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Dom Robinson reviews
- Cert:
- Cat.no: VCD 0109
- Running time: 88 minutes
- Year: 2000
- Pressing: 2000
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 27 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 2.0 (Dolby Surround)
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: None
- Widescreen: 1.77:1 (16:9)
- 16:9-enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 5
- Price: £19.99
- Extras: Ali G’s Christmas Message to the Nation, Easter Egg
Who is da batty boy?
It’s certainly not Ali G, whose second video is unleashed onto anunsuspecting public after his first one last Xmas, Ali G, Innit,sold more copies than you can shake a stick at.
This release compiles the best bits of 70 minutes worth of Da Ali G Show,plus 30 minutes of unseen material. Guests include Jarvis Cocker, GailPorter, Paul Daniels and Harrods boss, Mohammed Al-Fayed. Ali Galso discusses animal right and takes a trip to the Cannes Porn Festival,while his new protegee, Eastern European reporter Borat, bring us his guide to English Gentlemen,Henley, Hunting and Etiquette, the latter one allowing his to nip off for anumber 2 half-way through the sketch.
It seems Ali G’s creator, Sacha Baron Cohen, got out of the 11 O’ClockShow at the best time, since it’s rapidly going downhill in the ratings andthe replacement presenters, Jon Holmes (not THE…) and the gorgeousSam Janus-look-a-like, Sarah Alexander, just aren’t cutting the mustardand it will be scrapped after this series.
VCI have made a top-job of this release. Presented in 16:9 anamorphicwidescreen as filmed and shown on Channel 4, there are no artifacts to befound, just bold colours.The average bitrate is 4.90bs, occasionally peaking over 9Mb/s.
The sound is in standard Dolby Surround and is fine. It’s mostly dialoguewith songs thrown in from time to time. I experienced no problems here.
Extras :First up is the 10-minute Ali G’s Christmas Message to the Nation,an alternative to the Queen’s speech, broadcast on December 25th, 1999and there’s an Easter Egg too. Press up from the main menu and athree-and-a-half-minute supplement is revealed with Ali G in the guise ofanother character, but whose name I’ve no idea. He interviews pissed-up idiotson the streets and it was incredibly funny.
There are 27 chapters – one for each main sketch which is just what you need- and the menus are animated but silent.
Overall, this will no doubt sell more than last year’s hit video anddeservedly so. The only thing which really bugs me – and can also be appliedto theTrigger Happy TV Best of Series 1release – is that it’s not even half the series and I prefer to have wholeseries released to buy, not just compilations, but then I’m a completist.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALLCheck outVCI‘s andFilm Four‘sWeb site.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.