Customer Reviews

Clarkson: Heaven & Hell

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For a devoted fan of Top Gear this DVD is a nice filler for the time between episodes. However, watching this DVD reminds me of just how great the show is. This DVD is a good time but I really found myself missing Hammond and May and all of the other elements (the news, the star in the reasonably priced car, the cool wall, etc.) that keep an episode of Top Gear moving and visually interesting. This DVD is mostly Clarkson doing powerslides in really nice cars, punctuated by the occasional bad deed done to an even worse car. And while this is fun, it gets a little monotonous. Its hard to watch it all in one sitting and its even harder to watch it more than once. The production quality is very good, even if in a few places the background music is little cheesy. Most importantly however, Jeremy Clarkson is at his impish, opinionated, gregarious, obnoxious best, and that is what makes this DVD worthwhile.

really a good thing to watch, especially if you are a petrol head; awesome cars and great reviews and info with Jeremy's usual witty manner; glad to see the Stig doing his thing and loved the destruction of the useless things on four wheels; just missed the Hamster and Capt Slow giving Clarkson his much needed ribbing

This is a fun little video, sadly only going for one hour. However, it is very amusing to say the least. Even though the majority of his cars that he considers will go to heaven are cars the majority of people will not be able to afford, you still get a video his thrashing em about. Giving you dreams of you doing that to them. I do recommend this video, its entertaining Jeremy Clarkson style.

Liked the DVD verey much, would watch it more than once, IF you love cars and like Top Gear ;)

As a long time Clarkson fan I was looking forward to sitting down and spending some time with this DVD but I was sadly disappointed.

Part of the problem is that with the advent of production cars such as the Veyron and Koenigsegg, the "Heaven" cars on this agenda are just not as impressive as they would have been when the show was first produced. Top speeds of 170 and 180 are just plain "meh" when - with a fat wallet - one can have a car with over 1000bhp, reaches 60mph in under 3 seconds and tops 250 on the open road. Since Clarkson is demonstrating cars he approves of, and all are similar performance cars, the "Heaven" sequences become formulaic and, dare I say it, even slightly boring.

The "Hell" segments are shorter and for the most part there is limited valid explanation as to why they are so bad; one gets the impression they are simply cars that Clarkson himself doesn't like. More than anything, they seem to be segues into the next "Heaven" sequence, rather like the articles about subjects like geography and airplanes which appear in porn magazines. Most of the highlights are in the "Hell" chapters such as the jousting tournament between the TR& and the Ford Scorpio, which deserves to be a staple event at demolition derbies worldwide, and the explosive demolition of the nasty little Kelisa.

Personally I would enjoy seeing Clarkson doing an entire show on terrible cars, why they are terrible, and creative and terrible ways to destroy them. "Heaven and Hell" is worth a watch but doesn't stand up to repeated viewing, unless you are a performance car marque junkie.

Nope this isn't as good as Top Gear, but it does feature some superb cars, as well as the rubbish.

FYI the cars are:
Maserati Quattroporte
Renault Espace
Aston Martin DB9 Volante, Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Range Rover Sport
Triumph TR7
Ford Scorpio
Perodua Kelisa
BMW M5
Ferrari F340, Ferrari Enzo, Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
VW Golf GTI
Citroen 2CV
Chevrolet Corvette
TVR Sagaris
Vauxhall Monaro

As some previous reviewers have already said, in places it is funny, but it lacks the spark that Clarkson has when he's working with Hammond and May. He may be the star, and the best thing about Top Gear, but he is not as good without Hammond and May.

Fortunately for me I picked this up very cheap. If I'd paid the normal price for this it would only have got 3 stars from me.

Well, this a really good thing very "top gearish" but somehow I just don't get to love it, just like it. It's a shame that it only lasts an hour or so but don't worry, it's worth every penny.

True gearheads will adore this video, but fans of Top Gear whose interest in cars is at best casual will long for more. The fun thing about Top Gear isn't the cars spinning around the track, it's the interaction of three chronically mismatched personalities with only one shared passion- automobiles. This video has only Jeremy Clarkson (with brief appearances by The Stig), and the lack of any real challenging viewpoint, much less the lunatic interaction of Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May we're used to, hurts badly.

To make things worse, this series of car reviews is leavened by far too brief bits on the "hell" cars, the vehicles Clarkson regards as an affront to driving. Of course, the "heaven and hell" theme is tenuous at best: all the "heaven" cars, with one exception, come from a single model year (2005); none of the "hell" cars, with the exception of one bought straight off the lot, is younger than five. All of the "heaven" cars have big "shouty" engines, sporty handling, and high top speeds; only one "hell" car might have had a shouty engine in the 1970s when it was made. Even the terms "heaven and hell" are references seldom, with stream-of-consciousness threading threatening to remove this reviewer's consciousness.

Top Gear fans- rent, and enjoy... but only buy if you're a true gearhead who doesn't mind seeing cars rushing by again, again, again, again, again, again, again...

Overall, this is a very great little DVD. Jeremy is great! However, you get the feeling that some things are missing. Namely, James May, Richard Hammond, and the laughter and silliness that the whole gang usually experiences. Don't get me wrong, Jeremy still says some brilliant stuff, but I have seen some Top Gear episodes that beat this.

In conclusion, for $12, its worth it. But you may want to consider spending a bit extra to buy an entire series of Top Gear. Happy buying!

This is one of the greatest Clarkson's performances! I have always been a huge Top Gear fan, and I've seen this mad man become the legend that he is. This dvd is absolute insanity and the greatest thing is that as the days go by, while on the road, I remember his insights and laugh alone, because he is so right! (If you watch this dvd, you'll remember a few lines he says while test driving a Chinese miniature car). Please watch it! i promise it is FUN!