Lost - Series 1 - Complete (Box Set) (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Good
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Superb writing, cast, symbolism .  Makes the audience question and think .
Disadvantages:	Not for everyone, extras are not extraordinary

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

When was the last time you watched a TV series and it made you think? A TV series that kept you guessing, so that you didn't quite know what was going on right until the very end? Thought of any? Right now take out of that list any whodunits or Jonathan Creek style dramas. What have you got left? Anything? Chances are not a lot, and whilst we as an audience like to keep guessing at what's happening and why, it seems to be a very under-developed market outside of the murder mystery genre. Well to fill that gap, ladies and gentlemen I give you Lost.

This particular review focuses on the first series of the hit TV show, Lost, in a single box set.

Basic Plot Synopsis
The premise for Lost is that a plane from Sydney to Los Angeles - Oceanic Flight 815 is ripped asunder and has crashed and the passengers have ended up stranded on a remote island. Initially it's just the normal scenario of everyone banded together for survival immediately after the crash. The wounded are treated and shelters are built. Everything seems, well normal. Of course if things stayed like that, Lost wouldn't be the phenomenon that it is. After just a single night the passengers hear strange noises in the jungle, something loud and seemingly big is causing the trees of the jungle inland to move violently. And if that wasn't enough, a scouting trip the next day to where the cockpit of the plane landed finds the pilot, who tells them that they have a limited chance of rescue because when they crashed they were 1,000 miles off course. The pilot is then subsequently ripped from the cockpit by an unknown force and his bloody remains are found by the scouting party at the top of a tree.

Confused yet? Wondering what the heck is going on on this island? Of course you are, and that - despite what the critics say - is the point.

Characters
Due to the nature of the scenario (a plane crash), the cast of Lost is comparably large with plenty of diverse characters. Whilst I feel detailing every character would be a little mind-numbing, I feel it's important that potential purchasers can get a feel for the type of characters they will be viewing. Officially there are 42 survivors of the crash, although the majority of these are simply extras, although there are still 14 main crash survivors, ranging from an obsessive doctor to a fugitive, to a drug addict to an Iraqi torturer. Throw in a millionaire, a single father and his son, a con man and a pregnant woman, and already you can see the diversity of the cast on offer.

The acting ability on Lost is exceptional, and whilst that would be expected off of the more well known actors such as Dominic Monaghan (who played Merry in the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and Harold Perrineau (The Matrix, Romeo & Juliet), there are also sterling perfomances from less well-known actors such as Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway and Terry O'Quinn. Its almost certain that if the acting was poor on the show, the whole concept of Lost being an engaging watch for the audience would have disintegrated. Luckily this is not the case and you never once doubt the island scenario and all its mysteries as a result of poor acting.

Past and Present
A main theme within Lost episodes is the idea of flashbacks. Each episode the viewers are treated to a series of integrated flashbacks of one of the survivors so as to reveal a bit more about them via their back story. Not only do these flashbacks serve as a vehicle for reinforcing the mood of what is currently happening on the island in the present, but they also give the viewer more of an insight into their pasts, possible motives and rationale for their actions, and generally provide padding to already diverse characters.

Personally I find these flashbacks to be an exceptional take on the normal convention of TV shows. Constantly seeing flashbacks into characters pasts avoids all the unrealistic narrative that would have to take place between the characters on the island for us to understand and appreciate each characters back story. Also seeing the flashbacks, and therefore knowing a lot more about each survivors past than their fellow survivors do, does give the audience a sense of one-upmanship on the cast. For example from flashbacks, we the audience are able to discover that the character Jack (played by Matthew Fox) has a less than fruitful relationship with his father, and is also a man who sticks to his word. However many of those on the island do not know this about Jack, and even fewer know why. But because we as the audience have seen these flashbacks we can relate to Jack's character and his rationale for his behaviour. This empathy with characters makes the viewing experience of Lost thoroughly enjoyable and believable.

Critics
As with any TV show there are bound to be critics, official or otherwise. You may even be a critic yourself. What I tend to find though is that people who criticise this show are people that (generally) haven't given it a fair go. With claims made that "the writers do not know how the story is going to end", "They're making it up as they go along", "It's all a load of rubbish - none of it makes any sense" you've probably got at least a few negative preconceptions in your head about Lost already. Obviously this is all personal opinion, and we are each entitled to our own. However I'm here to give you mine, to try and answer the critics and sway your opinion. The fact is the producers of Lost have declared that there will be a total of 6 series, by the end of which the story will be over. 3 series of Lost have already been created, and therefore 3 more series are to be made. To me this debunks the idea of the writers not knowing when or how the story is going to end because they have a finite times-scale for its end. If they were making it up as they went along - just milking it like a cash cow, then there would be no pre-agreed timescale.

