Home :: DVD :: Horror :: Series & Sequels  

Classic Horror & Monsters
Cult Classics
Frighteningly Funny
General
Series & Sequels

Slasher Flicks
Teen Terror
Television
Things That Go Bump
Angel - Season One

Angel - Season One

List Price: $59.98
Your Price: $44.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 14 15 16 17 18 19 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An opinion of the series
Review: This is a fantastic series, that I would recommend to any adult that enjoys great writing and original storylines.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Taste of Things To Come
Review: After "Buffy" Season 3 comes out on DVD in January, it's a short wait until the premiere season of "Angel" arrives. While mostly uneven, it still contains its share of exciting hours and is an important prelude to the highly-acclaimed Seasons 2 and 3.

The basic premise is that Angel, the Gypsy-cursed vampire with a soul, relocates to Los Angeles to escape the memory of ex-girlfriend Buffy, and to "fight the good fight" against vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness. He's aided by "Buffy" alum Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia (as his ditzy aide), and Doyle, the half-demon (on his mother's side) guide to "the powers that be".

The first several episodes explore the notion that L.A. is a big, bad, unforgiving city, similar to the way that "Buffy"'s Sunnydale High always reflected its characters' private angst. "Angel" was less suited to the ironic beast-of-the-week format, and quickly dropped it. In "City of...", Joss Whedon's sharply-written pilot, Angel assembles his private-eye crew, but fails to save the girl, and makes mortal enemies out of demonic law firm Wolfram & Hart. "Lonely Heart" similarly takes place in nothing but bars and nightclubs, and is most memorable for the introduction of Detective Kate Lockley.

"Angel" benefitted early on from two crossovers with "Buffy". "Into The Dark" concludes a BtVS story with "Buffy" regulars Spike and Oz visiting L.A. "I Will Remember You" features Sarah Michelle Gellar's first visit to Angel since their breakup. In both episodes Angel refuses an escape from his vampire lifestyle -- even though that means terminating his newfound romance. Both episodes stand out among the season's best, with Spike's merciless taunting of Angel ("I'm just a big fluffy puppy with bad teeth") the higlight of the season.

Other early episodes are not quite as memorable. "I Fall To Pieces", "Room W/A Vu", and "Sense and Sensitivity" all play on the theme of L.A. as a devourer of lost souls. The first of these is the weakest of the season, although the last has an amusing cameo by Steve Schirripa, later of "The Sopranos". Also introduced is Cordy's amusing invisible-ghost roommate, Dennis, surely the hardest-working character on the show. "Bachelor Party" introduces Doyle's family and features the welcome return of Carlos Jacott, who played another demon on the previous season of "Buffy".

In "Hero", Doyle is abruptly killed off, to be replaced in the next episode, "Parting Gifts", by Wesley Wyndham-Price (Alexis Denisof), making the three regulars a matched set of sidelined "Buffy" characters.

Meanwhile, although the season still doesn't have a unified arc, the various hints that pop up in "Somnambulist" turn Detective Lockley, suddenly, into Angel's enemy. A powerful female demon in "She" is supposed to rival Angel -- and provide a possible love interest -- but is never heard from again. "Expecting" features the show's first sex scene, and, as on "Buffy", there are sardonic consequences for all.

"Angel"'s first year slowly revs into gear with episode 14, "I've Got You Under My Skin", a sharp riff on "The Exorcist" which helps bridge the gap between Wesley the craven coward, and the more driven team-leader he'll become. Where "The Prodigal" limps along, introducing an evil protege of Angel's (never to appear again), "The Ring" is another fantastic hour that brings the Wolfram & Hart storyline back into focus. "Eternity", the next episode, is a not-so-welcome detour, the season's lone excuse to bring back Angel's evil alter ago, Angelus, for a very over-the-top ten minutes.

"Five By Five" and "Sanctuary", an intense two-parter, brings Faith over from the "Buffy" universe. Angel does something Buffy couldn't do -- resolve Faith's story act -- even though that means a very angry Buffy squares off again with Angel in the concluding episode.

In "War Zone", we're introduced to budding series regular Gunn, a street kid fighting his own street war against vampires. "Blind Date" finally returns Wolfram & Hart to the fore, as the three previously-seen evil lawyers (all of whose surnames mysteriously begin with the letter "M") embark on a scheme to interfere with Angel's destiny.

The season wraps up with the satisfying "To Shanshu In L.A.". Each of the four regulars is given something to do, and the episode ends with a reaffirmation of Angel's ultimate goal -- to shed his vampire nature and become human at long last. Which is only weakenedly slightly by the fact that Angel refused the gift of humanity on each of the first two discs in this set.

