The Mentalist: The Complete First Season
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Amanda Righetti, Owain Yeoman, Robin Tunney, Simon Baker, Tim KangBrand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Chinese (Subtitled); Korean (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Thai (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Portuguese (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 1012 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-09-22
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- A mentalist is a master manipulator of thought and behavior. The mentalist is Patrick Jane (Simon Baker in an acclaimed performance), a celebrity psychic whose wife and child are viciously murdered by an elusive serial killer called Red John. Devastated, Patrick admits his paranormal act is fake, renounces his earlier life and uses his astonishing skills of observation and analysis talents that m
Movie Reviews of The Mentalist: The Complete First Season
Movie Review: Excellent procedural/escapism....
Summary: 5 Stars
'The Mentalist' is a rare gem in the procedural-show genre. It's not as scientific as 'CSI' or 'House' nor as realistic as 'The Wire' or even 'Law and Order'. What 'The Mentalist' lacks in realism and work-bound logic it makes up for with entertainment value, using the likeability and charm of it's characters and plot to carry each episode. I wasn't sure what to think about this show going in, but after watching this first season DVD set I have to say 'The Mentalist' is one of the most engaging shows on TV.
After the death of his wife and child at the hands of serial killer 'Red John' (whom he publically mocked), celebrity psychic Patrick Jane admitted to being a fraud and is now a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation (a fiction version of the real CBI). Joined by senior agent Lisbon, the dry-humored agent Cho, the spiritual newbie agent Van Pelt, and the likeably insecure agent Rigsby, Jane uses his abilities in observation and deduction (cold-reading and even hypnotism) to help the team solve homicides. Most of the plots play out episodically with Jane's vengeful search for the killer 'Red John' popping up here and there as the series goes on. Each episode is convoluted enough to be interesting and each self-contained story is resolved in a beliveable manner (with some moral ambiguity) and not always with easy solutions. This show wisely doesn't judge it's characters or situations (for the most part) allowing the audience to sometimes judge things for themselves.
One of the best parts of 'The Mentalist' is watching how the characters interact and the cast really sells it. Simon Baker is very charismatic as Jane and his performance is so finely tuned (check out how his eyes dilate in close-ups) you'd swear you were watching a real mentalist at work. Robin Tunney has her best role in Senior Agent Lisbon, someone who's annoyed by Jane's arrogance but respects him as a colleuge and even trusts him as a friend. Tim Kang is dead-pan (and very funny) as the down-to-earth Agent Cho. Amanda Righetti is perfect as the spiritual Van Pelt, a great contrast to Jane's methodical approach to psychic-abilities. Welsh actor Owain Yeoman is fun to watch as the likeable Rigsby, especially with him trying to keep a relationship with Van Pelt. Most of these characters do fit some archetype of the procedural show, but there's enough unique (and again, believable) about each one that each episode is a pleasure to watch.
While it might not seem like a big deal, the one thing that really sets 'The Mentalist' apart is it's filming on location all around California. We're not stuck in enclosed labs or hospital rooms, no claustrophobic office spaces to try and sell realism. Each location in the show is visually appealing like you're taking a road trip with these characters. It's nice when a show can stretch it's legs and NOT make you feel like you're just watching people work. That 'The Mentalist' still manages to keep it's believability is impressive indeed.
I keep mentioning the 'believability' in 'The Mentalist' but I'm by no means saying it's realistic, in fact it has a lot of the same pitfalls as other proceedurals: The actors are obviously way too attractive to be in this profession (especially the way the they dress), Jane gets away with breaking the rules (and being a jerk) waaaaay too much, side-characters seem too dense (especially other law-enforcement officers) and for a procedural show there's almost no PRODEDURE involved (no clear-cut laws or rules to follow). Even the idea of using a fake-psychic isn't exactly original (Psych anyone?).
'The Mentalist', created by Bruno Heller (who also created HBO's excellent 'ROME' series) is far from the most realistic and original show on TV. However it's crafted much better than just about any other procedural out there (the BBC's Sherlock comes the closest in my mind) and it's clever stories, appealing locales and charming characters make it perfect escapist entertainment. A real winner and one of the best shows on TV!
Summary of The Mentalist: The Complete First Season
"A mentalist is a master manipulator of thought and behavior." The mentalist is Patrick Jane (Simon Baker in an acclaimed performance), a celebrity psychic whose wife and child are viciously murdered by an elusive serial killer called Red John. Devastated, Patrick admits his paranormal act is fake, renounces his earlier life and uses his astonishing skills of observation and analysis ? talents that made him appear psychically gifted ? to bring killers to justice. At crime scenes across California, Patrick now helps an elite team of detectives break their toughest cases. But no matter how many criminals he catches, Patrick never forgets his central goal: Find Red John. And bring him down.The Mentalist is nominally a police procedural (and an excellent one), but its characters are especially richly written, and there's romance and torment hinted at in equal measure throughout the series. All of this--and the star turn by dreamy Australian actor Simon Baker, whose smoldering good looks take a back seat to his nuanced acting--make The Mentalist one of TV's top drama series. Season 1 sets the action in motion immediately, as the viewer quickly learns the backstory: Baker's character, Patrick Jane, was once a questionable TV psychic (à la John Edwards) who professed to help people contact their deceased loved ones. But a crazed killer--"Red John"--was watching one day when Jane mentioned assisting California police on his case, and in retribution he committed a horrific crime with staggering personal repercussions on Jane. Jane leaves his sham life behind, but it turns out he's actually quite gifted as an observer of subtle human behavior--a "mentalist," who, he tells the California Bureau of Investigation, "is a master manipulator of thought and behavior." So Jane joins the CBI in tracking tricky cases, including that of Red John.
The rest of the cast is terrific, especially Robin Tunney, who may have found the role, and series, of a lifetime, as Teresa Lisbon, the head of the squad, who must keep Jane on track but give him enough lead to assist the often skeptical power structure. There's undeniable chemistry between Jane and Lisbon, yet any potential romance is superseded by a very real-feeling mutual respect and admiration, which shows its own kind of tenderness. Other stellar cast members include Tim Kang (the all-business Kimball Cho), Owain Yeoman (the ambitious rookie Wayne Rigsby), and Amanda Righetti (the doe-eyed newbie Grace Van Pelt, who may have a lot to learn in traditional police work, but who has a deep understanding of and respect for Jane's psychic abilities). Another star worth mentioning: The location shots all around California, which give the show a life and depth seldom seen on network series. The lush real settings--a mansion in San Francisco, a weedy rural road outside Bakersfield--add to the immediacy and intensity of the story lines.
The first season boxed set is a bounty and includes all 23 episodes, a fantastic featurette with the cast and creators on making the series, as well as a mini-doc on the difference (and there is one) between a mentalist and a psychic. Fans of the series won't want to miss the gag reel, either--the cast clearly has as much fun making the show as its fans do watching it. --A.T. Hurley
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