The Lizzie McGuire Show Boxed Set - Volume One

Rating:
Summary: A Great show and a great DVD for fans
Review: I thought this was a great DVD and great tv show. This show you can really relate to.I am not some little like nine-year old saying this. Mostly during the second season it had a lot of things I could relate to as well as a few episodes from the first season. While many haters of the show thinks this is like sugarcoated or something about someone's life. Did you ever once consider that maybe a person does have this life? I mean not everyone cusses up a storm, has perverted thoughts, and their main goal in high school is to get laid. This show did identfy with a lot of things and each episode was great to watch even many people's not so favorite episode "Those Freaky McGuires". People could identify with Lizzie because well a lot of what happened in Lizzie's life might have happened in their's. I mean sure you might have more friends then Lizzie and maybe a couple more siblings, and maybe a ste-mom or a stepdad but its the situations that you can identify and that's all that really matters. This isn't some big soap opera where everything goes wrong. This is life, you can have good days. Nor is this Dawson's Creek or any other overdosed sex teen series. If someone wants to bash a tv show why not at one of those teen shows? I mean that is just the same crap repeated over and over and over and over again. Yet people enjoy it. I don't understand that aboutt people. How they could watch such shows like that. This show is a must see.

The DVD although not stacked with bonus featres was still a great DVD. They had the commentaries that I could just sit there and laugh the entire time they talk about the episode and they also had the Cash Dishes the Dirt, where Lalaine, Jake Thomas, Clayton Snyder, and Ashlie Brillault, talk a little bit about how the series affected them and even the day they went to try out. They even visited the outside of Lizzie's school. Although I enjoyed both of these featres, it fell a little short without Hilary and Adam. I would have really enjoyed their commentary on each episode. Let's just hope that when the future Volume 2 will have Adam on it. If we can't have Hilary, lets at least have Adam. Especially since season two mainly envolves Lizzie and Gordo and their L/G storylines. Now it did fall a little short again with having on 22 of the 31 episodes. But hey its Di$ney.

I know a lot of people may have the series recorded on tapes but lets think about this you might have 10 maybe 15 tapes containing the entire series, and maybe commercial breaks. Wheras you could trade in all those tapes in for four DVD disks, with bonus featres. And commentary on five episodes. And let's not forget the picture on the DVD, it is much cleaner then TV. And it doesn't have the Disney Channel logo at the bottom with annoying little popups on something Disney Channel is going to air or whats going on over on Disney Channel's website. Then with the annoying voiceover of them telling you about a movie they are going to show next at the end credits. On the DVD it wil also have clean cuts where commercial breaks are taken. If I were you I would spring for the DVD instead. It's better and it saves space.

Rating:
Summary: Bad = School, Badder = school finals,Baddest=LIZZIE MCGUIRE
Review: I can safely assume that most of the reviewers of this product are kids who probably haven't even had their voices change yet and find this Greek tragedy of a show to be a delightful find because, supposedly, "no one understands you" and this show somehow captures the mystery that is you by stuffing it with tired stereotypes and the people who had the gall to tack on a statement that states: "Real kids just like you."

"Lizzie McGuire" is basically about the mishaps and everyday encounters with the good, the bad, and the ugly while living with her perfect little suburbanite family and having 2 best friends by her side (and ONLY two friends.) For some reason or another, people find this show to come dangerously close to the gritty realism that is adolescence simply because they mention puberty a couple of times in the show. However, no premise can be complete without the arch-nemesis, the opposite of Lizzie's own supposed sublime and sweet personality: another blonde, this one taller, by the name of Kate, who takes sick pleasure in ridiculing Lizzie with stupid insults, laughable (in the bad way) put downs, and occasional flaunts of her popularity in Lizzie's face. In reality, this is probably not would happen should you attend an average middle school. In truth, there is no one definite popular girl that resides over the rest, and they would also be much too lazy to make fun of you, they have better things to do, like check their makeup or talk about their next prey (guys) to tackle and pounce on.

Oh, but wait, we can't have a show about teenagers without that poetic fantasy known as love... or something like it. Like in countless clones predecessing "Lizzie McGuire," the school heartthrob is, once again, a clueless idiot with his head in the clouds and yet somehow managed to matriculate grade school. But does that matter to the fawning girls? No! His good looks are enough to stabilize inner fantasies to be his girlfriend and hopefully, wife and doormat.

