Arrow:
The Complete Fifth Season
(2016 - 2017/DC Comics)/Big
Bang Theory: The Complete Tenth Season
(2016 - 2017)/Lethal
Weapon: The Complete First Season
(2016/all Warner Blu-ray Sets)/Narcos:
Season Two (2016 -
2017/Netflix/Gaumont/Lionsgate Blu-ray Set)
Picture:
B+/B/B+/B Sound: B+/B-/B+/B Extras: B/C+/C+/C+ Episodes:
C+/C+/C/B-
Here's
the latest releases of key TV series, including three big hits and a
newcomer that is somewhat familiar....
Arrow:
The Complete Fifth Season
(2016 - 2017)
The
DC TV Universe is a separate entity from the DC Cinematic Universe
(where Ben Affleck's Batman dwells). In the TV-verse, Stephen
Amell's Arrow
is the heavy-hitter, whose success spawned other TV-verse shows The
Flash,
Supergirl,
and Legends
of Tomorrow
in which Episode 8 is this season even has a crossover episode. Now
here in its Fifth
Season,
the moment hasn't slowed down yet the show's creators still seem to
be secretly wishing they were making a Batman show instead (with the
Green Arrow character acting a little too similar at times).
Arrow
has a huge cast including Katie Cassidy (Nightmare
on Elm Street
2010 redux), David Ramsey (Dexter),
Willa Holland (The
O.C.),
Emily Bett Rickards (Brooklyn),
Echo Kellum (Sean
Saves The World),
with Josh Segarra (Sirens,
Chicago
P.D.)
and Paul Blackthorne (The
River).
Still
coping with the death of his dear Laurel (Cassidy), Mayor Oliver
Queen (Amell) is living both a political life and one as a vigilante
simultaneously. Encouraged by Felicity (Rickards) to find a new team
of super friends after Diggle (David Ramsey) rejoins the Army and
Thea (Holland) steps out of the Crime Fighting profession, she in
turn is left running the Mayor's Office alone as Oliver is targeted
by the evil Prometheus. She appoints Quentin (Blackthorne) deputy
mayor as Oliver assembles a new team which includes Rene "Wild
Dog" Ramirez (Rick Gonzalez), Evelyn Sharp (Madison McLaughlin),
Rory "Ragman" Regan (Joe Dinicol) and Curtis (Echo Kellum).
The new team struggles with trust issues and rookie mistakes, but
with a final addition of Tina Boland (Juliana Harkavy) they find
equal ground. Can this odd team of vigilantes defeat Prometheus
before its too late?
Episodes
include Legacy,
The Recruits, A Matter of Trust, Penance, Human Target, So It Begins,
Vigilante, Invasion!, What We Leave Behind, Who Are You?, Second
Chances, Bratva, Spectre of the Gun, The Sin-Eater, Fighting Fire
with Fire, Checkmate, Kapiushon, Disbanded, Dangerous Liaisons,
Underneath, Honor Thy Fathers, Missing,
and Lean
Yu.
As
the series continues to trudge along, it seems like more and more
character's are joining 'Team Arrow', with some characters that
sometimes even death can't keep down. But hey, it's a comic book
show, right? The production value is strong, with impressive visual
effects and costume design, but the formula tends to be at times
predictable and the dialogue at times a little hammy.
Special
Features...
Arrow:
2016 Comic-Con Panel
The
New Team Arrow
Allied:
The Invasion Complex (Arrow)
Returning
to the Roots of Arrow: Prometheus
Deleted
Scenes
Gag
Reel
and
Digital UV Copy
If
you're a diehard fan of the show, or just want to binge it in high
definition, then this set is definitely worth picking up. As with
previous seasons (reviewed elsewhere on this site), there's plenty of
supplemental material and a pleasing HD visual presentation to make
it worth a purchase.
Big
Bang Theory: The Complete Tenth Season
(2016 - 2017)
Remarkably
still
the top sitcom on all of HDTV or nearly so, Big
Bang Theory
has now with us for over a decade, is now an insane money machine,
and yet, many of its diehard fans are with it. I was one of those in
the beginning and even like the addition of just about every new
character and the actor cast. With the Young
Sheldon
spin-off ready to go, it is no coincidence that the show is
introducing several more family characters to expand the extended
family trend that began as the guys found women in their lives. With
the show's credibility and budget they're landing more top acting
talent for all this.
So
outside of introducing new family that is well thought out on the
part of the writers, what's the point of the show continuing as it
goes into very slow decline? A surprise development that the core
cast has hit an interesting, comfortable stride this time around
actually not witnessed in previous seasons despite all their
remarkable chemistry. Sure, the laughs are more canned than ever and
jokes more miss than hit, but what I saw this time round rarely
happens with any
show, though if it was going to happen at this point with any series
today, it would be this one. That is no surprise.
