Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Grave Danger Blu-ray Movie Review

Who are you? If You're a 'CSI' fan you're someone who will want to check out this release.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 4, 2012

In TV parlance, "Grave Danger" might be described as an "event." Here's a season finale episode (season five, to be exact), a two-parter, even, of a smash hit TV show directed by none other than Quentin Tarantino, the Writer/Director behind several films perhaps a few may recognize, for instance Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, and Kill Bill. But the cleverly titled "Grave Danger" works even beyond the Tarantino factor. The episode has all the polish and energy of a modest feature film; it certainly lacks character development -- understandable given five season's worth prior to it -- but it does play with urgency and energy both. It's a captivating, hold-nothing-back sort of episode that stays rather true to the series while playing in such a way that the wider audience Tarantino is sure to draw won't be completely lost under series procedure. In essence, it works well enough on its own merits to satisfy all comers, though certainly there's some nuance that will escape "CSI" rookies tuning in for the first time.

Buried alive.

Nick Stokes (George Eads) has been assigned -- by flip of a coin -- a crime scene reported to be home to bloody remains. His attention is drawn from the entrails, a cigarette butt, and tire tracks to a styrofoam cup lying off to the side, already encased in a police evidence bag. He's grabbed from behind and drugged when he pauses to investigate, awakening inside a small box no larger than he, buried alive and left for dead, a tape recorder, his loaded Smith & Wesson handgun, several glowsticks, chewing gum, latex gloves, and the clothes on his back the only objects inside the tomb with him. A tape and a USB drive are delivered to CSI headquarters which leads the crime scene team to come to see Nick's fate firsthand; a click of a mouse reveals a live webcam stream of his slow demise. The culprit demands a million dollar ransom, which the city of Las Vegas will not pay and the team is left to raise on its own, though they vow to study the case and discover Nick's whereabouts before he runs out of air.

"Grave Danger" certainly plays as a cut above the standard crime scene procedural, "CSI" or otherwise. There's an unmistakable style and flair to the proceedings that goes well beyond the everyday ebb and flow that tends to define these things, thanks largely to the contributions of Quentin Tarantino. But the director manages to paint a picture that quickly transitions audiences to paying attention to the episode, not thinking about the man behind it, smartly making it about "CSI" and not "QT." The story is nothing new, really; there's the obligatory "as the clock ticks," "who, what, when, where, why" and elements that blend good investigative skills with even better luck in solving the crime (hence "procedural"). Despite its "Crime Show 101" grab bag of plot elements, the episode plays with a captivating, heart-racing edge that keeps the viewer glued and never quite certain that all will work out for the best in the end, the episode toying with the viewer just enough to shake that sense of complacency, even as, yes, the "clock ticks" and other clichés enter into and pretty much define the fray.

The episode's styling is perhaps its best asset. It definitely creates a terribly unsettling sense of arresting claustrophobia that places the viewer in that box with poor Nick, at times practically choking off the air supply and quickening the pulse of even the most ardent fan and jaded viewer alike. The entire episode nicely mixes a Horror/Thriller flair that's unafraid to go anywhere and show anything, and the episode is all the better off for its limit-pushing stance. It's during those scenes in the box, or watching Nick from a computer monitor, that "Grave Danger" is at its best. These scenes all but abandon the standard story threads and take the audience somewhere they've never really been and never want to be. The "buried alive" angle isn't new, but it's buried just deep enough within the bowels of the standard Horror playbook to prove highly effective, hardly having worn out its welcome in other ventures and playing with an unmistakable freshness here.

For as well as the episode works, however, and as easy as it is for "CSI" veterans to love and newcomers to understand, there is just a little bit of a gap that will leave rookies scratching their heads and hitting the Internet in search of a little more background than is provided. Though character banter is natural and pleasant, the intricacies of the various relationships are largely lost in favor of the greater superficial whole. Gil's background as an entomologist is critical in solving the case, yet never really given any background in the episode. Other relationships and specialties are largely glossed over, and the episode's reliance on dumb luck as much as clever detective work and crime scene analysis may disappoint viewers who rightly find fault in some of the rather blatant contrivances that help the team along. Still, it's a fun, heart-racing episode; it largely ignores the role of fate that plays a part in Nick's kidnapping and burial, glossed over in a throwaway scene that, expanded upon, could have added a little more dramatic oomph to the episode. At the end, though, it's a quick-paced, stylish, and satisfying experience that should serve as a nice jumping-in point for those who don't mind starting somewhere other that "Season One, Episode One" and moving on from there.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Grave Danger Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Danger's 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer isn't an absolute show-stopper, but it's a solid, nice-looking presentation. The episode was shoot on film; grain retention is evident throughout, and even the episode's predominately dark backdrops play with a pleasing filmic texture. Speaking of, black crush is sometimes cause for concern, but never do blacks go in the opposite direction, artificially brightening to a shade of gray. Fine detail is good, but not quite great. Facial textures are suitably complex, gore (a severed thumb, a blown-to-bits torso, entrails, and various splattered body parts) appears messy and authentic. Clothing and general details are stable, even under some of the lower light conditions. Being so dark so often, colors rarely pop off the screen; whether lit by little more than street lights, a glow stick, or the dimmer lights in the cool blue of the CSI headquarters, the transfer does all it can to ensure colors remain steady and true underneath any lighting condition. Bright shades -- yellow police tape -- do stand out, and flesh tones appear balanced throughout. The image does yield slight aliasing and splashes of blocking, but all told it's a rather good-looking release.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Grave Danger Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Danger features a good and involved DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation features strong ambience, whether the light background din of the city at night at the first crime scene or the general sounds of the CSI offices. Music delivery is smooth, playing with good clarity, fine spacing, a noticeable surround element, and a positive, balanced low end. The Who's theme song sounds even better; it's lively, completely surrounds the listener, plays with fantastic clarity throughout the entire range, and is solidified a strong low end. There are some nifty sound effects, such as when "cracks" spread all around the soundstage in something of a circular pattern later in the episode. Gunshots and explosions are a touch on the reserved side of the ledger, though. Dialogue is smooth and accurate, playing crisply from the center channel. This is a rather good presentation, single TV show episode or not.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Grave Danger Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Danger contains only one supplement, CSI: Tarantino Style (1080p, 17:36). This quality extra features cast and crew recounting Tarantino's work, while the famed director discusses brining his unique style to the episode. It also looks at shooting in and around the tomb, offers up some raw on-set footage, examines the need to spread the episode into a two-parter, and more. A DVD copy of the episode is also included.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Grave Danger Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's difficult to judge an episode like this in a vacuum, released as it has been separate from the whole, attempting to see it from two sides of the coin, on one side the veteran fans and the other newcomers. "CSI" certainly has its following, but the name plastered on the Blu-ray box is going to draw in a lot more fans who have next to no knowledge of "CSI" outside of whatever commercials they've seen during breaks in football games on CBS. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Grave Danger still works rather well on its own merits, providing a sometimes gripping tale of horror and survival, though certainly blended with some of the general crime show formula. It's a good starting point for newbies and a nice trip down memory lane for longtime "CSI" fans, though which of these groups will buy Paramount's Blu-ray is anyone's guess. The disc itself is fine, featuring good video and audio and one supplement. This release is not recommended outright -- it's $16, at time of publication, for one episode versus around $60, again at time of publication, for the entire seasons already released on Blu-ray -- but fans who want this particular episode in high definition, Tarantino completists, and newcomers who should prepare to be hooked and set money down on DVD releases or set money aside for future "CSI" Blu-ray installments might want to give it a look.