Better Call Saul - Season 01 [DVD]

As a Breaking Bad fan watching this was a must Thoroughly enjoyed the series from start to finish Will try in this review not to spoil the show for those who haven't seen it yet Saul has 'disappeared' from ABQ and we get a brief glimpse of his new life in Omaha , Nebraska . Most of the episodes however are set when Jimmy McGill ( Saul's real name ) is trying - not too successfully - to establish his career as a lawyer although there are further flashbacks to before that time when he is basically a grifter making a bit of 'beer money' with various scams His brother, Chuck ( played by Michael McKean ) is a partner in a big law firm but is struggling to cope with a debilitating illness ( one which I had never seen portrayed on screen before ) Mike Ehrmantraut ( Johnathan Banks ) has left the Philidelphia Police Department and is working at the court as a car park attendant His reasons for leaving Philidelphia and moving to ABQ are thoroughly and movingly explained During the entertaining storylines of the first series Jimmy has a few dishonest tricks up his sleeve but IS trying to stay on the straight and narrow - however by its conclusion he has had a change of heart and you can tell that in the second series 'Saul' is going to take over Great new characters to get invested in ( loved the Kettlemans !!! ) and a few old Breaking Bad faces make brief but dramatic appearances early on . Bob Odenkirk must have worked his butt off as the main character in the show and although the whole cast are great he and Mr Banks deserve a special mention Great drama with a good sprinkling of dark humour to remind you that you are watching a Vince Gilligan ( and Peter Gould) production Like Breaking Bad - I found that the episodes whizzed by . That's always a good sign !! The extra's include a gag reel, short documentary about making of S1 and every episode can be watched with a commentary from cast members and a selection of those working behind the scenes - plenty of interesting titbits are revealed

Another superb series from the makers of Breaking Bad. Not wishing to give the plot away it is fair to inform viewers expecting to see the Saul Goodman character; as of Breaking Bad, will be disappointed. Instead this series develops the person who ultimately turns into Saul Goodman. I was not expecting the series to do this but expected it to cash-in on the success of Breaking Bad. The show’s makers have produced a fine series which deals with the main character’s life values and professional ethics working as a lawyer in Albuquerque trying to start-up a new business. You need to hang-on in there as some of the plot is convoluted and slow. Nonetheless, in retrospect I cannot see how it could be any other way. Now that I have watched the whole series I am pleased that the producers took the time to prepare the ground for the Breaking Bad character. I am champing at the bit for the new series to arrive. The series is beautifully filmed (videoed) with typical New Mexico scenery. The cast is excellent, scripts witty and clever and believable. If you like drama mixed in with a little humour – then this series is one for your collection – highly recommended.

Loved this spin-off from Breaking Bad. Bob Odenkirk is such a good actor. The script is brilliant and the story just about breaks your heart while making you laugh yourself silly at the same time. I can't wait until the price of Series 2 becomes more reasonable - but I will wait, I'm not paying £45 for it.

Set mainly six years before "Breaking Bad", this spin-off focuses on that show's flamboyant dodgy lawyer Saul. How came Saul to be? We follow here his earlier life as Jimmy McGill - main asset the gift of the gab, this exploited to the full when hustling. Then comes determination to make good - he secretly studying for a law degree whilst working in the mail room of a prestigious law company. Mixed fortunes follow, not to mention a shock (both for him and viewers) that changes everything. Result? A mixture of dark quirky humour, highs, lows and moments that prove genuinely moving. Bob Oldenkirk delivers a tour de force as Jimmy. How great to see Jonathan Banks again as Mike! Here is an actor who believes less is more - so much conveyed with barely a word or gesture - his Mike an ideal unsmiling counterpoint to Jimmy's exuberance. Much that surprises is to be learned about him, an episode in which he mainly features one of the season's best. Not everything works, but a lot does - enough to raise hopes for a fine second season. Ten episodes, all with commentaries. Modest other bonuses but they are worth a look.

Quirky is the best word I came up with to describe this series. I haven’t seen Breaking Bad so Saul Goodman/"Slippin' Jimmy" was new to me. It wasn’t until disk 2 that this series started to become addictive. The plot is a well used formula depicting a loser - in this case a lawyer desperately trying to make ends meet and despite failing miserably managing to survive. The series has some endearing features that raise it above the norm. Saul’s ‘office’ is basically a cupboard at the back of a beauty salon which also doubles up as his home. His brother is a fellow lawyer on sick leave from the law firm he founded because he’s allergic to electricity, and from the flashbacks it seems that our hero was the black sheep of his family who disowned him. The storylines are interesting and the main characters become more complex as each episode progresses but it is Saul who grabs attention by bumbling from one disaster to another. Ultimately I enjoyed the first series and am looking forward to our hero’s trials and tribulations in series two.

Slower pace initially to Breaking Bad but as there is more character exploration I think this makes it necessary.As the series develops it starts to get better and better and you never know what strange twists and turns Saul's career and life's going to take. Fully absorbed and now enjoying more than BB... just wish the newer series weren't taking so long to be released.

El español del presente Blu-ray (B00TSK0N5A) es español/castellano; audio también en otros idiomas y subtítulos para aburrir. Las 5 estrellas, aunque solo he visto el primer capítulo, son un voto de confianza y una declaración de buenas intenciones por ambas partes.

Great quality with no issues. Came as described.

