Undeclared - The Complete Series
|
List Price: Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
(Click here)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Undeclared - The Complete Series
Movie Review: My College Experience
Summary: 5 Stars
First off, I have to credit this show for its accuracy. I finished my freshmen year of college a few months ago, and I have to say that many of the things that happened in this show either happened to me or someone I knew. The writers must have really done their homework for this show (or didn't do a lot of homework in college and instead lived out these episodes), and the result is a pitch-perfect and hilarious look at college life.
The show is centered around the undeclared Steven Karp (Jay Baruchel), a tall and thin kid (who is actually built very similarly to myself) who was a bit of a geek in high school. He says the word wicked a lot, has a tendency to talk with his hands, and looks uncomfortable in any situation. He lives in a suite style dorm, so he has a roommate, a private lounge, and two other people he shares the lounge with. Lloyd Haythe (Charlie Hunnam), his roommate, is a British pretty boy who is a theater major. In the room on the other side of the lounge lives spacey music major Marshall Nesbitt (Timm Sharp) and calculating Ron Garner (Seth Rogen). The four guys become fast friends, yet they never pass up an opportunity to make fun of each other. Across the hall lives their female companions, Lizzie Exley (Carla Gallo), Rachel Lindquist (Monica Keena), and later Tina Ellroy (Christina Payono). Lizzie is a somewhat hyperactive girl who always tends to have the upper hand in relationships (her boyfriend Eric, played by Jason Segel, is always afraid that she will dump him, even though he's older than her by at least 10 years). Rachel, on the other hand, is more subdued. She is prone to anxiety attacks from being away from home, and she lets it all out by going a little nuts at parties. Tina, who joins the group later, is a bit of a loser, but she doesn't know it. She likes to listen to old songs on an endless loop and is "holding out" for Lloyd. Finally, Steven's dad Hal Karp (Louden Wainwright) is a recently divorced wreck who always seems to end up looking cooler than his son. Lloyd even invites Hal to party with them from time to time.
The side characters are also great. Perry (Jarrett Grode) is sort of the jack-of-all-trades in the dorm, and he really knows how to rub it in. Books (Samm Levine) is a vindictive frat president who takes out his rage on Steven and his fellow pledges, Lucien (Kevin Rankin) is the floor's goofy RA, Hilary (Amy Poehler) is the head RA who isn't quite right, and Eric is a lovable loser who just can't seem to get things to go his way.
The stories and jokes are hilarious. I especially liked the fraternity episodes. I didn't rush, but I remember going to frat parties, and all of the brothers were really nice to me and wanted me to pledge. However, I heard awful things about hell week. In the episodes, Steven decides to pledge, and is in for a surprise when Books pulls a Jeckyll and Hyde on him. In another episode, Marshall hooks up with a Japanese girl named Kikuki (Youki Kudoh) who doesn't speak any English. The two have to communicate using a pair of English/Japanese translaters. Finally, the guys actually write a detailed script in order to "spontaneously" start a game of truth or dare with the girls.
One of the most innovative and original things about Undeclared is the way the characters were written. Unlike every other show, the characters were not written at all before the actors were cast, and the pilot episode was only partially completed prior to casting. While they always knew that they wanted someone to be a Steven-esque character, no other character was planned. Then, they hired the actors who, among other things, were good at improv, and wrote the characters around the actors.
Improv was a big part of this show. There were solid scripts, but the actors were pretty much allowed to make up their own lines as they went along, provided they followed the overarching story. In the extensive extras section, we can watch some of the rehersal footage and see the different lines that were thought up.
We are treated to plenty of extras in this set. Each episode has a commentary track and unaired footage. There is a director's cut of one episode, a panel discussion with the cast, a script, and a booklet with essays from creator Judd Apatow and actor Jay Baruchel.
It's too bad that this show was cancelled so quickly. Time Magazine named it one of the Top 10 New Shows of 2001, and with good reason. Sadly, the show was on FOX, the network that unjustly cancelled Firefly, Wonderfalls, Tru Calling, Greg the Bunny, Andy Richter Controls the Universe and so on. Now that Apatow is making movies, maybe we will get a big-screen version, but it is unlikely. Anyway, enjoy these 18 episodes from a lost TV gem.
Movie Review: This was uch a great show, but the DVD kind of destroys it....
Summary: 3 Stars
So, I loved this show when it first aired on Fox in the fall of 2001... Having just graduated the previous summer, this show captured everything about dorm life that made me homesick for the "good 'ol days in college" that I had just departed from...
