's Porsche", "The One On the Last Night"

Disc Twenty-Two - "The One Where Phoebe Runs", "The One With Ross' Teeth", "The One Where Ross Got High", "The One With the Routine", "The One With the Apothecary Table", "The One With the Joke"

Disc Twenty-Three - "The One With Rachel's Sister", "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry", "The One That Could Have Been" (Parts 1 & 2), "The One With Unagi", "The One Where Ross Dates a Student", "The One With Joey's Fridge"

Disc Twenty-Four* - "The One With Mac & C.H.E.E.S.E.", "The One Where Ross Meets Elizabeth's Dad", "The One Where Paul's the Man", "The One With the Ring", "The One With the Proposal" (Parts 1 & 2)

Disc Twenty-Five - SEASON SEVEN BEGINS - "The One With Monica's Thunder", "The One With Rachel's Book", "The One With Phoebe's Cookies", "The One With Rachel's Assistant", "The One With the Engagement Picture", "The One With the Nap Partners"

Disc Twenty-Six - "The One With Ross' Library Book", "The One Where Chandler Doesn't Like Dogs", "The One With All the Candy", "The One With the Holiday Armadillo", "The One With All the Cheesecakes", "The One Where They're Up All Night"

Disc Twenty-Seven - "The One Where Rosita Dies", "The One Where They All Turn Thirty", "The One With Joey's New Brain", "The One With the Truth About London", "The One With the Cheap Wedding Dress", "The One With Joey's Award"

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(Episodes 165-206)

The penultimate fifth book shows Friends entering its later years, running from the end of Season 7 all the way through the first half of Season 9. As the personal relationships between the characters have changed much over the years, this batch of episodes is much more rewarding for those who stuck with Friends from the very beginning. Along the way, we see a nice mix of stand-alone episodes, Chandler and Monica finally tie the knot, Joey hooks up with Rachel, Monica joins a cooking class, Rachel has a baby, no one proposes and Chandler shows a unique interest in shark documentaries. There are plenty of great moments here, but the consistent flow and energy from the last two seasons doesn't shine quite as brightly now; perhaps its due to the plateau in Monica and Chandler's relationship or the odd pairing of Joey and Rachel, but it seems as if the writers were occasionally grasping at straws during this seven-disc run. Even so, a potent amount of classic moments are still on board here, enough so that longtime fans of Friends shouldn't mind putting up with a few average episodes.

Guest stars for this batch of episodes include Denise Richards, Winona Ryder, Kathleen Turner, Alexis Arquette, Gary Oldman (sweet!), Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Alec Baldwin, Paul Rudd, Freddie Prinze Jr., Christina Applegate, Selma Blair, Dermot Mulroney and more.

Book Five Episode Listing

Disc Twenty-Eight* - "The One With Ross and Monica's Cousin", "The One With Rachel's Big Kiss", "The One With the Vows", "The One With Chandler's Dad", "The One With Monica and Chandler's Wedding (Parts 1 & 2)

Disc Twenty-Nine - SEASON EIGHT BEGINS - "The One After 'I Do'", "The One With the Red Sweater", "The One Where Rachel Tells...", "The One With the Videotape", "The One With Rachel's Date", "The One With the Halloween Party"

Disc Thirty - "The One With the Stain", "The One With the Stripper", "The One With the Rumor", "The One With Monica's Boots", "The One With Ross' Step Forward", "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel"

Disc Thirty-One - "The One Where Chandler Takes a Bath", "The One With the Secret Closet", "The One With the Birthing Video", "The One Where Joey Tells Rachel", "The One With the Tea Leaves", "The One in Massapequa"

Disc Thirty-Two* - "The One With Joey's Interview", "The One With the Baby Shower", "The One With the Cooking Class", "The One Where Rachel is Late", "The One Where Rachel Has a Baby" (Parts 1 & 2)

Disc Thirty-Three - SEASON NINE BEGINS - "The One Where No One Proposes", "The One Where Emma Cries", "The One With the Pediatrician", "The One With the Sharks", "The One With Phoebe's Birthday Dinner", "The One With the Male Nanny"

