| Pre-Order Grand Theft Auto IV |  |
|
|
| Pre Order Grand Turismo 5 |  |
|
|
|
| 
 enlarge | Directors: Brad Anderson, Clark Johnson, Clement Virgo, Edward Bianchi, Gloria Muzio
Actors: Dominic West, John Doman, Idris Elba, Frankie Faison, Larry Gilliard Jr.
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: £50.99
Buy New: £14.98
You Save: £36.01 (71%)
New (17) Used (7) from £12.50
Rating:  96 reviews
Sales Rank: 36
Format: Pal
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Number Of Items: 5
Running Time: 720
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7
EAN: 7321900253949
ASIN: B0007IK5Z0
Release Date: April 18, 2005
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
The Greatest Book Never Written December 3, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
"The Wire," is the greatest book never written and developed instead as a thirteen part television show for HBO, with superbly hard boiled results. Creator David Simon structures the insightful procedures of the police and drug hierarchies with such skilful precision you could swear it was based on true events. Every episode is like the next chapter in a densely plotted novel interwoven with an engaging web of characters all drawn into one on-going investigation into Baltimore's spiralling drug scene.
Britain's very own Dominic West heads the impressive cast with an impeccable American accent lending authenticity to the already gritty material. Most of the other characters float in and out of the unfolding plot at regular intervals, but not a single performance strikes a false beat. The detail driven storylines concern themselves with the micro aspects of police investigations and the corrupt bureaucracy surrounding a handful of very flawed, but very good cops. This is not a show where big events are predominantly delivered scene after scene a la "24" or "Lost," instead the primary focus of the whole endeavour are on the small character conflicts and the minor details that other, bigger US Network dramas gloss over in two minutes of exposition. "The Wire" takes those usually fleeting two minutes and expands on them to create an entire plot line for an episode without ever compromising the momentum and pacing of the intelligent storytelling. The dialogue is authentically realised and the developments in the plot are subtly crafted, so much so that you could be watching a documentary half the time.
Now this is not a series that can be picked apart episode by episode. Each one directly flows into the other, and just like a good book or detective yarn, all the small pieces of information and characterizations are incredibly relevant and important to the story being told. An audience whose patience allows room for the writers to develop and build-up their situations and obstacles will be rewarded the longer they stay with Detective McNulty (West) and his bickering surveillance team. It also divides its time between the painstaking process' invested in by the detectives with the street life and survival of the targets they are watching and building a case against. The fact that the most basic humanity shines through in even the most wretched of characters uncovers a great understanding and maturity in the writing and the performances. From the dealers in the projects, to the addicts in the street, right up to the private bubble inhabited by the men pulling all the strings. This is provocative and smart television worthy of every award going, structured by people who know how to tell a gripping story and produced by people who know how to construct a genuinely believable reality without ever lapsing into melodrama.
David Simon has developed a detail driven series brought to vivid life by the eclectic, colourful casting and strong, assured direction. "The Wire," is a masterful piece of television that takes time building its case, but come the end reaps rewards for those who sweated it out with the main characters from the beginning and pays-off every single character arc with great insight into the machinations of a corrupt, ruthless and morally dubious game played by both sides of the law. Unmissable drama.
Think this isn't for you? So did I. June 11, 2006
20 out of 22 found this review helpful
It's intelligent, gripping, moving, funny, fantastic! Everybody who can stomach a bit of swearing should watch The Wire.
It taught me more about the world outside my living room than a stack of David Attenboroughs, it kept me guessing for longer than any John Le Carre ever has, and it charmed me with flesh-and-blood characters that make the Sopranos look like a Disney cartoon.
Having just watched the first series, I know I'll be turning it over in my mind for days, if not weeks. I'll also have to be careful not to call anybody "my motherf***ing n**ger". But don't let the high-velocity language put you off. Once you get used to the street talk (and we switched the subtitles on), the mystique of the gangs is stripped away and the real people emerge, giving an almost documentary insight into how people actually live when they are stuck in that apparently bleak and unfathomable world.
The other side of the coin - the team of police investigators - is equally well-drawn, with characters who are sympathetic but not sentimental, and none of the usual tropes from the Dirty Harry school of cop dramas. They are humans and not heroes, with suitably natural acting by a happily unrecognisable cast.
And the plot plays all this earthy realism its advantage. Like bindweed running under the surface, the story takes unexpected turns as it is smoothly unearthed and the characters surprise us by acting like real people would.
For anyone who is not already in a drugs gang or a police force, The Wire is probably your best shot at understanding how the other half lives. Watch it and broaden your mind!
I'm gonna re-up with series two, most def. You feel me?
Hard Boiled Crime Drama July 21, 2006
20 out of 22 found this review helpful
The Wire is another success for HBO who can do no wrong when it comes to spotting the best and most groundbreaking TV shows. The whole series revolves around one single investigation into a Baltimore drug barons activities by a team of detectives determined to link him to several murders.
