Search - Malcolm in the Middle - The Complete First Season on DVD

Elana M. from MIAMI, FL
Reviewed on 6/5/2010...

These episodes never get old. What an amazing cast. Every season of Malcolm has been hysterical. Season one being no exception.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

Was MY family like this?

khouse1960 | Ayase, Japan | 06/24/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Living outside the U.S. for a while now, I've been a bit out of touch with American television for the last few years. So, when a friend of mine handed me this DVD set and said "You've got to see this show", I got my first taste of "Malcolm In The Middle"...and was completely hooked.This show is not only funny and original, but it seems to strike a familiar chord with childhood memories. Not only mine, but also everyone that I've discussed this series with. Although the family in the series appears (at first glance, anyway) to be thoroughly dysfunctional, they grow on you as the series progresses. I began to recognize bits and pieces of my own childhood, whether it was some absurd thing said by one of my parents, a kid-like caper pulled off in school, or some friend that I had that didn't quite "fit in". I can relate to this show.The writing is excellent and extremely funny, even managing to put valuable life lessons across, without being heavy handed. The acting is top notch, reminiscent of "Family Ties" and "Home Improvement" in its ensemble cast chemistry and tightness. And, although a surprise, I found the unique innovation of not including a laugh track to be refreshing, allowing me to decide what was funny (almost everything), rather than trying to force me down the road of simulated amusement.The DVD set is a great value. Fantastic transfers (as best as I can tell, without ever having seen an actual broadcast), great sound, and jam packed with special features. There's about 3 hours of commentary for selected scenes, a bloopers reel, 4 unaired opening scenes, 4 deleted scenes, and a handful of "promos". There are also 3 fairly interesting featurettes covering the show itself, the crew, and a day in the life of "Dewey" (Eric Per Sullivan). The only lame feature of the entire set was a small section called "MalcolmVision", which was basically just some framing goofs as a result of the program's shooting in a 16X9 format. An incredibly small negative for what is overwhelmingly an outstanding boxed set.Good show, good price, and exceptional entertainment...You just can't go wrong with this series. I can't wait for the release of season two!"

Malcolm is Something Fresh

E. Callaway | Grand Rapids, MI USA | 12/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, I was disappointed to read that I wasn't the first person to equate the family on "Malcolm in the Middle" with "The Simpsons." But, it is true, this is the most functionally dysfunctional family on earth. No counselor, no psychologist, not even psychiatrist could tame the insanity. The cast is great. Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz, narrates the show and gives it an amazingly funny perspective. Lois, the mother, is outrageously funny, she is insane and quintessential to the show. Hal, the father, is a bit of a bumbling idiot, but in a harmless and good way. Francis, the eldest child, advises from afar his little brothers on the inner-workings of their mother. Reese, the second child, older brother of Malcolm, is a bit of an idiot too. Driven by anything that would torment those around him, he gets himself into a great deal of trouble. Then, finally, there is Dewey. He is the youngest, he manages to get lost regularly. He does things that would get an average 6 year old killed. The first season is hilarious. It is great to see how the show progressed from the pilot to the Emmy winner. I look forward to the next season coming out on DVD. epc"

Outstanding first season for the "true" American family

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 04/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know about you, but I've always felt that The Simpsons didn't represent the goofyness at the heart of the American family. I'll admit it--the family on this television program represents mine at the most intimate level. One exception is that whatever humor we find in situations that occur in ours is usually in hindsight. Luckily we can laugh at this family the first time around.The DVD is of exceptional quality. The full screen presentation does suffer from grain problems on occasion but, on the whole, the transfers are very good. The commentary, outtakes and gag reel are worth the price alone. While the show has continued to evolve and is still as funny as the first season (and, yes, I believe this is the best written sitcom bar none--it's also better written and funnier at a gutbusting level than the Simpsons. Don't get me wrong, I admire The Simpsons but it's strayed away from the very qualities that made it special and funny a long, long time ago).Frankie Muniz is perfectly cast as Malcolm but, more importantly, the actors portraying this family are equally as loopy and fun to observe. I really haven't found a weak link in the first season casting. The pilot deservingly won Emmys for best direction and writing. The extended version adds a bit of additional fun that wasn't on the final aired version. Additionally, there are bits added to a couple of episodes that were deleted for time constraints and other reasons when the original episodes aired in 2000. It's amazing that such a quality show could ever have been seen as nothing more than a mid-season replacement.While the box set is a bit light on episodes (there wasn't a full season produced during season one as it was a replacement series) the extras more than make up for that. Additionally, the commentary adds quite a bit to a couple of episodes and make the discs worth viewing again just to find out the odd little tidbits mentioned. While Season Two would continue to build on the success of the first season, it wasn't until Season three that there was additional comic depth added to the program."