Lizzie's best friends are Miranda and Gordo. Miranda (Lalaine) is a Lizzie clone, save for the blondness and slightly edged with more attitude and strength. The character is also badly acted--Lalaine seems to try too hard by emphasizing her lines with too much intensity or something. Gordo (Adam Lamburg) is the guy (because the writers had to stuff one somewhere) who has an unfortunate name; if you know Spanish, you know what I'm talking about. He is a bit more of a welcoming face but again, the writers seem to think to only make it fair to level out the ditziness of Lizzie and Miranda with Gordo's witty intelligence. Also, why is there always a trio? What's the obsession with threes?

Lizzie's family is a painful stereotype. The father is another clueless family man who means well, the mother is the overbearing woman in charge of everything, and the brother is a trouble-making annoying goof. How many times has this picture been painted, and why is it continually being portrayed when we're all aware that we only know, perhaps, 2 people in real life with a family like that? It also endorses some sort of reference to 1950's sexual politics: Daddy is the breadwinner while Mommy stays home and tends to the kids and house. It's almost laughable.

Hilary Duff herself is just a bad actress. The occasional upset faces she puts on are hilariously phony and just overall... blah. Somehow she got lucky with the show and America loves little teenager blondes (the Olsen twins) so she seemingly decides to use that popularity to start a singing career and a whole bunch of other stuff. But then again, its probably wise on her part to do so. She should invest on the moment as much as she can before her 15 minutes are up and she becomes another former child star burnout.

Overall, this show is just bad. The stories, the situations, its just too bland and about as deep as a wad of spit. The characters aren't that well-rounded, they have only a few defining traits. It doesn't even try to tap into the huge well that is growing up--there's really no angst, there's no emotional complexities, there's no moodiness. I'm not saying turn it into a "Dawson's Creek" - this could be a good show if they incorporate some of the aforementioned into it while still retaining humor (GOOD humor would be nice) and even playful satire. But its not, the writers thought they obviously knew what to say when they decided to shape out another blonde cut-out with her thoughts revealed to the whole world (and thats just the good thoughts, oh no don't say the dirty stuff we all know girls think too). I give this sham 2 stars because while its painful to view, the unrealistically glammed-up characters manage to mercifully ward you away from whats going on by making you think, "Ooh, I like her blouse, where can I get that?"

Rating:
Summary: Finally The 1st Season Of Lizzie McGuire on DVD!!!
Review: I Love Lizzie McGuire.I'm a Big Huge Fan of the show.I think that Gordo was 1 of the Hottset Guys on the show.That show is about a 13 yearold girl name Lizzie & she's in Middle School she has 2 best friends name Gordo & Miranda they deal with the ups & downs of Middle School like popularity,boys & snooty girls like Kate Sanders.This Show Rocks & this was the Best Show on Disney Channel Ever!!!!

Rating:
Summary: WHERE IS BOX SET 2??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I was mildly disappointed when the earlier Lizzie McGuire DVDs came out, because they included only a few randomly selected episodes and virtually no bonus features...it was like they were rushing to get something on the market to keep up with the trend of releasing TV shows on DVD.

Now, with this box set, Disney has done it right. First, EVERY EPISODE will eventually be in the set. This first set of 4 DVDs contains every one of the first 22 episodes. I prefer the chronological arrangement of episodes to the thematic arrangement that they were trying earlier.

While there could be a FEW more bonus features included with this, is far outdoes the earlier release. An optional audio commentary for a few of the episodes features several of the castmembers (no Hilary) reflecting on what it was like to film the episode. It's fun to hear their playful banter as they watch the episode with you, and it provides a little window into the real feelings of the real actors.

And as for the series itself, you can't do any better for heartwarming, funny, harmless family television. Parts of it are cheesy, parts are very intelligent and witty. There are some fantastic actors (especially gifted are Lizzie's parents, Matt, and Gordo...Jake Thomas and Adam Lamberg both have solid careers ahead of them). And I love Hilary, of course. This is a great way to unwind after a stressful day when you're not in the mood for something super intense, like Schindler's List or something, but want something that is smart and touching. Lizzie will make you laugh and smile. It's a picture of a sweeter, simpler, nicer world.

