PRISON BREAK (TV SERIES) - DVD review

"Prison Break" may seem absurd in premise, a man enters prison with intricate plans to break out with his brother, a death row inmate, but the show's execution is one that intrigues and entertains episode after episode. Executive produced by Brett Ratner, who also directed the pilot episode, and created by writer Paul Scheuring, the show is more intelligent, clever, and engaging than it deserves to be. It's a slow bubbling pot of plot twists, action and characterization, offering glimpses into the lives of a group of inmates, all of who posses lives that may seem black and white but actually bleed shades of gray.

The series revolves around Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), a structural engineer, who lives in a penthouse apartment and from the looks of things lives a pretty good life. However, in one motion he throws it all away, seemingly destroying a bevy of information he has been collecting in his apartment and then attempting armed robbery in a bank. During his arraignment, Scofield shows very little remorse, pleading no contest and the judge slaps him with a five year term to be served at Fox River penitentiary.

Once inside things start to add up. It seems Scofield is planning something and it involves his brother, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), who has been convicted of murdering the Vice President's brother. Scofield brilliantly navigates the system, having planned, in advance, his every move and anticipating almost every alternative. He's tattooed, on his body (shirt and sleeve style), necessary bits of information and the blueprints for Fox River, but the blue prints don't look like blue prints at all and are deftly hidden in the images now permanently inked on his body.

The show isn't just about these guys trying to break out of prison. From the get go there is a higher power lurking in the shadows surrounding the Burrows case, and it isn't until Burrows ex-girlfriend/attorney, Veronica (Robin Tunney), starts investigating the case that things start to unravel. Veronica slowly starts to piece together a conspiracy reaching all the way to the upper echelons of political office. Combine this with an eclectic mix of inmates that are brought to help Scofield and Burrows escape and what we're left with is an extremely captivating show. The series effortlessly piles on twist after twist, while providing an excellent build up of suspense.

Despite the centrality of Miller and Purcell in the lead roles, who are both exceptionally good in their respective roles, the series shines because of its supporting cast. Peter Stormare gives his John Abruzzi a Shakespearean touch, a mob boss who plays an important role in the escape; Robert Knepper gives an incendiary turn as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell, a wretch of human being edging his way into the plan, and Rockmond Dunbar plays C-Note, a not so typical thug with more to his past than it seems, with an excellent edge. The stands outs, however, are Muse Watson as Charles Westmorland, who may or may not be the infamous hijacker D.B. Cooper. Watson lends his character a sense of grace and poise under the most dire of circumstances; and then there is also Amaury Nolasco as Fernando Sucre, who is quite charming as a man who is waiting to get home to the woman he loves.

The set is broken up as follows:
Disc One: "Pilot," "Allen," "Cell Test," "Cute Poison." Disc Two: "English, Fitz or Percy," "Riots, Drills and the Devil (Part 1)," "Riots, Drills and the Devil (Part 2)," "The Old Head." Disc Three: "Tweener," "Sleight of Hand," "And Then There Were Seven," "Odd Man Out." Disc Four: "End of the Tunnel," "The Rat," "By The Skin & The Teeth," "Brother's Keeper." Disc Five: "J-Cat," "Bluff," "The Key," "Tonight." Disc Six: "Go," "Flight"

Video
The DVD set is presented in a 1.78:1 widescreen transfer. The transfer is actually somewhat disappointing. While images mostly come through clearly, as do colors, the image suffers from a fair amount of pixilation during heavier action oriented scenes. For the most part the episodes look clean and crisp but are then distorted by the pixilation. Grain pulls through in certain areas but is otherwise negligible. I'm hoping that it was only the screener copies that were provided for me but the image is just a step below what fans deserve.

Audio
Audio on the other hand is great. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 the mix is nice all around. Dialogue is clean and comes through very clearly. Music is pumped through the surrounds nicely and never overwhelms the dialogue. Special effects and ambient sounds fill out the channels providing a fair amount of immersion into every episode.

Extras
Fox has provided the "Prison Break" set with a good amount of extras. Spread out through the first five discs are a handful of commentaries from Scheuring, Purcell, Ratner, and other assorted cast and crew members. Housed primarily on the sixth disc, the extras offer assorted featurettes about the making of the show. They feature some interviews with cast and crew that are mostly self-aggrandizing but interesting nonetheless.

"Making of Prison Break" is a 30 minute look at the evolution of the show. "If These Walls Could Speak: Profile of the Joliet Correctional Center" is a 20 minute look at the correctional facility where the show is filmed. "Beyond the Ink: Tattoo Featurette" is a short look at the intricate tattoo adorning Scofield's body. The amount of work that went into developing the tattoo and its use is impressive and the featurette conveys that very well. "Fox Movie Channel Presents: Making a Scene - Prison Break" is a brief look at the making of a scene from "Prison Break."

Film Value
Series creator Scheuring and Executive Producer Ratner have managed create what some people might call an "edge of your seat thriller." However, the series goes beyond being a typical show of this genre. We're offered insightful and thought provoking characters, who, through the course of the first season's evolution, you really grow to care about. Packed with clever twists and turns in every episode the creators skillfully build the suspense leaving you wanting more. To say the least, it's definitely a show worth checking out.