DVD : Smallville - The Complete First Season

In association with Amazon.com

Rating:

- Brave New Metropolis
Ok . . . Metropolis isn't in the cards for awhile yet for a young Clark Kent. With Smallville comparisons to Buffy seem almost inevitable to me. Both shows sport almost invulnerable main characters with a variety of super-human abilities. Both rely on a core cast of close friends. Both main characters have older-mentors they blow off half of the time and then regret not listening to in the first place. And finally, both have serious romantic issues-and this is where our heroes part ways. Buffy's issues get resolved with very dark consequences where everyone around her is affected in a permanent manner. With Clark Kent, however, there is this butterfly-like dance of relationships that he has with various friends over the course of each season that involves him avoiding any serious commitment, and in the end remaining in a kind of emotional limbo with his close friends and loved ones. More importantly, the friends, especially Chloe and Lana are like emotional yo-yos wildly flitting from jealousy to weepy love, to grim-faced resolve to be their own girl and blow Clark off once and for all. The big question is what, if anything does this do for the series? For the first season these issues can and should easily be forgiven as any series needs time to find its footing. All niggling aside, the good easily outweighs the bad in the first season. The acting from the leads is rock-solid. Tom Welling is charming as the young Clark Kent without being too cocky and arrogant. Kristin Kreuk and Alison Mack may take some getting used to as Clark's respective potential love interests, Lana Lane and Chloe, as they are not given much room by the writers to grow and develop very much this season. John Schneider (you know him as Bo Duke) and Annette O'Toole provide a convincing balance between moral sternness and flexibility that still gives Clark enough freedom to be the typical teen. My favorite is Michael Rosenbaum's portrayal of an almost tragic Lex Luthor who constantly tries to do the right thing, but is mired down by his evil corporate family reputation. The basic premise of the season is that Clark has to come to terms with the fact he is quite different from everyone around him while at the same time coming to the aid of everyone who got, and is still being affected and transformed by the meteor rock that smashed into Smallville on the day of Clark's arrival to earth. Although there is no story-arc or Big Bad that the viewer may have become accustomed to from the Buffy and X-Files shows, the episodes have an intriguing monster-of-the-week format; intriguing because the kids affected and transformed by the meteor rocks are not always clearly cut from the psychotic cloth (I think only one of the villains actually foams at the mouth at some point). Highlights include, "Pilot" where Clark becomes the Smallville scarecrow of ridicule for the football season; "Shimmer" where this meek girl who has a crush on Lex supposedly can turn herself invisible; and "Tempest" where Clark, Lana, and Chloe's emotional love triangle gets resolved, or at least allowed to go into extra innings. The DVD extras are featurettes that introduce Smallville the town. My favorite was the interactive map. There are deleted scenes which are pretty nice. All in all, a good potential for greatness.

Rating:

- Just Another Teen Drama, But With Poorly Used Superman Traits
I will admit, I was excited when I first learned this series was coming out. Then I saw how the characters of Superman and Clark Kent have been butchered within this show. SMALLVILLE is in fact just another teen drama taken off the shelves but given exceptionally bad Superman aspects. The show is about a teenager struggling to find his place in the world and working way too hard to fit in with his peers. Except this teenager happens to be Clark Kent, the future Man Of Steel, living in the small farm town of Smallville. The show started well, with the arrival of Ka-El and being taken in by the Kent family. Then it jumps forward in time to a high school freshman Clark Kent all mopey about how he doesn't fit in with the popular crowd, and how he just can't get his dream girl Lana Lang. So the pathetic Clark goes off to a bridge where he ponders about life and mamages to get hit by the crazed driver Lex Luthor. This is where the series finally unfolds. Clark being the super human that he is, is unhurt as Lex's car takes them both off the bridge to the water below, and Clark performs a daring rescue of Lex who is uncouncious from the car crash. Later, Lex feels indebted to Clark and also very curious to how Clark was able to save him. So Lex forms a friendship with Clark but also launches an invesitgation on him. From then on the series consists of Lex's research and delicate friendship with Clark, people with their own agendas to disrupt life in Smallville (some have been infected with traces of Kryptonite rocks), and everyone dealing with personal struggles within their lives. These personal conflicts are what takes up most of the show, Clark performs some heroic action towards the beginning and end of each episode but most of the episodes jus deal with characters' sucky lives. I may have been into this if the characters had been more Superman oriented. Clark should have been this major nerd with glasses, incredibly shy, but very interested in the ways of the world and politics. This interest would have led Clark to his future career as a reporter. Being a nerd is Clark's way of hiding the fact that he is Superman and has powers that hardly anyone else around him does. That's part of the fun of Superman; seeing Clark act like this major geek in order to throw people off in discovering his true identity of being Superman. Throughout the season, he should have gained his powers, learned how to use them, and then Clark should have gotten a call from his father Jar-El. This call would have led Clark to realize what good he could do as the individual that he is, and thus he would have become Superboy. EXCEPT, THIS NEVER HAPPENS. Clark is just another teenager struggling to be popular and not a nerd at all who is interested in the world and politics. Clark in this show is way too cool and I'm sure that appeals to the female fans out there. But if he is ever turned into Superman, the story won't be as believable as before in having people not making the connection of Clark being Superman. So for most of this year Clark is running around, trying to hide his true personality from others so that he can fit in, but still helps people without their knowledge because they happen to be distracted by something else at the time. SMALLVILLE is a great dissapointment in its regards to Superman or Superboy for that matter, because it takes forever for those aspects to arise. Most of the show is just a teen drama with Superman and Superboy characters in it. I am so glad that there is now another Superman film out that shows how Superman characters should truly be used.

