DVD REVIEWS

Title: Ashes To Ashes: Series 2 (2009) Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Police Price: £27.99
Cert: 15 (some strong language and violence) Running Time: About 472 minutes
 
The Second Series of Ashes To Ashes concluded on BBC One in early June and was released on DVD during mid-July.

The Second Series of the hit Fantasy Police Drama is set a few months after the first, it is now 1982 and Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes) has learned more about the world around her. Alex receives roses from a mystery person and starts to get messages about the future.

There eight one hour episodes in the series which are spread across four discs. There are extra features are audio commentary, cast 80’s quiz and a behind the scenes documentary.

Ashes To Ashes sees Gene Hunt and the team investigate more cases, including a murder in Soho, attacks by animal rights activists and a violent burglary.
Alex and Gene also investigate corruption within the police force and in later episodes
discover there corrupt Superintendent’s dark secrets.

The second series is full of action, drama and mystery. As with the first series and Life On Mars, the series has unexpected twists in the storyline. As well as discovering about Super Mac Alex also finds more about Sam Tyler when a seemingly lady-friend of Gene’s turns up out of the blue. Although this helps fill in more gaps, there is still much which is left shrouded in mystery. The opening scene of Series 2 raises questions straight away.

I feel Series Two, is better than Series One particularly episodes 4-8, which have stronger storylines, more action, mystery and drama than the earlier episodes.
Overall I think this Series better than the last, it’s a more engaging and interesting series with a stronger storylines and interesting conclusion. Each episode’s keeps you coming back for more, it’s nearly as good as Life On Mars.

VERDICT: Great Drama and action, with surprises for both Alex and Gene along the way. Compelling storylines, great acting, comedy and a bit of nostalgia too. Better than series one. One of the great dramas of the 21st Century! Highly Recommended!
    MY RATING: 8/10
 
  FIND OUT MORE VISIT WWW.BBC.CO.UK/ASHESTOASHES

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Title: Ashes To Ashes: Series One (2008) Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Police Price: £24.99

Cert: 15 (Some strong language & violence) Running Time: 472 minutes
 
Launched a few months after the Series aired on BBC TWO in February and March 2008, Ashes To Ashes is the sequel to the much-loved drama ‘Life On Mars’.
Ashes To Ashes is the story of a DI Alex Drake a police psychologist who has been looking into Sam Tyler’s unusual time-travelling experience.

Alex Drake is clever and a strong-minded woman who is shot at a crime scene in 2008,
she sees the bullet coming towards her. When she wakes, she is lying on a sofa with
David Bowie’s ‘Ashes To Ashes’ ringing in her ears, she has somehow gone back to 1981.

Ashes To Ashes welcomes back the tough and straight talking DCI, Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister), DS Ray Carling (Dean Andrews), DC Chris Skelton (Marshall Lanchaster) and new-character Shaz (Montserrat Lombard).
Gene is and his team have now moved away from Manchester and joined the Met in London with his new shiny red Audi Quattro (that’s the car connection).

The series follows Gene Hunt and his team and newcomer DI Alex Drake who realises she has assimilated Sam’s fantasies with her own experiences to create this world but, she soon learns all is not what it seems. The soundtrack is provided by Duran Duran, The Clash, OMD, The Human League and other hits of the era. Alex Drake discovers secrets from her past, as she meets her mum and tries to fit in with the rest of the team. It’s a good mix of entertainment, drama and comedy with a few surprises along the way.
We also find out what really did happen to Sam Tyler!

VERDICT: Eight great, dramatic and entertaining episodes on 4 Discs, plus extras including behind the scenes footage and interviews. It makes a great DVD but, still in my opinion not as good as it’s prequel ‘Life On Mars!’ Recommended Buy! 
    RATING: 7/10  

  FIND OUT MORE VISIT WWW.BBC.CO.UK/ASHESTOASHES

Clarkson: The Good The Bad The Ugly  (2006)

  Price: about £12 (Tesco) Length: 80 mins Cert: PG

It's Jeremy Clarkson's latest DVD for 2006. In a series of races and challenges in Cailfornia the best European care take one the best American one's.
The Stig makes an apperance racing a Lotus aginest a Ford Mustang. There's a 4 by 4 challenge as Jeremy Clarkson challenges a Cadillac Esclade and a Hummer H2 to a tough journey up a steep mountain in a Range Rover.
Clarkson also tries to find out why American cars are so different to European cars and discovers that most American's know virtually nothing about europe anyway so how can American build cars to go on sale in europe like the Dodge
Caliber for instance.

VERDICT: The high speed racing and challenges are entertaining to watch even if Clarkson does go on a bit sometimes. Recommended buy 7 /10

Top Gear: The Challeges DVD (2007)

Price- About £12 (Asda)  Length- about 164 minutes  Cert- extempt

Check out this great DVD!
It contains the challenges the Top Gear presenters took part in in the previous series (2007).
See James May take on Jeremey Clarkson in the 4 by 4 challenge and win 'Yes! I've won a Top Gear Challenge' he says in amazment.
There's the brillantly entertaing challenge to make Anphibous Cars the trouble is no one actually makes it to the end of the challenge, so who actually wins?
James May who's cluch breaks as he tries to get out of the water or Jeremey who got so far then his car tipped over opps!
There's the daft Building A Convertible Challenge it's all going find untill the dreaded Car Wash in which the presenters do a runner from getting soaked, then the car sets on fire!!
'Boys Will Be Boys' as it says on the case, a great DVD, entertianing, funny at times and action-packed too, great for all us blokes really especially if you love Cars and Top Gear.

