Rating: 
Summary: don't waste your $$ on this dvd
Review: Terrible + serious + damaging + definite miscast in Irene and no character development what-so-ever, the Saga is predictable and mundane. This story gives substance to "pre-destiny" theory (what, in this day and age?):Rich Soames never gets what he wants (the woman and the son) and penniless Irene gets everything (the money, the man(2X), and the son).
Rent it if you can, better if free of charge, you would be glad you did.
Rating: 
Summary: Postmodern Victorians
Review: Take a few twenty-first-century Westerners, transplant them among the wellborn of nineteenth-century England, and you have the characters of this series...or so it seems. Everyone is supposed to be a well-bred Brit, and yet many of the prominent portrayals are of people who seem unaccountably alien to the depicted time period. Worse, these characters set the moral tone of the saga, which utterly rings hollow in a Victorian Age drama. Betrayal of spouse, child, fiancee, and friend is acceptable if sexual desire is strong enough. Those of an artistic bent are adored and forgiven all, while those of a prudent and practical turn are despised and shunned. The unconventional is declared beautiful and accepted as such by one and all. Hardly the stuff of a prim, proper, and strait-laced era! Overall, the characterizations--though well acted--lack depth, and many of the supporting roles serve as mere props and foils. All the action seems to spiral toward a central female lead, and when a character is bounced from her direct orbit, he or she withers as a personality within the plot. There is nothing of the surreal in the story, though some situations seem almost fantastical in their rosy depictions of characters' reduced circumstances. However, the costumes and settings are typically grand and meticulously authentic, and admirers of British period pieces might well glean appreciation from this alone.
Rating: 
Summary: Well, two-thirds of the John Galsworthy literary saga
Review: I have neither read John Galsworthy's novels nor seen the classic 1969 BBC version that was the first "Masterpiece Theater," so my perspective is based on recognizing Damian Lewis from "Band of Brothers," Gina McKee from "Notting Hill," Ioan Gruffudd from "Horatio Hornblower," and Amanda Root from "Persuasion." Actually, when I started watching this Granada Television production my immediate thought that this was going to be like "The Magnificent Ambersons," and that sooner or later (I assumed later) Soames Forsyte (Lewis) was going to get his comeuppance. By the end I was thinking more in line of "Rich Man, Poor Man," because Young Jolyon Forsyte (Rupert Graves) becomes the other pivotal Forsyte in the saga and his path and Soames do cross throughout. These comparisons are not meant to be gratuitous, because I think the mini-series at its best is as good as it gets (think "Shogun," "Lonesome Dove," "Pride & Prejudice," name your own--in your heart you know that I am right). The short version of this saga is that it chronicles the lives of three generations of a monied, middle-class English family at the turn of the century. As our saga begins Winifred (Root) becomes engaged to the wastrel Montague Darties. Young Jolyon is disowned by his father (Corin Redgrave) after leaving his wife of this daughter June's governess. Soames is a solicitor who forces his marriage to the beautiful but penniless and therefore desperate Irene, who falls in love with Philip Bosinney, the French architect hired by Soames to build a home in the country. Those are the starting points for the major characters, but what becomes important is that the characters prove to be dynamic despite all the soap opera elements of the saga. The predictability of their behavior is tempered by some surprises. I also want to praise the adaptation by Stephen Mallatratt and Jan McVerry for its use of meaningful looks: there is a scene early on where Soames and his father have a discussion as to how much money to settle on Winifred after her marriage. Soames says nothing but provokes an entire series of propositions form his father just by minute facial manipulations. I was rather surprised to learn after the fact that "The Forsyte Saga" on these three DVDs is not the entire Galsworthy epic. What we have hear is based on "The Man of Property" (1906), the short story interlude "Indian Summer of a Forsyte" (1918), and the novel "In Chancery" (1920). There is another interlude, "Awakening" (1920) and novel "To Let" (1921) which deals with the third generation of the Forsytes, particularly Fleur and Jon, who are born at the end of this series. However, I was actually pleasantly surprised by where and how the saga ended. I guess this is an "average" British mini-series, which certainly makes it above average by anyone's standards. I did not enjoy it so much that I want to go out and read Galsworthy's novels, but it is still a worthwhile viewing experience. However, I do want to check out the old BBC version.
Rating: 
Summary: Damian Lewis is brillant as Soames Forsyte...
Review: I watched this program on PBS on a whim and fell in love. I think all of the actors did a brillant job in bringing the viewer into the Forsyte world. The most outstanding I believe was Damian Lewis's portrayal of Soames. He is a wonderful actor with incredible range. He could have easily just been purely a villian, but he showed a very human side of Soames. He was too repressed to show his true passion and Irene was too self absorbed to appreciate and nurture it. This is a very entertaining period piece with fine acting. I was chuffed when my family gave me the DVD collection for Christmas.
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite getting this one...
Review: Having never seen the original work or even read the book, I came to this latest DVD version of "The Forsyte Saga" without prejudice to the casting. However, after viewing the 3-disc set I come away shaking my head over one obviously bad choice in casting, just as other viewers did. For the life of me, I could not understand the allure of the Irene character and why so many Forsyte men had gone after her. As for the rest of the cast, most actors suited their parts very well. After greatly enjoying his performance in "Band of Brothers," I wanted to see Damian Lewis in this performance as Soames Forsyte. The character of Soames certainly is a great departure from the character he portrayed in "Band of Brothers." After seeing "Band of Brothers" it was quite odd hearing Mr. Lewis speak with an English accent (although I suppose hearing him with an American accent on BOB should be odd since he is indeed British). Overall, while the series was for the most part well-casted and well-acted, I didn't come away feeling the better for having come to know these characters.
