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Cirque du Soleil - Dralion

Cirque du Soleil - Dralion

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $22.46
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One word.....Superb!
Review: I must admit that I purchased this with some trepidation after reading some reviews saying there was "choppy editing" and other negatives regarding the Dralion DVD. I have seen only one Cirque Du Soleil show live and that was "O" at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. In my opinion, this comes about as close to seeing it live as you are going to get. There is a juggling sequence which is simply other-worldly, a hand-balancer who seems to do the impossible, and some jump-rope sequences that you have to see to believe. I am quite sure that I will be watching this many times in the years ahead.

The DVD also has a Behind the Scenes look which was filmed in China before the show opened. It is amazing to compare where they were only months before the first show, and the performances you see on the DVD.

Cirque du Soleil is a feast for the senses- the music, acrobats, and movement combine to make one question whether what you are seeing is actually possible. IMO, they represent the best of what mankind is capable of. Dralion is not only well edited, but is an amazing show, and is easily worthy of six stars were that an option.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Excellent show; a little weak on the technical features.
Review: Where the theme of Quidam concerned a young girl who borrows the hat of a faceless stranger and is transported into a magical world, and then returns, Dralion is less of a story and more of a pageant, celebrating the union of West and East (dragon and lion), and the four elements (earth, fire, air and water). The costumes, as usual, are stunning and vibrant, as is the choreography. It took me a few viewings to warm up to the constant, operatic background sung by a woman and a very androgynous man, but the melodies do grow on you. And the acrobatics are at Cirque du Soleil's usual high level of daring and grace.

Without wanting to reveal too much, I do feel that the best performance, hands down, is given by the Embarrassed Good Sport plucked out of the audience by Joe the Clown.

The "multi-angle" viewing is less than promised: it is simply a branching of the DVD off to alternative, often very rough, video footage of the selected performances. The angles are usually the same as in the shots that made it into the main track of the DVD (i.e. the finished film), but you see the ugly stuff as well: bad focus and zoom work, covering shots of other performers on the stage that weren't edited into the main footage, and sloppy cutting to make the alternative footage match the timing of the soundtrack. Sometimes you see something interesting that you wouldn't have seen in the main track (such as the slight bobbles of the acrobats), but mostly it's the same footage, only rougher. It might as well have been labeled "deleted scenes"; from viewing it you know why it wasn't included in the film. A truly polished, professional filming and editing job from widely divergent angles would have been a treat, but this version falls short.

Buy the DVD for the pageantry, the symbolism and the breathtaking performances; don't buy it based on the advertised technical features.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The DTS track is mindblowing...
Review: I have owned the original Dralion DVD for some time. I also own the DVD's of Quidam, Alegria (the show filmed in Sidney not the film) and Varekai, which I purchased toguether with this new Dralion Superbit version. Until now Dralion had been my least favorite of the four shows. Not that it was bad but its just that Quidam was so much better. My problem was that as much as I tried I could never get the same sound from my original Dralion DVD. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track was so bad that at first I returned the DVD because I guessed I had a damaged product, and it was not. However, this new Superbit version with DTS sounds so crisp and powerfull that I have just rediscovered the show in a whole new way. If you already own Dralion...the new DTS track on the Superbit version is so good that alone makes the purchase worth it. Its a completely new experience. In terms of image quality, both versions are presented in beautiful widescreen anamorphic video, however, the new Superbit version seems at times more crispier, sharp and alive with excelent color presentation. The original version has also great colors, but most of the time this new Superbit version seems to have the edge in terms of definition when compared to the original.