Disc Thirty-Four - "The One With Ross' Inappropriate Song", "The One With Rachel's Other Sister", "The One With Rachel's Phone Number", "The One With Christmas in Tulsa", "The One Where Rachel Goes Back to Work", "The One With Phoebe's Rats"

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(Episodes 207-236)

The sixth and final book brings the series to a close, finishing out the remainder of Season 9 and all of Season 10. Though most critics felt that the series should've gone out on top a few seasons back---especially as the new trend of reality TV was being shoved down our throats---this final run of episodes is still home to plenty of great moments and fond farewells. Along the way, Joey and Ross take turns pining for Rachel, Phoebe and Mike get hitched, Monica and Chandler get good news from the adoption agency, Gunther reveals his true feelings for a certain someone, Ross and Rachel reach a boiling point and the gang finally turns in their apartment keys. It's a relatively strong ending for the series---though some fans didn't care for the conclusion, much like the final episode of Seinfeld---and one that ties up as many loose ends as possible. All things considered, those who made it this far should be happy that the series ended on its own terms.

Guest stars for this batch of episodes include Jeff Goldblum, Aisha Tyler, John Stamos, Alex Borstein, Jennifer Coolidge, Greg Kinnear, Anna Faris, Danny DiVito, Donny Osmond, Ellen Pompeo, Dakota Fanning, Jane Lynch, John Rubinstein and more.

Book Six Episode Listing

Disc Thirty-Five - "The One Where Monica Sings", "The One With the Blind Dates", "The One With the Mugging", "The One With the Boob Job", "The One With the Memorial Service", "The One With the Lottery"

Disc Thirty-Six* - "The One With Rachel's Dream", "The One With the Soap Opera Party", "The One With the Fertility Test", "The One With the Donor", "The One in Barbados" (Parts 1 & 2)

Disc Thirty-Seven - SEASON TEN BEGINS - "The One After Joey and Rachel Kiss", "The One Where Ross is Fine", "The One With Ross' Tan", "The One With the Cake", "The One Where Rachel's Sister Baby-Sits", "The One With Ross' Grant"

Disc Thirty-Eight - "The One With the Home Study", "The One With the Late Thanksgiving", "The One With the Birth Mother", "The One Where Chandler Gets Caught", "The One Where the Stripper Cries", "The One With Phoebe's Wedding"

Disc Thirty-Nine - "The One Where Joey Speaks French", "The One With Princess Consuela", "The One Where Estelle Dies", "The One With Rachel's Going Away Party", "The Last One" (Parts 1 & 2)

Disc Forty* - Additional Bonus Features

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Presented (again) on DVD by Warner Bros., this massive 40-disc set doesn't add anything new in the technical department, though it's no big surprise. The show's A/V quality has always been a bit shaky---most notably during the first few seasons, of course---and the bulk of the bonus material is still a bit on the fluffy side. Either way, the slightly modified but familiar presentation is worth combing through a second time for those willing to throw down $200 for this well-stuffed collection. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Video & Audio Quality

As a simple repackaging job, it's no surprise to learn that this collection's technical presentation remains the same as past releases. On par with most TV-on-DVD sets in its class, Friends: The Complete Series looks a bit iffy at first and improves over time. The original 1.33:1 aspect ratio has been preserved, skin tones and other colors look natural and black levels are usually solid. Earlier episodes obviously aren't as sharp and clear (additionally, there's a fair amount of color bleeding and digital noise), but it's much harder to complain from Season 6 onward. Friends may aim fairly low in the visual department, but this DVD presentation shouldn't hamper your enjoyment one bit.

The audio is a similar story, as these front-heavy Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround mixes offer clear dialogue and music paired with good front channel separation. The toe-tapping theme song by The Rembrandts and the alt-rock scene transitions sound especially crisp and clear, while no music changes appear to have been made due to rights issues. Rear channel activity is limited to the occasional music cues and studio audience laughter, so don't expect anything spectacular and you'll be fine. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are included for the episodes only.