So the writers do know what they're writing about, the only other main problem is that none of it makes sense apparently. Well yes and no. Change in any medium is always met with mixed feelings because it's something new and different that not everyone knows how to take. The direction of Lost is not simply to deliver you fast-paced action or nail-biting tension within its drama series, but to keep you guessing as well. Every episode of Lost raises new question about the purpose of certain people, their integrity, what is going on on the island etc. Chances are every time Lost does get around to answering a major question, it throws up even more questions. For example when you do find out what was making the trees shake on that first night towards the end of the series, you'll have even more questions about it - trust me. And even I don't know yet why the pilot was killed and I've seen all of the first 3 series (I have my own ideas, but nothing has been confirmed). To me it's this mystery that surrounds Lost that generates its appeal. It is true that you generally have to watch each episode in order to understand what is going on, but that is true of most TV series these days, and is by no means a criticism.

Writing Skill
The constant desire by the audience to want to know what is happening and why and only being fed little teasers and small titbits of information is a testament to the writing skill on Lost. There are plenty of mysteries throughout the series, but there are also plenty of clues hidden about and if you are eagle-eyed you'll spot them and might be able to make a link. Many of these you may only notice when re-watching earlier episodes after certain revelations have occurred to see what the clue was pointing to. But to me if anything this further galvanises the argument that the writers do know what they are writing about and do know where the story is going.

To integrate so many different character stories into an all-encompassing one is a feat in itself. To make it believable is exceptional. Synchronicity between characters and their back stories features heavily within Lost, with certain characters having met others in the past, or having worked for each other. This level of amalgamation of stories is both interesting and extraordinary.

DVD Extras
Obviously owning this on DVD provides you with the opportunity to watch all of the DVD extras of Lost as well. The DVD box set comes in a 7 disc set. 6 of these discs contain the first 24 episodes of the series - 4 on each disc. On each of these discs there is a bonus features section which has audio commentary available for some of the episodes. Whilst I'm not a big fan of audio commentary generally, I think it's a decent addition, and if you're a fan of such things, then it's a welcome one too.

The 7th disc is the main bonus disc but also contains the final 25th episode of the series. The bonus disc includes deleted scenes from the show, bloopers, flashbacks, a look at behind the scenes on set in Hawaii (where they shoot the island section of the show), an insight into how the show was conceived and how the actors were recruited as well as some personal art of actor Matthew Fox. As with most extras on DVDs these are mainly superficial, but are worth a viewing at least once to gain a better understanding of how the TV show came about, should such a thing interest you.

Overall Opinion
Never has a TV show before or since made me have the desire to think so much about it before. And that is a positive thing. Whilst the majority of the time I am happy to watch TV and films and just be spoon fed action or intrigue, what Lost provides is that something different. The style of the show and skill of the writers not only create plots and intertwining back-stories, but also delve into symbolism and hidden meanings which on many occasions border on the mystic, spiritual and even philosophical. All this with a cast that is so diverse and interactive that you really get a sense of whom each person is and their own personal journey of not only survival, but also with themselves, make an experience that is unlike most TV series.

Overall Lost is a triumph of TV, because it keeps viewers that have given it a chance coming back for more. And essentially that's what all the best TV does. I urge you if you haven't already to watch half a dozen episodes with an open mind. Just half a dozen. Then see if you don't watch another one and another one, just to see what happens, to find the answer out to that question, to see what crazy twist the writers have thrown in next. It really is gripping stuff, and is so fresh and new that you certainly wont have seen all that this show has to offer anywhere before.

Other Info
The Box set is rated 15 due to its "moderate horror, sex, violence and language and implied drug use"

Running Time: 1069 mins approx.

Widescreen 1.78:1

This box set can be found at most major retailers and online stores. Currently this box set is selling at Amazon new for as little as £28.00, and used from £20.88. Woolworths have it priced at £34.17, and HMV have it for £34.99.

I can't recommend this product highly enough. If you are a fan of Lost, it's a required purchase; if not then it certainly is something you should consider watching because it will be completely different from anything you have previously seen.

Thanks for reading.

Chris.