Columbo-Season 2 (1972)

This review is sponsored by

BUY IT

General		Extras
Category	Mystery	Trailer-Monk Series 1, Law & Order Franchise
Rating
Year Of Production	1972
Running Time	606:08 (Case: 613)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Multi Disc Set (4)	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Select Then Menu
Region Coding	2,4,5	Directed By	None Given
Studio Distributor	Universal Pictures Home Video	Starring	Peter Falk
Case	?
RPI	$59.95	Music	Richard de Benedictis

    Our favourite detective in the rumpled raincoat with the rumpled face returns for a second season of mind games. The classic Columbo formula has by now been long established: a wealthy, intelligent individual (almost universally, the villains drive Jaguars) plans and executes what he or she believes to be the perfect murder. The viewer knows from the very beginning "whodunnit" and the unresolved question is how will Lt. Columbo (Peter Falk) solve the case? Feigning absent-mindedness and a little confusion ("I'm just trying to get this right in my mind"), Columbo often has the culprit pinned from the beginning and spends the episode pestering the villain and showing up at inopportune moments. He'll push a small flaw in the murderer's story with endless persistence and the case usually turns on a single, tiny oversight, revealed in the famous parting blow of "Oh - just one more thing."

    The structure of Columbo is predictable in the extreme, but Peter Falk's characterization is so natural and down to earth that every episode feels fresh. Perhaps part of Columbo's appeal is the triumph of the working class over the "idle rich." Each wealthy villain thinks of Lt. Columbo as a push-over, no match for their own wit, and there's certainly something satisfying about seeing such arrogance undermined. And watching Columbo inch his way under his suspect's skin is always a lot of fun. It's a tribute to the show's creators and Peter Falk that such a predictable formula never gets old and I for one am looking forward to a lot more Columbo on DVD. A top-notch release.

    Season 2 includes the following episodes, each running approximately 90mins:

    "Étude in Black." Falk's good friend John Cassavetes plays a murderous maestro who removes his lover before she can damage his career.

    "The Greenhouse Jungle." Jarvis Goodland (Ray Milland) and his nephew fake a kidnapping, but when Jarvis kills his nephew, Columbo is soon on to the case.

    "The Most Crucial Game." A football manager (Robert Culp) kills the team's owner, believing he has the perfect alibi. Columbo, of course, knows better.

    "Dagger of the Mind." A production of Shakespeare's murderous play Macbeth conceals a real homicide. Columbo is soon treading the boards.

    "Requiem for a Star." A faded star protects her valuable piece of property, naturally turning to murder.

    "A Stitch in Crime." Leonard Nimoy plays a surgeon determined to gain all the glory for a new drug that will overcome transplant rejection and will stop at nothing to get there.

    "The Most Dangerous Game." Unable to face the possibility of losing his status as America's chess grandmaster, Emmet Clayton takes his opponent out of the equation. He didn't count on Columbo's own prodigious brand of gameplay.

    "Double Shock." An electric mixer in a bathtub never makes a well-received wedding gift.

Video

    This is a very impressive video transfer, limited only by its source. Each episode is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1, full frame.

    The image is very sharp, with some nice contrast. Detail is good, although just a little soft in some exterior and night shots. Low level noise is kept to a minimum. There is a little flickering of brightness than can become mildly distracting and is present in all episodes, especially "The Most Dangerous Game." Colours are natural and accurate, with occasional beautiful, solid reds (see episode one at about the 52 minute mark).

    Due to the transfer's sharpness, aliasing can be very visible, depending on your display. In episode two, for example, the fine lines of the characters' suits cause heavy shimmer. This artefact was barely visible on my laptop, but very distracting on my television. How much of an issue this artefact will cause depends entirely on your setup. Film artefacts consist of very small black and white specks, but are very small and pass by largely unnoticed.

    I'm not sure if it is an optical illusion or an issue with my setup, but the opening strobe lighting in "The Most Dangerous Game" (more issues for this episode!) caused the left border of the image to wobble.

    English subtitles are white, well placed, and drop only the occasional word. Numerous other subtitles are included. The layer change is between episodes.

Video Ratings Summary

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

Audio

    The audio is adequate, but again limited by the source. We get Dolby Digital 2.0 mono tracks in English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

    Naturally, the track is not very dynamic and has a limited range. Dialogue is clear, but has a little bit of hiss. Audio sync is at times very slightly out.

    Most of the music is provided by Richard De Benedictis, who also scored Perry Mason. He creates a nicely ominous atmosphere for the murders but maintains a playful feeling for Columbo's detective work.

    There is no surround or subwoofer activity on this mono track

Audio Ratings Summary

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

Trailer

    Trailers for other detective themed shows: Law & Order and Monk. And that's all.

    The Region 1 release is identical to ours with different trailers, although they are a season or two ahead of us.

    Columbo has been released in its entirety over many volumes in Region 2 Japan and includes Japanese and English subtitles and dubs. There is no reason to favour either release over ours.

    Despite following a predictable structure and formula, Columbo is quality television, and well established in Season Two.

    The video is excellent, although aliasing may become a distraction depending on the viewer's setup.

    The audio is a satisfactory reproduction of the mono source.

    Extras are practically nonexistent.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall