Doom Patrol Season 1 Blu-ray Review
“Doom Patrol” is an out there show (in a good way).
“Warner. Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own.”
Based on the DC comic series of the same name, “Doom Patrol” is a 15 episode DC Universe series that is decidedly different from the norm. The story: Dr. Niles Caulder (AKA The Chief) saves broken people/metahumans to give them a purpose and help them. He has assembled a rather rag-tag group that includes Crazy Jane (who has 64 personas/personalities), a former racecar driver turned robot aptly named Robotman, Cyborg (no description necessary), a former pilot possessed by negative energy named Negative Man, and a former actress that came into contact with liquid that can cause her body to change form essentially (Rita). Together, they all reside at Doom Manor. While there are numerous storylines (which I will mention shortly), the central plot involves the villainous Mr. Nobody kidnapped Niles and toying with and trapping the Doom Patrol members with a fiendish elaborate plan. Other key stories include: a destroyed town, a donkey, a doomsday cult, an old superhero team called the Doom Patrol, a rat named Admiral Whiskers, an intelligent genderqueer street named Danny, the dangerous Bureau of Normalcy, a journey inside Jane’s internal Underground, the Beard Hunter, secrets, Flex Mentallo, and a dimension called the White Space.
Unless you’ve read the “Doom Patrol” comics (namely Grant Morrison’s run), nothing can prepare you for just how bizarre the series is. It’s most definitely not what you’d expect from a show based on a comic book and it’s also a very adult series. Basically, it’s a refreshing change of pace from DC’s other series. What really stands out about the show is just how character oriented it is. Each character is explored in great depth as their past, present, and personal demons are laid out for all to see. These characters are broken and trying to overcome obstacles. They’re also trying to band together to help one another little by little.
One of the other rewarding elements of “Doom Patrol” is the abundance of humor. Not only does the show poke fun at standard comic book tropes, but it also incorporates a plethora of oddities such as walking butts and a giant cockroach named Ezekiel. Sure, it can be a bit goofy at times and it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you go with the flow of everything, you’ll find yourself drawn into the strange world these characters inhabit.
The cast here crushes it across the board. Diane Guerrero of “Orange Is The New Black” fame gives an award worthy performance as Crazy Jane. She has such a challenging task of having to act out so many different personalities and she does it with ease. Admittedly, I hadn’t heard much of April Bowlby prior to this series, but she has my attention now due to her deeply impressive performance as Rita. Jovian Wade’s take on Cyborg might not be the one you are used to, but he grows on you. Alan Tudyk is great as always as Mr. Nobody. There’s nothing the actor can’t do. Underrated actor Matt Bomer shows off his acting chops as Negative Man/Larry. Brendan Fraser has his best role in years as Robotman/Cliff. Last, but not least the legend that is Timothy Dalton is exquisite as always.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: Widescreen 1080p. How does it look? The episodes look sharp in hi-def.
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? A- worthy
Extras:
* Digital copy
* Deleted scenes from episodes 2, 8, 11, 14 and 15.
* An amusing 4 ½ minute gag reel
* “Doom Patrol: Come Visit Georgia PSA”- A look at the Georgia shooting locations.
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