Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Chairman William Shatner? Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!!!, October 18, 2004
Between 1993 and 1999, a popular television show in Japan called "Iron Chef" ("Ryori no tetsujin") pitted its acclaimed one of its professional chefs against a challenging chef each week using a particular theme ingredient in all of the dishes made. The show was hosted by the flamboyant Chairman Kaga (Takeshi Kaga) who opened each show, presented the challenger, unveiled the theme ingredient and gave a brief synopsis before the winning chef was declared. The show gained popularity in syndication in the U.S. on the Food Network using a mixture of dubbed English and subtitles.
Due to the rising popularity of the show from cable subscribers, the UPN TV network decided to broadcast an American version of the show in 2001 that was produced by the Larry Thompson Organization and Lions Gate Television of Canada. Unfortunately, these two companies failed to effectively reproduce the elements of the Japanese show that had made it so popular. Instead, they created a poorly written & directed substitute that was akin to watching a WWF wrestling match, not a challenge between two professional chefs.
The first mistake that the Larry Thompson Organization and Lions Gate Television made was in their selection of the new chairman for "Iron Chef USA". Though I very much enjoy William Shatner in his roles as Captain Kirk in the original "Star Trek" TV series, T.J. Hooker in the show of the same name and his more recent role as an attorney in "Boston Legal", his attempt at being chairman of "Iron Chef USA" was far too farcical and clownish to be taken seriously in trying to replicate Takeshi Kaga's flamboyance from the original Japanese TV series. Their next mistake was in the commentaries. During each of the original Japanese "Iron Chef" shows, a group of commentators (which included a culinary expert) would explain what each chef was doing, as well as analyze the possible dish outcomes. The "Iron Chef USA" commentators treated the two chefs as if they were athletes and would even send in an annoying "field reporter" (Sissy Biggers) to ask them stupid question while they were busily preparing their meals. Their other major mistake was their selection of judges. Most of the Japanese "Iron Chef" shows included an actual food critic as one of the judges, as well as Japanese actors, actresses & sports personalities, who were quite articulate in their critiques of the prepared meals; but the "Iron Chef USA" judges were inarticulate and inexperienced.
Not surprisingly (and quite thankfully), only two episodes of "Iron Chef USA" starring William Shatner were ever produced and were entitled, "Iron Chef USA: Showdown in Las Vegas" and "Iron Chef USA: Holiday Showdown". Each of these shows on the DVD I rate with a well-deserved 1 out of 5 stars for being poor mockeries of the much more entertaining original Japanese version. In 2004, the Food Network's produced its own version entitled "Iron Chef America: Battle of the Masters" that included two of the beloved original Japanese Iron Chefs, Hiroyuki Sakai and Masaharu Morimoto, and was hosted by Takeshi Kaga's nephew, Mark Dacascos. It was a far better show than the ill-fated 2001 "Iron Chef USA". If you are considering purchase of the 2001 "Iron Chef USA" DVD, you do so at your own risk.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Takeshi Kaga would have been hopping mad., January 9, 2004
Torpid excuse for a domesticized version of an already classic cooking show from Japan. I only give credit for UPN 9's attempt to "cross over" the original IC from its inspirational Asian origin and into the American mainstream, but really this wasn't to much avail. I've read so many insulting remarks on this IC, and I believe them all...ESPECIALLY after my seeing only a few minutes of each of IC USA's only two specials (these). From that point on I was like, "Never again." The entire mess looks like it wants to blow the original off the face of the earth, but it didn't. I mean, this IS fine for people who like "Star Trek" pioneer William Shatner and who want a taste of crossover if little more.The original's translation from Japanese to English while maintaining its original form is fine enough. Even "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" was done more justice when brought into America from Japan's "Go Rangers." And the stars of that series were very easy to handle, no problem. I stopped watching them after the "Lightspeed Rescue" came into play. But since I'm talking culinary programs like IC, I love EVERYTHING about the original: the Kitchen Stadium, the cinematography, the seven talented Japanese cooks themselves, Chairman Takeshi Kaga...you name it. To me the true IC looks and feels like NOTHING on the Nielsen ratings - then, now, or probably ever. That's proof of my love for it. Emeril would have done a better take on it than Chris Kattan, Horatio Sans, and Charlie Sheen. I didn't think Shatner would be the host of these limited edition "Iron Chef USA" specials. Unfair to the original, because I don't like this IC's scenery and the audience. The Kitchen Arena (based in Las Vegas!) looks horrible compared to the beautiful Asia-based Kitchen Stadium from the original "Tetsujin" (Iron Chef), the audience makes it seem more like a boxing match without the punching, and Shatner himself fails to deliver the same charm handsome Takeshi Kaga did on his IC. And the latter literally burns me up alive with his seductive looks and of course that sexy duke-like wardrobe, especially if he wears red (his China, France, 2000th Plate, New York, and King of Iron Chefs Tournament specials), white (his 21st Century Battle), or black (too many to mention!). I'd rather see an animated version of Nickelodeon's "Guts" than this rubbish. Maybe Andrea Bocelli would have made a greater than ideal guest for the original IC if it were still in production, which it ain't no more. But there's no way in heck sexy Kaga's IC is going to be lucky enough to even GET a nomination for American or even foreign DVD release, if ever at all. Only buy this if you are so big an IC junkie that you wanna have EVERYTHING Iron Chef, even if this isn't among its best. Hell hath no fury like a woman who loves the original "Iron Chef" so much that she accepts no imitations!!
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
How did this become a DVD????, November 21, 2002
For years when the DVD revolution started, there were moments of pure frustration in the titles being released. One could not buy the pilot of "Twin Peaks" on DVD (perhaps the best television pilot ever) but you could get 25 cheesy movies on DVD that were mind numbing at best. Seeing this title on DVD reminds me of those days.I watched the first episode of this show on cable and did not like it at all. But I rented this DVD the other night regardless. Since I had not seen the second episode of this series, I rented it just in case the television folks had "tweaked" some things after the first episode aired. Now it is pretty clear to me that these episodes were shot back to back--both were equally poor. Now I loved the original Iron Chef series--it was different, educational, gave insights into the Japanese culture, etc. The American version just checked all goodness at the door. Instead of content, the series is filled with over the top hype (a crowd reminiscent of a Jerry Springer audience, a motorcycle onstage, goofy announcers complete with yellow jackets which reminded me of Monday Night Football circa 1979.) The cooking process and quality of the food are almost treated as secondary items. Even the description of the dishes during the tastings are poor; I half-expected someone to say, "Uh, this is some pretty good grub." And William Shatner is almost a comic foil here--for the DVD I was at least hoping for some strange "extras" that would spotlight this (for example, how about William Shatner watching footage of Chairman Kaga, or practicing his chairman pose, or even humorous outtakes?) But there was nothing like this. I guess that I can summarize all of this by stating that I would not tell Iron Chef fans to go out of their way to even watch these episodes on television, for free! Paying for the DVD makes no sense at all. This both a waste of time and money.
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