Chuck: The Complete First Season Blu-ray features poor video and decent audio in this mediocre Blu-ray release
Chuck Bartowski, ace computer geek at Buy More, is not in his right mind. That\'s a good thing. Ever since he unwittingly downloaded stolen government secrets into his brain, action, excitement and a cool secret-agent girlfriend have entered his life. It\'s a bad thing, too. Because now Chuck is in danger 24/7.
I didn't want to like Chuck. Scratch that... I wanted to hate every minute of it. I've never been a big fan of spy spoofs or action comedies, I generally despise all-too-convenient plot developments, and I tend to loathe concepts that require tremendous leaps in logic (or a complete rejection thereof). Honestly, if it weren't for Adam Baldwin (who earned my undying affection with his work in Joss Whedon's tragically truncated sci-fi saga, Firefly) I probably would have passed the series by and found something else to watch in its stead. Yet somehow, by the end of Chuck's third episode, I decided to come back for more. By the end of its first season, I considered myself a casual fan. Now? Now I can't wait for Monday evenings to roll around so I can check in with my favorite electronics-store whiz kids and see what trouble they'll find themselves in this week.
Series standout Zachary Levi leaves an impression even when the show does not...
Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) lives a satisfying but predictable life. He wastes his evenings playing Call of Duty 4 with his best friend and co-worker Morgan (Joshua Gomez), shares a house with his sister (Sarah Lancaster) and her boyfriend (Ryan McPartlin), and earns a decent paycheck as a technical support specialist at a local electronics superstore (aptly called the Buy-More). Everything's going pretty well for the mild mannered Nerd-Herder... that is until his former Stanford University roommate (Matthew Bomer) sends him a bizarre program that uploads an endless amount of US intelligence data directly into Chuck's brain. When the government takes a sudden interest in his newfound ability to identify agency moles, assassins, and terrorists, Chuck is "recruited" and placed under the watchful eyes of a gruff CIA lifer named John Casey (Adam Baldwin) and a deadly agent named Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski).
Chuck may have had its fair share of first season woes, but someone at NBC clearly worked some serious magic to pull together such an endearing ensemble cast. Even as the series struggles to establish its identity, Levi and his cohorts create a cast of affable characters that feel more authentic than you might expect considering the series' bizarre (and sometimes painfully inept) setup. Levi's expressive eyes and squirrelly paranoia solidify him as the network's consummate everyman, Gomez's antics transform him into a carming dolt, and Lancaster keeps the show's testosterone in check. Of course, there's pleny of others to consider. Strahovski treads a fine line yet provides a suitable love interest for our lovelorn hero, and Baldwin makes the absolute most of every scene. And let's not forget Julia Ling, Scott Krinsky, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay and the many actors that comprise the Buy-More team. In fact, strip away all of the CIA nonsense and you'll still be left with one of the better ensemble comedies on television today.
If I have any major complaint it's that the series focuses too much time and attention on its contrived CIA action and intrigue. Don't get me wrong: I understand these moments are integral to the setup and form the foundation of the entire show, but I always feel tempted to hurry through the overbearing gunplay and fistfights to watch Casey respond to Chuck's latest request... to find out how Morgan plans to fix something he accidentally smashed in his boss's office... or to watch Chuck fall head over heels in love with Sarah. For all its attempts to woo an action-oriented audience, the series is at its best when it sticks to character interactions, the awkward and embarrassing relationships that develop, and the various misadventures of the Buy-More staff. To my relief, the series' creators noticed this problem as well: in Chuck's second season, they effectively merged the show's disjointed elements together into a more cohesive and palatable whole.
Chuck is a fun but flawed introduction to an infectious bunch of characters and a wonderfully talented ensemble cast. If for no other reason than to catch up with the vastly improved episodes currently airing on NBC (Monday evenings at 8pm), Chuck: The Complete First Season is worth your time.
