“CSI: Miami” is a well-produced and well-written show that unfortunately suffers from first season jitters.
"CSI: Miami" follows the same successful formula employed by its older and wiser sibling--that is to hook its audience with an opening that introduces a puzzling and intriguing crime that seems either implausible or so vile that it cannot be true. To that end, "Miami" is able to maintain the high standards set by "CSI". While "CSI" is more of a mystery whodunit, "CSI: Miami" proves closer in execution to a regular cop show but with a forensic twist.
Overall, the episodes on "Miami" are well written and beautifully shot. The only thing I find lacking on this show is the lack of good and natural interactions among the main characters, a bad attribute that makes the team look somewhat uncomfortable with one another. Not helping the cause is Caine´s continuous brooding nature that can be hard to endure week after week. I mean, this guy is never genuinely happy. If ever there is a clear case for prescribing Prozac, this is it. Also, Caruso has a tendency to over-dramatize the situation, making him come across like an uber-sensitive crime fighter. Reminds me of Batman! While Rodriguez and Procter handle their own characters pretty well, it is Rory Cochrane who plays Speedle, which, I think, is way out of place on the show. Cochrane portrays Speedle like an arrogant brat who will readily rat out anyone on his team based solely on his Boy Scout principles. Although the character of Speedle may not be what I just described, that is my impression of him.
Overall, "CSI: Miami" is a well-produced and well-written show that unfortunately suffers from first season jitters. I have not had the chance to sample any of the second season episodes yet but it is fair to say that I will definitely give it a second chance when that season´s DVD arrives later in the year. But first, fans of the original "CSI" shouldn´t dismiss "CSI: Miami" based on my complaints about Caruso or Cochrane. Give the series a try. Who knows, Batman Caruso might be right up your alley.
A really thoughtful inclusion on this DVD set is the Season Two "CSI" episode that introduces the "CSI: Miami" team, titled "Cross Jurisdictions". According to the back of the DVD case, this episode is identified as the pilot. The following is the episode listing, grouped by the disc number:
Disc One: "Cross Jurisdictions", "Golden Parachute", "Losing Face", "Wet Foot/Dry Foot"
Disc Two: "Just One Kiss", "Ashes To Ashes", "Broken", "Breathless"
Disc Three: "Slaughterhouse", "Kill Zone", "A Horrible Mind", "Camp Fear"
Disc Four: "Entrance Wound", "Bunk", "Forced Entry", "Dead Woman Walking"
Disc Five: "Evidence of Things Unseen", "Simple Man", "Dispo Day", "Double Cap"
Disc Six: "Grave Young Men", "Spring Break", "Tinder Box", "Freaks and Tweaks"
Disc Seven: "Body Count"
Video:
The video transfer is almost flawless. Colors are vivid and well saturated with natural skin tones. "CSI: Miami" is presented here in its original widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1, enhanced for 16x9 displays. Unless you own an HDTV, this DVD set contains the best representation of the show´s episodes and is a definite step up for those with non-HDTV displays during its regular broadcast.
Audio:
Two audio tracks are available with your viewing option. You can choose between the English language Dolby Digital 5.1 or Spanish Dolby Surround 2.0 tracks. For the 5.1 audio track, it makes full use of all the channels to make it an encompassing viewing experience. When it comes to audio, this "CSI: Miami" DVD set maintains the high standard set by "CSI".
Extras:
In terms of special features, this DVD falls a little short. Let me start of with the four audio commentaries. They are:
"Cross Jurisdiction": Commentary by executive producers Danny Cannon and Ann Donohue
"Golden Parachute": Commentary by director Joe Chappelle and writer Steve Maeda
"Dispo Day": Commentary by David Grossman and consultant Elizabeth Devine
"Freaks and Tweaks": Commentary by technical consultants Elizabeth Devine and John Haynes
Other than the audio commentaries, the rest of the special features can be found on Disc 7. Two short featurettes, "CSI: Miami Uncovered" and "Creating CSI Miami", start off the extras section. They both feature talking head interviews with the cast and crew and are brief looks at how the series came about and what were the challenges that they had to overcome. Next is something called "Procedures of Handling Evidence" where technical consultant John Haynes lays out the various techniques used to gather evidence. Finally there are two short tours of the autopsy theater and the gun lab, hosted by Khandi Alexander and Emily Procter respectively.
Packaging:
The packaging for this 7-disc DVD set is similar to the other "CSI" releases, right down to the familiar yellow slipoff ring fashioned after the police "Do Not Cross" tape. An attractive plastic slipcase encases the translucent green DVD trays that can be flipped like the thick pages of a book.
