Customer Reviews

Miami Vice: The Complete Series

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Despite some implausible storylines, cornball humor, and over-the-top melodrama, MIAMI VICE was the SEMINAL TV Cop Show of The 80s Me Decade. No Cop Show before it had dealt with the realities of drugs, power, corruption, and money in Multi-cultural America the way this show did. And it was FUN to watch! Created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by famed movie director Michael Mann.

Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett, Phillip Michael Thomas as Ricardo Tubbs, and Edward James Olmos as the stoic Lt. Martin Castillo, were perfect in their respective roles. If they were one thing; THEY WERE COPS! The rest of the supporting cast fit in well. As well as providing comic relief to the more serious themes of evil, vice, and crime.

Jan Hammer created one of the most recognizable themes in all of Television History as well as composing background music for nearly every episode of it's five year run. (Jan Hammer dropped out of the series towards the end. Tim Truman was chosen by Michael Mann to compose some great music for the final 22 episodes.)

Seasons Four and Five are considered the years that MIAMI VICE "jumped the shark." If you're a fan, you know where you stand. I love them all. Even the hilarious THE BIG THAW from Season Four, with it's cryogenically frozen Reggae Star, is TOPS in my book. Fans hate this epsiode. It's one of the episodes I remember vividly from the 80s and it's a scream!

Tight and loose fitting pastel fashions. 80s New Wave, Pop, Top 40, and Reggae provided some of the cinematic background Music Video sequences for a brand new MTV Generation. Fast exotic cars, like Ferraris and Lamborghinis. They too, were characters in the show. Fast exotic car chases. Wealthy well-dressed eccentric cocaine and heroin dealers. The Miami Club Scene. Beautiful modern luxury dream homes. Fast Cigarette boats and luxury yachts. Brutal and blazing police shootouts. Cultures as diverse as Haitian, Columbian, Cuban, Asian, and Jamaican. An all inclusive cast of characters and a rich story history from the Vietnam War to the Golden Triangle. The DEA and ATF to the CIA and KGB Coldwar. From third world Afro-Caribbean Voodoo and Santeria to Japanese Bushido philosophy, this show was about the hippest thing happening in commercial Pop Culture entertainment at the time. Once the show caught on and took off, it was the first time people actually stayed home on Friday nights to watch television. My girlfriend and I were big club goers in the 80s. We stayed home quite a bit to watch it. Nothing would ever be the same in the visual medium of Television and Cinema. VICE was a TRENDSETTER.

Some of the cameos and performers include: Frank Zappa, Glenn Frey, Gene Simmons, Ted Nugent, Phil Collins, Bruce Willis, Bianca Jagger, Pam Grier, Ving Rhames, John Leguizamo, Dennis Farina, Ben Stiller, Alfred Molina, Liam Neeson, (rightwing wacko) G. Gordon Liddy, Lawrence Fishburne, Bill Paxton, Wesley Snipes, Miles Davis, Willie Nelson, Steve Buscemi, Helena Bonham Carter, Brad Dourif, Viggo Mortensen, Annette Bening, Melanie Griffith, George Takei, Ian McShane, Benicio Deltoro, Chris Rock, (Sonny's wife in later epsiodes) Sheena Easton, R. Lee Ermey, and Julia Roberts.

On to the product.

Ever wondered what happened to Sonny's pet alligator, Elvis? Individual SEASON BOX SETS are contained in a large imitation white alligator skin box with an imitation satin lining which looks hot on the shelf.

Fans that bought the individual SEASON BOX SETS complained about the double-sided DVDs being cheap, defective, or not playing correctly. Universal has always been a cheap bottom-line company. I feel your pain. Maybe Universal heard these complaints. Because THE COMPLETE SERIES episodes are on ONE-SIDED DVDs in the individual SEASON BOX SETS, and I haven't noticed any defects. I waited. Sometimes it pays to be patient.

Fans also complained about the epsiodes not being cleaned up. TRUE. They look as if they have been transferred directly from the original broadcast tapes complete with grain and scratches in some cases. You won't notice a lot of scratches, but you will notice some grain, especially in the night sequences and in the earlier epsiodes. The later espisodes are much better quality, probably because they were spending more money on the show (it shows) and taking better care of the tapes for syndication purposes when they knew they had a Hit Show. Still, the majority of the epsiodes look pretty good. Just pretend you're watching this series like you were in the 80s and it's almost unnoticeable. Younger audiences should act accordingly. (Younger audiences should also remember this series is not as realistic as the Cop Shows of today. MIAMI VICE was more like a cultural hyperrealism. Some of you will not buy into it. Again, in the 80s it was SEMINAL TV.) FOUR STARS for the Visuals.

The 80s TV sound has been remixed into Dolby 5.1. The volume is far too low and you won't hear anything coming out of your rear effects speakers. I wish they would have done it in 2.1 stereo so I could use my Prologic and get some sound out of my rear speakers. If you view the episodes from your TV speakers, you'll have to turn it up about 8 tenths to get a good volume. THREE 1/2 STARS for Sound.

