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Cirque du Soleil - Dralion

Cirque du Soleil - Dralion

List Price: $24.95
Your Price: $22.46
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Superb performance ruined by horrible, choppy editing!
Review: First let me be clear - Cirque du Soleil performers and shows are of incomparable artistry, athleticism and imagination.

Cirque du Soleil's previous DVD, Quidam, is far, far superior to this effort for reasons totally unrelated to the performers, but for the near perfect camera work, direction and editing sadly lacking in Dralion.

Dralion, is nearly unwatchable due to constant edits from camera to camera, far too often right in the middle of an interesting bit of action. Not to mention the incessant cuts to quick shots of one of the singers - whose singing is O.K. but are a visual zero - so often that it stops the flow of the performance and makes me wonder how Cirque du Soleil could blow it so badly on the final edit. Quidam flows effortlessly from start to finish.

They show some of the action in slow motion. Why??? I don't know of any DVD players without even a halfway decent slo-mo feature, so why interrupt the flow of the performance with someone else's idea of what is worth slo-mo?

Even more disappointing are the included multi-angle segments, with shaky, poorly framed shots that annoy more than enhance. Good idea, badly executed. Quidam has no slo-mo or multiple angles. I don't miss them a bit.

If I hadn't seen Quidam first, I might have thought more of Dralion. As it is now, I would hope they reissue this DVD with even an average edit.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I love this stuff
Review: Don{t now much about the DVD but i love the Cirque so I supouse it must be seper

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Totally and incardbly AMAZING!!!
Review: This is THE most wonderfull circus I have ever seen! The acts are amazing and the only thing that could top the preformences are the amazing song that I just can not get tired from! I have never heard beafor of "cirqe du solil" but I must say that this is a wonderfull start! Do not leave without buing it, it is a MUST!!!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: It doesn't stand a chance against other Cirque videos.
Review: I start this with a story. Around 10 years ago, when the Goodwill Games came to Seattle, Cirque Du Soleil came to Seattle supporting the Novueau Experience show. Mother said, "Let's go to the circus. It's nothing like you've seen." I stopped at 'circus' and said, "NO." My parents went and came back. They made me the second time. I was floored. What on earth was this?

Then later, Saltimbanco came out and much later, I found Quidam. Lost in the shuffle was Dralion. For me, each show has been better than the last, each show has been more fantastic, more awesome, more bizarre. With the exception of Alegria (a movie, not a live show), Dralion fits in quite poorly. I was quite bored when watching this. It doesn't hold the fun, emotion or fascination that Quidam or even the older Saltimbanco. (And yes, I saw Saltimbanco summer 2000 and it was awesome)

The show felt like it was the international version of Cirque (as if it wasn't before). You had the African dancer doing her thing. And while I thought it may have a more Asian feel to it, it turned out to be a B-rate version of Cirque. There were few acts that I even liked. Handbalancing I have always found to be really entertaining and I loved the Teeterboard performance. And that was about it.

I really should have checked it out first because it's quite a disappointment. I admit, I compare it with Quidam. Quidam had a wonderful story, though it was untold. It was fun, Dralion not. Look at the crowd in it. They didn't look that impressed. The hooting and hollering wasn't as loud as in the other videos. Maybe if there was a slight story to it, it would have sucked me in better and made me more interested.

The ending was pretty unspectacular. I don't recommend this video, but rather, Quidam. It's even by the same director, David Mallet, but what went wrong? Why do the other angles that are available look like they are done by a high end camcorder?

I don't know how soon I will send this back. The show was very boring and I couldn't wait for it to be over. Quidam is the one to buy for people who either love the show or you just want to show them what the Cirque world is about. Dralion, leave it on the shelf or at least rent it instead.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: SUPERB!! SUPERB!!...... WOW
Review: I am trying to find words that describe Cirque Du Soleil performances .... only one comes to mind ... superb.