Rating:

- Great series
As a boy growing up in the 60s, I was an avid fan and reader of Superman comics. I didn't catch this series when it first aired, but I found it at my local movie rental store and my curiosity led me to rent it. I've just finished volumes one through four of the six in the first season and was so impressed I wanted to make a quick comment.

So far I haven't enjoyed a TV science-fiction series this much since the original Star Trek. The series's strengths are the engaging story ideas and the strong cast, all of whom strike just the right notes in their roles, and are really superb. Superboy is great and also Lana Lang. But the real show stealer is Michael Rosenbaum, who is terrific as Lex.

But Lex isn't the evil mastermind of the comics out to get Superman. Here he's a good guy and Superboy's friend, although sometimes he does resort to certain morally questionable expedients to accomplish his goals, but he truly wants to protect Superboy and his friends. There is no doubt he has a dark side, but it's mostly kept in check and when it does come out, it's usually to fight an even more evil bad guy. In other words, to fight evil, you need an even sneakier and more ruthless bad guy who's still on the side of good. :-) It's a brilliant concept and one of the ideas that really make the show stand out from the herd. One other great idea is the Kryptonite meteorite fragments also creating strange abilities and talents in different people, aside from its property of being toxic to Superboy.

I've spent so much time on Lex that I don't want to overlook the other characters, but as I just wanted to write a brief review, I'll just say they're all really great in their roles too, especially Tom Welling and Kristen Kreuk.

Toward the end of the season, it looks like Clark is finally going to get together with Lana, but then the story takes a turn and it he ends up getting together with Chloe instead, and the first season ends on that note. So I guess I'll find out how that turns out in the second season. So far I think this is great series and the best thing in a sci-fi show to come along in a long time. These first few DVDs of season one have made me a convert and I look forward to renting the other seasons.

Rating:

- The beginning...
Well, I must admit I'd never even heard of Smallville until 3 years ago and didn't even realise it was on in the U.K. Well that soon changed when my friend told me about it, so I thought it'd be worth a look and let's just say I was confused as it was mid 3 season. So I dismissed it until my sister's boyfriend started raving about it and lent me the first season boxset and from that moment on I was hooked, I got through it in about a week and the first attraction was how hot Tom Welling is! I must say I loved every episode even though the acting wasn't great but it was only the first series. I loved the whole progression of his powers and especially found the 'X-ray' one hilarious! I also love Michael Roesnbaum as Lex, he was made for that role and I love his witty remarks and sarcasm! I wasn't too keen on Lana though as she seemed a tad pathetic but as the series progressed I have grew to like her but I honestly perfer Chloe. Pete is wonderful too and I love the fact he's in love with Chloe - I think it's hilarious! I must say though, I do perfer this season to all the rest as it did indeed have simplier plots but I do like the current season 5 as it shows how much Clark has matured and how each character has grown. Also Tom Welling's acting is simply superb and has improved a lot... also is it just me or does he keep getting hotter? He's just soo gorgeous - thankfully not some geek in glasses!!LOL! I must admit though I did go through quite a few tissues as the pilot upset me - Whitney is soo mean! Also when he comes into contact with the deadly kryptonite, I must admit I had a few tears as I felt soo sorry for him, though conveniently he always manages to save himself somehow! Anyway, I totally recommend this to anyone looking for a refreshing perspective of the life of superman or should I say the teenage years of 'Superboy'! It's a definite must have!

Rating:

- My Brother Got Me Hooked
I first heard about smallville from my brother when i would visit him, didn't really care for it at first since i'm not a big tv fan but when he lent me the first season on dvd i was hooked.

First off it's a really interesting show to watch, great acting from everyone, amazing visual and special effects, i love when clark goes super speed, looks awesome.

Ever since then I have been hooked every thrusday at 8 pm, happily saw the final episode of season 5, what a damn teaser, can't wait for season 6 on tv.

Anyone that likes action/drama/sci-fi tv shows should defintely check this one out, and since it's the first season you'll be able to see how clark comes to this world.

Many people don't like the theme song but i think it goes perfect with the show theme and setting. I actualy went out and bought the golden hum by remy zero, gotta admit it was a good buy

anyway i'm done, cheers everyone

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