Rating: 
Summary: Dubbed in English??
Review: I loved Traffik when I saw it on Masterpiece Theater and I knew I wanted it for my permanent collection. Predicably, it's the same program (actually with a few minutes extra), with the high-quality picture and sound of a DVD. I was a bit disappointed, however, that the entire first episode was dubbed in English, with no optional audio channel with the original dialogue. On TV the two German narcotics cops spoke German with English subtitles. It was more real, and that was the version I was accustomed to. The latter episodes on the DVD were OK (They spoke German with subtitles).
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Film.
Review: I saw this Series on my local Public Television station some years ago, soon after it came out, as Part of the "Masterpiece Theatre" series. And it was AWESOME:
1. It's own merits; the plot and filming is Magnificent.
2. Alastair Cooke, as the (former) host of "Masterpiece
Theatre" is second-to-none for giving you Riveting
background/introduction information to the film you
are about to see.
However -
1. on the DVD (and VCR Tape, I am sure) - you unfortunately do
not have the wonderful luxury of Alastair Cooke's erudite
company.
And -
2. The opening scenes with the two German detectives are dubbed.
Annoying - as you miss out on a more accurate translation of
what is really being said - and you miss out on the clever
humour going on between the two.
Buy the DVD/Tape anyway, though. It is Outstanding!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Film - but...Disappointed for Specific Reasons...
Review: I saw this Series on my local Public Television station some years ago, soon after it came out, as Part of the "Masterpiece Theatre" series. And it was AWESOME for Three reasons: 1. It's own merits; the plot and filming is Magnificent. 2. Alastair Cooke, as the (former) host of "Masterpiece
Theatre" is second-to-none for giving you Riveting
background/introduction information to the film you
are about to see. 3. The non-English part of the film was in the native
languages (German and Pakistani) with subtitles. However - 1. on the DVD (and VCR Tape, I am sure) - you unfortunately do
not have the wonderful luxury of Alastair Cooke's erudite
company. And - 2. the producers of the DVD (and Tape, I am sure) STUPIDLY
dubbed out the German and Pakistani verbiage with English-
speak. Groooooooan... I was close to pulling my hair out!
There are some Very Witty and Funny and Intense scenes with
Uli and Dietrich (the two German detectives) that simply do
not come across AT ALL with the STUPID Enlish-speak dubbed
in!! You miss so much! And there is Poignancy and Deep
Emotion (in both the German and Pakistani parts) that is
COMPLETELY LOST if you don't hear in the native language
with English subtitles. Auch!! Buy the DVD/Tape anyway, though. It it Still Excellent!
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous Film - but...Disappointed for Specific Reasons...
Review: I saw this Series on my local Public Television station some years ago, soon after it came out, as Part of the "Masterpiece Theatre" series. And it was AWESOME for Three reasons: 1. It's own merits; the plot and filming is Magnificent. 2. Alastair Cooke, as the (former) host of "Masterpiece
Theatre" is second-to-none for giving you Riveting
background/introduction information to the film you
are about to see. 3. The non-English part of the film was in the native
languages (German and Pakistani) with subtitles. However - 1. on the DVD (and VCR Tape, I am sure) - you unfortunately do
not have the wonderful luxury of Alastair Cooke's erudite
company. And - 2. the producers of the DVD (and Tape, I am sure) STUPIDLY
dubbed out the German and Pakistani verbiage with English-
speak. Groooooooan... I was close to pulling my hair out!
There are some Very Witty and Funny and Intense scenes with
Uli and Dietrich (the two German detectives) that simply do
not come across AT ALL with the STUPID Enlish-speak dubbed
in!! You miss so much! And there is Poignancy and Deep
Emotion (in both the German and Pakistani parts) that is
COMPLETELY LOST if you don't hear in the native language
with English subtitles. Auch!! Buy the DVD/Tape anyway, though. It it Still Excellent!
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding and thought-provoking
Review: I saw this when it first aired on PBS and have never forgotten it. It is a devastating look at the realities of the drug war and it's as moving as it is riveting. I enjoyed the new remake but it irritated me that the original was hardly ever mentioned or credited by those who remade it. The original is not only superior to the new one, it is one of the most fascinating programs I've ever seen on television.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely better than the Hollywood production
Review: I was one of the few people in the world who watched this mini-series before the Hollywood production. I must admit the Hollywood version was excellent as well, considering the fact that it didn't have time to build up on characters. This miniseries is one of the most gripping and well-made productions ever. Although it is six hours long, you don't feel that it is and don't even remember looking at the clock while watching it. The lengths at which the production team has gone through to make sure everything looks authentic is admirable. This mini-series was filmed at a time when Pakistan was struggling with its poppy production. I'm glad to say that Pakistan has successfully rooted out the poppy cultivation within its borders, thanks to efforts made by this movie and the like. However, Afghanistan has more than made up for the loss.
Overall, an excellent movie, except for a few overdone scenes, especially the last dramatic climactic scene.