I have seen both resident shows in Las Vegas, and the resident show in Orlando. I have Saltimbanco on VHS, Quidam and Dralion on DVD. It is impossible for me to say that one of this magnificent performances is a favorite over the others...I refuse to do so. Each one of this shows is so amazingly unique and breath taking, it would be like comparing apples and oranges.

I saw Dralion live under the big top and once again was mesmerized by the outstanding show Cirque Du Soleil put together. It is a fantastic show. The customs are beautiful, the acts are amazing, the music is enchanting. I bought the Dralion DVD as soon as it was available for retail and was extremely pleased with all the features. It was worth every penny. It comes with a making of Dralion documentary which by the way was very interesting and informative. It also has different view angles you can choose.

The different view angles are not polished edited camera shots. In fact, they are unedited raw footage, and you can see shaky, wobbling movements by the performers, but I was very glad to see Cirque Du Soleil using the multiple angle feature. Even the big film companies don't do this. I have 90+ DVDs and Dralion is the only one in the pile with multiple angles.

I have read other reviews complaining of poor filming (i.e.. choppy video, short camera shots, narrow angels, etc., etc.). I would slightly agree, but we must keep in mind that during the show not everything is happening at the camera points. There is so much more going on all over the stage and everything is related to the story theme. I would hate to be the editor of a film like this.

Even though Cirque Du soleil is not a film company, they have outdone themselves once again. I highly recommend this DVD and anything else that is Cirque Du Soleil. It is clean good fun for the whole family. You will be dazzled and mesmerized, and will never be disappointed by this folks. I recommend even more that you see the shows live every chance you get in order to get the full effect. Even though I have already seen Quidam on DVD, I am flying to Zurich in the fall to experience the grandeur of the live show....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Absolutely amazing!
Review: Wow. And, like, wow. :) This is an amazing video, with an amazing soundtrack to go with. The stunts these acrobats are able to do are stunning, and Erik Karol and Agnes Sohier both have wonderful voices. A must-see!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dralion is Dreamy
Review: I fell in love with Dralion after seeing it on Bravo back in December. I had seen Saltimbanco in Seattle last summer and was hooked, but seeing Dralion launched me into the realm of FAN! When I saw a DVD was available, I instantly purchased it and have not regretted a moment of it. The featurette was a wonderful insight into the development of the show. I could have watched another 5 hours of that alone! The show on DVD is marvelous. The multi-angles were really fun -- having had some TV production experience, it took me back to the days in the "truck" directing a show! Viktor Lee is incredible...I'll never look at jugglers the same way again and Erik Karol is a god! His voice is sublime. I've become a fan of countertenors in an instant. Let me put it this way, this show has made its way into my dreams at night and I wake up smiling. That's saying a lot considering I've never seen it live. Dralion is worth every cent.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Much improved Cirque DVD
Review: I have seen La Nouba in Orlando and I instantly became a Cirque fan. I eagerly rented the Quidam DVD and I was very disappointed, the filming seemed awkward and didn't capture the energy of a live show. I'm happy to report that the DVD Dralion was much improved, complete with multiple angles and more effective camera work. There's even a feature where you can watch the sections with multiple angles separately. This DVD was exciting and the "making of" section really added to my appreciation of the show. I couldn't believe the show came together in 6 months despite many barriers (including language). The best thing I can say about this DVD is that I now want to see the show live more than ever! Well worth a buy or rental.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Magical, Unique and Wonderous
Review: I have always been a big Cirque fan and have NEVER been disappointed by any Cirque production. This DVD is well worth your time and money. Dralion is magical, unique and above all it touches your senses and drives your soul. The cultural aspect of this show lives through the ancient chinese circus, and feeds upon those traditions. The acts, amazing!! The music, beautiful!! The stage, both modern and ancient. If you ever have the opportunity to see a cirque production, take the time and the money to do so. There are two shows here in Las Vegas, "O" and Mystere. Both are a 5 star!! Also don't forget to check out the DVD Quidam, a triumph in itself.....

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dralion
Review: MUST have this copy on your DVD collection. It's amazing...


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