Dralion is a fantastic show, with this new version I cannot say that Dralion is not as good as the other four. They are completely different shows, if you buy one...eventualy you will end up owning the others, yes, they are that good.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Tremendous artistry, poor filming...again
Review: As a video, Dralion is about par for the Cirque du Soleil course. The show itself is an amazing work of art. It blends sights and sounds beautifully and from them crafts a performance that can enthrall and move viewers of all ages and backgrounds. At the same time, the videos are always poorly filmed. The camera angles are often too narrow, providing a perfect view of a performer's elbow or the face of a child in the crowd. One of the great things about these shows is that there's something happening everywhere at once--not just where the camera points. Also, there is a very MTV style to the switching of camera angles. No single shot is shown for more than a couple of seconds, and the transitions are far from smooth, making Dralion seem like an 80 minute long music video. Aside from this and some "generous" editing from the live show (the scenes are thoroughly chopped up), I would recommend this video to any true Cirque du Soleil fan. If you're looking for a video to introduce you to the true nature of these shows, though, Quidam (also available here) is a much better bet.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Cirque is the NEW "Greatest Show on Earth!"
Review: You must see the show LIVE! I watched the show in Dallas on Dec. 8th and was completely blown away, even though I have already seen the DVD! The DVD is also very good, because you get an up close view of the acts, and some of the sections allow you to view the act in multiple angles by hitting the angle button on your DVD player. The performers and the music are beautiful, and the costumes are out of this world... I highly recommend this DVD to anyone who wants to experience pure entertainment! It's sexy... it's fun... It will leave you in complete awe! Don't hesitate, buy Dralion NOW!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: fantastic!!
Review: I saw this show live in Virginia. It is a fantastic show. The customs are beautiful, the acts are amazing, the music is enchanting.... Cirque Du Soleil really knows how to put up a show. I can't wait to buy the DVD. I highly recommend this DVD and anything else that is Cirque du Soleil. So far, I have never been disappointed by this folks. I've seen both resident shows in Las Vegas, O and Mystere, which by the way are absolutely spectacular. I have Saltimbanco on VHS and QUIDAM on DVD, again,both shows nothing short of spectacular. I wish they would release a DVD version of Saltimbanco. Buy the Dralion DVD, you will not be disappointed.....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Incredible
Review: I've watched this slackjawed several times. It is so hard for me to believe that human beings are even capable of doing what these people seem to do effortlessly. And the music is great.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: It's Cirque, but not Cirque at its Best
Review: Every Cirque performance is worth seeing at least once, and while the DVDs can't possibly do justice to the live experience, they're entertaining momentos. I recently saw Dralion live, so I've got that reference for comparison to this DVD edition.

Strictly as a performance, Dralion is not my favorite. Not that it's bad in any way - just disappointing in the opportunities that it misses. Given the rich visuals of Eastern culture to work with, the show could have been the most beautiful of the Cirque lineup. However, it inexplicably strays into other cultures (African, Indian, etc.) and never really picks up any theme at all. Plus, while other Cirque shows follow a plot, albeit a highly conceptual one, Dralion comes off as just a series of acts, almost like a best-of or singles compilation album. Again, the performance is still wonderful to behold - it's just not the strongest one that I've seen.

The DVD presentation itself is very good. Director David Mallet maintains a very consistent look with the "Quidam" DVD that he also helmed. I'm guessing that the two were probably filmed for the same European TV broadcast purpose. The DVD also includes a couple of acts which are not always being performed live on the current North American tour of Dralion, i.e. the light bulb ballet and see saw jumps. Unfortunately, however, it has the same clown sequences as the ones included in Quidam - they're very funny, but it's a shame to have a repeat on the two discs. Finally, the DVD also makes very good use of the multiple angles feature on certain acts.

All in all, I recommend the DVD for Cirque collectors. If you're just getting into Cirque, I recommend the "Quidam" DVD instead. Or, if you really want to be awestruck, go see "O" in Las Vegas.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: C'est formidable!
Review: Well, these Canadian guys have gone a long way since their steet performances.
This is the first show I saw of them, and of course I was shocked by the artistic twists a human body can make, this people don't limit themselves to perform acrobatic routines, they act, they are imbedded into their characters, and let them flow through them. But that's not even half of the show.
Besides excellent acting, one is served great live music -these guys are one of the greatest jazz players I've heard. Their music is not only to fill the holes, but to create and change the various moods one has to go through in order to fully log in the history. Excellent microphone editing also! And those singers! the strangely defined tone of the lead singer, made me think of Farinelli, with a very, but very wide dynamic range! Awesome indeed.
I thought that for being the first show I saw, it would be the one to impress me the most, boy, was I wrong... I had the chance to see Alegria live, and savour also the not-seen-on-screen flawless logistics of the crew, and then I got the DVD on Saltimbanco, Quidam, and many more... but these are other stories, later to be told.
So, what are you doing reading other people's opinion? If you have not seen it yet, get up that chair and go for it! You will regret not doing so.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A serious MUST SEE!
Review: Ok it all starts off with the somewhat intro with all of the four elements, air:azala, fire:yao, earth:gaya, and water:oceane. then there's a little chinese boy with a hourglass, that represents time. Then out comes this girl of only about 11-12 and she starts hand balancing on a almost 7 foot pole in the middle of the stage and belive me I'm older then her but shes stronger then i may ever be. She balances for over 7 mins to the song Stella Erans beautifully sung by the famous French singer Érik Karol. And don't let his lustourious locks, and tenor-soprano voice trick you for he is male! And don't forget the other absolutely wonderful singer Angês Soheir! Then the next act is Viktor Kee's act the best juggler I have ever laid eyes on, and he's pretty hot for however old he is! Saving your privacy Vik! :D Also after that theres Hoop jumping, teterboards, amasing jumpropers, and of course my second favorite act in the world! Aerial Pas de Duex by Ivo and Juliana who arn't with Cirque any more but I wish they were! I MISS YOU TWO!!! I seriously give it Five Stars! And if you love this don't forget to watch Quidam, Alegría, Saltimbanco, Journey of Man, and Alegria the film! All done by the most wonderious Cirque du Soleil!


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