Customer Reviews

Xena Warrior Princess:S1

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

In a time when women on television and cinema were either portrayed as greedy divas (e.g: Dynasty, Dallas, Bold and Beautiful), or as romantic devices for action movie heroes, came a character that redefined viewers perception of women on television.

She was Xena, a character who appeared on Hercules's first season and eventually got such a good reception that her quest for redemption became a six season success.

Personally I think it was a good thing that the show was syndicated and was not the sole property of a main tv channel (ABC, FOX, NBC or CBS) because with the way that the show mixed both comedy and drama - or either veered in one of those directions for a few episodes - I don't think the mainstream channels would have known how to promote this show, which is what happened to Twin Peaks and Human Target who lasted no more than a few seasons unfortunately. Worse, they would have turned it into a more conventional tv show.

Back to Xena, the first season of this dvd is presented in Dolby 5.1, which is a great way to better experience the surroundings of Xena's adventures around Greece, though this sound quality has not been kept in the newer releases made by Universal, which has neither 5.1 sound system nor the special features of the first dvd release. As for the special features in the first DVD release, we have a series of screensavers and xena chronicles with which we can play a quiz asking questions about the adventures in Xena's first season. Personally, those special features are not bad. But it would have been nice to have had some of the promotional spots used for the release of Xena, commentaries from the creators, casting videos of the actors, bloopers on the show, and even the hercules episodes that introduced the Xena character. But anyway, this doesn't changed my satisfaction for this first season, which introduced to us the main characters of this show (xena, gabrielle, Ares, Callisto, Joxer, Autolycus, Salmoneus, the amazons) and their wonderful personalities, in an episodic structure that involved one adventure for each episode, along with some recurring one whose stories either continued or came to an inevitable conclusion.

As for the video quality, the show was apparently shot on 16 mm for the first few seasons and on this season, the image quality of the first eleven episodes are not at the top of the quality game. Though this improves after the first seventeen episodes and for the following seasons, the images have a bit of grain that may annoy some people. Of course the cgi effects on this season may look dated to the recent innovations on Spartacus, Lost and the last Xena seasons, but with the time constraints and their focus on their storytelling instead of their visual effects, Xena's story was a real treat for viewers all around the world and continues to exist even a decade after its final season.

The soundtrack by Joseph LoDuca was a pleasure to listen to and added the right emotions to the story and the characters' actions; while the stunts and the New Zealand landscapes used for the show made Xena's quest an epic event for viewers to experience.

Finally, of the episodes that I watched, my least favourite was the thirteenth episode since this episode was more of a best-of (something that I am not always fond of) that summarised the most important incidents of the first twelve episodes, along with excerpts from Kubrick's Spartacus (quite an irony considering Lucy Lawless's recent show on Spartacus). But my favourites were the following episodes: Episode 6 (Ares's first episode), episode 10 (the Amazons first episode), episode 15 (Xena pretending to be a princess who looks just like her), episode 17 (Bruce Campbell as Autolycus), episode 20 (for its great twists), episode 22 (Callisto's first episode), and episode 24 (where Xena and Gabrielle are in the stands healing people instead of fighting at the front of the war).

See you next season.