The dealers use run down tower blocks in West Baltimores housing projects to peddle heroin and the cops have to resort to wire taps and hi-tech surveillance methods to make the case when the elusive Avon Barksdale proves impossible to implicate in any wrong doing. The series is fascinating to watch as Detective McNulty and his team slowly gather evidence and build a case against the vicious gangsters. The Wire is also very character driven and the viewer gets to know key players from both sides of the battle from disgraced cop McNulty to informants to the kid working as one of Barksdales soldiers struggling with guilt as his phonecall gets a rival hood killed.
The Wire is fascinating drama and I would recommend it to anyone who likes gritty realistic cop shows.
...still wired April 26, 2007
19 out of 21 found this review helpful
There isn't enough space to write about how good "The Wire" is, but I'll do my best. This show is unlike anything else I have ever experienced in any medium. People often look down upon tv for being too passive; less of a spectacle than a movie and less rewarding than a book. "The Wire" proves all these assumptions wrong by expolring character, plot and themes on an exhaustive scale never before seen on tv. On a basic level it focuses on one single case, but the success of the show is down to how all the characters affect this case, be they street level dealers or major players. This is mirrored on the law enforcement side as we see all the action from raids on the streets up to the quiet conversations in the chambers of the courthouse.
The facts that have led to a luke warm reception and criticism are the very things that make "The Wire" a truly unique show. There is little action in the first two or three episodes and the number of characters is almost endless. If you expect a conventional heroes and villains plot with cliffhangers at the end of each episode then this won't be for you. If you appreciate moral ambiguity, unresolved storylines and dialogue that sometimes needs subtitles for a native English speaker, then you might enjoy "The Wire". As I mentioned, there is a focus on more than a few characters which gives you the feeling of reading a long novel. The realistic approach to sets and dialogue give an almost voyeuristic feel, it's as if you are standing at the end of an inner city street when the action is going on and you are compelled to watch.
On a purely personal level I have never really been a fan of Cop Shows and I always avoid the Crime section in bookshops. I think the biggest reward for me has been my enhanced understanding of the politics of crime and crimefighting. It's left me feeling pretty negative about law and order and slightly confused about the people who I previously thought of as being baddies. One last word of advice: try to watch the whole thing in an intensive period of time, it makes it easier to follow the plot(s) and get involved in the characters.
The King February 14, 2006
25 out of 28 found this review helpful
Just taking a moment to recommend the greatest TV drama series I've ever seen. Better by some distance than even its HBO peers "The Sopranos" and "Deadwood". "The Wire" is the "Godfather" to their "Goodfellas" in terms of the achievements this show notches up.[I call it a TV drama but the fact is that it's suited purely for DVD, it has complete disregard for the casual viewer and is perhaps best viewed in two or three sittings, a minor detail in episode three will find its significance ten episodes later, etc] Focusing on the drugs business of Baltimore from the police to the dealers to the longshoremen on the coast, I simply cannot rave about this show enough. The profane writing snaps and pops beautifully, the plots are intricate and profoundly gripping, and the acting is nothing short of perfection. What a cast! I don't say this lightly. The characters run deep and authentic, and there are no minor characters in this show, some simply have more screentime than others. The performances are an absolute delight across the board. Being in the UK I've only so far seen the first two seasons [although the third was broadcast I missed it] on DVD, and having loved the first [even more with repeated viewings] couldn't believe that the second series not only kept up the standard, but perhaps even exceeded it. I've heard that the third season is even better still. The show requires attention and commitment and will reward both to a degree that means when each case ends you'll be edified in a way that the "CSI" franchise etc can never even fractionally compete with. They are pizza, "The Wire" is a banquet. We don't get enough banquets, so accept this ones invitation, you wont regret it. Heartbreaking, funnier than many comedies, beautifully played and written with enviable brilliance, if you're unaware of this show then I urge you: invest, it's likely you'll thank me later. Get season one, you won't understand a lot of season 2 without it, and sit back, prepare to find yourself in the midst of genuine greatness. Don't expect episodic entertainment, these are 12 and 13 hour procedural movies divided by necessity by HBO, a network with the balls to have greenlit this series four times, even despite its low ratings, simply on the basis of the fact it's going to enter the pantheon of all time greatest. A little hyperbole there, but it's really above and beyond. So many classic moments, each growing more rich with time, to say more about them or name the moments would spoil the experience of seeing them fresh, as I did and as I heartily recommend -- avoid spoilers [not that the text on screen will do justice to this cast, this direction], you'll be rewarded by the story. It has moments that truly compete with Brando in "On the Waterfront", with "Prince of the City", with "The Godfather", while cutting its own fierce path. Do youself a favour, if you haven't already -- check out "The Wire".
|
|
|
Copyright (c) 2007 - 2008 PS3 Games, Consoles and PS3 Accessories - a MrCrip site
All rights reserved. Information about prices, products, services and merchants is provided by third parties and is for informational purposes only. Sony PS3 Games Consoles does not represent or warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information, and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.
PS3 Games, Consoles and PS3 Accessories: Home - PS3 Games - PS3 Consoles - PS3 Accessories - Blu Ray DVD
Other MrCrip sites: Nintendo Wii Games & Accessories - LCD TV, Plasma TV - Singstar Games - Grubby Little Web Man | |