Film Value:
I really tried to like "CSI: Miami" based on my positive impressions for the original "CSI" series. However, try as I might, Caruso´s interpretation of the lead character Horatio Caine just turns me off. This is prove positive that one can try to emulate a successful show right down to the science but without the right chemistry, there are no sparks.
Overall, the episodes on "Miami" are well written and beautifully shot. The only thing I find lacking on this show is the lack of good and natural interactions among the main characters, a bad attribute that makes the team look somewhat uncomfortable with one another. Not helping the cause is Caine´s continuous brooding nature that can be hard to endure week after week. I mean, this guy is never genuinely happy. If ever there is a clear case for prescribing Prozac, this is it. Also, Caruso has a tendency to over-dramatize the situation, making him come across like an uber-sensitive crime fighter. Reminds me of Batman! While Rodriguez and Procter handle their own characters pretty well, it is Rory Cochrane who plays Speedle, which, I think, is way out of place on the show. Cochrane portrays Speedle like an arrogant brat who will readily rat out anyone on his team based solely on his Boy Scout principles. Although the character of Speedle may not be what I just described, that is my impression of him.
Overall, "CSI: Miami" is a well-produced and well-written show that unfortunately suffers from first season jitters. I have not had the chance to sample any of the second season episodes yet but it is fair to say that I will definitely give it a second chance when that season´s DVD arrives later in the year. But first, fans of the original "CSI" shouldn´t dismiss "CSI: Miami" based on my complaints about Caruso or Cochrane. Give the series a try. Who knows, Batman Caruso might be right up your alley.
A really thoughtful inclusion on this DVD set is the Season Two "CSI" episode that introduces the "CSI: Miami" team, titled "Cross Jurisdictions". According to the back of the DVD case, this episode is identified as the pilot. The following is the episode listing, grouped by the disc number:
Disc One: "Cross Jurisdictions", "Golden Parachute", "Losing Face", "Wet Foot/Dry Foot"
Disc Two: "Just One Kiss", "Ashes To Ashes", "Broken", "Breathless"
Disc Three: "Slaughterhouse", "Kill Zone", "A Horrible Mind", "Camp Fear"
Disc Four: "Entrance Wound", "Bunk", "Forced Entry", "Dead Woman Walking"
Disc Five: "Evidence of Things Unseen", "Simple Man", "Dispo Day", "Double Cap"
Disc Six: "Grave Young Men", "Spring Break", "Tinder Box", "Freaks and Tweaks"
Disc Seven: "Body Count"
Video:
The video transfer is almost flawless. Colors are vivid and well saturated with natural skin tones. "CSI: Miami" is presented here in its original widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1, enhanced for 16x9 displays. Unless you own an HDTV, this DVD set contains the best representation of the show´s episodes and is a definite step up for those with non-HDTV displays during its regular broadcast.
Audio:
Two audio tracks are available with your viewing option. You can choose between the English language Dolby Digital 5.1 or Spanish Dolby Surround 2.0 tracks. For the 5.1 audio track, it makes full use of all the channels to make it an encompassing viewing experience. When it comes to audio, this "CSI: Miami" DVD set maintains the high standard set by "CSI".
Extras:
In terms of special features, this DVD falls a little short. Let me start of with the four audio commentaries. They are:
"Cross Jurisdiction": Commentary by executive producers Danny Cannon and Ann Donohue
"Golden Parachute": Commentary by director Joe Chappelle and writer Steve Maeda
"Dispo Day": Commentary by David Grossman and consultant Elizabeth Devine
"Freaks and Tweaks": Commentary by technical consultants Elizabeth Devine and John Haynes
Other than the audio commentaries, the rest of the special features can be found on Disc 7. Two short featurettes, "CSI: Miami Uncovered" and "Creating CSI Miami", start off the extras section. They both feature talking head interviews with the cast and crew and are brief looks at how the series came about and what were the challenges that they had to overcome. Next is something called "Procedures of Handling Evidence" where technical consultant John Haynes lays out the various techniques used to gather evidence. Finally there are two short tours of the autopsy theater and the gun lab, hosted by Khandi Alexander and Emily Procter respectively.
Packaging:
The packaging for this 7-disc DVD set is similar to the other "CSI" releases, right down to the familiar yellow slipoff ring fashioned after the police "Do Not Cross" tape. An attractive plastic slipcase encases the translucent green DVD trays that can be flipped like the thick pages of a book.
Film Value:
I really tried to like "CSI: Miami" based on my positive impressions for the original "CSI" series. However, try as I might, Caruso´s interpretation of the lead character Horatio Caine just turns me off. This is prove positive that one can try to emulate a successful show right down to the science but without the right chemistry, there are no sparks.
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[release]12516[/release]