Do you want the good news or bad news first?
Okay,the good news:If you have already bought the Xena catalogue from Anchor Bay studios you will be pleased to know you have the most definitive Xena you can have.The bad news?:There are NO,I repeat NO,extra features whatsoever in this entire set!Not even a measly commentary.This is Xena lite to be sure.And the quality of the shows "look" will be addressed a little farther on in the technical section of this review(don't miss that!).
Created from the fertile minds of Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert this series was a spin off from the already running and successful Hercules series.Xena started in the /95-/96 TV season while Hercules was already running as of January/95 and the character Xena was intro'd through three Hercules eps,Warrior Princess,The Gauntlet and Unchained Heart.Personally I was already a Hercules fan and watched both concurrently until I lost interest in Hercules story arc when Iolaus was killed off,his "likeness" brought back then killed off,and finally Iolaus himself brought back for good,in a series of totally unbelievable scenarios.This is when Xena took over for me and I stayed with this ground breaking series from then on.Why/how groundbreaking you ask? Firstly,like Hercules,the producers brought to the table an uncommon and unique mix of martial arts/action/drama/comedy that had never been seen before on television or since.Secondly they used the backdrop of ancient Greece to play in and I will have you note the unprecedented amount of movies that have since been made from 2001 onwards when Xena finally left the airwaves.Think 300,Troy,Rome,the more recent remake of Clash of the Titans,Alexander,etc,etc.I believe Raimi and Tapert created a virtual two man modern renaissance of this genre through Hercules and especially Xena;to which no one has given them proper credit.
Everything about Xena from beginning to end was great from the acting,to the ep plots and something just as important which gets overlooked too much,the stunt work.I defy anyone in the business to find a more capable group of stunt men and women than those in New Zealand.
The first season of Xena introduces us to most of the characters that would become familiar to its fans throughout its six year run.We see Draco played most viciously and directly by Jay D'Gaia,Meleager the Mighty played wonderfully by Tim Tomerson,the psycho-killer of Callisto played to the hilt by beautiful Hudson Leick,the always confident/self assured God of War played beautifully by the late Kevin Smith,Autolycus,the King of Thieves(lifted literally hook,line and sinker from Shakespeare's "The Winter Tale")played with great aplomb by Bruce Campbell(long associate of Tapert and Raimi),Salmoneus the "king" of salesmen played slickly by Robert Trebor,and my personal favourite Joxer,played with a great sense of whimsy and comedy by Sam Raimi's brother Ted;definitely Ted's best and longest lasting role.
I have never seen a TV show that could be so action packed,even violent,one minute then have you in tears the next.The bond that develops between a repentive(for her past mistakes)Xena(Lucy Lawless)and her naive but slowly maturing bard companion Gabrielle(Rene O'Connor) is indeed special to behold.The lesbian community would of course later run with this concept but this season more often than not runs counter to their claims and is often overlooked proof contrary to their arguments,as we are several times introduced to both Xena and Gabrielle's male lovers both present and past.It's unfortunate also that Lawless would fuel the lesbian angle herself,I think just to gain more viewers than anything else.After all ratings are what counts in the TV biz.
Alright let's look at the "look" of the eps in this set.I do not have the Anchor bay set of Xena's to compare to but I do have the first season of Hercules.Hercules looks great on the Anchor Bay set but Xena through most of the first season here looks like it was shot on 16mm film rather than 35mm(that is only a guess as I do not know the specific filming particulars).Although generally good in contrast,sound and colour they can be quite grainy;going from good to poor in a matter of a few scenes.Moreover there are film clips from the trio of Hercules/Xena eps,clips from the 50s film Spartacus starring Kirk Douglas and even a clip from a Steve Reeves Hercules movie inserted into several eps and ALL to a one are beautifully crisp and clear!This tells me it isn't the transfer that is the problem here it is the actual film stock used.However things DO improve.Almost 3/4 the way through the season beginning with the ep "Altared States" the film stock improves greatly and begins to look like the 35mm it should.From here on some eps look mostly like 35mm while some even look like a combination of 35mm and 16mm.If this is the case I can only speculate that Raimi and Tapert had a severely limited budget from Universal to work with(with two shows running concurrently)and as a result had to resort to the cheaper film stock to create the spin off(Xena)until the ratings were able to justify the faith they had in it.
This five single disc set of Xena is packed tightly in a standard size DVD case and each disc comes embossed on top with a chakram.Nice to look at,if nothing else.
All in all I think I will recommend this set.I almost thought of rating this set much lower both for the appalling lack of extras(none) and the graininess of the film present in most of the eps.However the film issue is explainable and the lack of extras DO make this set more affordable to those of us(like me)who couldn't afford the original set through Anchor Bay.There are no pretensions here from Universal as what you see in these 24 first seasons eps are definitely what one gets;a bare bones issue.However you can bet I(along with many others I'm sure)will be scrutinizing season two VERY closely and hope the film stock will be a non issue from then on.

I was thoroughly disappointed to find that these DVD's did not include closed captions nor subtitles. I have enjoyed watching the various Xena episodes over the years on TV where the CC's were broadcast. It's unfortunate that in the year 2003, when the technology is readily available, that so little regard is given the paying customer. I am one of the millions of hearing impaired persons that like to buy and view DVD's. I would certainly 'not' purchase any DVD in the future that did not contain either closed captions or subtitles. (At least foreign films, with non-English dialogue allow the viewer the opportunity of reading English subtitles.) If they want to sell more DVD's and be a 'responsible' company, then they need to do it 'right'.

