Customer Reviews

Cirque du Soleil - Dralion

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I must admit that I purchased this with some trepidation after reading some reviews saying there was "choppy editing" and other negatives regarding the Dralion DVD. I have seen only one Cirque Du Soleil show live and that was "O" at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. In my opinion, this comes about as close to seeing it live as you are going to get. There is a juggling sequence which is simply other-worldly, a hand-balancer who seems to do the impossible, and some jump-rope sequences that you have to see to believe. I am quite sure that I will be watching this many times in the years ahead.

The DVD also has a Behind the Scenes look which was filmed in China before the show opened. It is amazing to compare where they were only months before the first show, and the performances you see on the DVD.

Cirque du Soleil is a feast for the senses- the music, acrobats, and movement combine to make one question whether what you are seeing is actually possible. IMO, they represent the best of what mankind is capable of. Dralion is not only well edited, but is an amazing show, and is easily worthy of six stars were that an option.

I have owned the original Dralion DVD for some time. I also own the DVD's of Quidam, Alegria (the show filmed in Sidney not the film) and Varekai, which I purchased toguether with this new Dralion Superbit version. Until now Dralion had been my least favorite of the four shows. Not that it was bad but its just that Quidam was so much better. My problem was that as much as I tried I could never get the same sound from my original Dralion DVD. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track was so bad that at first I returned the DVD because I guessed I had a damaged product, and it was not. However, this new Superbit version with DTS sounds so crisp and powerfull that I have just rediscovered the show in a whole new way. If you already own Dralion...the new DTS track on the Superbit version is so good that alone makes the purchase worth it. Its a completely new experience. In terms of image quality, both versions are presented in beautiful widescreen anamorphic video, however, the new Superbit version seems at times more crispier, sharp and alive with excelent color presentation. The original version has also great colors, but most of the time this new Superbit version seems to have the edge in terms of definition when compared to the original.

Dralion is a fantastic show, with this new version I cannot say that Dralion is not as good as the other four. They are completely different shows, if you buy one...eventualy you will end up owning the others, yes, they are that good.

The acrobats are stunning. It is amazing to watch what human beings are capable of doing with their bodies.

The theme of this particular performance is Chinese and while the music was versatile, perhaps strangely, there was even no inkling of Chinese music.

You'll get to see some out-of-this world juggling, contortionists, one-hand balancing acrobat, incredible rope skipping, breath-taking high-flying teeterboard act, and much more. A feast for the senses.

Every Cirque performance is worth seeing at least once, and while the DVDs can't possibly do justice to the live experience, they're entertaining momentos. I recently saw Dralion live, so I've got that reference for comparison to this DVD edition.

Strictly as a performance, Dralion is not my favorite. Not that it's bad in any way - just disappointing in the opportunities that it misses. Given the rich visuals of Eastern culture to work with, the show could have been the most beautiful of the Cirque lineup. However, it inexplicably strays into other cultures (African, Indian, etc.) and never really picks up any theme at all. Plus, while other Cirque shows follow a plot, albeit a highly conceptual one, Dralion comes off as just a series of acts, almost like a best-of or singles compilation album. Again, the performance is still wonderful to behold - it's just not the strongest one that I've seen.

The DVD presentation itself is very good. Director David Mallet maintains a very consistent look with the "Quidam" DVD that he also helmed. I'm guessing that the two were probably filmed for the same European TV broadcast purpose. The DVD also includes a couple of acts which are not always being performed live on the current North American tour of Dralion, i.e. the light bulb ballet and see saw jumps. Unfortunately, however, it has the same clown sequences as the ones included in Quidam - they're very funny, but it's a shame to have a repeat on the two discs. Finally, the DVD also makes very good use of the multiple angles feature on certain acts.

All in all, I recommend the DVD for Cirque collectors. If you're just getting into Cirque, I recommend the "Quidam" DVD instead. Or, if you really want to be awestruck, go see "O" in Las Vegas.

