Rating: 
Summary: Good, but Quidam better
Review: Well, let me start off by saying that the only other Cirque du Soleil performance I've seen is Quidam, so comparisons are enevitable. I've just finished watching Dralion, and the most noticable difference for me is the vocals/music. The vocals and music for Quidam was nothing short of breathtaking. It sounded so angelic and surreal that it felt like I was drawn into the performances and transported into a different world. I was in a dream, not knowing where I was going, but eager to follow the superb vocals. So maybe it was wrong to expect the same thing with this performance, but on initial viewing I didn't get any of those feelings. The vocals/music just didn't do anything for me, didn't pull me in. It was just background noise that set the tempo. But maybe that's just my taste in music, or maybe because of my expectations. Maybe it'll grow on me. . . Read the other comments about the video editing, this is my biggest complaint. They show the singers too much. Someone will be in the middle of their act and then it will cut to the singers! Several times I found myself saying,"No, no, I don't want to see that. Go back to the performance!" This is made even worse when you're looking at the singer and you hear the audience start clapping, making you wonder what you had missed. The other thing with the video editing is the use of slow motion. While some of its use was good, most of the time I found it distracting and generally ruining the action. The jumping thru rings act was a good use of slow motion, though I wish some of the jumps were in real time, especially that last one. On the other hand, almost every release and catch in the trapeze act was in slow motion. A few times would have been okay, but every time?! If you don't know what I mean, imagine watching a sport when something exciting happens, but they only show it in slow motion. In slow motion the speed, excitement, and amazement that leaves you in awe and disbelief of the skills involved is gone. What was once a blur of motion and something that required split second timing is reduced to a slowed down version where you can see everything that happened in a time span much longer, thus making it look a whole lot easier than it was and taking away the tension. At least when they show the real time first and then the slow motion you can be amazed and then be even more amazed and in awe of their skill when you see what actually happened in the briefest of moments. Alas, that doesn't happen here. I understand the difficulties in filming something like this, so that explains the camera shots, but at least leave everything in real time! Put the slow motion shots in the bonus features or put two versions on the dvd please!!! So far all you've heard is me complain, but I really did enjoy the performances. They were nothing short of amazing and very entertaining. Where it fell apart for me was the vocals/music and video editing. Without those problems, I would have given 5 stars easily but those problems interrupt and distract so much I can only give it 4. Overall good, but could have been so much better. . .
Rating: 
Summary: High energy crowd pleaser that stays true to CdS tradition
Review: Cirque du Soleil is a uniquely Québécois experience. What started out as a few friends performing together in summer festivals blossomed into an international corporation synonymous with imagination, feats to dazzle the senses, music to astound the ears and costumes to dazzle the eyes. Cirque's motto is "Invoquer l'imaginaire, provoquer les sens, évoquer l'émotion," or "invoke the imagination, provoke the senses, evoke the emotions," and Dralion delivers on all these counts. Dralion is CdS's twelveth production and is a blend of East and West. The majority of the cast is Chinese, and the acts incorporate traditional Chinese circus acts with Cirque favourites. The costumes range from African to Indian to Chinese, and the lead singers Érik Karol and Agnes Sohier represent a godlike figure, l'Âme Force, and as such they have the most extravagant costumes. Originally Érik did all of the singing in Dralion but Agnes was added as the tour progressed. Érik has since left Dralion and has been replaced by Frank Irving. The role of l'Âme Force was created around Érik's unique countertenor voice, which is put to stunning effect in songs such as "Stella Errans," and "Hinko" where he switches from head to chest voice at the drop of a hat. "Ballare" is a beautiful slow ballad/duet that accompanies one of the most stunning acts in Dralion: an aerial pas de deux in which the two performers are suspended from the ceiling by only a length of blue silk which they wrap around themselves. The Dralion soundtrack is also available for purchase (it is my favourite CdS soundtrack ever!) and recently won two awards from Billboard for being a top World Music album for 2001. All of the acts are sure to keep you entertained, and the bright colours and silly dralions keep kids' attentions as well. And yes, there are clowns. A new breed of clowns, evidently. In keeping with the Cirque tradition of "Reinventing the Circus" these clowns don't squeeze into cars. They don't wear flowers that squirt water. They do pick on audience members rather mercilessly at times, but it's part of the fun. The behind-the-scenes documentary was excellent, with lots of rehearsal footage and interviews with the composer, producer, and many of the cast. And the alternate camera angles made the show interactive! Dralion won two Emmy Awards for best show, and it's easy to see why. A fascinating fusion of world cultures. If you can't make it to a Cirque du Soleil show live, this DVD is the next best thing!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!!!!!!!!
Review: It was great, I saw the show live when it came to Dallas and LOVED it, I LOVE every act. I watch it over and over, there is very little Eglish but it tells a story, not only of East meets West, but watch closely and find several other stories, this DVD will be a pleasure to everyone, this DVD is a must have, whether you've seen it live, watch Cirque du Soleil often, or new to the experience of Cirque du Soleil. Loved every act! This DVD is a MUST have!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The DVD is way better than the LIVE show!
Review: I love the DVD, but when I saw Dralion LIVE, I was disappointed. The hilarious woman and man "nurd-clowns" that appear in several segments in the DVD were not in the live show. Also, the music was WAY too loud --to the point of distortion. And the entire dual-trapeze act was missing! For $74.40 per seat, I wanted the perfection I saw on the DVD! As for the editing of the DVD... it's GREAT!! When they cut away to show some other interesting shot, they always come back quick enough so that I didn't feel I missed anything, but got the additional benefit of the other shots. That was in fact one of the things I missed in the live show! On the DVD, we get to see a close up of the hand-balancing girls face from floor view. And close-ups of all the other performers as well, interspersed with the wide-angle views. Essentially, every second of the DVD is an artisitic feast for the eyes, such as the arial view of the giant flag routine. At the live show I was limited to the solitary perspective of my 9th row center seat. So I think that a live version can never really compare with the DVD! Each Cirque member puts their heart and soul into every performace, and I even felt a real human connection -- perhaps you could call it love -- from everyone I came in contact with, from the ticket seller to the man who sold me my Odwalla juice at intermmission. But, back to my DVD review... I really enjoyed the "Making of Dralion" footage on the DVD. It made me appreciate all the work that goes into a show like this, especially when under a tight deadline. The music is captured beautifully, and unlike the live show, with the DVD you can set the volume to your liking! I really like the singing. Dralion is not as good as Quidam, but it's better than any of the other Cirque DVDs I've seen. And the music really grows on you. I've taped the music from both Quidam and Dralion, and I enjoy listening to both. Even the music alone is a tranformational experience for me. The Dralion DVD should be a part of any Cirque fan's collection.
Rating:
Summary: Only if you love it....
Review: I have a great passion for Cirque du Soleil and have seen many shows live. Although I didn't expect the DVD to be nearly as good as the live version, i also didn't expect it to have such poor videography. I was disappointed when i watched it to find out that the camera zoomed in too far and too fast and did not show the whole stage view as much as I would have liked. Having seen the show in person I can vouch for the fact that the lack of angles makes you miss some very amazing sights. The constant zooming and panning was nausiating at times. If you love Cirque, or would like to see what it's like, this is a great DVD to have in your collection - but these guys have won awards for their acrobatic skills - not their camera skills!
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the price
Review: The entire show is wonderfully performed. What I like best about this DVD over other Cirque DVDs is that there are multi-angle performances to certain acts, and the behind-the-scenes look is very interesting to watch. We saw Dralion live in Chicago, and sadly, some of the acts and performers who were in the DVD are no longer with the show. I really like Les Voila and the umbrella juggler in the DVD, so to me the DVD feels more complete than the live show. This should be a definate purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: VERY disappointed!
Review: The performance was terrific, but the editing and camera work were TERRIBLE. There were countless times when at the most exciting moment of a stunt, the camera would cut away and show the audience. I also think they spent too much time with the camera on the singers. Don't get me wrong - the singers were great and added a lot to the music, but by filming them, they missed some of the stunts. A couple months after I saw the video, I saw Dralion live and it was amazing. It was hard to believe it was even the same show. Whoever allowed this video to be released should be ashamed. It is not at all representative of the wonderful work Cirque du Soleil produces.
Rating:
Summary: This is my favorite of three
Review: Being a Cirque newbie, I bought this DVD along with Quidam after seeing La Nouba at Disney. The dynamic score in this performance is easily my favorite with a Eastern/African (and other parts of the world) fused together in a interesting and new way. The acts were dazzling of course, but I found the new age juggler acts to be my favorite. As well, the behind the scenes was a welcome extra and the multi angle feature for four of the acts allowed me to see the acts that way I want and be closer to the feeling of being there (sometimes I find the camera zooms in at the inappropriate time) Each Cirque Du Soleil is unique and once you watch one, you'll want to see others to see what these creative geniuses have in store. So far, I like Quidam the most because of the score which feels like a soundtrack from a grand epic movie. Gotta go now...and watch it again.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing! Incredible! Heartstopping!
Review: Dralion combines amazing acrobatics, hilarious clowns and beautiful music into one. This is a must have for anyone, and thats why I recomend Cirque du Soleil's Dralion as a 5!
Rating:
Summary: I was at the taping and the DVD does do it justice...
Review: I was a part of the crew that taped the show for 5 nights and many solo acts. I feel the editing and audio did represent the show well. You still need to see it in person (at least until they come out with a 3D television). The colors and sounds are wonderful, and the bass in the soundtrack comes close to the original. A great gift to you or anyone else....
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