The are only a few EXTRAS on the FIRST DISC of THE FIRST SEASON. A couple of documentaries on the fashion, sound, visuals, and impact of VICE. That's all. The show pretty much speaks for itself. Individual DISCS from SEASONS ONE and TWO contain a written synopsis of the individual episodes and a list of cameos when you click on them in the EPISODE MENU. They disappear after SEASON TWO and you must look to the SEASON BOX covers for a synopsis of each episode (sans a list of cameos.) ONE 1/2 STARS for the Extras.

Overall this BOX SET gets FOUR 1/2 STARS because the Series was the first of it's kind. And, the great sentimental value this holds for me personally.

If you're thinking about buying at least the first THREE SEASONS, stay away from the individual BOX SETS and buy THE COMPLETE SERIES. SEASONS FOUR and FIVE contain some great episodes and you'll get the 2 Hour Series Finale, FREEFALL. If you bought some of the individual SEASON BOX SETS, and think this SET is different, it's not. Aside from the single-sided DVDs, which may or may not persuade you to sell them off, you don't need to buy THE COMPLETE SERIES. Patient or wary fans will definitely want to purchase THE COMPLETE SERIES.

THIS WAS A MONUMENTAL TV SERIES. Warts and all!

ENJOY.

Miami Vice came on when I was 13 and I was hooked. It became a regular Friday night routine to sit in front of the tv to see this show. It has always been among my favorites from that era along with the Equalizer, Magnum, P.I., and Simon & Simon.

I have to admit I didn't get to see much of the fifth season when it was aired, though I did see the final 2-hour series finale movie. This box set gave me the opportunity to finally see what I missed 20 years ago.

One of the best things about the box set is that by following the show from season 1 through season 5, you can more readily recall characters that are referred to from previous seasons, or who show up in later seasons from earlier ones. Another neat thing is seeing the same actors play different characters who all still end up getting whacked. Also, seeing big name stars before thy became big, and offbeat guest stars make the show quite interesting, too. I also like seeing episodes again that I remember and never saw again from when they were aired. Seeing the fashions that seemed so commonplace then, in a new light 20 years later, is good for a laugh as well as making one react with "What were we thinking?"

This box set renewed my interest in Miami Vice again, whereas the movie was a disappointment to me. I highly recommend this box set to anyone who wants to relive the glory days of the 80s, who remember the show, or equally, to anyone who wants to get acquainted with the series.

Miami Vice was my absolute favorite cop show, in the '80's and even now...No one else quite represented those wonderfully decadent '80's like a tanned Don Johnson, with that sexy smile, in a pink linen sports coat and Ray-Bans! I hesitated spending the money on this, but I realized that this Miami Vice Complete Series wouldn't be around forever, given that this show is already approx. 25 years old. And if I waited, I might end up paying a lot more, later.

I was concerned, howeveer, when I read one of the comments here, saying that when they got their order, one of the CD's were missing. Prior to ordering, I expressed my concerns in an e-mail to Amazon and got a prompt reply saying that, if I had any problems, they would correct it immediately, if I chose to order this product.

Well, I got it and evrything was there, beautifully packaged and really excellent quality DVD's....I am up to about #13 of the first season and thoroughly enjoying it! Thanks for excellent service and a quality product, Amazon! This is a real collector's item that I will always treasure.

Watching Miami Vice again brought back fond memories of the times. It was definitely a trend setter for its time. You will enjoy the stories and the characters as they are developed.
My disappointment was the poor image quality. Some episodes appear to be taken from video tape that had been played multiple times. Snowy, grainy and fuzzy at times. Also there were spots that looked like holes on worn film. Then as I am watching it in order I get to the last disc, season five disc five, only to find that instead of disc five it was another copy of disc two.
Be sure and check all discs when it arrives.

I am a huge Miami Vice fan and saw no alternative than to get the whole series. Sure, there are some episodes during the later run of the series that are a bit out there; the James Brown episode and frozen Jamaican for example. However, I'm a fan of all episodes and recommend this to any hardcore Vice fan. For the casual fan, I would recommend this also, although fairweather Vice fans would probably just benefit from buying individual seasons. They are all great, though.

It would be great if there were some commentaries from Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas (or anyone), but there are some special features on the Season 1 DVD. There is a great number of featurettes on it, however.

If you love the music, the feel and vibe of one of the greatest 80s series, look no further than this great DVD set.

Not only do you get every episode, all on 1 sided discs, but on disc one you get bonus material as follows: "The Vibe of Vice", "Building the Perfect Vice", "The Style of Vice", "The Music of Vice", and "Miami After Vice". This package includes all 5 seasons. My favorite episode is the "Smuggler's Blues" from season 1, where Glenn Frey guest stars as a smuggling airplane pilot, and his song "Smuggler's Blues" is played throughout the episode. Back in the 1980's a Miami Radio Station played that song, over & over for 24 hours.

Also, there are many more Rock Stars, as guest stars, included in this complete series, such as Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, The Who, Aerosmith, Guns & Roses, The Cure, Public Enemy, Ted Nugent, and many more.

