Lonesome Dove tells the story of two good friends Augustus (Robert Duvall) & Woodrow (Tommy Lee Jones) & their experiences during a cattle run from Texas to Montana. In 6 hours, their story is unwoven in what has to be one of the best westerns ever produced. With an all-star cast that includes Danny Glover, Rick Schroeder, Robert Urich, Anjelica Huston, Diane Lane, Tommy lee Jones & Robert Duvall, you can be assured this is no ordinary western.

Video:

As this is a made for TV series it's presented in it's original full screen format. Given its considerable length, this DVD18's video image is at best that of a first generation VHS tape. There is a considerable amount of flecking, graininess & far less than digital imaging. While it's presentation leaves a lot to be desired, the content of the film is absolutely incredible! I am not a fan of westerns but, this is one western I think I've fallen in love with. If you can get past the VHS quality of the presentation then your home free.One last note given the length of the film, the DVD18 is a flipper which in this case is not that annoying. For most other titles that would be the kis of death in my book but, here it's pretty OK.

Audio:

Again, this is a TV bases series so the audio is only 2.0 Dolby surround. I think that I would have really enjoyed a 5.1 presentation but, given the source material, I'm happy with the 2.0. Nothing spectacular here.

Extras:

the extras on the disc are an interview with Suzanne De Passe, the producer of the series & Larry McMurty, the author of the novel Lonesome Dove is based upon. A trailer for the feature, which is in very bad condition, production notes, cast & crew bios, trivia & a game. Pretty neat stuff but, the real entertainment is the feature itself. Everything else is either not interesting enough to sustain you or just poorly rendered. So much so, that it's almost too bad to watch.

Overall:

My folks went crazy over this title when it originally aired. I didn't watch it then so I had no idea what all the fuss was about. Now that I have seen the film, I understand. There is no amount of writing that can convey the wealth of emotions & storyline contained on this disc. Lonesome Dove is a classic in every sense of the word. While it may not have all the features of most discs & the transfer may not be the best, it's really one of those incredibly well done sagas that' simply ageless. If you have some free time on your hands I suggest you pick up a copy & set aside maybe 6 hours on a Sunday & sit back & watch the old West in a way you have never seen it before. Definitely recommended.