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Technical Information
Studio:
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Year of Theatrical Release: n/a
Disc Format: 6
single-sided, Dual Layer
Image Format: Anamorphic
Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Region Encoding: 1
Sound Format: Dolby
Digital 5.1
Running Time: Each
episode runs approximately 45 minutes (pilot episode is approximately
65 minutes)
Director: Various
Stars: Jennifer
Garner, Ron Rifkin, Michael Vartan, Bradley Cooper, Carl Lumbly,
Kevin Weisman, Victor Garber
MPAA Rating: n/a
Disc Supplements:
- Feature length commentary on select episodes
- Alias Production Diary
- Inside Stunts
- Deleted Scenes
- Gag reel
- TV spots
- Alias video game preview
- Season 2 preview
- DVD-ROM content
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She's a college student by day and a secret
agent by night! It sounds like the synopsis of a really bad
80's movie. It probably would have starred Brigitte Nielsen
as the heroine and Dabne Coleman as her boss.
Thankfully, we never had to suffer through
that horrible reality. Instead, that same goofy premise is wrapped
around a television show that is surprisingly fresh, sexy and
smart.
The main character of the show is Sydney Bristow,
played by up and coming Hollywood hottie, Jennifer Garner. What
Garner brings to the show is a believability across her range
of acting skills that lends real emotional punch to the show's
drama and carries it through some of its clunky moments. Without
her, we wouldn't be talking about this show.
Sydney is a secret agent working for an organization
called SD6. She believes that SD6 is a government agency, an
arm of the CIA. When Sydney tells her fiance about her secret
life and SD6 has him killed for it, she learns that they really
aren't the good guys.
Vowing to take down SD6, Syndey turns herself
in to the real CIA and agrees to become a double agent. She
continues to accept missions from SD6, but now every mission
has a secret counter-mission sanctioned by the CIA.
Complicating matters is the fact that the
one person in SD6 who knows what Sydney is up to, and is also
a double-agent, is her estranged father, Jack Bristow (Victor
Garber). There is a past to her father that she desperately
wants to understand and she's never quite sure whether or not
she can trust him.
Also, it should come as no surprise that the
show would introduce some levels of sexual tension. In this
case, there is an interesting triangle going on between Sydney,
her best friend, journalist Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper) and
her CIA handler, Agent Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan). Sydney
is conflicted by her lingering feelings for her dead fiance,
her long lasting friendship with Tippin and the security and
life direction given to her by Agent Vaughn.
Like many high profile television shows, Alias
has production values that rival feature films. The action sequences
are top-notch and Garner as fully believable as a touch chick,
while maintaining the vulnerable qualities of a girl who may
very well be in over her head. The writing is sharp and keeps
the delicate balance of allowing the characters to be intelligent
enough to do their jobs, but not quite able to figure out that
Sydney is double crossing them.
If the show has any flaws, it's that sometimes
Sydney's exploits get somewhat repetitive. Her standard mode
of escape is to run down hallways with the bad guys in hot pursuit.
After a while you begin to wonder if the primary quality sought
after in a secret agent is a decent 100 yard dash.
The other odd thing about the show, that isn't
necessarily a bad thing, is that there are some very jarring
juxtapositions throughout. For instance, one moment we're right
the in midst of a high tech James Bond world and the next we're
at a 20-something dinner party that would seem more at home
in some cheesy drama. Of course that last part is no surprise,
considering that series creator J. J. Abrams co-created Felicity.
Alias is a like a good box of Swiss cheese
crackers. If you actually eat one of those things, you're pretty
much going to finish the whole box. Are they good for you? Who
cares?
:::back to
top |
There are many high budget, high
profile feature film presentations that only wish they looked as
good as the video presentation in this set. First of all, the series
is presented in anamorphic widescreen, allowing for all of the glorious
detail DVD has to offer. This is a very film-like transfer and the
detail will quite literally blow you away. Notice a scene in the
pilot episode where Sydney and Tippin have just finished jogging.
You can see every single freckle on Garner's face.
Colors are vibrant and rich, with
accurate flesh tones. Contrasts are very strong and shadows are
filled with details. The overall picture throughout the series is
very decent, with only occasional drops in quality here and there.
I did notice a couple of compression
and technical flaws on a few episodes. There are some very brief
moments of digital artifacting and a very slight bit of edge enhancement
throughout. Overall, however, the picture is outstanding.
:::back to top |
The sound quality, unlike the picture,
is quite hit or miss in this set. At times, particularly in the
early episodes, the sound is really rather unimpressive, with an
overall flat sound quality and very limited use of the surround
channels. Considering the tremendous effort that went into the look
of the series, it seems strange that the sound would have become
almost something of an afterthought.
The quality of the sound does improve
as the episodes progress, with some eventual quality use of the
entire sound field. The better sounding episodes do have some nice
dynamic range, with some good, deep bass and better than average
use of the surrounds.
The primary problem here is consistency,
or rather the lack thereof. Season two is coming out soon and I
can almost guarantee that as a whole it will sound loads better
than season one.
:::back to top |
The trick with extras in an entire
season box set is one of overkill. The series itself is quite a
lot watch and it would be very easy to overwhelm an audience with
an exhaustive array of extras. This Alias set does a nice job of
balancing a good selection without offering up too much.
To begin with are four audio
commentaries by a host of crew and cast. The nice thing
about these tracks are that there is likely to be something to appeal
to everyone here. There are crew members who get fairly technical
in their explanations of the logistics of creating this show. There
is also a lighter, but still somewhat technical track featuring
J. J. Abrams and Jennifer Garner. And finally, a nearly full cast
commentary mostly abandons any pretense of revealing information
and merely focuses on having fun.
Next up is The Alias Production
Diary and although it's a touch of EPK, there are some
interesting behind-the-scenes moments. Particularly interesting
are the insights into the show's impressive stunt pieces and fight
scenes. However, if you don't get enough stunts from the diary,
then the 10 minute Inside Stunts feature should
be enough to satisfy.
The set also includes 6 deleted
scenes from 4 different episodes. Many of these are character
development bits and were likely cut due to the time restrictions
of a television show. Some of them, particularly a cut bit from
Color-Blind in which Christophe threatens Sloan, and Sloan threatens
back, really belonged in the episode.
Next is a gag reel
of goofed lines and cast members breaking up on film. I'm becoming
less and less impressed with this particular feature and it's more
due to editing than anything else. These goofs would be infinitely
more entertaining with a bit of setup.
Rounding things up are television
spots, video game previews, a preview of the upcoming Season 2 box
set and a DVD-ROM script reader.
:::back to top |
I've never really watch Alias on television.
I knew that I'd missed most of the first season and from everything
I'd heard, that really put me at a disadvantage. Now that I've had
the opportunity to watch season 1 virtually uninterrupted, I can
understand what all the buzz is about. Yes, the show is often ridiculous,
but it's also a helluva lot of fun.
:::back to top |
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| Despite being a "television
show," Alias is fairly adult in content. There isn't much here
for the kids, so send them off to watch the Disney Channel in another
room when you pop this one in. |
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| -- By Robert Wurth. Copyright
© 2003. |
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