At
this point, we seem to have two seasons to go after this one (the
equity in contract negotiations to see female cast members made as
much as their male counterparts is landmark in itself) and by then,
they'll have covered everything
they could possibly do for all fans. Guess this is the beginning of
their long goodbye and they seem to know it.
Extras
this time around include...
#Just
Ask BBT 2.0
The
Ever-Expanding Universe of The Big Bang Theory
Mad
Props
Who's
the Baby Now
2016
Comic Con Panel
and
another amusing Gag Reel
Lethal
Weapon: The Complete First Season
(2016)
The
new Lethal
Weapon
series is a hammy TV adaptation of the film series in which both of
its stars, Damon Wayans (who does what he can with the material) and
Clayne Crawford both try to imitate Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.
It's so bad that Crawford's performance seems like one big long Mel
Gibson impersonation. A procedural crime drama at its core, Lethal
Weapon
is just another CSI
with
throwbacks to the original films and predictable action sequences.
The
show also stars Jordana Brewster (Fast
and the Furious
films), Keesha Sharp (Are
We There Yet?),
Kevin Rahm (Desperate
Housewives),
Chandler Kinney, Dante Brown (Mr.
Robinson),
Johnathan Fernandez (Girls)
and Michelle Mitchenor (Chi-Raq).
Set
in L.A., the show centers around two buddy cops with different
personalities but on the job they are a successful team. Riggs
(Crawford) is a volatile off the rails former Navy
SEAL-turned-detective out of El Paso, Texas who struggles with the
tragic deaths of his wife and unborn son (replacing the more volatile
Gibson/Vietnam angle). Murtaugh (Wayans), is the opposite - a
seasoned family man with money and success who is a by-the-book
detective cautiously returning to the LAPD after surviving a heart
attack. As this unlikely partnership takes to the streets, these
bumbling cops get good at crime busting and doing damage to public
property in the process.
18
Episodes make up season one and include the Pilot,
Surf N' Turf, Best Buds, There Goes the Neighborhood, Spilt Milk,
Ties That Bind, Fashion Police, Can I Get a Witness?, Jingle Bell
Glock, Homebodies, Lawmen, Brotherly Love, The Seal is Broken, The
Murtaugh File, As Good As It Getz, Unnecessary Roughness, A Problem
Like Maria,
and Commencement.
Special
Features include...
Featurette
- Reloading Lethal Weapon
Uncensored
- Extended Pilot Episode
Deleted
Scenes
Gag
Reel
and
Digital Copy
Narcos:
Season Two
(2016 - 2017)
Finally
we have the sophomore season of Narcos,
concluding the always-interesting Pablo Escobar storyline, which
started off better than most post-Sopranos
gangster genre works as discussed in our review of the debut season
on Blu-ray here...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/14378/Lucifer:+The+Complete+First+Season+(2015+-+2
The
good news is that they have moved away from too many visual
'influences' and cues from Scorsese's GoodFellas
(1990), but the show has swapped that for some formula and being
stuck in a bit of an unavoidable corner. Fortunately, this is almost
as good as the previous season, enough so that a third season is
already underway. Cheers to everyone in front of and behind the
camera for making this all work and fit as well as it does.
Definitely see it after completing the previous season.
On
a sad note, as we went to post this coverage a location scout for
this show (who also did the same for the recent Bond film SPECTRE)
was actually shot to death scouting more places for this show. Our
condolences to his family and friends.
Extras
this time include an Audio Commentary with Director Andres Baiz,
Producer Eric Newman, and Actor Wagner Moura on the concluding
episode, ''Unredacted:
Declassifying Narcos: Season Two''
featurette and Deleted Scenes.
Now
for playback performance.
Season
5 of Arrow
has 23 one hour episodes, which are all presented here in 1080p high
definition and a widescreen 1.78:1 with a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio)
lossless 5.1 track. Looking far better than the original broadcast
and free of pesky network watermarks and commercial breaks, this is
the best way to see and appreciate the show as it was intended with
more visual details than it had on TV. The sound mix is the biggest
improvement, with a more cinematic surround feel.
The
1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image transfers on Bang
continue to be some of the best color-wise on all of HDTV, in line
with the look of the whole show and just fine for humorous, pleasant
viewing. However, the
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes on the show are a but
weak and lite, as well as to the center of the soundfield more than I
would like. The recycled laugh tracks often sound monophonic.
Lethal
is presented in 1080p high definition with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect
ratio and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, both of which are a large
improvement on the original television broadcast. Warner continues
their high standards for home entertainment with this new looking set
that's ideal for fans.
And
finally, Narcos
once again offers a 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital High Definition image
transfers the have solid new HD shooting with interesting doses of
old analog TV video often showing the real-life versions of the real
life people the exceptional cast has been pulling off playing. It is
the shows signature approach and it works. The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mixes on all the shows are also
well-recorded make great use of all kinds of music, kick in well for
the action sequences and the equal of the previous season. Nice!
-
James Lockhart (Arrow,
Lethal)
& Nicholas
Sheffo
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
