| Review:
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In 1897 H. G. Wells wrote his now classic novel, The
Invisible Man. And over the years, there have been numerous
attempts to bring this series to the big and small screens
alike. The most popular, however, has been the series that
premiered in the year 2000 on the Sci Fi Channel - and at
long last, Universal has released it on DVD. ***
The series follows a thief who is a repeat offender
- and is given a life sentence following his latest caper.
The only way he can get out of life in jail is to participate
in a government experiment, which he opts to do. Through
this experiment, he gains the ability to become invisible.
***
This new version of the Invisible Man is arguable the
finest adaptation of the old Wells story to a visual medium.
The modern update of the tale is a fast-paced one that beautifully
combines action and comedy elements alike. With a talented
cast that includes Vincent Ventresca, Paul Ben-Victor, and
Eddie Jones, the series always entertains. ***
The five-disc set features all 23 episodes of the show's
first season. The episode list is as follows: Pilot, The
Catevari, Ralph, Tiresias, Impetus, The Devil You Know,
Liberty and Larceny, The Value of Secrets, Separation Anxiety,
It Hurts When I Do This, The Other Invisible Man, Reunion,
Cat and Mouse, Beholder, Ghost of a Chance, Flowers for
Hobbes, Perchance to Dream, Frozen in Time, Diseased, The
Lesser Evil, Money For Nothing (two-parter), and It's a
Small World. ***
As good as the series is, the price of the set is an
issue. The MSRP for the set is $60, which is pretty lofty
for a TV series on DVD. Universal probably would have been
smart to market the series in more-affordable half-season
sets. ---
Image And Sound: This DVD transfer does the show justice.
The widescreen presentation is bright and clear, with no
major visual issues to speak of. Audio is equally impressive.
THIS is the way TV shows on DVD should look and sound!
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| Special
Features: |
The special features are a bit on the limited side,
but I'm grateful Universal at least included SOME of them
here. The main extra feature is a sit-down with the show's
creator/executive producer, Matt Greenberg. It's interesting
to listen to his comments on the series, but this featurette
will likely leave you wanting more. Commentary is provided
for the two-part pilot episode, which features Greenberg,
as well as series star Vincent Ventresca and series director
Breck Eisner. These commentaries are an entertaining listen,
but I wish they'd recorded some for every episode! Finally,
if you just can't get enough Invisible Man, a bonus episode
from the second season has been included.
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