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Janet Jackson: Live in Hawaii
Eagle Vision // Unrated // September 3, 2002
List Price: $24.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
While I probably wouldn't count myself among the legions of hardcore fans of Janet Jackson's music, I certainly have a great deal of respect for her as an artist. A singer who has spent over a decade crafting catchy dance pop and sincere ballads, Jackson still remains in the spotlight by managing to change her sound to fit the times and making the occasional acting appearance.
This performance marks the final night of her "All For You" tour, taking place in front of a massive and very energized Hawaiian crowd. Jackson goes through 26 of her tunes, boasting a set list that covers both the older hits and a few of the singer's newer numbers ("Doesn't Really Matter"). Unlike the usual concert presentations, we even are whisked backstage for all of Janet's costume changes. While the viewer is never shown all of Janet, it's rather interesting to see how fast the changes have to take place and how the obviously well-rehearsed backstage team has to spring into action and rush the singer back on stage with a new outfit.
Unlike many recent big-name acts, the energy of Jackson's live performance rests mostly on the well-toned shoulders of the singer, who manages to keep the crowd's energy up with some between song chatter and dancing that impresses with its atheticism and grace, never going over-the-top. It's a well-rehearsed show that manages to appear free and natural. Aside from a few too many shots of the crowd, this is a well-filmed and very enjoyable performance, as Jackson's commanding and genuine stage presence carries the evening wonderfully.
Come On Get Up, You Ain't Right, All for You, Love Will Never Do (Without You), Trust a Try, Come Back to Me, Let's Wait a While, Again, Runaway, Miss You Much, When I Think of You, Escapade, Son of a Gun, Got 'Til It's Gone, That's the Way Love Goes, What Have You Done for Me Lately, Control, Nasty, Alright, Would You Mind, If, Black Cat, Rhythm Nation, Doesn't Really Matter, Someone to Call My Lover, Together Again
The DVD
VIDEO: "Live in Hawaii" is presented in 1.33:1 full-frame. Unlike the very good sound quality, the image quality falls somewhat short of expectations. Sharpness and detail remained fine, if unexceptional, throughout. Close-ups appeared crisp and offered nicely defined images. However, some of the wider shots occasionally appeared slightly to noticably soft.
The presentation also ran into some unexpected flaws. While most of the concert was free of pixelation or other faults, some artifacts were visible in some of the wide shots of the stage, causing the image to have a slightly "digital" appearance. On a positive note, these problems were spotted on a fairly infrequent basis and the presentation remained free of irritating edge enhancement.
Colors were very nicely rendered throughout the show. While this wasn't the most colorful stage show I've ever watched (with the exception of an odd stretch where Janet and her dancers dress up in what looks like something out of a Disney live show), the show's minimal color palette remained bright and vivid throughout, with nice saturation and no smearing. Overall, this was just a somewhat inconsistent looking presentation - while some stretches of the show looked terrific, there were also moments that had a more average appearance.
SOUND: "Live in Hawaii" is presented in Dolby Digital and DTS 4.1 surround, as neither soundtrack uses the center channel. The result is an enjoyable enough presentation that offers pleasant, big arena atmosphere. Janet's vocals and the backing instrumentals are offered by the front speakers, while the surrounds provide smooth reinforcement and a considerable helping of crowd noise.
Audio quality remained excellent throughout, as Janet's vocals remained crisp and clear, while the background instrumentals and backing beats were also clearly presented. While this track does not compare with the reference quality presentation of Madonna's "Drowned World Tour" DVD, it still remained an above-average and very enjoyable track. Both the Dolby Digital and DTS tracks provided an enjoyable experience, but I actually felt the Dolby Digital track edged ahead in comparisons, providing a somewhat crisper and more detailed sound (as well as a bit punchier low bass) than the DTS track, which sounded subdued and less open in comparison.
MENUS: The main menu offers some slight, but classy background animation.
EXTRAS: Photo gallery, clips of "Would You Mind?" at five other shows and a short, "behind-the-scenes" promotional featurette.
Final Thoughts: "Live In Hawaii" captures a talented performer at her best, as Janet pumps up the crowd with a high-energy performance that goes through many of her hits. The DVD offers good audio/video quality and a few solid extras. A definite recommendation, especially for fans of the singer.
