The three hour and fifteen minute running time passes with ease while watching "V." This is a highly entertaining film that has become a definitive piece of science fiction and easily one of the best offerings of the 1980s. The strengths of the film are not in its action sequences or its visuals. It is held together by its plot and great storytelling. "V" is the kind of film that appeals to many people, and not just those who prefer to watch "Star Trek" over the latest Monster Truck Rally on ESPN2.
Video :
Warner Bros. has thought well enough of this miniseries to provide an anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer of "V: The Original Miniseries." The widescreen presentation appears to be an open matte of the original televised presentation and its previous video incarnations. I no longer have access to the VHS version to guarantee this assertion. The image quality is stunning, especially for something that was shot for television nearly twenty years ago. The colors, especially Visitor Red, are perfectly saturated and show no sign of color bleeding. The image is sharp and highly detailed. Black levels are solid with good shadow detail. There is a little bit of film grain, but that can be expected and is certainly does not detract from viewing pleasure.
The film is broken up into its two parts. Each part is presented on a separate side. This was probably done to minimize cost, but allow for greater quality, by not consolidating the entire picture down to an RSDL side. The VHS release had each part on a separate cassette, and the break did exist in the miniseries, so it is not aggravating and offers an opportunity to grab a Yoo Hoo pop.
Audio :
The packaging reads, "First time ever in Dolby Surround Stereo." Dolby Surround Stereo is another way of saying low-grade Dolby Pro Logic. In today´s market, most viewers demand Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The fact of the matter is, there is not much content in "V: The Original Miniseries" to warrant a soundtrack with a ton of floor thumping bass or overly active surrounds. The majority of "V" is driven by dialogue and dialogue generally inhabits only the center channel. This is all handled very nicely in the 2.0 surround mix and dialogue is very clear and intelligible. There are a few laser blasts and early on, some gunfire. This comes across nicely and every once in a while, something can be heard from the rear channels. The provided bass is adequate enough. Joe Harnell´s musical score is delivered nicely, as is the familiar "band music" overheard in Chapter 9. Many would have wanted more, but what is delivered suits the film just fine.
Extras :
Though it is not a full-blown special edition, "V" comes equipped with a few nice perks. The greatest and most significant of these is a running commentary by the creator of "V," Kenneth Johnson. This is an extremely information bit that offers up information, such as the death of actress Dominique Dunne and other trouble of shooting the picture. Johnson offers up why he chose to shoot certain shots the way he did and the music he chose to use. There are notes on certain actors and how it was to work with them. A lot of information is given on the history and development of the story. As the commentary goes on, more is revealed and any fan of the series will certainly want to have another four hours allotted so they can listen to the commentary.
There is also a "talking heads" documentary on the making of the film. This is basically the stars and principals involved discussing their thoughts on the film and saying what they can to promote it. There are some nice tidbits shared with the viewer. Notably, the video quality of this featurette is extremely low quality and looks bad for even VHS. However, it is a nice little addition that is worth a quick peek. After the featurette and commentary, there are a few biographies on some of the actors and crew involved with "V." "V" is the kind of film where fans will always want more, and Warner Bros. has offered slightly more than is necessary to wet the appetite. The commentary is a learning experience and shouldn´t be missed.
Summary :
Warner Bros. has done an admirable job bringing the classic science fiction miniseries "V" to DVD. The anamorphic transfer shows their commitment to the series and should reinforce to fans that "V: The Final Battle" is just around the corner. Whether or not they release the television series as a box set (ala… "X-Files") is a great big question mark, but for now, the original series is available on DVD. Many have longed since DVDs debut to own this title and its sequel on disc. It is a must have for its fans and for those that enjoy a good science fiction epic. I highly recommend this film and feel safe recommending it to others.
Video :
Warner Bros. has thought well enough of this miniseries to provide an anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer of "V: The Original Miniseries." The widescreen presentation appears to be an open matte of the original televised presentation and its previous video incarnations. I no longer have access to the VHS version to guarantee this assertion. The image quality is stunning, especially for something that was shot for television nearly twenty years ago. The colors, especially Visitor Red, are perfectly saturated and show no sign of color bleeding. The image is sharp and highly detailed. Black levels are solid with good shadow detail. There is a little bit of film grain, but that can be expected and is certainly does not detract from viewing pleasure.
The film is broken up into its two parts. Each part is presented on a separate side. This was probably done to minimize cost, but allow for greater quality, by not consolidating the entire picture down to an RSDL side. The VHS release had each part on a separate cassette, and the break did exist in the miniseries, so it is not aggravating and offers an opportunity to grab a Yoo Hoo pop.
Audio :
The packaging reads, "First time ever in Dolby Surround Stereo." Dolby Surround Stereo is another way of saying low-grade Dolby Pro Logic. In today´s market, most viewers demand Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The fact of the matter is, there is not much content in "V: The Original Miniseries" to warrant a soundtrack with a ton of floor thumping bass or overly active surrounds. The majority of "V" is driven by dialogue and dialogue generally inhabits only the center channel. This is all handled very nicely in the 2.0 surround mix and dialogue is very clear and intelligible. There are a few laser blasts and early on, some gunfire. This comes across nicely and every once in a while, something can be heard from the rear channels. The provided bass is adequate enough. Joe Harnell´s musical score is delivered nicely, as is the familiar "band music" overheard in Chapter 9. Many would have wanted more, but what is delivered suits the film just fine.
Extras :
Though it is not a full-blown special edition, "V" comes equipped with a few nice perks. The greatest and most significant of these is a running commentary by the creator of "V," Kenneth Johnson. This is an extremely information bit that offers up information, such as the death of actress Dominique Dunne and other trouble of shooting the picture. Johnson offers up why he chose to shoot certain shots the way he did and the music he chose to use. There are notes on certain actors and how it was to work with them. A lot of information is given on the history and development of the story. As the commentary goes on, more is revealed and any fan of the series will certainly want to have another four hours allotted so they can listen to the commentary.
There is also a "talking heads" documentary on the making of the film. This is basically the stars and principals involved discussing their thoughts on the film and saying what they can to promote it. There are some nice tidbits shared with the viewer. Notably, the video quality of this featurette is extremely low quality and looks bad for even VHS. However, it is a nice little addition that is worth a quick peek. After the featurette and commentary, there are a few biographies on some of the actors and crew involved with "V." "V" is the kind of film where fans will always want more, and Warner Bros. has offered slightly more than is necessary to wet the appetite. The commentary is a learning experience and shouldn´t be missed.
Summary :
Warner Bros. has done an admirable job bringing the classic science fiction miniseries "V" to DVD. The anamorphic transfer shows their commitment to the series and should reinforce to fans that "V: The Final Battle" is just around the corner. Whether or not they release the television series as a box set (ala… "X-Files") is a great big question mark, but for now, the original series is available on DVD. Many have longed since DVDs debut to own this title and its sequel on disc. It is a must have for its fans and for those that enjoy a good science fiction epic. I highly recommend this film and feel safe recommending it to others.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]7658[/release]