There's been a lot of stuff, both positive and negative, about the Anchor Bay package of Xena on DVD. I've been watching it on a very good quality all-regions player (which has no trouble with other NTSC progs) in the UK and it's frequently awful. The soundtrack (which should be glorious) is disastrously out of synch from time to time (The Titans, Prometheus for example) and picture quality varies from OK to really awful. Don't believe anyone who tells you it's because Series 1 was shot on 16mm film instead of 35mm: believe me, 16mm should look terrific on the small screen. And there's no excuse for the out-of-synch-sound or poor quality DVD encoding.

On the plus side you get loads more extras than the meagre Universal/Playback versions available on this side of the pond, but at least the Universal DVD's are watchable.

A great series and good package spoiled by very poor quality control.

Hello, I just talk you. Do a Favor for me. check CC - Closed Captioned all DVD Season One to Six.

Closed Captioned for the Deaf People. Closed Captioned is very imporant for the Deaf People. Because the Deaf People want to read ....that closed captioned...like that. Because They can not hear whatever they say.

you know what I mean. Please, email to me back. Because I need to know If they are closed captioned.

that's all. JN

I'm deaf and this DVD set didnt have caption or subtitles. I've been a hardcore nutball Xena fan from day one,and NONE of the VHS or DVD tapes have yet to have caption or anything of the sort. It is disappointing, I bought a 90 dollar DVD set, just to find out it wasnt captioned, and sent it back to only get 30% of what I paid for it. Many hardcore...and deaf, xena fans just like myself were disappointed, really disappointed, and season 2 shows no different. For you deaf people out there, do NOT get it! Unless you like just watching the action and not understanding or being able to see Xena's wisdom in caption, or subtitle, just like the hearing people can.

Xena season one is amazing. It is here that we see how the Warrior Princess begins her adventures with her sexy little sidekick Gabrielle. This is classic Xena all the way, plus we are introduced to our favorites: Ephiny and the Amazons, Salmoneous, Lila, Cyrene, Draco, Autolycus (Bruce 'Evil Dead' Campbell), Ares, Hades, Princess Diana, Joxer and every Xenafan's favorite CALLISTO? There is also a cameo by Hercules and Iolaus for Hercfans.

Previously this season of Xena could only be ordered from a webpage as seen on tv. To my understanding this collection is not remastered, and does not include DVD extras such as deleted scenes or commentaries. The good new, for those that can wait a couple more months, another mastered version with DVD extras is soon to be released.

For those fans that must have this season now, order it here, it is about 30 dollars less than what it is offered in the commercials, but if you could relax for a month or two I suggest you get the vamped version.

Enjoyed every minute of watching my two favorite actress show after show in dvd quality. The only down side is not enough extra's.

"In a time of ancient gods, warlords, and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero. She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle. The power. The passion. The danger. Her courage will change the world."

If you don't recognize the above, you've been in a distant land since at least 1995, and this review isn't really for you. But you should buy this collection immediately, because you're in for an entirely novel treat.

Xena: Warrior Princess is a spin-off series from "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys", which followed 5 "Action Pack" (don't ask) Hercules movies. The Hercules and Xena stories are revisionist tales of antiquity. Most of the names are right ("Hercules" instead of "Herakles", and the Roman "Cupid" instead of Greek "Eros" are notable exceptions), but anachronisms abound. We first see Xena sitting on her horse, complete with stirrups (1000 years before their invention) and saddle horn (2000 years early). Xena's sword is bronze, but steel implements abound in an era when Indian Wootz steel was a commodity valued above gold. The wet countryside of New Zealand doubles for the dry Mediterranean clime of Greece. And barbarian warriors look suspiciously like Maori. Obviously the emphasis is on entertainment rather than historical accuracy. It's a good thing, too, because the entertainment value is outstanding.

The premise of the series is that Xena was a teenager living in the Greek village of Amphipolis when it was attacked. She rallied her neighbors to mount a successful defense. Then she took the surrounding towns to have a defensive perimeter. One thing led to another, and Xena was a warlord terrorizing the countryside. But, true to her original intent, she spared defenseless women and children. When her underlings thought that made her soft she broke from them, and began an epic quest for redemption. Soon after this she met Gabrielle, a young villager whose community is raided. With ambitions exceeding her small town's reach Gabrielle decides to follow Xena on her travels.