Menu Design, Presentation & Packaging Seen above, the menu designs appear to be the same as the original release, though a portion of the earlier menus aren't presented in anamorphic widescreen (above left). Overall, the basic color-coded layouts feature smooth navigation, though the advertisement of additional bonus features on other discs obviously doesn't match up with the new DVD numbers. Each episode is presented without chapter stops, while no apparent layer changes were detected during playback.

Deserving of its own paragraph is the excellent, compact packaging job that may slightly confuse those weaned on the stand-alone season sets. As mentioned earlier, this 40-disc set is housed in a series of six hardbound "books" (roughly 7 discs apiece) that clearly state the episode numbers included inside. In turn, the books are housed snugly inside a hinged red outer box, while an oversized booklet/episode index is tucked away in the back. The deceptively small size of this collection makes it an obvious space saver, though the odd division of the 10 seasons might take some getting used to. For a closer look at the packaging design, a few photos have been linked below.

Index booklet, outer box and all 6 "books" | Interior of the "books" | Box interior and open booklet

Bonus Features As originally seen on the original season sets, each and every extra has returned on this collection. First up is a series of Audio Commentaries (typically featured on season premieres, finales, and other key episodes) by creators and producers Kevin Bright, David Crane and Marta Kauffman, adding up to roughly three per season. For the most part, these three participants---who are often recorded separately and edited together---do a good job of providing background information and interesting trivia, though the addition of more participants would've been preferable. It's odd that none of the cast members recorded a single track at any point; especially David Schwimmer, who even directed a handful of episodes along the way. Still, it's especially interesting to hear the creators' thoughts during the pilot episode and series finale, which serve as fitting bookends to their popular production.

Also here is a gaggle of fluffy featurettes and other minor extras, including "Friends of Friends" (guest star lists, interviews and appropriate clips, appearing during the final disc of most seasons), various Trivia Quizzes and Previews for the upcoming seasons---though in this case, it's not needed. Also of minor interest are various Interactive Maps for key Friends locations, featuring notes about the props and set designs; as well as several Highlight Clips for the six main characters and a few Foreign Language Clips. Season Five's closing disc features a pair of moderately interesting extras, including "The One That Goes Behind the Scenes" (42 minutes, above left) and "Friends: On Location in London" (2 minutes, above right); the former gives a decent overview of the show's development and production (including the writing process, rehearsal, audience taping and more), while the latter gives us a brief glimpse of the cast in action overseas.

Later season-ending discs include a few Gag Reels that are certainly worth a look and a few throw-away Interactive Games. Also included on the final disc is a promotional Music Video entitled "Joey, Joey" (below right) and an interesting retrospective featurette, "Friends Final Thoughts" (25 minutes, below left). This behind-the-scenes piece features comments from prominent cast and crew members, from the early casting process to each participant's thoughts about the final episode. It's a fitting end to the series, but the lack of meatier bonus material earns the collection lower marks in the extras department. Owners of the multi-disc season sets should already be familiar with this lineup, but those unfamiliar with the series' DVD presentation may feel slightly underwhelmed. It's not a bad spread on its own terms, but it's obviously very light in proportion to the total episode count.

All bonus features are presented in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio; like the actual episodes, they increase in technical quality as the series progresses. Unfortunately, none of these extras include optional subtitles or Closed Captioning support.

It's certainly not tailor-made for those who own all ten seasons already, but Friends: The Complete Series is still a decent release worth looking into. Though the organization of the discs may take some getting used to, the themed packaging and compact presentation ensures that this mammoth release won't hog shelf space. It's too bad that the series couldn't have scored an A/V overhaul, as the visuals for the first few seasons certainly show their age; additionally, a few retrospective bonus features would've really sweetened the pot. On the other hand, such minor improvements may have incurred the wrath of broke Friends loyalists the world over...and if there's one thing you don't want on your hands, it's angry Friends loyalists. All things considered, fans who understand this release's merits---compact presentation, convenience and a reasonable price---shouldn't have a problem making a decision. For those who haven't already bought the bulk of the series on DVD, this 40-disc monster comes easily Recommended.