HEROES

HEROES - Seasons 1 & 2: – To answer your question, yes, it really is that good. After debuting on the NBC fall schedule two years ago, producer Tim Kring’s show took off like one of its superpowered characters. The show’s serious-minded approach to comic book mythology actually preceded The Dark Knight in theaters, proving that geek-culture could be just as meaningful and mature as the more pedigreed adult dramas. And for one glorious season there literally was no better show on television. But a ridiculous amount of hype, combined with the writer’s strike, conspired to ensure a predictable sophomore slump in season two. The story Kring and his writers had handled with such care began to go off the rails, new characters were introduced at random while others were trapped in a revolving door of neuroses. But looking back on Blu-ray, even that shortened season is better than most of what passes for entertainment on the other networks. The real achievement of the show is that none of its heroes are simply defined by their powers, a cop-out used all too often in comic-book adaptations. Claire, Peter, Hiro and the rest are human beings first, genetic aberrations second; an important distinction that Season Three will need to re-emphasize if Heroes is to regain its crown as “Best Show on TV” rather than just “Best Show on Monday Night.” Universal has done its part by delivering to of the best season sets on Blu-ray you are every likely to see. Season One, which debuted on the competing format HDDVD last year, includes the 73-minute unaired pilot episode along with a score of featurettes and picture-in-picture commentaries. Season Two is more of the same: eleven PIP commentaries plus a slew of HD featurettes including “Untold Stories,” snippets of scenes and characters that didn’t make the cut thanks to the shortened season. NIGHTWATCH / DAYWATCH: When Nightwatch finally made its way to the U.S. after shattering all box office records in its home country of Russia the response was an overwhelming shrug; which is a damn shame. Sure, an imported foreign language film probably didn’t have much shot at drumming up a stateside business anyway, but director Timur Bekmambetov’s flashy and convoluted story of vampires, witches, warlocks and other assorted immortals duking it out for bragging rights over humanity has more innovation, mystery and just plain “coolness” than most of the so-called summer blockbusters. As the prologue tells us, these “Others” have been sparring for years with a rather rigid set of rules in place, not unlike the historically ridiculous bureaucracy faced by your average Russian on the street. Victims can’t be turned into vampires unless licensed. Entrapment with live humans is a big no-no. These supernatural civil servants even have to roam the streets of Moscow in a boring box-like UPS van. Glamorous, it’s not. But it is confusing. Bekmambetov’s film (based on series of novels) bombards the audience with rules, regulations and wild visual effects that put you off balance from the word “go.” But it’s also part of the movie’s appeal, creating a more believable dingy reality than say the color-tinted style of Underworld or Blade. The film successfully integrates the fantastical with the mundane – no small trick to pull off. And Daywatch, its sequel, actually manages to tie all the narrative knots into a pretty bow. With Bekmambetov’s Wanted pulling in a sizable sum at the box-office (thanks to Angelina Jolie’s butt cleavage), maybe these terrific Blu-ray upgrades from Fox will find an audience at last. Extras are fairly limited, though, including an extended ending, commentary from Bekmambetov and novelist Sergei Lukyanenko and Making Of featurettes.