Xena is a mythic hero. Lacking the godly strength of Hercules, she nevertheless matches him in battle by virtue of superhuman agility. Plus, as she says, "I have many skills" -- including tactics, strategy, eastern martial arts, horsemanship, medicine, and singing. Xena is at the top of her form when we first see her. In sharp contrast to this we watch Gabrielle as she transforms from quick-witted but unsophisticated villager to wannabe bard to reluctant warrior.

Lucy Lawless got an early entry into the Hercules/Xena universe; she played Lysia in "Hercules and the Amazon Women", the very first of the movies that preceded the "Hercules" series. In fact this earlier role was a strike against her when trying out for the part of Xena in the "Hercules" series. But hair dye, boots with lifts, and skin bronzer transformed Lucy Lawless (5' 10 1/2", light brown hair, pale skin) to Xena (6' tall, brown-black hair, olive complexion). Add in a passable American accent, and this native New Zealander carried off the role of an Americanized Greek mythic hero with aplomb. When you see Xena riding at the gallop or trading blows with a foe that's really Lucy Lawless; when Xena is tumbling through the air it's a stunt performer.

Renee O'Connor also got an early start; she played an earlier version of Deianeira, Hercules' wife, in "Hercules and the Lost Kingdom", the second Hercules movie, before landing the role of Gabrielle. In the first season of X:WP O'Connor is listed as "also starring", after the title; only Lawless gets "starring" billing.

Various continuing characters from "Hercules" appear in Season One of X:WP:
- Kevin Smith as Ares, God of War
- Kevin Sorbo as Hercules
- Michael Hurst as Iolaus (Hercules' sidekick); also as Charon
- Robert Trebor as Salmoneus, mercurial merchant
- Bruce Campbell as Autolycus, King of Thieves
- Erik Thomson as Hades, God of the Underworld

Season One of Xena introduced a number of new faces that would become familiar:
- Danielle Cormack as Ephiny, Amazon warrior
- Paul Norell as Falafel, food stand vendor
- Karl Urban, who would appear again in seasons 2+ as Julius Caesar
- Hudson Leick as Callisto, nemesis extraordinaire
- Ted Raimi as Joxer, bumbling would-be warrior

More notable one-shot guest stars from Season One included:
- Kate Hodge as Celesta, Goddess of Death
- Galyn G"rg as Helen of Troy
- Tim Thomerson as Meleager the Mighty
- Peter McCauley as Talmodeus

Season One of X:WP was shot on 16mm film to keep production costs down, so the DVD video transfer is no better than you'd expect. The audio is quite a bit better, including outstanding music by Joseph LoDuca. The Xena theme, in particular, is a wonderful mix of bouzouki, french horns, and strings to mix traditional Greek sounds with the stirring European classical melodies we've come to associate with inspirational themes.

The 7-disc Season One collection is remarkable mostly for what it DOESN'T have. There are NO extras in the Season One DVDs AT ALL. Each of the 24 episodes is 44 minutes 15 seconds or less. There are no DVD or CC captions. There are no extra chapter stops; each episode has 5 or 6 chapters. The 7th disc is a CD-ROM, with rather unremarkable content. There are no printed guides in the set.

6 DVDs, with 4 episodes each; 24 total episodes
1 CD-ROM:
- Screensaver
- Cast & Director bios
- "Scrolls" - episode cast lists, guest stars ("mortals" and "gods"), search through the scrolls text
- Season One trivia game

Xena: Warrior Princess is a fun, butt-kicking action series. It's a shame that the DVD collection of Season One is both low on extra content and high on price.

Hi everyone the Xena season 3 on DVD was realeased on 10th Feb.
The 3rd season is the most memorable and best crafted, including: the season opener, The Furies, wherein Xena's recurring foil, the god Ares, has her driven insane; Been There, Done That.
The video details are crisp and the colors vivid. All things considered, this is probably as good of a transfer as Xena will ever get, sharper and easier on the eyes than most action TV programs, and, for that matter, looking better than it originally appeared during on television.
The sound is on Dolby 5.1. Season three also has more than nine hours of new material. Each of the 22 episodes has an Interview segment with comments from writers, producers, actors and sometimes all three. Several standout programs -- including The Furies, The Debt, One Against An Army and The Bitter Suite -- also have full-blown voice-over commentary following throughout the episode.There is also a documentary which includes a short tribute to the late Kevin Smith, who played Ares.
There's more than enough in this set to please everyone who cares about the show .
Just go and get your copy before they disappears from the shelf.
Believe me it's worth the money.