CSI Fanatic

CSI DVD Review

by Milo Riano on June 30th, 2006

Who’s In It: William L. Petersen, Gary Dourdan, Marg Helgenberger, George Eads, Paul Guilfoyle, Robert David Hall, David Berman, Zeljko Ivanek, Louise Lombard, Aisha Tyler, Lee Tergesen, Stephen Baldwin, Larry Sullivan, Alec Carter, Aimee Graham

Who Directed It: Assorted

When Can I Buy It: NOW (Region 2)

Information:
‘Spark of Life’ commentary
‘4 x 4′ commentary
‘Committed’ commentary
‘Weeping Willows’ commentary
CSI: Tarantino-Style
CSI: Producers on the Scene and in the Lab
Season 5: a Postmortem

CSI: SEASON 5, PART 2, is the second DVD in as many weeks that I’ve reviewed that is based around the Crime Scene Investigation phenomenon. The first release, and indeed the very first CSI that I had ever seen, was the wonderful CSI: MIAMI, which I instantly fell in love with. This however, is the original series where it all started. CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, starring William Petersen (he of MANHUNTER fame).

We’re entering the fifth series of this wonderful show, and in this one, we are treated to one of the best series climaxes of all time, the superb double-episode CO-created and directed by everyone’s favourite film geek, Quentin Tarantino. I had to stop myself from immediately jumping straight to this double episode, which is entitled “Grave Danger”. I succeeded, and watched a couple of other shows in this, the second half of the fifth season. Stand-outs for me would be the “4 x 4″ and “Hollywood Brass”, a gritty little episode that takes the action out of Vegas and into the seedier side of LA.

I want to spend a little time on the Tarantino helmed Grave Danger, as this is obviously the best and biggest selling point of this three disc DVD. The setup is simple. Part of a person’s intestine is found in downtown Las Vegas, just off the strip and CSI man, Nick Stokes (George Eads) is sent to investigate. Once there, Stokes is attacked, drugged and transported to a different part of the city where he is buried alive in a glass coffin. With him is a loaded gun, tape recorder and a limited supply of oxygen. Lights light up his hidden burial chamber, which are eventually controlled by remote, after a web address is given to his CSI team, who can see Stokes through an online webcam. It’s up to the CSI team to find their colleague before his time, and indeed his underground oxygen supply run out.

It’s a great little story, and the episode is littered with Tarantino’s culture themed dialogue, witty one-liners and a kick ass pace to boot. We also have a couple of old screen veterans popping up in cameo roles, again, a now well known trademark of the RESERVOIR DOGS helmer. Plot points also highlight Tarantino’s strong points, and all round coolness, like the way that Stokes is buried underground, but is given a pistol, a fact that hints at the violence that we kind of expect from him. I just really loved the episode, and viewers of this DVD will find themselves having to watch these two episodes back-to-back (trust me, the suspense will kill you).

Read more of the review at thehollywoodnews.

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POSTED IN: Cast CSI: Vegas