As a video, Dralion is about par for the Cirque du Soleil course. The show itself is an amazing work of art. It blends sights and sounds beautifully and from them crafts a performance that can enthrall and move viewers of all ages and backgrounds. At the same time, the videos are always poorly filmed. The camera angles are often too narrow, providing a perfect view of a performer's elbow or the face of a child in the crowd. One of the great things about these shows is that there's something happening everywhere at once--not just where the camera points. Also, there is a very MTV style to the switching of camera angles. No single shot is shown for more than a couple of seconds, and the transitions are far from smooth, making Dralion seem like an 80 minute long music video. Aside from this and some "generous" editing from the live show (the scenes are thoroughly chopped up), I would recommend this video to any true Cirque du Soleil fan. If you're looking for a video to introduce you to the true nature of these shows, though, Quidam (also available here) is a much better bet.

I am trying to find words that describe Cirque Du Soleil performances .... only one comes to mind ... superb.

I have seen both resident shows in Las Vegas, and the resident show in Orlando. I have Saltimbanco on VHS, Quidam and Dralion on DVD. It is impossible for me to say that one of this magnificent performances is a favorite over the others...I refuse to do so. Each one of this shows is so amazingly unique and breath taking, it would be like comparing apples and oranges.

I saw Dralion live under the big top and once again was mesmerized by the outstanding show Cirque Du Soleil put together. It is a fantastic show. The customs are beautiful, the acts are amazing, the music is enchanting. I bought the Dralion DVD as soon as it was available for retail and was extremely pleased with all the features. It was worth every penny. It comes with a making of Dralion documentary which by the way was very interesting and informative. It also has different view angles you can choose.

The different view angles are not polished edited camera shots. In fact, they are unedited raw footage, and you can see shaky, wobbling movements by the performers, but I was very glad to see Cirque Du Soleil using the multiple angle feature. Even the big film companies don't do this. I have 90+ DVDs and Dralion is the only one in the pile with multiple angles.

I have read other reviews complaining of poor filming (i.e.. choppy video, short camera shots, narrow angels, etc., etc.). I would slightly agree, but we must keep in mind that during the show not everything is happening at the camera points. There is so much more going on all over the stage and everything is related to the story theme. I would hate to be the editor of a film like this.

Even though Cirque Du soleil is not a film company, they have outdone themselves once again. I highly recommend this DVD and anything else that is Cirque Du Soleil. It is clean good fun for the whole family. You will be dazzled and mesmerized, and will never be disappointed by this folks. I recommend even more that you see the shows live every chance you get in order to get the full effect. Even though I have already seen Quidam on DVD, I am flying to Zurich in the fall to experience the grandeur of the live show....

First let me be clear - Cirque du Soleil performers and shows are of incomparable artistry, athleticism and imagination.

Cirque du Soleil's previous DVD, Quidam, is far, far superior to this effort for reasons totally unrelated to the performers, but for the near perfect camera work, direction and editing sadly lacking in Dralion.

Dralion, is nearly unwatchable due to constant edits from camera to camera, far too often right in the middle of an interesting bit of action. Not to mention the incessant cuts to quick shots of one of the singers - whose singing is O.K. but are a visual zero - so often that it stops the flow of the performance and makes me wonder how Cirque du Soleil could blow it so badly on the final edit. Quidam flows effortlessly from start to finish.

They show some of the action in slow motion. Why??? I don't know of any DVD players without even a halfway decent slo-mo feature, so why interrupt the flow of the performance with someone else's idea of what is worth slo-mo?

Even more disappointing are the included multi-angle segments, with shaky, poorly framed shots that annoy more than enhance. Good idea, badly executed. Quidam has no slo-mo or multiple angles. I don't miss them a bit.

If I hadn't seen Quidam first, I might have thought more of Dralion. As it is now, I would hope they reissue this DVD with even an average edit.

