Cracker: Series 1
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Movie Reviews of Cracker: Series 1
Movie Review: Flawed but brilliant character
Summary: 4 Stars
Coltrane's flawed but brilliant forensic psychologist Fitz makes every scene he's in crackle with gritty intensity. Fitz's genius allows him to infiltrate even the most hardened, psychologically blocked suspect and find the heart of the problem with efficiency, if not aplomb. His many flaws include heavy drinking, gambling, smoking, indifference as both a husband and father, and at least one very close call with marital infidelity. However, he makes no excuses for them, only to consider them necessary if not crucial manifestations of a life of taking risks. It is refreshing to see a flawed hero. The stale, one dimensional, "Sir Gwayne" type heros of the crime genre lack real humanity, as they are so perfect to be unrealistic; making it difficult for the viewer to relate, as we are all imperfect. Like Fitz himself, this DVD transfer is flawed (my only reason for witholding the 5th star). Not much different than the VHS version I copied from TV long ago. But worth having for the great writing and performances. A must for the crime genre afficianado.Movie Review: Excellent Entertainment, Average Transfer
Summary: 4 Stars
There's no doubt that Cracker is an outstanding series, whatever the medium. However, this transfer to DVD is disappointing. The packaging is nice, but a series like this deserves all the best, rather than mere eye-candy. I can't recall if Cracker was originally televised in the States with something other than 4:3 aspct ratio, but at least one of these discs reveals that the original aspect ratio was something other than the 4:3 this package delivers. In "One Day a Lemming Will Fly" the edges of the opening credits are actually clipped and, presumeably, so is the rest of the disc, and all the others: none of the episodes in this set are anything other than 4:3. It's a crying shame that one of the best mystery series in the history of the genre is given second rate treatment. Thank the Good Lord for inspired comapnies, like Criterion, that give fine films all of the loving care they deserve.Movie Review: CRACKER Series 1
Summary: 4 Stars
I just finished watching the first series of BBC's CRACKER, a detective series featuring a quirky psychologist with plenty of personal problems himself. The first episode, I wasn't sure what I thought of this show but by the 3rd episode I was hooked. The main characters become well known to you, and you begin to wonder "will CRACKER solve his maritial problems, will he succumb to an affair?" "Will the Female Detective be able to compete in her largely male dominated profession?" "Will CRACKER'S son finally be able to adapt to a Real world?" "Will the Lead Detective, a new Dad, take to Fatherhood?" And so on. Plus the story lines of murder and mayham are good too. A different approach than I've seen, but an entertaining series. Definitely adult fare without being overly explicit or just throwing in sex or violence that don't quite fit the storyline.Movie Review: 3-DVD Set Misleading to 7-VHS Set Owners?
Summary: 4 Stars
The 3-DVD set contains three full episodes, however, they are split into 7 "Parts" (two episodes at two parts each, one episode at three parts) which may be confused with the original 7-tape set. Or are there indeed seven full episodes in the first season? (I would rate this 5-stars, but first seasons generally are not as good as later seasons, and being a fan of CRACKER starting later in the series, I was a little underwhelmed by the first three episodes.)Movie Review: Great show deserves a better DVD transfer and extras.
Summary: 3 Stars
"Cracker" may be just another in a long line of British crime dramas that were very popular in the early 90's, but "Cracker" stands out as one of the sharpest, wittiest, and most intelligently written of them all. I would say it is even better than "Prime Suspect", which is another personal favorite. Robbie Coltrane plays his most memorable part as Fitz, a criminal psychologist who has an uncanny ability of getting into the minds of his subjects, and getting under the skin of anyone who knows him. His is an overweight, alcoholic compulsive who gambles, chain smokes, and cheats on his wife. This is balanced out by his brilliance and articulate nature. The series follows him as he helps a group of police inspectors solve various murders, while he copes with the problems in his own life. To call the series riveting is an understatement, it is bloody brilliant.
The episodes in the first season are "The Mad Woman in the Attic", where a young woman is found murdered on a train, and the only suspect has amnesia. This is one of the best episodes. The next one is "To Say I Love You", a Bonnie & Clyde story where two young lovers go on a murder spree. And the last episode is "One Day A Lemming Will Fly", where a young boy is murdered and the only suspect is the boy's English teacher, who is also believed to be homosexual. All episodes are 2 hours long, so you can expect to spend a good 6 hours with this DVD set.
The quality of the episodes is where the perks of this set ends. If the quality of the DVD package was the sole consideration, I would recommend this to nobody. For starters, the episodes are presented in 4:3 full frame, not widescreen like most other TV shows transferred to DVD tend to have. The credits are cut off from the screen, and the transfer quality suffers from apparently have no mastering at all done. I am hard pressed to find any differences between this DVD transfer and the old VHS tapes I have. Secondly, there are no extras, save for a Robbie Coltrane biography. With a show as good as "Cracker", commentaries, featurettes, and interviews would be in order. Am I the only one who thinks so?
The only reason why I am recommending this DVD set is because it is the only time "Cracker" has seen the light of day on DVD, and the VHS tapes are long out of print. Personally, I am able to look beyond the lousy DVD package and appreciate the episodes themselves, but for people wanting more, you will be disappointed.