While I probably wouldn't count myself among the legions of hardcore fans of Janet Jackson's music, I certainly have a great deal of respect for her as an artist. A singer who has spent over a decade crafting catchy dance pop and sincere ballads, Jackson still remains in the spotlight by managing to change her sound to fit the times and making the occasional acting appearance.
This performance marks the final night of her "All For You" tour, taking place in front of a massive and very energized Hawaiian crowd. Jackson goes through 26 of her tunes, boasting a set list that covers both the older hits and a few of the singer's newer numbers ("Doesn't Really Matter"). Unlike the usual concert presentations, we even are whisked backstage for all of Janet's costume changes. While the viewer is never shown all of Janet, it's rather interesting to see how fast the changes have to take place and how the obviously well-rehearsed backstage team has to spring into action and rush the singer back on stage with a new outfit.
Unlike many recent big-name acts, the energy of Jackson's live performance rests mostly on the well-toned shoulders of the singer, who manages to keep the crowd's energy up with some between song chatter and dancing that impresses with its atheticism and grace, never going over-the-top. It's a well-rehearsed show that manages to appear free and natural. Aside from a few too many shots of the crowd, this is a well-filmed and very enjoyable performance, as Jackson's commanding and genuine stage presence carries the evening wonderfully.
Come On Get Up, You Ain't Right, All for You, Love Will Never Do (Without You), Trust a Try, Come Back to Me, Let's Wait a While, Again, Runaway, Miss You Much, When I Think of You, Escapade, Son of a Gun, Got 'Til It's Gone, That's the Way Love Goes, What Have You Done for Me Lately, Control, Nasty, Alright, Would You Mind, If, Black Cat, Rhythm Nation, Doesn't Really Matter, Someone to Call My Lover, Together Again
The DVD
VIDEO: "Live in Hawaii" is presented in 1.33:1 full-frame. Unlike the very good sound quality, the image quality falls somewhat short of expectations. Sharpness and detail remained fine, if unexceptional, throughout. Close-ups appeared crisp and offered nicely defined images. However, some of the wider shots occasionally appeared slightly to noticably soft.
The presentation also ran into some unexpected flaws. While most of the concert was free of pixelation or other faults, some artifacts were visible in some of the wide shots of the stage, causing the image to have a slightly "digital" appearance. On a positive note, these problems were spotted on a fairly infrequent basis and the presentation remained free of irritating edge enhancement.
Colors were very nicely rendered throughout the show. While this wasn't the most colorful stage show I've ever watched (with the exception of an odd stretch where Janet and her dancers dress up in what looks like something out of a Disney live show), the show's minimal color palette remained bright and vivid throughout, with nice saturation and no smearing. Overall, this was just a somewhat inconsistent looking presentation - while some stretches of the show looked terrific, there were also moments that had a more average appearance.
SOUND: "Live in Hawaii" is presented in Dolby Digital and DTS 4.1 surround, as neither soundtrack uses the center channel. The result is an enjoyable enough presentation that offers pleasant, big arena atmosphere. Janet's vocals and the backing instrumentals are offered by the front speakers, while the surrounds provide smooth reinforcement and a considerable helping of crowd noise.
Audio quality remained excellent throughout, as Janet's vocals remained crisp and clear, while the background instrumentals and backing beats were also clearly presented. While this track does not compare with the reference quality presentation of Madonna's "Drowned World Tour" DVD, it still remained an above-average and very enjoyable track. Both the Dolby Digital and DTS tracks provided an enjoyable experience, but I actually felt the Dolby Digital track edged ahead in comparisons, providing a somewhat crisper and more detailed sound (as well as a bit punchier low bass) than the DTS track, which sounded subdued and less open in comparison.
MENUS: The main menu offers some slight, but classy background animation.
EXTRAS: Photo gallery, clips of "Would You Mind?" at five other shows and a short, "behind-the-scenes" promotional featurette.
Final Thoughts: "Live In Hawaii" captures a talented performer at her best, as Janet pumps up the crowd with a high-energy performance that goes through many of her hits. The DVD offers good audio/video quality and a few solid extras. A definite recommendation, especially for fans of the singer.
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