Rating:
Summary: A fabulous mini-series
Review: I watched the BBC original miniseries of Traffik (on 2 DVD discs) more out of curiosity than out of interest, as I didn't like the American film "Traffic." But as I got into the 6-part miniseries, I found myself really liking it a lot. The American Traffic (with a "c" not a "k") is like the filmization of a high school debate on the topic "Resolved: All drugs should be legalized." There's a lot of debate-talk in the film itself, at a very sub-sophomoric level. At the end, you're left with a choice: either legalize drugs or don't. But the movie doesn't address the choice; it simply presents both sides. And like in a high school debate, you wind up criticizing the debators rather than debating the issues. Traffik is very different. There's very little unnecessary talk or theorizing in it. The foreign country is Pakistan, not Mexico, and you don't have to see it as if you're wearing very heavy yellow sunglasses. The result is more nitty-gritty than Mexico, and also something that, for all its strangeness, is more empathetic than Mexico. It is a slice-of-life film, like the American offshoot, but the parts are presented more in story form than in debate form. We have the same father, who is a high-level drug enforcement bureaucrat, with the same daughter who is on drugs (except the British version of her shooting up is more detailed and graphic). And at the end, there is the same speech by the drug official, or almost the same. But the payoff is entirely different. In Traffic, the speech was like a summation of the debate, leaving you with a stark choice. But in Traffik, the speech is a new synthesis -- or at least, it seems new in its context. What we hear is not both sides of the story, nor a summation, but rather we hear the core thinking of the drug-enforcement program, and we realize that that core thinking itself is fundamentally incoherent. If you liked Traffic, you'll love Traffik. If you didn't like Traffic, you might like (but perhaps not love) Traffik a lot. -- Tony D'Amato
Rating:
Summary: A fabulous mini-series
Review: I watched the BBC original miniseries of Traffik (on 2 DVD discs) more out of curiosity than out of interest, as I didn't like the American film "Traffic." But as I got into the 6-part miniseries, I found myself really liking it a lot. The American Traffic (with a "c" not a "k") is like the filmization of a high school debate on the topic "Resolved: All drugs should be legalized." There's a lot of debate-talk in the film itself, at a very sub-sophomoric level. At the end, you're left with a choice: either legalize drugs or don't. But the movie doesn't address the choice; it simply presents both sides. And like in a high school debate, you wind up criticizing the debators rather than debating the issues. Traffik is very different. There's very little unnecessary talk or theorizing in it. The foreign country is Pakistan, not Mexico, and you don't have to see it as if you're wearing very heavy yellow sunglasses. The result is more nitty-gritty than Mexico, and also something that, for all its strangeness, is more empathetic than Mexico. It is a slice-of-life film, like the American offshoot, but the parts are presented more in story form than in debate form. We have the same father, who is a high-level drug enforcement bureaucrat, with the same daughter who is on drugs (except the British version of her shooting up is more detailed and graphic). And at the end, there is the same speech by the drug official, or almost the same. But the payoff is entirely different. In Traffic, the speech was like a summation of the debate, leaving you with a stark choice. But in Traffik, the speech is a new synthesis -- or at least, it seems new in its context. What we hear is not both sides of the story, nor a summation, but rather we hear the core thinking of the drug-enforcement program, and we realize that that core thinking itself is fundamentally incoherent. If you liked Traffic, you'll love Traffik. If you didn't like Traffic, you might like (but perhaps not love) Traffik a lot. -- Tony D'Amato
Rating: 
Summary: DVD is unwatchable
Review: I'm strongly in the minority here, and I desperately wanted to share in the celebration of this series, but, as one or two other reviewers have noted here, the horrendous quality of the transfer and the almost comically bad dubbing stopped me from getting through the first hour. The opening sequences in Germany had me checking to see if I had the right DVD in the player. I felt like I was watching a C-grade German action flick from the '70s (if there ever was such thing!). Follow that up with Pakistani farmers speaking in borderline Apu Nahasapemapetalan (the Kwikee Mart owner from The Simpsons) -esque accents and I just couldn't take it. I'm holding out hope that one day they issue a DVD of the "original" version that another reviewer mentioned, where the dialogue is subtitled as it should be. As I said, most people won't care a lick about this kind of thing, but if dubbing and poor print quality bug you, stay away!
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant!
Review: If you haven't seen this stunning British miniseries, but you have seen the Soderburgh ripoff- well, you're in for a treat. Ten years ago this show stunned viewers around the globe with its dramatic and in-depth portrayal of the world of heroin. I managed to catch it on my local PBS outlet, and was absolutely knocked out by the quality of the writing, the acting and the production in general. There were none of the cheap platitudes or easy answers of the Soderburgh film, nor where there any easy villains to blame. The producers of "Traffik" manage to convey the complexity and the difficulty of the worldwide trade in heroin without ever resorting to cliches or pat answers. "Traffik" is perhaps one of the best ten mniniseries ever made in any country on any topic. Six stars.
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