Smallville - Series 2 - Complete (Box Set) (DVD)

Geared toward the teen market, Smallville centers around the rather shy and reclusive Clark Kent, who discovered in the pilot episode of this series that he is alien and has certain powers.

Set against the backdrop of a Kansas farm (but really filmed in Canada - or so the extras on the DVD say), Clarke learns that he has even more abilities - in this season, he discovers his infamous x-ray vision and even lets his best friend, Pete, ...
...father used to send him to Earth) was discovered in a corn field some time after the season started. Also in this season, we learn that there are different types of kryptonite and red kryptonite makes Clark feel "high" and do things he normally wouldn't do (like get a motorcycle and give a girl a lift to school while she is distinctly arguing with her father), as though he were on drugs. So, while Clark felt all alone in Season 1, he has ... more

Geared toward the teen market, Smallville centers around the rather shy and reclusive Clark Kent, who discovered in the pilot episode of this series that he is alien and has certain powers.

Set against the backdrop of a Kansas farm (but really filmed in Canada - or so the extras on the DVD say), Clarke learns that he has even more abilities - in this season, he discovers his infamous x-ray vision and even lets his best friend, Pete, in on his secret, after his space craft (which Clark's father used to send him to Earth) was discovered in a corn field some time after the season started. Also in this season, we learn that there are different types of kryptonite and red kryptonite makes Clark feel "high" and do things he normally wouldn't do (like get a motorcycle and give a girl a lift to school while she is distinctly arguing with her father), as though he were on drugs. So, while Clark felt all alone in Season 1, he has his new confidant, Pete to watch his back - an added twist in the storyline. Clark also encounters Lex Luthor's father for the first time in this season, and from that moment onward, Lionel Luthor has a definite interest in Clark - fuelling the series even more because of Lionel's reputation as a lucrative businessman who should not be trusted with anything.

The underlying theme of this entire series is "what drives someone to wear a blue outfit and fight crime?"

So, Clark develops a "superhero complex" and tries to use his power to save people.

Acting performances were rather good, considering that this was a television series, with the major actors being relative unknowns - Tom Welling (as Clark Kent), Allison Mack (as Chloe Sullivan - the girl who has a crush on Clark), Kristen Kreuk (the girl who Clark has a crush on but can never quite get to) and Michael Rosenbaum (the infamous bald Lex Luthor).

Special effects were working on a TV series budget, meaning less special effects where possible and geared to a smaller screen (in a matter of speaking) but were very well done, nonetheless.

Extra features on the DVD set were split up among the 6 disks. My personal favourites are always the "gag-reel" and the behind the scenes, where they show how the show was made. Commentaries are somewhat informative, but more focuses on actors' emotions and thoughts when filming certain episodes. Personally, when looking at a show, I prefer to hear the soundtrack than some guys knocking around their thoughts on that episode, because it can be a touch distracting.

Long story shortened: I don't think TiVo or any DVR has enough space to hold this entire DVD set on the hard drive, and renting this set can be a bit of a hassle (6 disks, after all) so if you like Smallville, I would recommend buying this set - but make sure to get the first season as well - that would answer some of the questions you may have about this season... 

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