Most helpful customer reviews
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Complete Series, Jan 18 2008
Angel aired from 1999-2004 during five great seasons after what it was unfortunatly cancelled and that decision made by the WB network is still questionned now.Originally a spin-off from the popular Buffy The Vampire Slayer,it became much more as it had a life of its own and it appealed to a more mature audience who liked the darker edge of the series.Angel was a character on Buffy for the first three seasons and the vampire with a soul then moved to Los Angeles the city of lost angels(rim shot)to form his crime investigations.Angel met quite a few people over the years and many people worked for him,he fought many monsters.At first there was only Angel,Cordelia and Doyle but it grew to have Wesley,Guns,Fred,Lornes,Harmony and even Spike coming to the series.It might have only last five seasons but that left us some great televison that we can now enjoy anytime we want on DVD.
As far as i am concerned there are three parts to Angel:
The first part,season one is the introduction of the series with a monster-of-the-week approach and is an excellent first season,it is to note that this is a full season with 22 episodes as each Angel seasons had.Angel starts his dectective agency with ex-Buffy Cordelia and Doyle's help.Doyle dies and is replaced by Wesley a former Buffy as well,we also meet Charles Gun who at the time was a Vampire Hunter and was basicly living in the streets with his gang.
The second part is season 2 to 4.In the second season vampire Darla who was Angel's lover a long time ago(and turned him into a vampire)returns and gets pregnant by the end of the season.There are up and downs to this relationnship and it gets Angel mad and he turns against his friends for a bref period of time(also in this season,Angel sings karaoke wich is priceless!).In season three Darla is carrying Angel's son Connor and he nearly didn't get born due to his parents.Holtz with whom Angel had encounters in the past returns and wants to kill the child.Wesley steals Connor and Holtz steals it from him.There are lots of emotions in this season and Angel needs to deal with the fact that he now is a father.Season four was very confusing with all that was going on and it was really crazy.This is when Cordelia left the series(before coming back briefly for Angel's 100th episode in the fifth season)and the issue with her and Connor was unappropriate and rather shocking.Angel is a the bottom of the ocean,a new character Jasmine is introduced but her role wasn't good enough and didn't last long enough.There is also this issue about a beast.Its at the end of the season that Angel Investigations are being given control of Wolfram And Hart office wich opens the door for some more stories and the fifth season of Angel.
Season five returns to its monster-of-the-week format and completes the serie.After being given control of the LA Wolfram And Hart office they can't stop wondering what the catch is.Spike returns from the dead at the beggening of the season and adds much interrest in the series and it was thrilling to see him on Angel.The first half of the season is great episodes wile the second half turns more dramatic with the Fred/Illyria story and Wesley comfronts his father.Angel makes a deal with th devil and we loose on the crew members.It ended good in my opinion,but the ending receved mixed reactions.It was definatly the funniest season.
The set has all the thirty discs from the sets with their respective special features,wich are pretty goo with some interviews and the 100th celebration and great stuff truly.It doesn't offer anything more than a convenient size and the possibility to buy the entire series all at once without looking for each separate seasons.It looks great with a nice box and the discs are placed by seasons inside and it was done really well,but ou have to see it to know what i mean.The only problem i have is the price amazon.ca sells it for.Over 100 bucks for this package when if you look well you can find each seasons for 14.99?No thanks i'd rather buy them speratly but if this set comes at a lower price(it might be right now depending when you are reading this)and you are a fan of the show then go for it.If not for the price its nice.It also comes with a booklet that gives info about each episodes and tell wich season they are on.The packaging was really done well for this set i'll tell you what.
The big problem with this is that you HAVE to be a fan of the show to buy this otherwise you might end up wasting money.If you are a fan who doesn't own the seasons but always wanted to and see this at a decnt price then go for it.Otherwise try to catch the show or rent a season then decide.Angel really is different than Buffy and its great on its own,with many great episodes and a fascinating story that you really get caught in,great television in perspective.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An investment in entertainment that you won't regret, Jul 2 2008
The Angel series is a spin-off from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. The series follows the story of Angel a vampire over more than 250 years whose soul was restored by magic in the late 1800's. After coming to terms with the evil he committed as an evil vampire, he decides to spend his life helping others and fighting evil.
The series is built around the central character of Angel, but as is the case with Whedon's other series (such as Buffy and his sci-fi series Firefly), the show has a regular ensemble cast playing a number of interesting multi-dimensional characters. Throughout the series, a number of interesting characters are introduced periodically to add value to the series as required; these occasional characters are not meant to fill gaps in the ensemble but to add even more to an already impressive personality line-up.
The series is best started at the beginning of Buffy season 3 as the two shows take place in the same fictional universe and given that Angel is a spin-off from Buffy. Characters from the two shows make guest-appearances a number of times throughout the series.
At most times the series portrays a classic battle between good and evil, but takes a darker turn from time to time to reflect the reality of complex characters being faced with moral and ethical decisions that aren't so black and white. This formula, if you will, works well for most of the show and will not disappoint viewers.
There is a bit of a blip in the series where it seems to take a turn for the worse with regards to the plot. This period, however, is relatively brief and akin to a poorly prepared appetizer or salad course in an otherwise delicious gourmet meal. After a brief flirtation with mediocrity the show indeed returns to its clever, original and well-written roots. It's important to note that the acting remains solid throughout this period.
Angel is a series that any vampire aficionado should enjoy. It also includes elements of a soap opera as there are several love stories mixed into the series and fairly complex ones at that. There is plenty of action and a little gore for those who enjoy watching the goods guys thump the bad guys. And there are plenty instances of the bad guy getting his just desserts. The series doesn't necessarily have something for everyone, but if you are already a Buffy fan you won't regret watching Angel - you will find that you have to watch it actually.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
fabulous, Sep 10 2009
This set is a must for any Buffy fan. I loved it very much. It feels pretty much like Buffy seasons 3..5, i.e. a bit more serious than Buffy 1..2 but nowhere near as dark as Buffy 6..7. Just perfect IMO. And most importantly, Spike is back :)
Excellent packaging (secure, half the size of other sets I own with about the same number of DVDs). All disks worked fine. Closed captioning is available for English (probably for other languages too, but I haven't checked, sorry).
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DVD ~ Fran Rubel Kuzui