Oh, and by the way, you can get this for $35 ($5 cheaper) at Target. Not a big difference, but it can help a little.

Rating:
Summary: Lizzie McGuire...dosent suck
Review: Lizzie McGuire...well the thing that comes to mind when people say that is Hilary Duff, and alot of people hate her. I am one who dosent. This show for me is one of those shows that you can watch the same episode quite alot of times and you dont really get sick of it.
I watch the box set quite alot. I dont get sick of it!
This is no Dawson's Creek (another show I like) but its like a Dawson's for kids. It dosent deal with the depressing sides of being a 13 yr old, but it deals with some of the stuff.
Its a entertaining sometimes cheesy show but it is also funny and has alot of heart.
Give it a try whatever age you are, there may be somehting u might like!
Its a pretty good show considering itson Disney channel a channel mainly showing repeats of movies they showed last night ,cartoons and Raven.
The people giving this show bad reviews are obviously a bit old for this show,they find it stupid! Its really not that stupid as I said before just give it a try chances are the people giving this show bad reviews have only seen like a couple of episodes if not just 5 mins!
AND HILARY DUFF ISNT A BAD ACTRESS.

Rating:
Summary: It gets a bad rap, but it's actually a good show
Review: Lots of critics (including one on this site, so far) like to put this show down, calling it shallow and empty. They're not really being fair to it. Sure, it takes place in a peaceful suburban junior high school where the worst "student crimes" for the principal to deal with are a food fight in the cafeteria and the breaking of the statue of a former principal; this may or may not be "realistic" for your own school experiences, depending on whether or not you instead attended the sort of school that has metal detectors to prevent guns and knives, and students prone to drug dealing, pregnancy, and suicide. You won't find any of that in this show, and why is this such a terrible thing? I have no problem with there being other TV shows, movies, books, and the like which do address these sorts of "heavy" issues, but what's wrong with there also being some lighter, more escapist entertainment? The producers of Lizzie McGuire set out to make a G-rated children's program for the Disney Channel, and they did a very good job at what they did.

Sure, the characters have a certain amount of shallowness to their personalities and tastes; would they be realistic portrayals of teenagers if they didn't? The show's producers seem to have anticipated the sorts of criticism the characters would get, as they sometimes have characters in the show itself voice similar objections, especially Gordo, who often tries to talk Lizzie and Miranda into being a little less "teenybopperish".

While the characters do act in a shallow way sometimes, that doesn't mean they're shallowly defined; there's actually a good deal of depth and complexity to the personalities and relationships of the characters on this show, something that has been the springboard for a vigorous online fan fiction community, something only a handful of TV shows has developed.

In addition to the characters, the show has also developed a very distinctive look, feel, and sound, and also makes extensive and clever use of pop cultural references that go well beyond the expected mentions of current-day teen pop to encompass things from every decade from the '50s on, and background music from classic rock to classical.

At any rate, this DVD collection is the first of an expected three volumes, covering 22 of the 65 episodes of the series. It mostly consists of the first episodes in production order (which differs from the order of airing, as the Disney Channel has a habit of scrambling episode order), but there are two episodes from the first 22 which are inexplicably substituted out in favor of others that are actually later. There are commentaries on three of the episodes by cast members (unfortunately excluding Hilary Duff), and a few more bonus features. For a fan of the show who wants a well-organized episode collection, this is a good buy.

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST TV SHOW BOX SET EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: No, Lizzie McGuire isn't a life changing show, but it is a fun show and I was glad to see Disney decide to make a box set. As box sets go, it's pretty good. We get some extras featuring cast members including commentary and a short featurette. Hilary herself doesn't partcipate but unless she suddenly decides to embrace the show that made her famous, her participation isn't likely on any future projects either. I don't mind her absence but hardcore Hilary fans might.

Some have said the commentaries aren't very informative but what do you expect from a group of teenagers who are also close friends. Kids won't care how much information they learn but rather that the kids on the show seem to have genuine friendships and fond memories of the show that started their careers. They are having fun and that is all that matters. I do wish there were some additional commentaries and perhaps an extended blooper reel, but maybe we'll see that on volume 2.