HTF DVD Review: Mythbusters: Collection 4

US Release Date: May 5, 2009
Review Date: April 27, 2009

The Show - out of

Note” Portions of this review appear in my Mythbusters: Big Bang Collection DVD Review

What do you get when you mix Hollywood special effects talents, curiosity about a bevy of myths and a penchant for wanting to blow things up? You get Discovery Channels highlight addictive, fun-on-overdrive show Mythbusters. It takes the warm and happy construct of do-it-yourself and home improvement shows found on ‘TLC’, ‘A&E’ and ‘Home & Garden’ and amps it up with mechanical mayhem and explosive experiments that fall under the guise of science.

Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman lead a small team of inquisitive, technical and pseudo-scientifically minded individuals that prep, hypothesize and happily perform experiments. Throughout the show’s seasons, they have tackled myths of all sorts, from the stuff you hear in life to the stuff the movies get away with. And let’s face it, the stuff from the movies are the most fun to watch them take on. And beyond the entertainment of watching myths survive or sink the assault of the mythbuster team is watching the inevitability of things going wrong. That’s all part of what makes this show so utterly fun to watch; the charm of it’s semi-controlled chaos and imperfect execution. Rather than pretty, well versed hosts that work hard to show they know what they are doing, we have Adam and Jamie, a playful and professional pair that are perfectly unpolished and satisfied at thinking through tests, and frequently failing for us to watch and enjoy.

When an experiment looks to have busted the myth, the team gets extreme and twists the plan from normal to the most severe of circumstances in order to stoke the chances of an explosive conclusion, or as they explain it, when you can’t replicate the circumstances, replicate the results. And, to no-one’s surprise, most experiments exhaust the normal and contentedly jump into ‘let’s see if we can set this thing off’ mode for a big finish.

In this Mythbusters: Collection 4 2-disc collection, with episodes from seasons 5 & 6, Adam, Jamie and team tackle some intriguing myths and challenging conditions in approaching those myths. In the episode ‘Airplane on a Conveyor Belt’, where Adam and Jamie attempt to prove or disprove the myth that a plane can’t take off on a moving conveyor belt, moving at proportional speed to that of the plane itself. As the experiment goes from model airplane to the real thing, the significant tarp required to execute the test blows about in the wind putting the test at risk. It’s fun to watch things go not according to plan. The view special explores deadly cigarette butts, tennis ball’s as car thieves tools and what happens when you sneeze with your eyes open. Silly, but again, a whole lotta fun. But the best hour is ‘Superhero Hour’ which tackles common superhero conceits such as grappling hooks up buildings (and on cars to help round corners) and deadly punches. Looking at the plausibility of superhero gadgets is really good fun.


The Episodes

Disc One
1: Walking on Water
2: Western Myths
3: Big Rig Myths
4: Viewer Special
5: Superhero Hour
6: Lead Balloon


Disc Two
6: Airplane on a Conveyer Belt
7: MacGyver Myths
8: NASA Moon Landing
9: Phone Book Friction
10: Water Stun Gun



 

The Video - out of

Mythbusters was filmed at 1.78:1 aspect ratio and shown that way on Discovery Channel HD (one of the best HD stations out there). Just like previous releases of the show, it is presented here enhanced for 16:9 TV’s. As with the last release, Mythbusters: Big Blast Collection, the image is bright and lively and shows off quite well on DVD. Greens and blues look particularly good here. Overall, the image is quite sharp, good clarity throughout and in the absence of watching this show in HD or any potential Blu-Ray release is as good as you could ask for.



 

The Sound - out of

The sound quality is just as it was with the last collection reviewed. The Dolby stereo sound is reasonable; very clear in the center channel, solid, clean sounds form the music in the front channels and even in the surrounds. Sounds of tools growling and whizzing, explosions rocking and assortments of objects flying through the air come across well and without issues. The sound works nicely for this show.


 

The Extra’s - No Stars out of

No extras, no stars.



 

Complete season sets will always be the better value proposition. But somehow, these collections seem to work well and are priced well enough not to sting the wallet for what you get. And I continue to thoroughly enjoy this show. Even the weaker myths explored are done so with a sense of fun and energy. And everything about this show is good fun, from the crazy experiments and onscreen antics all the way to Robert Lee’s narration filled with equal parts awe and sarcasm. Fans will be happy adding new episodes to their library. If this show intrigues you enough to read this review, then do yourself a favor, pick up this 2-disc collection and have a blast.

 

Overall Score - out of

Neil Middlemiss
Kernersville, NC