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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Death in Paradise (2011)

Death in Paradise (2011)

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Released 2-Aug-2012

Cover Art

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Mystery None
Rating Rated M
Year Of Production 2011
Running Time 467
RSDL / Flipper Dual Layered
Dual Disc Set
Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 4 Directed By None Given
Studio
Distributor

Roadshow Home Entertainment
Starring Ben Miller
Case Amaray-Transparent-Dual
RPI ? Music None Given


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English Dolby Digital 2.0
Widescreen Aspect Ratio 1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
16x9 Enhanced
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.78:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles English Smoking No
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

     There seems to be an inexhaustible supply of British detective series whether it be Inspector Morse, Midsomer Murders, Cracker, Poirot, Dirk Gently or The Shadow Line. Into this mix now comes, Death in Paradise, a high quality entrant to the genre which brings dramatic cases combined with lots of comedic touches, a fish out of water theme and exotic locations.

     This eight episode first series (a second has been commissioned) kicks off with Detective Inspector Richard Poole (Ben Miller) being sent from the Met in London to investigate the murder of another British detective in Sainte-Marie (a fictitious island in the Caribbean). Whilst many would see this as a spectacular opportunity to get away from grey London and spend some time with sun, sand and beautiful women, Poole sees it as a punishment. He rails against his punishment by always wearing his normal suit and tie and refusing to get involved with the local lifestyle, cuisine or drinks. He is constantly searching for somewhere to get a decent cup of tea. Once the initial case is solved, his commander in England decides to transfer him to Sainte-Marie on a more permanent basis, much to his annoyance. He becomes part of the local police team, led by the commissioner (Don Warrington) and supported by fellow detective Camille Bordey (Sara Martins) and two uniformed officers, Dwayne (Danny John-Jules of Red Dwarf fame) and Fidel (Gary Carr). Initially they find him hard work but as he relaxes their respect for him grows. Each episode brings a new murder mystery sometimes locals, sometimes visitors or travelling criminals.

     This is an enjoyable and entertaining light mystery series with some great dialogue and nice comedic touches. Placing a wonderful comedic actor like Ben Miller in what is a fairly dramatic situation is an excellent choice because he adds comic timing to the role, which accentuates the fish out of water problems he faces. The supporting cast are great too adding to the style and substance of the show. The show was filmed in Guadeloupe and the scenery is beautiful. The eight episodes are about one hour each and are spread over 2 discs.

     Recommended.

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Transfer Quality

Video

     The video quality is very good.

     The feature is presented in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio which is the original aspect ratio. It is 16x9 enhanced.

     The picture is quite clear and sharp for television on DVD. Shadow detail is good.

     The colour is vibrant showing of the Caribbean locations.

     There is little to complain about in artefact terms with a little shimmer and some motion blur.

     There are subtitles in English which are clear and easy to read.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     The audio quality is good.

     These discs contain an English soundtrack in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. The sound is obviously quite front focused.

     Dialogue was easy to understand and clear throughout.

     The theme music is suitably Caribbean in style adding to the atmosphere.

     The surround speakers and subwoofer were not used.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

   No extras.

Menu

    The menu featured music and allowed for episode selection.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    This series is available in the same format in the UK.

Summary

     Another high quality mystery series from the BBC, this time set in the Caribbean.

     The video quality is very good.

     The audio quality is good.

     The extras are non-existent.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Daniel Bruce (Do you need a bio break?)
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Review Equipment
DVDSONY BDP-S760 Blu-ray, using HDMI output
DisplaySharp LC52LE820X Quattron 52" Full HD LED-LCD TV . Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 1080p.
Audio DecoderBuilt into amplifier. Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum.
AmplificationMarantz SR5005
SpeakersMonitor Audio Bronze 2 (Front), Bronze Centre & Bronze FX (Rears) + Sony SAW2500M Subwoofer

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