LOVE this DVD! I have almost a complete Cirque Du Soleil DVD collection, and so far, this one and Alegria are my very favorites. It's playful and serious by turns, and the performers are just incredible. I almost wanted to take some Advil or Tylenol for them, watching the things they did with their bodies acrobatically. The music was kind of otherworldly, and while the show was highly Chinese-themed, the music wasn't. But that also seems to be something that Cirque does - meld the show with the music. My favorite act is the juggler. He floors me every time I see it. WELL worth seeing. I'm seeing a live show near my home this fall, and I've seen LaNouba at Disneyworld twice. Whatever they put their name to, it's fantastic. And while there may be a little suggestiveness and some very slight innuendos in some of the shows, I personally would allow any child over about 5 years old to see them.

Well, let me start off by saying that the only other Cirque du Soleil performance I've seen is Quidam, so comparisons are enevitable. I've just finished watching Dralion, and the most noticable difference for me is the vocals/music. The vocals and music for Quidam was nothing short of breathtaking. It sounded so angelic and surreal that it felt like I was drawn into the performances and transported into a different world. I was in a dream, not knowing where I was going, but eager to follow the superb vocals. So maybe it was wrong to expect the same thing with this performance, but on initial viewing I didn't get any of those feelings. The vocals/music just didn't do anything for me, didn't pull me in. It was just background noise that set the tempo. But maybe that's just my taste in music, or maybe because of my expectations. Maybe it'll grow on me. . .

Read the other comments about the video editing, this is my biggest complaint. They show the singers too much. Someone will be in the middle of their act and then it will cut to the singers! Several times I found myself saying,"No, no, I don't want to see that. Go back to the performance!" This is made even worse when you're looking at the singer and you hear the audience start clapping, making you wonder what you had missed.

The other thing with the video editing is the use of slow motion. While some of its use was good, most of the time I found it distracting and generally ruining the action. The jumping thru rings act was a good use of slow motion, though I wish some of the jumps were in real time, especially that last one. On the other hand, almost every release and catch in the trapeze act was in slow motion. A few times would have been okay, but every time?! If you don't know what I mean, imagine watching a sport when something exciting happens, but they only show it in slow motion. In slow motion the speed, excitement, and amazement that leaves you in awe and disbelief of the skills involved is gone. What was once a blur of motion and something that required split second timing is reduced to a slowed down version where you can see everything that happened in a time span much longer, thus making it look a whole lot easier than it was and taking away the tension. At least when they show the real time first and then the slow motion you can be amazed and then be even more amazed and in awe of their skill when you see what actually happened in the briefest of moments. Alas, that doesn't happen here.

I understand the difficulties in filming something like this, so that explains the camera shots, but at least leave everything in real time! Put the slow motion shots in the bonus features or put two versions on the dvd please!!!

So far all you've heard is me complain, but I really did enjoy the performances. They were nothing short of amazing and very entertaining. Where it fell apart for me was the vocals/music and video editing. Without those problems, I would have given 5 stars easily but those problems interrupt and distract so much I can only give it 4. Overall good, but could have been so much better. . .

You know the old saying, "It's all because his parents never took him to the circus?" The younger of my two sons had not been to a circus, until we had the chance to enter the magic of the blue and yellow tent on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. I think it was worth waiting almost 11 years for him to see the version of circus otherwise known as Cirque du Soleil.

All the elements of a traditional circus are here--the jugglers, the clowns, the acrobats and high wire artists, even the animal acts. You will have to think outside the box to recognize some of them, however, and that is the joy of Cirque's unique show. This particular show focuses on the four elements and many versions of world beat music and dance are displayed. The acrobats and high wire artists are amazing, especially the very young girl who is a hand balancer. The clowns are completely hilarious, and though hard-pressed to choose a favorite of all the amazing acts, my kids liked their brand of slapstick.

Viktor, the juggler, is so unique that it took me a while to equate his performance with standard juggling acts, he was so hypnotic to see. Everything in this show is incomparable and totally enjoyable, from the staging to the music, which was live at the tent, to the performers themselves. My husband, who would never be caught dead in a place like Vegas, discovered they have two permanent acts there, and is ready to book a flight!

If you are not able to see one of their shows live, be sure to catch them on screen. I know we'll enjoy re-living the immediacy of their show on the small screen at our house, even if we never get to Vegas!