Comparisons with the titanic “Breaking Bad: are inevitable, since this show shares not only creator Vince Gilligan but is a spin off of some key characters – here in an origin story taking palace before “Breaking Bad”. But this new show – great in it’s own way – really is quite a different animal. “Breaking Bad” felt big, powerful, operatic. A Beethoven symphony of a show. While it had humor, the blasts of dark drama and tension dominated. “Better Call Saul” feels like more of a chamber piece, a string quartet, or a great trio. Quieter, more intimate, leaning more towards the comic, its themes about America and success are mostly fed with a wink, and not a punch to the stomach. The pace is slower too. This is a character study, and it’s content to allow us to just watch some very interesting people working through their strange funny/sad lives without pushing the plot along all that much. It’s an outstanding show, but on its own terms, in its own way. The acting is terrific. Bob Odenkirk creates a truly likable semi-sad sack with truly questionable morals and decision making ability, but a big heart. Jonathan Banks continues as one of the best television characters ever, his aging ex-cop a brilliant, cold, coiled snake, who always lets out just enough humanity to know that while this guy could kill you in a heartbeat if he had to, deep down he’s a good guy, a loving grandfather, a moral man. Michael McKean does a great job as Odenkirk’s deeply disturbed brother. He will always be a smarter, better lawyer than Jimmy, he will always hold a grudge, and he is Odenkirk’s exact opposite. The guy who – on paper – we should feel bad for, but who is just icy and venal enough to keep us at an intrigued distance. If the character has a weak spot it’s that he can get a bit repetitive, but that’s more a function of how the man is limited by his paranoid psychosis, not a limitation of acting or writing. As with “Breaking Bad” the writing is specific, idiosyncratic, full of terrific dialogue that sounds naturalistic, but has just the right touch of poetry blended in. And as with it’s predecessor, the direction and cinematography is always at a high level, very cinematic, unafraid of staying in wide shots, or playing scenes in long takes instead of the rapid cutting that still dominates most TV – even very good TV. There are occasional lapses – I saw the twist ending of season 2 coming a mile off. But – if not as driven and instantly unforgettable as it’s parent show - this is intelligent, subtle and special television, not quite like anything else before or since.

Die Erwartungen auf die erste Staffel "Better Call Saul" konnten nicht größer sein und eigentlich konnten die Producer nur an dem großen Vorgänger scheitern. Aber sie haben doch irgendwie alle überrascht: Better Call Saul ist nicht schlechter, nicht besser als "Breaking Bad", sondern anders :) Und das ist gut so, weil eine billige Kopie von Breaking Bad hätte wohl jeden entäuscht. Natürlich erkennt man bei Bild und Ton die Arbeit von Vince Gilligan und Mark Johnson. Dieser Stil ist einfach unverkennbar. Aber wer bei Better Call Saul eine Comedy-Serie befürchtet hat, den kann ich nur beruhigen. Better Call Saul ist genauso dramatisch wie Breaking Bad, auch wenn die Figur des Saul Goodman / Jimmy McGill längst nicht so tragisch daherkommt und nochmal deutlich symathischer als Walther White ist. Und für lustige Momente sorgt die Serie ebenfalls. Hinzu kommt aber eine nie für möglich gehaltende Tiefe des Charakters, die in Breaking Bad einfach nie zum Vorschein kam. Kein Vorwurf, lag der Fokus von Breaking Bad doch woanders und das Image des Saul Goodman würde es auch gar nicht zulassen, in irgendeiner Weise eine Tiefe im Charakter zu haben, immerhin handelt es sich um eine Werbefigur, die einfach glatt geschliffen und unangreifbar sein muss. Ich habe die gesamte Staffel genossen. Mir war nie langweilig, Höhepunkt der Serie ist aber sicherlich die Folge, die die Vergangenheit von Michael „Mike“ Ehrmantraut beleuchtet. Ich warte schon sehnsüchtig auf die nächste Staffel. Zur Qualität der Bluray: Die Video-Qualität ist ausgesprochen großartig und scharf. Im Gegensatz zu den ersten Staffel von Breaking Bad, die noch von einem starken Grain-Effekt betroffen waren, ist das Bild bei Better Call Saul gestochen scharf, was einfach daran liegt, dass die Kamera-Technik heute für HD gemacht ist. Beim Ton kann man ebenfalls nicht meckern. Ich kann nur eine absolute Kaufempfehlung aussprechen.

Spin-off di Breakin Bad, questo Better Call Saul è fatto talmente bene da eliminare del tutto il rischio di nostalgia della serie madre. La storia è quella dell'iper-spregiudicato Saul Goodman, l'avvocato che in Breakin Bad era abilissimo nel trovare tutti i risvolti sul filo della legalità per difendere criminali spesso strampalati, straordinario nell'intentare cause di risarcimento assurde e bizzarre. Un personaggio talmente singolare, divertente, indovinato e forte da meritarsi una serie autonoma. Ecco quindi un telefilm che narra la sua genesi, descrivendo la parabola che da McGill, suo nome di originale, lo porta ad assumere l'identità di Goodman e, da avvocato di ufficio squattrinato ma onesto a diventare un legale totalmente compromesso (sempre "a suo modo") con la criminalità. Il tutto è narrato con una sublime maestria di sceneggiatura e regia, abilissime nel calibrare tutti gli ingredienti e nel mantenere un equilibrio delicatissimo tra umorismo (spesso nero) e tensione delle situazioni sempre in bilico su un precipizio. Insomma una serie straordinaria, impreziosita dalla immensa recitazione di Bob Odenkirk, un attore che si merita la parabola di Cranston e Paul, i due protagonisti di Breakin Bad ora tra gli interpreti più attivi ad Hollywood. Un gioiello da vedere assolutamente appena uscirà l'edizione italiana, spero vivamente in Blu Ray, vista l'ottima qualità di questa edizione tedesca con audio e sottotitoli in inglese tedesco spagnolo.