Whenever Jerry Bruckheimer’s name is mentioned, thoughts immediately turn to crappy over-budgeted action films. However, his recent foray into TV has been nothing but outstanding with the introduction of “CSI” back in 2000.
- Todd Weiser
Now it is TV’s top-rated drama and with good reason. “CSI” thrives because of emphasis on the case and not the characters. William Peterson’s Gil Grissom is the focal point of the show as the idiosyncratic scientist in charge of the Las Vegas night shift of crime scene investigators. His crew includes four members, all of whom have individual problems and personalities; however, the show keeps their personal lives to a minimum. “CSI” is all about the crime and shows it through gruesome images and flashbacks.
The DVD set features a quality picture transfer, but the episodes are all in full screen. CBS airs the show in the HD format with widescreen, but instead decided to include only the standard full screen version. Similarly the audio is acceptable, but nothing noteworthy. The set is lacking significantly in the extras department. Aside from the nice packaging, all that is available are character profiles, a brief featurette and a music video with the theme song. Noticeably absent is a commentary track, which would have been incredibly interesting considering the complex nature of the cases and technology used in the series.
While “CSI” is a great show, the lack of extras and the high cost keeps this set from getting a strong recommendation. The show is one of television’s best and it strived even in its inaugural season. “CSI: The Complete First Season” captures some great episodes but could have been a much more complete set for fans of the series.
Show: 4 1/2 Stars
Picture/Sound: 3 1/2 Stars
Features: 1 Star