Review of Friends: Series 4 Boxset

Introduction

And here we are, series number four, and the gang are still going strong. Highlights of this series include the conclusion of the series three cliffhanger of sorts, and Ross getting hitched for the second time.

As usual, the jokes come in thick and fast, and the acting is up to the good standard set over the three years that preceeded this series.

Video

It is presented in 4:3 Fullscreen, which is normal for a TV-DVD transfer, but that doesn`t mean it`s necessarily good. The palette is OK, and there is the odd compression sign, but on the whole it is a fairly good print slightly sullied by the odd flaw.

Friends doesn`t revolve so much on visual comedy as say, a spoof, but there is plenty for your eyes to lap up. The situations the characters get them into is humourous, and there are some great set-pieces in this series.

Audio

A DD 2.0 track is on offer, which is sufficient for this, being a dialogue-driven feature. The main audio stream is crisp and clear, and the ambience level is just right, but the audio has been marked down for the abscence of a DD 5.1 track.

The scripts are all sharp, and as mentioned above, put the characters into some great comedic situations (such as when Ross says the wrong name...and then suffers the consequences).

Features

At last, there are some fresh extras on offer, albeit if they are sparse. The debutants are two featurettes, focusing on their London trip, which occurs towards the end of this series. However, they have a combined running time of just over 10 minutes...

As well as the featurettes, the music video of "I`ll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts is still on offer,and propping up this breathtaking extra material, there is episode selection and boring, plain, static menus. Yet again, disappointing.

Conclusion

A must-buy for fans, and this is up there with the third series as one of the strongest so far. Disc wise, same as always except for the (ever so slightly) strengthened extra material.

Again, recommended.