Plot: What’s it about?
When it comes to television shows about Las Vegas one pops into mind: “CSI”. Well there’s another show, a self-titled one at that, in town and we’ll see if Sin City is big enough for both of them. Unlike “CSI”, “Las Vegas” is devoted more to what the city is known for – drinking, gambling and women. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. The show concentrates on a security team of the Montecito hotel and resort and their constant uphill battle with cheaters, criminals and everything else in between. Admittedly the concept doesn’t sound that great – you’d figure that it would get a bit boring after a while but somehow the show keeps the energy going. This is in no small part due to the very appealing nature of the cast (let’s face it – no one except James Caan is very hard on the eyes).
As the show entered its second season, it was doing fairly well. At a Monday night time slot, it didn’t have a lot of competition ratings-wise and I’m sure the show’s Producers were just fine with that. A trend that carried over into the second season was the guest appearances by other celebrities. Then again this is “Las Vegas” and a natural hotspot for “real” celebrities, so the more I think about it – it does go with the theme of the show. This season had some more darkness to it, starting off with Danny’s return from his mission. His feelings for Mary are shown in the season opener. There are a few crossovers into other shows, Sylvester Stallone makes a blatant appearance (and what do you know, “The Contender” debuted right after this episode) and host of “Fear Factor” Joe Rogan made an appearance right after that show aired. Hey, I can’t really blame NBC for trying – it seems to be working. The season ended as the hotel was being bought, and a number of the main characters were in for some major life changes. Naturally, this release is timed for the beginning of season three. “Las Vegas” isn’t a bad show, it’s not something I watch on a regular basis but I find it entertaining and there’s never a shortage of women in bikins – so I’ll tune in from time to time, for sure.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes look great in their 1.78:1 anamorphic aspect ratio. It seems that with each passing year and each new show, the days of television are gearing more and more towards looking like feature-length movies. No complaints here. The bright lights of Vegas are present in most every scene, inside and out, and suffice it to say that we would want optimal image quality when looking at Molly Sims and/or Nikki Cox. Correct? Fleshtones seem natural and edge enhancement is at a bare minimum. Some of the outdoor scenes tend to be a bit on the softer side, but aside from that everything looks as it should – great. I’ve no complaints here as “Las Vegas” looks as good as it sounds, and speaking of which…
Audio: How does it sound?
Ok, this is where there’s a bit of dissent…on the back of the box is a tiny disclaimer that says “Actual music might differ from that of this DVD” (or something to that effect). For those that are familiar with watching the show, Elvis Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation” is played over the opening credits. This still hasn’t been changed since the first season and the replacement song “Let it Ride” is nice, but its no substitute for “The King”. Don’t ask me why, but that’s the case. Aside from that, the Dolby Digital 5.1 is a surprisingly robust mix that features all the bells and whistles that a Vegas casino might have to offer. I don’t think its like “being in Vegas” by any means, but it does help the viewer get involved in the show a bit more. Dialogue is very clear as well and surrounds are used occasionally, but not to great effect.
Supplements: What are the extras?
There’s a surprising lack of supplements on this three disc set. First up is a “V.I.P. – All Access Tour” of the Palms hotel. We’re guided through all the perks and benefits of living the high life in Vegas. Our tour guide shows us the lush lifestyle that most of us will never get to experience. A fun fact is that this hotel (Palms) is where “The Real World: Las Vegas” was filmed and they kept in intact and can be rented out for the mere price of $10,000 a night. It’s free, though, if you have at least a $100,000 line of credit at the casino. Next up is about fifteen mintes of bloopers, but these are about the “classiest” bloopers I’ve seen. Complete with alternate “blooper” opening credits and all. These are shown in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and contain just about every cast member goofing their lines. Also included are montages of profanity and a breast montage. Seasons 1 and 2 bloopers are included. And that’s it, supplements-wise.