Overall, you won't find Angel: Season One to be nearly as satisfying as what's to come, but it's a good introduction to the show and makes a fine bookend for the three seasons of "Buffy" overflowing your DVD shelf.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It's about time !
Review: This incredible series has fans all around the world,
and if you live outside North America,
you can buy Seasons 1 and 2 on DVD,since they were released
in 2001 in Regions 2 and 4.
Needless to say,
it's been hard not having them in the U.S. or Canada
(although the shows broadcast here before they do overseas)
but on February 11,the wait will be over!

The DVD special features will be the same on the new
U.S.Region 1 discs as they are on the Regions 2 and 4,
so we won't be missing out on such extras as:
4 featurettes,commentaries,trailers and
a still gallery.
As I said,it's about time!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Angel in the City of Angels
Review: At the end of Buffy Season 3, Buffy's long suffering vampire with a soul (David Boreanaz) bid adieu as he walked into the mists, departing Sunnydale forever (except for the random crossover appearance).

He emerged, appropriately enough, in the City of Angels, Los Angeles, with it's own batch of souls needing saving, and incidently, the place where the whole Buffy the Vampire Slayer story actually began (in the movie and in flashback sequences during season two's "Becoming", Buffy was a student at Hemery High School in L.A.). So the world of Buffy has come full circle, with Angel's return to the source of it all.

He thought his days of serving the Powers to Be were over, until he ran into a half-demon named Doyle (Glenn Quinn) that informed him that he'd been called to a higher purpose. He also ran into Sunnydale alums Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) and Wesley Wyndham-Pryce (Alexis Denisof), who would join him in his quest to save every lost soul in Los Angeles, including his own.

Producer's Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt originally envisioned Angel to be a serial show -- each episode being self-contained, vice an anthology show like Buffy where there's a continuing storyline. As such, the first season is considered to be Angel's weakest by far, as Angel spends each episode helping one person in need, then moving on to the next. Midway through this season, they decided to shift gears for an anthology series, bringing in Wesley to replace Doyle (it was believed that a stronger voice from Angel's history was required with the direction the show was taking).

But there are still seeds being planted for what is to come. Even in the first episode, "City of ...", we're introduced to the law firm that would be later identified as Wolfram & Hart; comparing Wolfram & Hart to the demon-lawyers of "The Devil's Advocate" would not be a stretch of the imagination at all. And throughout the season and the ones to follow, Wolfram & Hart would be the biggest thorn in our champion's side.

I said early on that this is the weakest of Angel's seasons, but remember this is still penned by the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so even at it's worst, it's still better than 90 percent of the other stuff available. My biggest complaint is that it would be nice to have it released concurrently with Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season 4 set, since even though Angel moved to Los Angeles (and later, Buffy to another network), the two shows never lost their link. For the longest time, Buffy characters would make appearances on Angel and Angel would make appearances in Sunnydale, often as part of a double-crossover; it would be nice to have those double-crossovers in-tact from the release. But then that's nitpicking.

Frankly, if you like Buffy, then you'll probably like Angel. And if up until now you've followed Angel's exploits through the first three seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then you can't abandon him now.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Let's hope it is widescreen
Review: When the dust settles on the Buffy phenomenon, I would be surprised if Angel is not considered the better series. And without doubt the most eagerly awaited DVD will be Angel Series 1. Why? Because releases of Angel Series 1 in the rest of the world were, although filmed in widescreen, only released in 4:3 (a mistake corrected for Series 2 in the UK) - hopefully the US release will be the definitive widescreen version

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: hope it to see it released soon.
Review: Both Buffy and Angel are grand show's.
Now that Buffy is finally out I hope Angel quickly follows behind on DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Vampire Rocks
Review: I have been fortunate enough to purchase the entire Season 1 & 2 Collections of Angel on DVD & I can't wait for Season 3 & every season onwards to become available.

The show is absolutely brilliant, with excellent storylines, fantastic characters & special effects.

Keep releasing Angel on DVD & you'll be making a [heck] of a lot of people happy, particularly me.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Please release this sooner!
Review: I agree with everyone that is a great TV Show and it should be released sooner! Please release the Angel season 1 and 2 and 3 DVD's as soon as possible! As well as Buffy season 3, 4, 5 and 6!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: As good as it gets
Review: I have been a huge fan of Buffy and Angel since their inception. Now that Buffy is coming out on DVD I hope that Angel follows soon. This is just a great show. Angel, like Buffy, has it all-humor, horror, drama, suspense. Please release Angel on DVD so that we can enjoy it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Angel
Review: I am a huge fan of the show. I can not believe how fast things work for other countries around the world. Unlike us here in the united states, i wish we would produce a lot quicker here like Martha stated. Please release Angel on DVD or at least on VHS!!!


<< 1 .. 14 15 16 17 18 19 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates