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Dom Robinson reviews
Momentum Pictures
- Cert:
- Cat.no: MP006D
- Running time: 540 minutes
- Year: 2000
- Pressing: 2002
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 36 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Surround (Dolby Digital 2.0)
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English
- Fullscreen: 4:3 (cropped from 16:9)
- 16:9-Enhanced: No
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: 3 * DVD 9
- Price: £39.99
- Extras: Trailer, Character Profiles, Featurette, Interviews
Directors:
- Danny Cannon, Michael Watkins, R.J. Lewis, Lou Antonio, Kenneth Fink, MichaelShapiro, Thomas J. Wright and Oz Scott
Producers:
- Tina Albanese, Cynthia Chvatal, Bernie Laramie, Ron Mitchell and William L. Petersen
Screenplay:
- Anthony E. Zuiker, Ann Donahue, Josh Berman, Andrew Lipsitz, Carol Mendelsohn,Eli Talbert and Jacqueline Zambrano
Music:
- John M. Keane
Cast:
- Gil Grissom: William L. Petersen
Catherine Willows: Marg Helgenberger
Warrick Brown: Gary Dourdan
Sara Sidel: Jorja Fox
Nick Stokes: George Eads
Captain Jim Brass: Paul Guilfoyle
Greg Sanders: Eric Szmanda
Dr. David Robbins: Robert David Hall
Eddie Willows: Timothy Carhart
With the good word that’s spread about C.S.I.: Crime Scene InvestigationI looked forward to taking a look at this series and, for a TV show, I wasn’tdisappointed.
I say ‘for a TV show’ because there are different expectations in that you’renot waiting for a pay-off after two hours invested, but in that things movealong more quickly and, especially at the start of a new series, you need tobe introduced to the characters and to be involved in their lives quickly.
The CSI team are led by Gil Grissom(Manhunter‘sWilliam L. Petersen) and, like other shows such as NYPD Blue andHomicide: Life on the Street, his gang are made up of differentindividuals from varying backgrounds who either spark off or against each other,rather like real life sometimes.
They solve the apparently unsolvable cases by inspecting the most minutepieces of evidence and although each episode generally sticks to its ownstoryline, the first two in this series (the DVD boxset contains the first half,ie. 12 episodes) link together as a fate befalls rookie recruit Holly Gribbs(Chandra West), thanks to a slip-up by Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan).
Nick Stokes (George Eads) and Warrick are both looking out for their 100thcase to solve so as to be promoted, with only one winner, while Grissomstarts by taking on the case of a murder which has been staged to look like asuicide.Air Force One‘sPaul Guilfoyle also appears as beleagured Captain Jim Brass.
When the investigations take place, we get to see flashbacks of what reallyhappened in each incident, but first in the way it was alleged to have happenedbefore the truth is revealed.
CSI is the sort of programme you’ll watch once a week when it’s on. It’sentertaining enough, but can be rather contrived and cliched at times soisn’t a series you’d want to collect in full, particularly because of itspresentation here – more of which comes later.
Warrick found himself on the E.R. set by mistake.There’s one series problem with this programme though and it’s not the factthat the print is quite grainy, since that looks to be an intentional part of it,but it’s the fact that the series was shot in 16:9 and has been cropped to4:3. Even Channel 5 show it properly! (well, the second series which has beenon recently)
There’s no problems with the sound, which is used to serve as atmosphere as theteam go about their daily business. It’s standard Dolby Surround though, notthat that’s a hinderance.
When buying a DVD of a series I feel it’s the programme that comes first andany extras are a bonus, although I did expect more than what we’ve got here.There are four episodes to a disc, with the extras just containing a Trailer,brief Character Profiles, an also-brief 5½-minute featurettethat goes behind the scenes and Cast and Crew Interviews. Nothing to makeyou go back time and time again then.
There are three chapters per episodes, subtitles come in English and themain menus are quite cool as the ‘camera’ glides around the CSI office toreveal the selection chosen.
Sadly, it’s not a DVD I can recommend given the cropping of the picture. IfMomentum had got hold of the 16:9 transfers then it would’ve been worth a look.Perhaps they can resolve this for the other half of this series?
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
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.