24 Season 2 Posted by CK-Auctions
Posted by CK-Auctions
Take the phone off the hook and lock the doors because here at last is the much-anticipated 24: Season Two from Fox DVD, and it's a real winner. We already know that Fox is perhaps the studio leader when it comes to producing great box sets of television programs, but 24: Season Two is going to be the set by which all future sets are judged. It's as top-notch in quality as the 24 series is itself. And it's a must-have for DVD lovers everywhere.
Season Two begins roughly 18-months after Season One ended. Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) has left the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) in Los Angeles following the tragic death of his wife and has no desire to get back into the game again. That is, until President David Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) calls him up with an urgent message that the country needs his help. Jack is reluctant, but agrees to go to CTU to find out what the situation is. As it turns out, terrorists have planted a nuclear bomb somewhere in Los Angeles, and it will be detonated sometime in the next 24 hours.
If those sound like major spoilers, don't worry…all that information will be given to you in the very first episode. The real story begins as Jack uses his resources to track down the bomb, go up against an old nemesis, make a new friend, lose an old acquaintance, and eventually get to the bottom of who is really behind this terrorist plot and what they hope to accomplish. Oh, and somewhere in there, Jack's daughter Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) almost gets eaten by a cougar…but the less said about that, the better!
I don't know if Season Two of 24 is better than Season One, but one can certainly make the argument that it is – and that's quite a statement, since the first season of the show was spectacular. Unlike the first season, this day in the life of Jack Bauer ends with a cliffhanger – one that will leave you breathless and in anticipation for Season Three, which I presume, is exactly why Fox released Season Two on DVD a little less than two months before the premiere of the next season. In fact, 24 was on the verge of cancellation in its first year – but thanks to the release of Season One on DVD (where this reviewer first saw it), enough new fans were added for Season Two to make the show a successful hit. Now, no doubt, even more fans will be added to the rolls, and I wouldn't be surprised to see 24 finish its third year as one of the top ten series on TV.
The good thing about watching this set (especially if you are watching it for the first time) is that you don't have to wait seven days to see the next hour in Jack's life. One gets a better look at just how well-planned out the series is by looking at the shows back-to-back. It's a remarkable and innovative program, and it's nice to see Fox give it the justice it deserves in this box set.
THE DVD
Video:
Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, the transfer is simply stunning. There are no signs of dirt on the print or pixilation, and the flesh tones are nicely balanced. Some may notice that there is a slight "grainy" look to the picture, but that's the intended look of the show, the way it was originally presented, and the way it was intended to be seen. In other words, this is a real top-notch transfer by Fox.
Audio:
The audio is presented in 5.1 Dolby and sounds fantastic. Dialogue is crisp and properly balanced, and the soundtrack becomes very aggressive during action sequences, but without becoming so loud or overbearingRead full review