VERDICT:  Entertaining, funny, action-packed fun that's almost 3 hours long! A recommended buy.      RATING: 7.5/10
 
Books
Cars: An encyclopedia of the world's most fablous automobiles

Price: £4.99 (Cut-price Bookstore) Genre: Cars By: Martin Suckley & Chris Ress

This 500 or so page book does what it says on the cover.
The book is divided into 2 main sections the classic cars 1945-1975 and cars 1975 onwards it features many different cars has many images of these classics from the MG B, VW Beetle to the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit. The detail is perfect radio with a good write up about each car, the box the corner tells you the car's bhp, how many were made and basic info like that.
So it covers a huge number of cars even the De Loren of which only a small were built!
There is also a great section at the beginning introducing you to cars and their history with the hisory of engines, milestone models, design, brakes, gearboxes and more. The brakes section charts their history early brakes to the development of disc brakes.
Ulimately this is a great book for people intrested in cars.
It has clear sections and a good amount of information that is clearly laid out.

VERDICT: You could write pages about this book, it's really very good! 
MY RATING: 8/10

    NEW FEATURE FOR 2009!    CAR REVIEWS   NEW FOR 2009! NEW FOR 2009!

    Find out about the best five cars from different classes.
 CITY-CARS
1) Fiat 500- Great looking city-car, with good handling and a funky interior, not a budget opinion though!
2)Hyundai i10- Under £7,000 gets you an all-round capable hatchback it excels in all-areas, is solidly built, well equipped and has good handling.
3) Suzuki Alto- New Alto is much better, like the Hyundai i10 it’s a no-frills city-car, but, is let down by it’s interior, which feels less solid than the i10.
4) Citroen C1/Peugoet 107/Toyota Aygo- Trio of stylish city-cars with 1.0 litre petrol or 1.4 litre diesel engines & Group 1 insurance, air-con costs extra there is limited boot space and their have a firm ride.
5) Renault Twingo- Is competent without excelling in any area, the Renaultsport version is a lot very good

BEST AVOIDED: Perodua Kelsia- based on an early-90’s Daihatsu, a sub-£5000 car which offers little in terms of space, quality or equipment.  Get a nearly new city-car instead!
 
SUPERMINIS
1) Ford Fiesta- New Fiesta puts Ford’s supermini on top, a superb all-rounder, not as cheap as some rivals.
2) Mazda 2- Great looking car with impressive handling, smaller and lighter than most modern superminis.
3) Vauxhall Corsa- The Corsa is highly capable in all-areas, avoid the 1.0 litre petrol as it is too sluggish, the VXR version finishes off the range nicely!
4) Renault Clio- Launched in 2005 the Clio III remains a capable car, it’s solid handles well and has a good range of different engines and spec. New model coming in 2010!
5) Peugoet 207- Whilst the styling divides opinion the 207 is a capable car, the engines could do with more power though and the diesel engines are sluggish!

SMALL FAMILY CARS (HATCHBACKS)
1) Volkswagen Golf- The MKVI Golf launched in 2009, has a brand new look which hides a very capable car with new FSI petrol engines. It has improved in all-areas over the MKV Golf and looks good!
2) Ford Focus- The best handling car in it’s class and more stylish than before, the Focus is a great all-rounder but, only buy if you don’t mind following the crowd.
3) Kia Cee’d- Stylish and capable Korean hatchback can show some of it’s European rivals a thing or two. Backed up by a 7 year warrenty, the best around and only £11,000! Good handling & quality!
4) Hyundai i30- Based on the Cee’d but, with a softer rider which means it’s handling is not as good, less appealing looks and only a 5 year warranty deter from what is a very capable car.
5) Vauxhall Astra- Popular and capable car, just not quite as capable as the best. New Astra coming soon!

Want To Stand Out From The Crowd? Try the Seat Leon, a stylish and capable VW Golf based car with Volkswagen engines, the FR version is a great hot-hatch!

BEST AVOIDED!: Proton Gen-2- A disappointing hatchback, it’s more stylish than other Protons and handles well thanks to Lotus, but the engine is dated and the interior is cheap and badly put together!

1) Ford Mondeo- Class leading Mondeo sets new standards in comfort and quality in it’s class.
2) Vauxhall Insignia- A great attempt to topple the Mondeo, but slightly inferior handling mean this car
 fails to topple the class-leader though.
3) Volkswagen Passat- Has been on sale for around 35 years, the current Passat is both stylish and safe it’s interior quality is first rate, the Bluemotion model is the cheapest to tax and run.
4) Mazda 6- Latest Mazda 6 handles like it sporty looks suggest, interior quality is good but, can’t match it’s best rivals. A great alternative to the mainstream models, for those who want to stand out from the crowd.
  5) Toyota Avensis- A dull looking, but capable and reliable family car.

 BEST AVOIDED: Proton Impian- Oh Dear, another Proton! Mondeo-sized car for Ford Focus money, unfortunately the first Proton to be designed in house has boxy styling and a interior that looks like it came from the 1980’s. It also has a dated Mitsubishi engine, it’s only asset is it’s Lotus-tuned handling!