In a
post-apocalyptic future, a deadly virus has wiped out most of
humanity, an event dubbed The Big Death. The only ones who survived were those who hadn't yet
reached puberty. Now 15 years have passed by, and a man called
Jeremiah (Perry) sets on a quest to find a mysterious place called
Valhalla with the help of his new friend Kurdy (Warner).
CRITIQUE
Jeremiah
features perhaps the most realistic apocalyptic future I can
remember. In terms of plausibility, it sure makes sense, and in
terms of execution it's pretty well done for a show that shot in
Canada with a limited budget. Based on a comic book and created by
J. Michael Straczynski
(Babylon 5), Jeremiah projects a sense of hope in a
world where there doesn't seem to be any place for it.
Straczynski, writer of at least half of the show's 19 episodes,
gives the show some interesting themes to explore.
The show's basic
premise is a great set-up for some really sweet conspiracy theory
moments involving the character of Jeremiah, played exceptionally
well by Luke Perry, who is in one way or another connected to the
Big Death. Throughout his missions with Kurdy, that is, helping
people who are either oppressed or unfortunate, Jeremiah finds out
more and more information about Valhalla Sector, the last place
his father told him he'd be. During the first season, Valhalla
Sector becomes a great mysterious setting and there is a sense of
urgency as well. The scope of the show, which is set in the United
States, is rather large and the filmmakers do a really good job of
conveying it, thanks in part to a lot of decent-looking special
effects shots that help make it possible.
With all the
interesting factors this show presents, there is also a bit of
cheese layered in at least half a dozen episodes. This is not so
much the fault of the performances, but some writing is not as
strong as that in the highlight episodes. Straczynski's ear for
dialogue sometimes doesn't quite work in benefit of the show, but
conversations between Jeremiah and Kurdy are worthwhile. Perry and
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
share nice chemistry, and the supporting actors are pretty good,
too. Aside from some weak writing in a few episodes, mainly due to
uninteresting stories, Jeremiah is a pretty solid show.
It's nicely photographed and well-directed. The music score is
sometimes overdone, but nicely composed overall.
THE VIDEO
MGM presents
Jeremiah in 1.33:1 fullscreen format. The quality here is
not all that good. There's a lot of grain here and at times it
becomes distracting. The print is in good condition as there are
no major scratches or specks. Colors are not always bright and
sometimes the image is a bit soft. Black levels and dark tones
look fine but are not very deep. Compression artifacts appear in
small amounts. Overall, the transfer is fine, I think, but the
level of grain is just bad.
THE AUDIO
MGM presents
Jeremiah in English Stereo Surround. Dialogue is clear
and easy to understand with decent channel separation. The front
speakers do a lot of work here, such as nicely reinforcing the
sound effects and the music score. The surrounds are not active.
Overall, a presentation that's just fine for this show, but it
could've been a little better.
THE EXTRAS
Neither filled nor
without extras, MGM's DVD release of the Showtime series
features several extras that appear to be good but do not satisfy.
Bonus material is located on disc 1.
The main supplement is an
audio commentary by Luke Perry and Malcolm-Jamal Warner on
the series premiere. Both engage in some fun discussions,
make a few jokes, and tell several interesting stories. However,
many long gaps of silence accompany this track. Despite that, I
enjoyed the track for most of the time and would recommend it to
fans of the show. Perry and Jamal-Warner share good chemistry...
when they decide to talk it up.
Next are
deleted scenes (15:07) from the pilot episode. There are
about ten of them, ranging between deleted to extended
scenes. Video is a bit rough, but they're nice to see here. A
"play all" option is available.
The
Behind-the-Scenes featurette (5:00) is quite brief but
features some nice interviews with Luke Perry, J. Michael
Straczynski and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. You can also choose from
75 photos in the Photo Gallery as well as 54 sketches
from the Production Design Gallery. Inside the Other
Great MGM Releases menu you will find trailers for
The Terminator and Escape From New York, as well as a
composite trailer featuring bits and pieces of several
MGM titles.
Menus are not
animated but easy to navigate.
There are no subtitles, which is a tiny yet considerable
drawback. There is also no "play all" option for the episodes.
However, if you're finished with the first one just press "skip"
on your remote and you're transported directly to the start of
the second episode. I guess that works, too.
Each episode runs roughly 44 minutes and is organized into
five chapters.
Another nitpick are chapter markings that don't allow you to
skip past the episode opening credits. In fact, some chapters
last twelve minutes while others last only four. Where's the logic
here?
Total approximate running time for all 21 episodes
is 14 hours and 47 minutes. A nice 8-page booklet lists special
features as well as episode listings, synopsis, and credits.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Jeremiah is an
interesting show with a very cool premise that's executed quite well.
Some episodes are rather weak, but the highlight episodes are terrific
and very entertaining. MGM's video/audio is alright and the few extras
are disappointing. This set comes recommended.
