Guest Jerry Posted May 6, 2003 Posted May 6, 2003 dvdfile.com: Reviewed by Mike Restaino on May 5, 2003. (Bio / Equipment list) The last few years have turned James Cameron into the cinematic equivalent of Axl Rose. Compare the facts: both had career-defining successes over the last couple of decades - Cameron with Titanic, T2 and Aliens, Axl with Appetite for Destruction and the Use Your Illusion two-for-one - but since reaching the pinnacle of pop culture, they've both retreated to a state of virtual seclusion. It may not be quite that cut-and-dry, for Rose and a retooled Gn'R went back on tour for a few weeks before imploding (and headed back again to the studio to work on the same album they've been for almost ten years), while Cameron pops up here or there, makes an IMAX movie, and produces last year's dreadful remake of Solaris. Then there was Dark Angel, his now-defunct series that made a sizable splash when it debuted in 2000, then sank quicker than the Titanic. My interest in Dark Angel stemmed mostly from Cameron's seclusion. I've been a devoted fan since the original Terminator, and I'm always anxious to hear the latest rumor about what his big post-Titanic film is going to be. So when I heard that he was dipping his pen into the television gene pool, I was excited to get a peek at what ideas this crazy control-mad genius was going to toss at us, even if it was "just a TV show." But one of Dark Angel's many problems is that there is very little Cameron influence apparent in it, which may account for its quick slide off the radar. Not to say that the post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest where once "It" girl Jessica Alba rides around on her futuristic motorcycle doesn't reek of Cameron-noir, a la T2 or Aliens, but there's none of the nonstop action or character-driven suspense that usually pops up in his best work. Basically, it's a Real World-meets-Bionic Woman smorgasbord of a show. Alba plays a genetically-engineered, sassy superwoman with a broken past and a bee in her robo-bonnet, out to find her similarly genetically-modified friends that she hasn't seen in years. She rides around town in her cool sunglasses, kicks some ass and falls in love whenever it seems appropriate. However, aside from having the ability to fill out her black leather cat-suit nicely, Alba has very little onscreen charisma. The genetic mutation in her very physiology makes her a tortured character who mostly stands around stone-faced and pouting; because of this stoic caricature, it is hard to feel much empathy. At least Ah-nuld had a high degree of humor once he started toting his android-Terminator ass around Los Angeles; Alba here has great skin, a smokin' bod and pretty, post-Friends hair, but she's Avril Lavigne where she should be Madonna. Her constant resorting to mopey looks and long, puppy-dog glances make her a shell of a character and a substandard sci-fi heroine. But once Dark Angel starts finding its voice, as it does after a few episodes, it is able to deliver a few thrills here and there. It only lasted two seasons - from the sleek look of the show, it must have been inordinately expensive to bankroll - with even Alba's pinup blankness and Cameron's name as creator (he actually directed an episode of the second season, so we'll see that one on DVD soon) unable to round up too many devotees. Now, we just need to get Cameron behind a movie camera again, perhaps with a new Axl Rose-penned soundtrack? That's what I want. Video: How Does The Disc Look? First things first: James Cameron preferred Dark Angel be presented in full screen, so it is, despite the fact it was broadcast in 1.78:1 HD. That said, Dark Angel still looks like a million bucks. The show's visual sleekness is nicely reproduced here, with beautifully saturated reds and blues punctuating the mostly monochromatic chromatic landscape. It's a very impressive effect. Blacks are reference-quality and detail is crisp and clean with even shadow delineation well above average. And since each disc only gets three to four episodes, there are no examples of compression artifacting to speak of. Cool. Audio: How Does The Disc Sound? The show's broadcast Dolby 2.0 surround soundtracks are all we get here (I would have thought Cameron would want to remix 'em, but maybe there wasn't enough time or money?). They are all fine and good, but the presentation still leaves a bit to be desired. Because of its sci-fi roots, this show all but calls out for a bombastic mix. Stereo separation is spread out nicely across the front channels, including the score, and dynamic range impressive for a television show, but envelopment is paltry. The surrounds are rarely if every employed, and this mix is just way too front-heavy than it should be. A shame. Also included are Spanish and French Dolby 2.0 surround dub, along with English and Spanish subtitles and English Closed Captions. Supplements: What Goodies Are There? For a set that looks rather big at first glance, the extras are surprisingly insubstantial... First up, the selected episode commentaries. The best part of the screen-specific audio commentary for the pilot on is the way executive producer and creator Charles Eglee and director David Nutter discuss how they assembled the techno-amazing toys they used in the series (at no small cost, I'd imagine). Mercedes FedEx's some futuristic cars over, they beef up Alba's chick-bike - easy! It terms of the concept and narrative, however, it is another story: While Nutter examines the pain behind Jessica Alba's tortured life in a well-informed manner, it all seems to pale in comparison to her ass-kicking. Which is fine, but it doesn't make for a very evocative or interesting commentary. Disc four offers up a commentary on "Rising" with Eglee and co-executive producer Rene Echevarria. It isn't much, but it is funny to hear them talking about their troubles with Fox over making sure that the androids in the future wear helmets when riding their super-motorcycles. Ah, bureaucracy! On disc five we have a bland commentary from Eglee, Echevarria and director Jeff Woolnough on "And I Am a Camera," while disc six brings actors Jessica Alba and Michael Weatherly together for "...And Jesus Brought a Casserole." No offense, but it's one of the worst commentary tracks I've ever heard. Mindless musings on sets and clothes, benign responses to dialogue they like ("Wow - that was really good!") make this one both bad and (of course) the one you should listen to first for a good laugh. Next up are three featurettes which are a mixed batch. The first one, "Dark Angel: Genesis" is a nice 20-minute behind-the-scenes look that doesn't go too deep into anything, but does provide non-Angel freaks a good introduction to the show. The remaining two 6-minute featurettes that follow - "Seattle Ain't What It Used To Be" and "Creating an X-5" - are just rehashes of "Genesis." Long story short: watch the first one, skip the second two. Also included are audition tapes that pit original cast readings with their final forms on the show - boy, when you take away the special effects and moody music, science fiction dialogue really does sound terrible! Rounding it out is a cute 5-minute blooper reel and a promo spot for the "James Cameron's Dark Angel" video game. DVD-ROM Exclusives: What do you get when you pop the disc in your PC? No ROM extras have been included. Parting Thoughts Dark Angel isn't a terrible show, but it really could have been a lot cooler. Jessica Alba was a foxy enough heroine, but she didn't have the Linda Hamilton chops to back up her sexy braun. And while this six-disc collection features beautiful video transfers, extras are slim. Fans will likely by this regardless of what this crazy DVDFile critic says, but for those aching for some cool Cameron-isms to fill the void until his next movie, keep looking.
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