If you like Miami Vice, then "The Complete Series", is the best way to go. I definitely recommend the "Complete Series". Thanks!!!!

Some of the features are outdated for a DVD, like the menu, which is pretty bare and basic. Also,the first 2 seasons you have to go to the episode recap to play the actual espisode. Even more frustrating is that you can only skip to one or two scenes for each episode, which can be pretty inconvenient. On the other hand, I love the fact that you can switch on the subtitles. Since the show was made in the 80's, you can't always hear what they're saying, but the captioning usually clears it right up. Unfortunately, there are no features in the DVD set like commentary or outtakes, etc., but the overall packaging and fun of the set is awesome!!! Plus when you factor in that MV is the best show ever, you can't spend your money any better than buying this DVD set!

Great Set! How enjoyable to see these shows again. This is the precursor of the film style for CSI-Miami and so may others. The music is stunning.

What can I say that hasn't already been said about this one, it definately was ahead of its time in its approach to being a cop show, airing back to back with the No.1 show at the time "Dallas", this one like that one gave people a reason to stay home on Friday nights, & really played on the popularity of MTV at the time with its flashy music videos & style..

Season 1>> This was very groundbreaking for its time as Ricardo Tubbs(Phillip Michael Thomas) tracks a dangerous drug lord from NY to Miami & is unwillingly partnered with Sonny Crockett(Don Johnson) & is determined to bring drug lord Calderone to justice in the pilot epidode, Jimmy Smits(NYPD Blue) makes a cameo appearance as Crockett's doomed partner, the episodes that followed featured many then unknown stars such as Ed O'Neil(Al Bundy) & a pre-"Moonlighting" Bruce Willis, Edward James Olmos also comes in midway as Lt. Castillo who oversees the vice division of Miami & is very professional in his approach to things, however this season has a few duds toward the end, but the final episode of Season 1 has Crockett & Tubbs protecting a mobster (Dennis Farina, echoeing the character he would play in "Midnight Run" a few years later) who will testify in a drug case before going into the witness protection program, after several attempts are made on his life, he then decides not to give up those trying to kill him.

Season 2>>> By far the best Season, the two-parter "Prodical Son" definately reeks of the 80's excess, but story wise, this one has Tubbs returning to NY to help an old friend Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) with a case, with Crockett tagging along, there are shootouts, double-crosses, & Julian Beck(Poltergeist) as a bank CEO whose speech is just as true today as it was then (1985) when he tells Crockett & Tubbs that the drug underworld is a big financial boat for many like him & they are just along for the ride, & "why rock it", the episodes that follow are quite good, two of my favorites is "Definately Miami" as many fans have stated, this is probably the best episode ever as Crockett is smitten with a woman who has a dangeorus agenda that involves rock legend Ted Nugent in a memorable role, won't spoil it here, & "Little girl lost" that has Tubbs trying to help a streetwalker get off the streets, a prelude to "Pretty Woman" which had better results years later.

Season 3 >>> This one definately took a different approach to the style of the show, as the season bagan, the second half of the 80's(1986-87) were taking shape & MTV & fashion was changing & so this show bagan to change with it, many great guest stars appeared here such as Willie Nelson as a former Texas Ranger who is out to avenge his nephew's murder who was undercover in Miami & soon crosses paths with Crockett & Tubbs, also appearing in one episode at once is Melanie Griffith(Johnson's then-wife), George Takei("Star Trek's" Sulu), wrestler Lou Albino, & pop singer Vanity, we also lose a main character this season as well.

Season 4>>> considered by many to be the downfall of the show, this one had some good ones, the opener is good with Stanly Tucci(Devil wears Prada) as a drug lord on trial who mocks the justice system & everyone else involved, he of course gets out of his predicament when the star witness is killed, but gets his later on in the season, the episodes that followed had some memorable guest stars such as Paul Gulliyole, (the humorous lead detective on "C.S.I.) who may have produced a snuff film, that also has Kelly Lynch(RoadHouse) who may or may not have been his victim, we are never really sure, it never becomes clear, we are also later introduced to singer Sheena Easton who I thought did o.k. as a love interest to Crockett, & Guy Boyd(Body Double) as a freed death row inmate who it turns out was guilty & is wasted by Crockett after he kills Easton, in which in a chain of events loses his memory which set up the season cliffhanger(Vice's first & last) yeah, some episodes are duds, like the UFO one, which is entertaining, just pooly concieved at best, because it makes no sense at all, but overall not a bad season

Season 5>>> Aside from resuming the cliffhanger at the end of Season 4, this season loses its punch fast after all is resolved from Season 4's cliffhanger story arc, A not-yet-famous Julia Roberts makes an appearance here, it was clear that by the 1988-1989 season that this show no longer had its staying power, everything that helpled this show's success was gone, MTV flasy era was changing, the drug wars were no longer making headlines as much, T.V. itself was changing & "Vice" it seemed had nothing to really play on as it did in the beginning, by far the weakest season, but worth owning for Sesaon 4's resolution ending.

I bought this complete series as a gift for a Miami Vice lover; it was packaged nicely and presented well.