Rating:
Summary: The Original was Better!
Review: I was very excited when I heard that a new version of The Forsyte Saga was coming to television. After all, I was one who had seen the original version two times and read the complete series at least five times. To say I was disappointed in this fall's production is an understatement. Yes, the settings were grand..much more impressive than the original black and white version, which was obviously shot on a sound stage. The problem was the cast. Yes, the cast in the new version is probably closer in age to the characters they portray, and there were some excellent choices, particularly in the casting of Colin Redgrave and Damien Lewis. The biggest problem is Irene. She simply does not look or act like Galsworthy's character -- a brown-eyed blond who attracts men because of her beauty and her inner mystery. She is very fragile and passive on the one hand, but has a complex internal life that draws men to her. The actress who plays Irene in the current version is simply not convincing. If you cannot believe that Soames, Bosinny, young and old Jolyn and the various uncles find her irresistable, then it becomes just another costume drama.
Rating:
Summary: Sadly Miscast
Review: I suppose I am still haunted by the original BBC production, because I simply cannot be drawn into this new adaptation. The worst mistake they made was the casting of Soames and Irene. This Irene is plain, dull, thin and has absolutely no inner fire. It is absolutely impossible for me to believe that every man who meets this woman falls so totally in love with her that he is hopelessly lost forever. And Soames is so totally cold that you never truly understand why he burns for this woman. Even Young Jolyon is a disapointment. The rest of the cast I must admit are truly wonderful. But these main characters, around which the whole story revolves, are a great disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining soap opera, but...
Review: This production was basically a good yarn for Sunday night television. It is not worth the tape price, however, since it does not do justice to the nuances of one of my favorite novels. The one thing this version does accomplish is not so much to create sympathy for Soames as to divert it from Irene. She comes across rather accurately as self-centered, intolerant and smug. After three readings of the novel, I can have no sympathy with a woman who passes all the emotional costs of her mistakes on to others. Soames Forsyte, the "man of property," certainly got the worst of that bargain. I have not seen the 1969 version, but from what I have read it is one of best television series ever. I'm saving my money for the video release in January.
Rating:
Summary: Good Remake--But the earlier version is much superior
Review: I approached this remake with an open mind, having already been enchanted by the novels and the original series on PBS. This series is good, but suffers greatly from miscasting of pivotal character of Irene Heron Forsyte. Gina McKee, a talented actress, does not convey the mystery and allure of Irene the way Nyree Dawn Porter had already done in the original series. Gina McKee's coldness and drabness makes it hard to believe that men would be captivated by her. For instance, I found it hard to believe that Philip Bosinney would throw over sweet and pretty June for this coldblooded woman. Nyree Dawn Porter on the other hand was Irene Forsyte, matching the description of Galsworthy as a beautiful woman with brown eyes and blonde hair who was charming. Ms. Porter effectively portrayed the aversion she had for Soames Forsyte, her first husband, and the warmth and devotion she showed to her second husband, Young Jolyon and their son, Jon. She made it easy to understand why Bosinney would leave June for her. The male characters were better: Rupert Graves, Ioan Gruffaud, Damien Lewis, and Corin Redgrave were wonderful. Damien Lewis captured the tormented Soames quite well and Ioan Gruffaud was an improvement over the actor who played Bosinney in the earlier series. Corin Redgrave was an outstanding Old Jolyon and Rupert Graves was sympathetic as Young Jolyon. The only problem was that Ms. McKee's Irene looked more mature than her love interests, Philip and Young Jolyon. Irene was sixteen years younger than Young Jolyon, but Rupert Graves looked younger than Gina McKee. Ioan Gruffaud looked more suited to the actress playing June than the more mature Irene. The scriptwriters I felt took liberties with the novel that really clashed with what the characters were all about. For instance, the proud Young Jolyon after his exile from his family, would never have gone back to his Uncle James and Cousin Soames asking for a loan. This scene was totally out of character. Also, Irene was supposed to be gentle and passive; Gina McKee's Irene slapped June. This too was totally out of character. There was never a scene with Soames asking his fiancee Annette to throw Young Jolyon and pregnant Irene out of a restaurant. The scene was absurd and totally unnecessary. It would have been better had the writers stayed with the novel and had Soames seeing Irene and Jolyon in a crowd at Queen Victoria's funeral. I also could have done without the graphic bedroom scenes involving Irene and Soames. The first series and the novels more appropriately left their intimate relationship to the imagination. Overall, this was a good effort. I hope that care is taken in casting Fleur Forsyte, who was brilliantly played by Susan Hampshire in the earlier series. If she is miscast, like Irene, the second half will fall apart, since Fleur is such a pivotal character in part two.
Rating:
Summary: A Saga for a new generation
Review: This new adaptation of John Galsworthy's "The Forsyte Saga" is, in a word, wonderful. I've only heard about the original, which some favor over this one, but everything about this production is great. The casting, locations, and costuming are excellent. The actor playing Soames perfectly captures the character of arguably the most tragic figure in the entire Saga. It's clear that he wants to express his love for Irene, but doesn't really know how (this comes through most effectively in the first episode, when he is pursuing Irene). Several of the other actors hold their own as well, notably those playing Winifred and Dartie. I hold only one complaint about the DVD itself: it has an unskippable introduction (which is the same on each of the discs) which does get a little annoying.
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