Early 'Voyager' DVD Reviews Mixed

Early reviews of the first season of Star Trek: Voyager on DVD were mixed. One praised the content but had qualms about the packaging, while another praised the presentation but not the quality of the episodes, and a third was content with both.

At TrekWeb, Steve Krutzler said that the show's setup "accomplishes the tough task of inventing a new perspective for the TREK universe", praising the pilot and early character interactions and stating that "the first 15 episodes are startlingly good."

The most disappointing thing, Krutzler noted, is the presentation - flimsy packaging and barely labeled discs. He also found the menus disappointing, with no images to help viewers identify episodes except by the titles.

As for the extras, Krutzler complained of "no detailed talk about season one episodes beyond the pilot" but enjoyed the "Time Capsule" segment with Kate Mulgrew presenting everything from the audition process through her lingering passion for Captain Janeway. He was also fascinated by the material featuring Genevieve Bujold in her brief tenure in the role, calling her "absolutely horrible on just about every level."

Over at Skewed and Reviewed, Gareth Von Kallenbach noted that "The first season set includes a number of classic episodes such as the classic 'Phage' w[h]ere the issue of one life being used to sustain another is discussed and the spiritual 'Emanations' where the crew must deal with the notion of an afterlife as well as the issues of faith and spirituality."

Comparing the show to Lost in Space, Von Kallenbach called the set "well-crafted" and admired the menus as well as the additional footage and the inclusion of Bujold's performances. Rating the set 4 stars out of 5, he called it "A great launch to what should be a fine set for collectors."

Andy Patrizio of IGN also compared Voyager to Lost in Space, but not favorably: "By stranding the ship on the other side of the galaxy, 75 light years from home, it created a problem in that we knew they would never get their wish to return home, because that means the end of the series. So even though they teased getting home all the time, no one would ever believe it."

Stating that the series improved several seasons in, Patrizio rated the content only 6/10, saving higher ratings for the production, sound quality and features on the last disc.

The video package is rated "as good as the DS9 sets".

The first season of Voyager on DVD is available from Amazon.com on February 28th. It can be ordered from there, Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk.

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