DVD Corner

Glee Season 1 Blu-ray Review

Don’t buy into the “Glee” hype.

When I first heard about a musical series based around a rag-tag group of glee club students, I was intrigued. A musical series is something that I feel could be done, but as most TV viewers know, the attempts at a musical series have been flat out disasterous (I’m looking at you “Cop Rock” and “Viva Laughlin”). While far from being disasterous, the writers of “Glee” simply try way too hard in virtually every respect.

In an age where cop and law shows rule the airwaves, it is commendable that “Glee” is a fresh new show. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work for me as nothing about the show feels remotely authentic. The drama is cloying and heavy handed, the characters feel phony and cliched, and virtually every conflict (such as the pregnancy and Jane Lynch’s character) feels forced. The show feels more like an after school special with all of the themes, issues, and overplayed “overcoming the odds” moments.

Another aspect I felt was rather mediocre was the singing by the cast and the cover songs. Aside from “Don’t Stop Beliving,” I can’t say any of the covers made an impression.

Flaws aside, the show does have a few redeeming qualities. As I’m sure you’ve heard, Jane Lynch is indeed the scene-stealer here despite her character being rather ridiculous. Also, there are several memorable cameo appearances by the likes of Neil Patrick Harris, Olivia Newton John, and Kristin Chenoweth.

Summary: “Glee” is for Gleeks only.

The 1.78:1 1080p picture quality is solid, but nothing to ride home about. Some of the episodes look a little fuzzy. Also, while not a fault of the Blu-ray, I was a little put off the by the dark lighting. What school is lit like this?

From the singing to the soundtrack, the 5.1 DTS-HD audio delivers.   

Extras:

* Glee Sing Along Karaoke.
* Glee Music Jukebox in which you can select songs to play.
* “Staying In Step With Glee”- A featurette on choreography.
* “Bite Their Style: Dress Like Your Favorite Gleek”- A featurette on the clothing/costumes in the show. 
* “Unleashing The Power Of Madonna”- A featurette on the Madonna episode featuring cast/crew interviews.
* “Making Of A Showstopper”- A featurette about the Bohemian Rhapsody number.
* “Welcome To McKinley”-The principal takes viewers on a brief tour of the school.
* Glee Music Video.
* Full length audition pieces of the characters.

* Fox Movie Channel Presents Casting Session.
* “Deconstructing Glee With Ryan Murphy”- Murphy chats about the show.
* Dance Boot Camp.

* “Jane Lynch A To Glee”
* “5 Things You Don’t Know About Jayma”
* “7 Things You Don’t Know About Cory”

* “6 Things You Don’t Know About Amber”
* “7 Things You Don’t Know About Chris”
* Actor/actress video diaries.
* A visual commentary on the pilot episode by 14 cast/crew members. Ryan Murphy and Jane Lynch chat the most here with jokes and behind-the-scenes information.

October 10, 2010 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Glee Season 1 Blu-ray Review, Jane Lynch