I'm not sure why I had such high hopes for Chuck's 1080p/VC-1 transfer: even the series' most die-hard fans will tell you the show's HD television broadcast is a weekly eyesore that looks noticeably worse than most other high-profile NBC hits. Every episode suffers from heavy artifacting, rampant mosquito noise, wavering contrast, distracting black crush, and uneven grain fields. Any one of these issues would reduce overall image clarity... but the appearance of several at a time undermine any sense of consistent fine detail. Textures are regularly obscured behind a veneer of digital clutter and background objects are often indistinct and unimpressive. Interior shots in the Buy-More or in Chuck's home are usually more pristine, but as soon as Chuck dives into his latest mission, problems pop up everywhere. Moreover, black levels are unresolved, object definition is mediocre, and severe ringing is a constant issue.
The Blu-ray edition does offer inherent qualities that allow it to best the standard DVD -- edges are sharper, colors are bolder, contrast is brighter, and black levels are deeper -- but noise is more prominent, skintones are oversaturated, and delineation is terribly mediocre. All things considered, fans will be disappointed and newcomers will wonder if something is wrong with their discs.
(Please note Chuck: The Complete First Season is presented on three discs: one dual-layer BD-50 and two single-layer BD-25s.)
Chuck: The Complete First Season features a standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround track (sorry guys, no lossless audio here) that handles the series' limited sound design fairly well. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, and effects are evenly distributed across the front soundstage. A welcome dose of LFE support adds a bit of oomph to gunfire and explosions even though, for the most part, conversational scenes go without. While overall dynamics are lacking at times, treble tones are stable, shouts and screams have decided presence, and the show's quirky soundtrack is crisp and nicely prioritized amidst action beats and quieter dramatic scenes. Unfortunately, the rear speakers are timid throughout the series and rarely manage to create an immersive listening experience. Buy-More crowds are eerily silent (as are most scenes in which you would expect a heavier level of ambience), hurried car chases are crammed into the front channels, and interior acoustics are less than convincing. A handful of chaotic action sequences up the ante, but only enough to make this track a passable offering.
As it stands, Chuck's DD track is faithful to the series' original audio, but struggles to draw the listener into its supposedly bustling universe. While fans will be mildly pleased that it replicates the television presentation, I doubt they'll be very excited by what they hear. Audiophiles will shrug their shoulders as well since it's pretty clear that the inclusion of a lossless track really would probably not have made the experience any more involving.
It may match the DVD feature for feature, but this 3-disc set is a supplemental disappointment. Instead of multiple commentaries (or even one for that matter), extensive behind-the-scenes featurettes, or a healthy collection of deleted scenes, the Blu-ray edition of Chuck: The Complete First Season includes a tired set of special features that deliver a whopping hour of content (all presented in standard definition to boot).
Chuck on Chuck (27 minutes) -- Creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak sit down with actors Zachary Levi and Joshua Gomez to discuss the season, scripts, characters, and their vision. I just wish the witty and engaging participants had invited more cast members to the party.
Chuck's World (14 minutes) -- Schwartz and Fedak briefly dissect the various characters, chat about their casting decisions, and explain how they came to pair each actor with each part. As a nice bonus, this featurette even includes footage from the creators' casting sessions. It's certainly not as meaty a feature as I would have liked, but it does cover a lot of ground and it managed to keep me engaged throughout.
Declassified Scenes (9 minutes) -- A yawn-inducing series of deleted and extended scenes that were wisely trimmed from the series as a whole.
Chuck Versus the Chuckles (7 minutes) -- This effective gag reel actually earns quite a few laughs. I usually don't enjoy outtakes, but this collection is worth watching.
Chuck's Online World (4 minutes) -- Last up are four promotional mini-docs from the NBC website.
While Chuck: The Complete First Season initially stumbles out of the gate and struggles to establish its tone, the series' entertaining and engaging ensemble cast keep the show fresh while it finds its footing. Sadly, the Blu-ray edition comes undone with substandard video quality, a forgettable Dolby Digital audio track, and an anemic supplemental package will even disappoint Chuck's most fanatical followers. If you don't already know and love the series, approach this one with caution.
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