Eleventh Hour - The Complete Series (2008 - 2009/Warner Bros. DVD Set)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: C
In a show that should have been a surefire hit, Producer
Jerry Bruckheimer allowed Eleventh Hour
to become just another over-polished, coldly-produced police procedural when it
had the ability to become the next X-Files
or Numbers. Eleventh
Hour had a great lead in Rufus Sewell (Dark
City, reviewed on Blu-ray elsewhere on this site) as a special science advisor
helping the feds stop scientific breakthroughs and weapons from happening
(including ideas in the classified realm) in the wrong hands before it is too
late. Joined by Marley Shelton as an FBI
agent sent to help him, it is apparent the possibilities flew right over
Bruckheimer’s head. Has this man ever
even seen the British TV classic The
Avengers?
Turns out this is a remake of a British series with
Patrick Stewart we looked at a little while ago. Eighteen hour-long shows were produced with
some money definitely in the show, but wow did the they drop the ball! Sewell and Shelton had the potential to become an
interesting couple, but dumb dialogue and other formula issues keep sabotaging
the show’s better ideas in almost every case.
Maybe if better writers and/or a story editor who knew their way around
a genre could have taken over, this could have been great, but as it stands, it
will likely not even become a cult item.
Too bad, because the potential was there.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is a bit soft
at times, but would likely look better in HD and on Blu-ray, which it is not
also being issued in. This was shot on
film. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has
some Pro Logic surrounds, but might have been better with a 5.1 mix. The combination is fairly good and money is
in the sound mix too, but that cannot save the scripts. There are no extras.
For more on the Stewart U.K. version, try this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4123/Eleventh+Hour+(Acorn/Britain)
To order this title, go to this link:
www.wbshop.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-WB-Site/default/Product-Show?pid=1000121164&adid=11thHrSeries39
- Nicholas Sheffo
