Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

NCIS: Los Angeles - The First Season Blu-ray Movie Review

This spin-off of a spin-off gains legitimate traction in its first season...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 28, 2010

Procedurals come and procedurals go. It's 21st Century Television 101. But what separates the fan favorites from the forgotten failures? A good time slot helps, but can't save a sinking show. A lineup of Hollywood talent can draw a crowd, but can't sustain a series for a full season. Gripping storylines are certainly a plus, but fall flat if viewers don't care about the people involved. That's right, more often than not, the success of a procedural -- particularly a formula-driven, franchise spin-off like NCIS: Los Angeles -- comes down to its characters. Cut from the sixth-season cloth of NCIS (itself a 2003 spin-off of JAG), NCIS: Los Angeles inherited a loyal fanbase, snatched prime Tuesday Night real estate, boasted the likes of Chris O'Donnell, LL Cool J and Oscar-winning actress Linda Hunt, and arrived with a solid slate of storylines in tact. But it was its scene-chewing OSP specialists -- undercover operatives G. Callen (O'Donnell) and Sam Hanna (Cool J), field agents Kensi Bile (Daniela Ruah) and Dominic Vaile (Adam Jamal Craig), tech wiz Eric Beal (Barrett Foa), operational psychologist Nate Getz (Peter Cambor) and unit manager Hetty Lang (Hunt) -- that kept viewers coming back week after week, and earned the series a second season (set to arrive in full force this September). No, LA isn't the Second Coming of procedurals. No, it isn't as good as NCIS. And no, it isn't the most compelling new show of the 2009-10 season. That being said, its cast's chemistry, its showrunners' enthusiasm and, above all else, its roster of promising characters make it worthy of any procedural addict's measured consideration.

"Amanda Hugginkiss? Actually, he's right here. Hold on..."

We've seen Callen and Hanna a thousand times before. There, I said it. Callen is an ex-DEA gunslinger, a maverick at odds with a troubled past, and an invaluable member of Lang's team. Hanna is a rough-n-ready loyalist, an honor-bound former-Navy SEAL, and a seasoned warrior with a fire in his gut and an ease within his soul. Sound familiar? Neither one revels in the eccentricities of other procedural mainstays -- House's snarky, cantankerous doc and CSI's pithy, bug-bottling ex-supervisor spring to mind -- and neither one drifts too far from the genre well. But with O'Donnell and Cool J calling the shots, Callen and Hanna exude wit, intensity and emotional depth; more than enough to limit any damage done by their characters' somewhat contrived backstories. And the quirks that do emerge? Thankfully, they bear the signature NCIS humor viewers have grown to love over the last seven years. Ruah, Craig, Foa and Cambor don't exactly venture into new waters either, but fill in the gaps O'Donnell and Cool J leave in their wake. Foa and Cambor have the most fun, pairing geeky wherewithal and measured self-assurance to great effect, while Ruah provides a welcome anchor point in the midst of many a difficult OPS case. Still, it's Hunt, short in stature and stern in spirit, that catapults NCIS: Los Angeles into the procedural fray. She simultaneously functions as the unit's world wise sage, intimidating strategist, cranky maternal muscle and experienced agency veteran. Her casting represents a bold decision that pays off in full, and her performance lends the series charm and gravitas.

Unfortunately, problems arise whenever NCIS: Los Angeles tries to distinguish itself. NCIS is a more cerebral, more calculating and, by extension, more arresting series; one that avoids formulaic pitfalls from season to season by infusing new twists into otherwise predictable material. NCIS: Los Angeles, meanwhile, panders to the recently evicted 24 crowd a bit too much, emphasizing brawn over brains. It isn't all balls-to-the-wall action, but shootouts, car chases, sniper assaults, coordinated raids, undercover snafus, explosions and hard-hitting incursions are at the heart of almost every episode, all of which represents a significant departure from NCIS territory. (A departure Gibbs devotees probably won't appreciate as much as franchise newcomers.) Everything seems to come down to the wire, chaos unfolds as briskly as the crimes that spur the team into action, and the procedural aspects of the show mainly take place in the unit's headquarters (usually as Callen and Hanna race around the city, gathering neatly laid clues while blasting third-rung baddies to kingdom come). I wouldn't go so far as to say series creator and executive producer Shane Brennan disrespects the series' roots -- quite the contrary, as made clear in his "Identity" commentary and other featurettes sprinkled through the first season's supplemental package -- but I will say there are times that LA doesn't feel anything like NCIS. Whether or not that's a good thing will fall to each individual viewer to decide.

