The Da Vinci Code, CSI, Friends
DVD of the Week
The Da Vinci Code
There are countless times where I've read a book and pictured what the characters look like, only to see the film version of said book, and be disappointed with the casting. Such is the case with The DaVinci Code, the gripping page-turner by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks isn't bad as Brown's literary hero, Robert Langdon; he's just not who I'd pictured in the role (and his odd-looking, greasy long hair doesn't help). Hanks teams with his good buddy, director Ron Howard, to tell Brown's tale of the professor who gets drawn into the hunt for the legendary Holy Grail, which has been equally hidden and sought for centuries. Forget whether the Holy Grail and the secret society trying to protect it are real or not -- what made the novel so good was its page-turning suspense. Would Langdon and his co-cryptologist (played in the film by Audrey Tautou) crack the riddles contained in Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, and buildings around Europe, and find the Grail before the baddies did? Sadly, in the big-screen version, the suspence and action actually lag. The riddles, clues and plot points that made the novel so...novel...are reduced to mere plot points rushed over in dialogue. I enjoyed this adaptation -- and supporting players Ian McKellen and Paul Bettany -- but it could have been so much more. The Da Vinci Code is still a must-see movie, and I'm looking forward to hearing what readers have to say about it. As for extras, an interview with Brown is an entertaining look at how he put the bestselling book together. "A Portrait of Langdon," "Unusual Suspects" and "Magical Places" are all pedestrian docs, while "The Codes of the Da Vinci Code" is a cool peek at the secrets behind the painting.TV on DVD
CSI, Season Six
Who am I? A huge fan, that's what. Count me as one of the millions who still choose Griss (William Petersen) and his crew of McSteamy and McDreamy. While I admit that Season 6 was a good season, it lacked some of the character development that other seasons had, and some cases weren't as exciting as previous seasons. Still, there's plenty to like about last season, including Det. Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) getting shot and almost dying, and Sarah (Jorja Fox) and Grissom finally getting horizontal with each other after all this time.
Friends, The Complete Series Collection
All 10 seasons of the NBC sitcom are here. Marvel at how much Ross, Rachel and the rest of the gang changed from season to season, both in the way their characters developed and in the way that they looked (remember "the Rachel"?). Every episode is here on a whopping 40 discs, along with a 60-page commemorative book, which contains the original Friends pilot pitch and behind-the-scenes photos with the cast and crew. Clocking in at over $300, this is a pricey gift, even for a die-hard fan. For that much, I want Matt LeBlanc to call me and personally apologize for the whole Joey spin-off thing.
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The Da Vinci Code
There are countless times where I've read a book and pictured what the characters look like, only to see the film version of said book, and be disappointed with the casting. Such is the case with The DaVinci Code, the gripping page-turner by Dan Brown. Tom Hanks isn't bad as Brown's literary hero, Robert Langdon; he's just not who I'd pictured in the role (and his odd-looking, greasy long hair doesn't help). Hanks teams with his good buddy, director Ron Howard, to tell Brown's tale of the professor who gets drawn into the hunt for the legendary Holy Grail, which has been equally hidden and sought for centuries. Forget whether the Holy Grail and the secret society trying to protect it are real or not -- what made the novel so good was its page-turning suspense. Would Langdon and his co-cryptologist (played in the film by Audrey Tautou) crack the riddles contained in Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, and buildings around Europe, and find the Grail before the baddies did? Sadly, in the big-screen version, the suspence and action actually lag. The riddles, clues and plot points that made the novel so...novel...are reduced to mere plot points rushed over in dialogue. I enjoyed this adaptation -- and supporting players Ian McKellen and Paul Bettany -- but it could have been so much more. The Da Vinci Code is still a must-see movie, and I'm looking forward to hearing what readers have to say about it. As for extras, an interview with Brown is an entertaining look at how he put the bestselling book together. "A Portrait of Langdon," "Unusual Suspects" and "Magical Places" are all pedestrian docs, while "The Codes of the Da Vinci Code" is a cool peek at the secrets behind the painting.TV on DVD
CSI, Season Six
Who am I? A huge fan, that's what. Count me as one of the millions who still choose Griss (William Petersen) and his crew of McSteamy and McDreamy. While I admit that Season 6 was a good season, it lacked some of the character development that other seasons had, and some cases weren't as exciting as previous seasons. Still, there's plenty to like about last season, including Det. Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) getting shot and almost dying, and Sarah (Jorja Fox) and Grissom finally getting horizontal with each other after all this time.
Friends, The Complete Series Collection
All 10 seasons of the NBC sitcom are here. Marvel at how much Ross, Rachel and the rest of the gang changed from season to season, both in the way their characters developed and in the way that they looked (remember "the Rachel"?). Every episode is here on a whopping 40 discs, along with a 60-page commemorative book, which contains the original Friends pilot pitch and behind-the-scenes photos with the cast and crew. Clocking in at over $300, this is a pricey gift, even for a die-hard fan. For that much, I want Matt LeBlanc to call me and personally apologize for the whole Joey spin-off thing.
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