Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Less Scandal, More Skating, December 4, 2002
I can't wholeheartedly recommend this tape set. If you just want severely edited highlights of the skating events with the usual inane commentary, this will be just fine for you. Medal winner long programs are reasonably intact. If you want to see all the dramatic grisly bits, skate on to skate off, you will be disappointed. If you are expecting to see medal winner short programs in their entirety, you will be deeply and bitterly disappointed. I was hoping to see Sarah Hughes' abysmal short program again, because that's what made her win so exciting. I wanted to see Alexei Yagudin's short program because my life has been fraught with a series of freakish, near Biblical disasters wherein I have missed it every single time he has performed it. I understand it is rather good. Beyond the fact that everything he does on ice looks like it is based on a dare, this routine is also regarded by some as the best men's short program. Ever. This is why I ordered this tape set. Imagine my annoyance. You can't.
If, however, you want to see the half-naked happy-dance that ensued after an intrusive cameraman followed Yagudin off the ice for a costume change during his exhibition skate, we've got that. It should hardly be necessary to point out that things would have gone very badly for that cameraman if his subject had neglected to wear underpants that day. If you want to see Yagudin and Plushenko circle each other like a pair of rabid weasels on the practice rink, we've got some of that. If you want ot see an appallingly drippy and funereal tribute to Todd ("Hey, I'm not dead") Eldredge, we've got one of those. If you want to see the long and short programs of both pairs gold medalists, we've got that. If you want to hear way too much about the judging scandal; well, boy howdy, have you come to the right place. This is all fine, whatever, I'm just saying I could have seen the short programs. Including Plushenko's, although admittedly for the sake of humor.
Okay, okay. I'll wrap this up: Yagudin's exhibition skate is amazing; you have to see it to believe it, if you see it you won't forget it, and if you have a young niece asking you uncomfortable questions about it, she can be easily distracted with a hand-puppet. It has an "Ages of Man" motif; birth, life, death, resurrection, and there WILL be dancing in the afterlife. Be so advised. Sensitively interpreted, intelligent and sophisticated choreography which is well worth the price of admission, even by way of the VHS back door. In my estimation, it's not the judging scandal and it's outcome that is historically important, but an exceptional skater who has propelled the sport forward by light years and has singlehandedly dragged me, kicking and screaming, back to the never ending soap opera that is figure skating.
Mandatory two star deduction for sins of omission.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good tape that could have been a lot better, May 28, 2002
This is a good compilation tape of the 2002 Olympics, but it could have been a lot better. The tape does a great job capturing the pairs event, showing the complete short and long programs of the top two couples, and the ensuing controversy and double gold medal ceremony that follow. Unfortunately, things only go downhill from here. The tape does not show any short programs from the men's event, ice dancing, or ladies. I was stunned that Michelle Kwan's brilliant short program was not included, nor was Sasha Cohen's. It would also have been nice to see the short programs of Yagudin and Goebel, which were first rate. Also surprisingly, the gold medal winning dance of France's Anissina and Peizerat is edited to exclude the voice-over of Martin Luther King. The music and possibly the routine itself are somewhat awkwardly re-edited. Apparently, NBC decided to change history rather than risk offending viewers with the skaters'somewhat controversial choice of material. Overall, NBC could have done a lot better. Better luck in 2006.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of editing/commentary but GREAT skating, April 15, 2002
As a major figure skating fan, these videos are a must-have for any collection. That said, most customers who buy these two videos are likely going to care more about the skating content than about the logistics involved in setting them up.I have purchased all of the video compilations from the '92 Olympics in Lillehamer forward. Since CBS produced the Olympics and the subsequent videos for '92, '94 and '98, listening to Verne Lundquist and Scott Hamilton got a bit old.. but the NBC compilation is better, focusing more on skating and less on editing of performances and endless commentary (How many times can Scott Hamilton say "The American ladies really dominate on the spirals - just look at the extension..") This was truly the most controversial skating event in the history of the Olympics and NBC does a good job of capturing it without beating it to death. Jamie and David, Sarah/Michelle/Irena/Sasha, Alexei vs. Yevgeny, etc.. there has never been a more diverse cast of skaters with such international followings! My only complaint (and it's a huge one) is that NBC has chosen to make this compilation available only on VHS. With the number of people in the US owning DVD players in the tens of millions, it's always disheartening to see releases ONLY in VHS and not in DVD. Plus, tapes like these tend to have lots of replay and VHS wears out; DVD does not. At any rate, the skating is the primary focus here, and in 2002, it was first rate. These videos do a nice job of packaging the performances and making them available to enjoy for years to come.
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