Other oddities crop up as well, some good, some not so good. The OPS unit's Los Angeles headquarters takes procedural HQs to increasingly ludicrous heights. On the surface, it resembles a Spanish villa teeming with climbing roses, expensive mahogany furniture and intricate wrought-iron accents. I'll take a room, please. Elsewhere, beneath the ornate trappings, is an elaborate investigative lab with enormous screens, instant access to lightning-quick databases, and all the techno bells and whistles I'd expect an undercover squad to have... thirty years in the future. Visually, it works. Practically? In my house, it inspired more laughter than awe. I doubt anyone could work in such a starkly lit neon dungeon day in and day out without developing a severe case of debilitating migraines. Still, those armed with a healthy suspension of disbelief will find it fits snuggly within the fabric of the show (thanks in large part to the fact that the writers acknowledge how silly it might all appear at first glance). Brennan and his fellow showrunners walk a fine line between hyper-realism and levity, not to mention one teetering precariously over pulse-pounding action, heart-wrenching drama and banter-heavy comedy. It's a tightrope they walk carefully and, for better or worse, navigate rather nimbly. Though jarring at times, the series' shifting personality alleviates the feeling of repetition that begins to threaten the integrity of an episode before it suddenly jukes left. How will NCIS regulars fare in Brennan's more colorful variation of an already colorful, tried-and-true procedural? Some will welcome the heightened action and appreciate any deviation; others will shrug their shoulders and settle, happy to have more NCIS, but saddened by the realization that the series' second course isn't as filling as its first.

Whatever your impression, Lang and her team will keep people coming back, and rightfully so. Even when the series' action overtakes its intrigue, even though the procedural aspects of the show are sometimes overly simplistic, even though it isn't as smart and rewarding as NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles offers endearing OPS agents worth following and character arcs worth investing in. Will the series wear out its welcome? It could if Brennan doesn't play his cards more carefully. Will its second season outshine its first? Quite possibly. Less flash and more substance is all the series really needs to climb higher. For now though, LA's first season is brimming with enough potential to warrant your attention.

NCIS: Los Angeles - The First Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While the series' showrunners are clearly shooting for sexy and sizzling with every episode, NCIS: Los Angeles is more searing and sunburnt, overcooked fleshtones and all. Of course, it's rather short-sighted to criticize a television presentation for its series' at-times hyperstylized aesthetic, especially one as sharp and vibrant as Paramount's impressive 1080p/VC-1 encoded LA transfer. Color saturation and contrast is wholly dependent on Victor Hammer's photography and, more specifically, the various lighting he relies on. Controlled sets like the lushly lit NCIS HQ are gorgeous, oozing with inviting oranges, rich reds, electrifying blues and deep, lovely black levels. Exterior locations are a bit more inconsistent though, and tend to either serve the sun or the shadows. Primaries and skintones follow suit, occasionally dealing in unnatural hues and disparate palettes. Still, anyone familiar with the twice-baked visuals that grace shows like CSI, CSI: Miami, Dexter or 24 will hardly bat an eye. Detail is sharp and revealing, fine textures are satisfying on the whole, closeups are particularly well-resolved and delineation is more forgiving than I expected. The transfer itself is exceedingly proficient as well. I didn't notice any significant banding, aliasing, ringing aberrant noise or other compression anomalies, and artifacting, though apparent in a few fleeting sequences, isn't prevalent or distracting enough to set off any alarms. If anything, some minor crush creeps into the presentation, but again, Paramount's encoding efforts aren't to blame. As far as I'm concerned, NCIS: Los Angeles looks utterly fantastic and should elicit plenty of cheers from the series' fanbase.