I waited for this DVD collection for four years, only to discover upon buying it that, Judd Apatow obviously loved "Freaks and Geeks" more than this series and chose this series as a venting period to get back at NBC for canceling his previous show... He makes TONS of references towards "Freaks and Geeks" when talking about this one, making it seem like he really didn't have much love for a new beginning on a completely new network.
One of the most disapppointing and CONFUSING aspects about this collection of DVD's is that EVERYTHING seems out of order... Although each episode is numbered, IMDB not only has a different numbering for the episodes, but it's clear that each episode is completely out of order, since Lizzy breaks up with her boyfriend in one episode, but is back with him in another... And Ron is seen waking up next to his dream girl almost six episodes after we saw them first connect. What's up with this disruption in the linear storylines that were presented so well when this series first aired? It just doesn't make sense...
I give five stars to this series as a whole (including writing and the recreation of college life), but give three stars to this DVD set, since the linear storyline is completely broken up and ruined in this set of DVD's... Someone PLEASE tell me why they chose to present an entirely different storyline in the DVD collection...
Also, after watching the Q&A session that only includes two of the core cast mates, it's entirely obvious that Judd Apatow was just trying to create a series that could showcase the talents of the "Freaks and Geeks" cast in cameos and whatnot... Someone should have told him that he had a new show, with a new cast, so let them shine on their own, without having to bring his previous favorites...
As a fan of this great series that should never have been cancelled, this set of DVD's not only presents the story out of order, but proves that "Undelcared" wasn't at the top of Mr. Apatow's priorities...
Movie Review: Good show, disappointing DVD
Summary: 4 Stars
This is one of my favorite shows ever. The characters ring true and it is very funny. When the DVD was announced I couldn't wait. The same people behind this show made FREAKS & GEEKS and that is THE greatest DVD set ever released (the limited edition one at least) so I had high hopes. When I read about all the bonus features that would be included I got even more excited, but once I got the DVD there were a few glaring problems the biggest of which is that the episodes aren't in the correct order. If you watch them in the order on the discs then the stories and overall series plot are confused. Here's the correct order that the episodes should be viewed in:
1. Prototype
2A. Oh, So You Have a Boyfriend
2B. Full Bluntal Nugety (this is actually the original version of episode 2A that the network refused to air. This version is much better.)
3. Eric Visits
4. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
5. Sick in the Head
6. The Assistant
7. Addicts
8. God Visits
9. Parent's Weekend
10. Eric Visits Again
11. Rush and Pledge
12. Hell Week
13. Truth or Dare
14. The Day After
15. The Perfect Date
16. Hal and Hilary
17. Eric's POV
There are also annoying TV-PG ratings in the top corner of some of the beginnings of the episodes. Don't they put shows on DVD so we don't have to look at logos and commercials? These two glaring problems knock this release down from a 5 star set to a 4 star one. But there are still plenty of good things about it. Besides a great show there are 18 commentaries, deleted scenes on every episode, an hour long Q & A with the cast and crew, auditions, rehearsals, an unproduced script, and a concert by Loudon Wainwright who plays Steven's Dad in the show. It's a good set, but could've used a once over by the creators to make sure that everything in it was all right. Worth buying, but make sure to watch the episodes in the right order.
Movie Review: Worth every single cent
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start off by saying that I hate television. I never watch it, and when I do what I see is just pure dreck or treacle. But once in a while something comes along that knocks my socks off and Undeclared was one of those shows.
Admittedly the first episode really wasn't really a stand-out episode. But it had an endearing quality that kept me coming back and as the series progressed it became more and more true and more and more hilarious. Many of the experiences and emotions felt by the characters mirrored my experiences at a freshman; I knew people exactly like Ron and Steven, I had my own battles with my RA (Hal & Hillary), I saw sorority girls do the Jerry Springer routine as well (Hell Week). The list goes on.
I've had this DVD collection for a week and I've been watching it every day. This may be a sad statement about myself but man I love this show. If the episodes aren't enough there's also a barrage of entertaining commentaries to keep you occupied for quite some time.
The only thing wrong with the DVD is that the episodes are out of order. Judd Apatow listed the correct order on undeclaredonline.com. A minor detail that I choose to overlook.
In conclusion, buy this DVD. Show the networks that people want TV that's actually good!
Movie Review: one of the best sitcoms ever
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me add my voice to the chorus praising this show. When I first saw it, I couldn't believe that something this good was actually on TV. It was funny, intelligent, and treated its characters like real human beings. This will be the first and maybe the only TV series that I will buy on DVD.