Brilliantly confusing (Lost - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD))

Member Name: eiley123

Product:	Lost - The Complete Fourth Season (DVD)
Date:	14/11/08 (97 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great characters and cast, imaginative in the extreme, unusual, different.

Disadvantages: I want more

Lost is a rather off the wall and unusual award winning American television series, about the survivors of a flight, to America from Australia, that has crashed and is officially missing, and the strange place where these survivors find themselves. Despite the number of Lost programmes already shown these people have only been on the Island a relatively short while, but so much has happened.

Lost has been very successful in America, and around the world, and I guess has somewhat of a cult following now. I first came across Lost Series One on one of the additional British Freeview channels. I think that it was also shown for a time on Channel Four. I was instantly hooked and could never wait for the next episode to air.

However within a short space of time it became Lost to me, as the advert goes, as it is no longer shown on any of the free channels. Instead it is only those exclusive Sky viewers or similar who can get their fill of Lost. So earlier this year we decided to purchase the boxed set of Lost Series Three and now, as soon as Lost Series 4 has come out on DVD, we have done the same.

I purchased Lost Series 4 as a boxed DVD set from the Amazon website. It retailed at £31.98 which seems to be the average charged by most suppliers. However, I picked Amazon as I had a £10 gift voucher and the postage and packing was free. The recommended selling price is £39.99 but shop around instead and do not pay it.

So what did I get for my £21.98 and what did I think?.

The outer box is a reasonably sturdy blue cardboard effort featuring the twelve main characters. One of these, Claire, is holding her baby so I guess that's thirteen. Still don't forget the baby was born on the Island. Inside the box there are three DVD cases which have:-

1- Discs 1 and 2, Episodes 1-7.
2- Discs 3 and 4, Episodes 8-14.
3- Discs 5 and 6, Bonus Features.

There are four of the main characters on each DVD box and so all three DVD's have in total all of the main characters on them. There are some bonus features on each disc also.

DISC 1

This disc has three episodes namely:-

The beginning of the end,
Confirmed dead
and The Economist.

When you put Disc one in your DVD player one of the bonus features pops up. It is Lost in 8:15. This number is significant as the flight number of the Island's 'castaways'. However in this context it is a fast and furious catch up on all the previous episodes of Lost in eight minutes and fifteen seconds.

Now obviously as there has been three other series there is a lot of ground to cover. The narrator speaks quickly and succinctly and despite my initial thoughts it did actually work. There are foreign subtitles on this extra bonus feature which were a pain and, knowing Lost, may have meant something. Who knows. Not having watched Lost for a while this bonus feature was a useful catch up and even clarified a couple of things that were puzzling me. However if you have never watched Lost before I should think that it would not be enough to explain this very confusing and complicated plot. Still Lost would probably remain entertaining.

DISC 2

There are four episodes this time:-

Eggtown
The Constant
The other woman
Ji Yeon

DISC 3

Four episodes on this disc which are:-

Meet Kevin Johnson
The Shape of things to Come
Something Nice Back Home.
Cabin Fever

DISC 4

Three episodes here which are:-

There's No Place Like Home-Part One
There's No Place Like Home-Part Two
There's No Place Like Home-Part Three.

Disc 4 also has additional Bonus Features which is basically There's No Place Like Home with a running commentary from Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse two of Lost's executives. Some of this is actually set a couple of years after a handful of the survivors have managed to return home.

ANY GOOD?

Well as an ardent Lost fan you know that I am going to give a resounding YES. However even if I try and view Lost objectively I can only conclude that it has a lot to offer. Lost features eye candy for the girls and the boys as well as the oldies such as me. It has plots that twist and turn and just as you think that you have got it sussed it turn's upside down and confuses in a different way. The characters in Lost are all so different and each one has a vivid and varied background.

Those who have been following Lost know that as the series has progressed we have been introduced to more and more characters apart from the main twelve. The baby was born on the Island and so is relatively new. The other half of the plane landed on a different part of the Island to where the main characters started out. These other survivors have now joined the storyline of Lost.

Added to this the survivors all too soon discovered that there was a community of people already living on the island. These people are called 'the others'. Their apparent leader Ben is a strange, untrustworthy sort of guy who at times seems like the good guy and at other times like the devil.

There have been many theories surrounding Lost and its potential, and eventual, outcome but as yet no-one has 100% cracked it. I am not sure how many more series there will be but I guess there will be at least one more but more than likely more.

I never cease to tire of Lost as it remains, exciting, different, quirky, full of suspense and compulsive viewing. Each episode lasts roughly 45 minutes and so Lost Series 4 DVD set offers around 575 minutes of pure entertainment. It is rated as a 15 and I imagine will appeal to all sorts of age groups but definitely the younger viewer. Not too young though as it does have some violence, deaths, sex and scary parts.

I do not intend to spoil the viewing experience, for anyone considering buying this DVD who has not yet seen Lost 4, by giving too much, if anything, away. However what you find with Lost 4 is that each episode tends to be mainly about one or two of the main characters. This is usual for Lost. The action which is shown taking place is partly on the Island, and this is shown as the past, and back in the characters real life back home, which is the present and after they have left the Island. There are also some scenes from the past before Flight 815. For example the character John Locke's mother is shown as a young girl who is pregnant with him. An accident leaves Baby John with problems and his young mother flees. John is put up for adoption and his life just goes from bad to worse.

Lost 4 has additional characters who do not come from the Island and claim to be there to help the survivors get home. A few of the new players take of from a nearby freighter by Helicopter and head for the Island. Who are these people?. Why are some of them so violent?. Will the survivors survive this invasion?. Are they really there to rescue them? Where in heaven or on earth is this Island?.

For as many answers as Lost 4 gave it raised other questions. As usual Hubby and I greedily watched all the episodes in quick succession and were left wanting more. Unless we go for Sky or the like, which we wont, it will be some time before we can watch Lost Series 5 but I just can't wait.

OVERALL

To my mind one of the best mystery, drama series for years. Get it on your Christmas List!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

DISCS 5 AND 6 BONUS FEATURES.

These two discs have a lot of extras if you are into these.

Firstly there is an inside look at all the weaponry of Lost.

We get a closer look at the invaders from the freighter. Who are these guys?

We visit Hawaii the Island where Lost is filmed to watch the transformation.

There is off the wall questioning of the Oceanic 6 survivors.

We take a look at the filming and site construction of the freighter offshore.

A live performance of Lost's musical score by The Honolulu Symphony Pops.

Behind the scenes with the cast and the film crew.

Some interesting flash forwards. Not to be missed.

Lost bloopers.

Some deleted scenes followed by audio commentaries.

Lost Series 4 is also available on Blue Ray at a RRP of £39.98.
Subtitles for the hard of hearing and other languages are also available.

Thanks for Reading
© Eiley 2008

Summary: Will they ever be the same again?