NCIS: Los Angeles - The First Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paramount's double-barreled DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track will kick down your door and blow out your windows. While the series' sound design is a tad front-heavy at times, each episode arrives in force, doling out gunfire and throaty engines with the best of them. LFE output is loud and rowdy, yet polished and precise, combining power and prowess into a pitch-perfect whole. Rear speaker activity, though restrained whenever guns are holstered or James Levine's music pauses, is agile and aggressive, creating a convincing soundfield and an altogether immersive experience. Better still, dialogue remains clean, clear and smartly prioritized throughout. (A handful of lines float above the soundscape, no doubt the result of ADR, but it's par for the television course.) Effects are crisp and weighty, dynamics are bold and punchy, pans are ricochet smooth and directionality transforms every action scene into a home theater battleground. My lone complaint? Slight normalization mishaps will leave late-night listeners diving for their receiver remotes, scrambling to turn down the volume when the series decides to suddenly show more teeth than usual. It isn't a serious issue, nor is it cause for any concern, but it does hold the mix back from perfection. Regardless, NCIS: Los Angeles fans won't be disappointed.

NCIS: Los Angeles - The First Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 5-disc Blu-ray edition of NCIS: Los Angeles arrives with a decent selection of special features, chief among them the two sixth-season NCIS episodes that paved the way for Callen and Hanna's weekly undercover misadventures. (These episodes also represent a tantalizing preview of how impressive a full-season NCIS release could look and sound on Blu-ray.) Unfortunately, the set's remaining features -- a single audio commentary, an hour of informative behind-the-scenes featurettes (sadly presented in bland and blocky standard definition), and some shrug-inducing BD-Live table scraps -- are appreciated, but won't provide TV junkies the hours and hours of supplemental sugar they so crave.

• NCIS Spin-Off Episodes (1080p HD, VC-1, DTS-HD MA 5.1): In an exceedingly classy move, Paramount has included the sixth-season NCIS episodes that introduced fans to Callen and Hanna, "Legend" Parts 1 & 2. Better still, each episode is presented in 1080p and boasts a full-fledged DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. (Note: the "Legend" two-parter isn't listed on the front cover of the disc like the other LA episodes, but are listed with The First Season's official entries in Disc One's main "Episode Selection" menu.)
• Audio Commentary: While it isn't clearly labeled, a Shane Brennan commentary is available on NCIS: Los Angeles' first episode, "Identity." I wouldn't call Brennan a chatty fellow -- he takes too many pauses, and provides too much information that's covered elsewhere in the supplemental package -- but his track is as engaging as it is effortless. I'm sure fans will enjoy hearing his thoughts. I'd just suggest starting with it before delving into the rest of the discs' features.
• Inspired Television (SD, 16 minutes): Brennan and key members of his production crew discuss the genesis of NCIS: Los Angeles, the challenge of developing a successful spin-off, the characters created along the way, and the effort that went into differentiating Los Angeles from its parent series.
• The L.A. Team (SD, 21 minutes): A lengthy overview of the series' ensemble cast, their take on the characters, their on-set chemistry, and the reasons Brennan selected each actor.
• Inside the Inner Sanctum (SD, 12 minutes): Another detailed EPK, this time with a set tour tacked on for good measure.
• Do You Have a Visual? (SD, 11 minutes): Go inside the LA OPS Center and learn about the team's various toys.
• Lights, Camera... ACTION! (SD, 10 minutes): What else, but a look at the series' shootouts, car chases and action sequences.
• "No Crew Is Superior" Music Video and Making Of Short (SD, 6 minutes): Take in an LL Cool J music video, then learn how it all came together.
• CBS Promos (SD, 8 minutes): Haven't had your fill of flashbang television promos today? Try spending some quality time with this tiresome collection of NCIS: Los Angeles commercials.
• BD-Live Portal: The "Exclusive Special Features" promised on the back cover are available via BD-Live and include a show synopsis, bios, brief interviews with O'Donnell and LL Cool J, CBS Community content, and a number of trailers.

NCIS: Los Angeles - The First Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As torch-passings and spin-offs go, NCIS: Los Angeles shows tremendous promise. It clings to procedural convention -- perhaps too tightly -- but it delivers a string of entertaining storylines, churns out an intriguing cast of quick wits and haunted heroes, and gives NCIS zealots a second, saltier helping of their favorite CBS snack. Paramount's Blu-ray release will draw even more praise. Its supplemental package falls fifteen commentaries short of greatness, but its excellent video transfer and heart-pounding DTS-HD Master Audio track are more than enough to justify the 5-disc set's already attractive price point.