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Whistle Stopper - Monk - Season Six
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List Price: $59.98
Our Price: $32.97
Your Save: $ 27.01 ( 45% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Starring: Tony Shalhoub, Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford, Traylor Howard, Stanley Kamel
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.
EAN: 0025195017251
Format: Box set
Label: Universal Studios
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Number Of Items: 4
Publisher: Universal Studios
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2008-07-08
Running Time: 686
Studio: Universal Studios
Theatrical Release Date: 2002-07-12
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Starts badly, gets better
Comment: 3 1/2 stars
Because I don't have cable I have watched all seasons of the show on DVD this last year. I can say then that I have a pretty good sense for whether one season or another is good and that I'm not at all nostalgic for any particular season, or any particular partner Monk has had. My fairly clear-headed assessment of the new season is this: This sixth season unfortunately opens with two of the all-time weakest episodes I have seen from Monk. Thankfully the set of discs recovers by episodes three and four.
The problem with the first two episodes in the sixth season is that they feature surprise guest-stars at the expense of the usual interaction between Monk and his assistant.
In the first episode, guest-star Sarah Silverman returns as Monk's obsessed fan -- but gets much less mileage out of the part than when she first appeared as the obsessed fan in an earlier season of the show. The second episode in the sixth season of the show features guest-star Snoop Dog, who barely acts (This episode also substitutes Monk's great theme song with a mediocre rap version of the song).
I enjoy Monk and the only times he loses me in the sixth season is when the show's writers try to substitute the enjoyable interactions between Monk and the other regular characters with "big-name" guest stars that don't really fit the proceedings.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Monk returns to top form
Comment: This review is dedicated in the memory of Stanley Kamel who played Dr. Charles Kroger in the first 6 seasons of Monk. Stanley Kamel sadly passed away in April of 2008. He was a deeply talented character actor and he will be missed on Monk.
In general as a show goes on it doesn't get better, but there are exceptions; some shows like The Shield seem to get better each season and Monk while maybe not getting better is still just as good now as it ever was. After the first half of season 3 ended Sharona was out as Monk's assistant and Traylor Howard as Natalie was in. I thought that gave Monk a much needed jolt and helped keep things fresh. In many ways it was like starting over again.
A lot of critics felt season 3 was a letdown, I disagree; the 2nd half of Season 3 are in my opinion some of the best episodes of the series. After that the 4th and 5th seasons while very good and had some of my favorite episodes of the series also featured some of the weaker ones as well, but I still liked both those seasons as a whole more than the first and 2nd. Season 4 & 5 are excellent they just lacked slightly despite being every bit as good as the previous seasons. The best way to put it I suppose is Seasons 4 & 5 had some of the best episodes, and a few that were excellent that just fell slightly short of greatness and a few sub-par episodes. But again I loved both those seasons and liked them more than the first 2 Seasons, which were also great.
But Season 6 of Monk really gets things back on track and features some of the very best episodes of the series. Each season of Monk has that one or 2 episodes that are sort of duds. Even a weak episode of Monk still has funny moments, and while there are a couple of episodes that fall short as a whole though Season 6 is as good as any of the previous 5, which is rare that a series this late into the game can still remain just as good.
The concept still works well, which is a credit to not only the writers, but more so to the actors who take this material that we've seen done many times over and make it just as funny now as when the show first started. Ted Levine is great as Captain Leland Stottlemeyer, he's one of the few that actually understands Monk and any scene he has with Jason Gray-Stanford as Lt. Randy Disher is priceless Levine and Stanford work so amazing together and with that said Jason Gray-Stanford often steals the show with his performance. Randy can be kind of stupid a lot of the times, but he's so damn funny. In many ways Jason Gray-Stanford steals the show every episode he never fails to make me laugh.
The big debate among Monk fans who is the better assistant Sharona who was played by Bitty Schram or Natalie Teeger played by Traylor Howard; for me it's no contest as much as I liked Sharona I personally find Natalie by far the more interesting character and quite honestly I prefer the Natalie seasons over the Sharona seasons. Emmy Clarke plays Natalie's teenage daughter Julie Teeger and she's a very talented young actress who has a bright future ahead of her. The late great Stanley Kamel as Dr. Kroger is always a pleasure to watch.
But of course above all Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk is the show; in my opinion Tony Shalhoub is without a doubt the best comedic actor on TV and in Hollywood in general. While Monk is a very funny show sometimes people forget how tragic the show is. Monk always had OCD, but it wasn't too bad until the death of his wife. In the comedy there is also a lot of tragedy and Shalhoub is simply brilliant.
Monk Season 6 was overall a great season with some of the very best episodes of the series. As I stated earlier I loved the 4th and 5th Seasons and overall prefer them over the first 2, but there were some flaws with some episodes that didn't quite work, but the 6th Season really delivers big time. Maybe not the best Season of Monk, but it's pretty close to it.
MR. MONK AND HIS BIGGEST FAN- *****
One of the best episodes of the series Sarah Silverman guest stars as Marcie Maven (last seen during season 2) is obsessed with Monk and she gets his help when a neighbor is found murdered and the evidence points to her dog. But her dog was put down 3 days before the murder. It seems the dog was framed, which yes sounds really silly, but this episode was simply hysterical. It's no secret who the killer is; figuring out how is a bit tougher.
MR. MONK AND THE RAPPER- ****
Clichéd episode, but really funny; Snoop Dog guest stars as a rapper under a murder investigation. Seeing Mr. Monk in the Hip-Hop culture was hysterical. Yeah it's a clichéd concept, but it's damn funny.
MR. MONK AND THE NAKED MAN- ***
Each season of Monk seems to have that one dud and this is one of them; after a dead body is found a nude beach Monk is brought in to help with the case. Monk and nudists are bound for some laughs, but overall the episode falls flat and the comedy was a bit too over the top. Not all is lost there's actually a decent twist on who the killer is and some funny moments.
MR. MONK AND THE BAD GIRLFRIEND- **** ½
Excellent episode with plenty of laughs; the killer is obvious, but trying to figure out how they did it was the best part. This is something lacking from Monk the past couple of years. The ending is a bit tragic, but great episode.
MR. MONK AND THE BIRDS AND THE BEES- ***
This episode was weak; we know who the killer is and how they did it; therefore it's not as fun. There are some good moments, but overall it just doesn't fully work; in my opinion this was the weakest of the season; not bad or anything, but doesn't quite work.
MR. MONK AND THE BURIED TREASURE- *****
Classic episode of Monk; this one has Dr. Kroger's son seeking Monk's help finding what he thinks is a buried treasure, only he doesn't tell Monk what he's in search for he tells him it's a school project. I wasn't expecting much, but it turned out to be one of my favorite episodes. The final act with Monk and Kroger's son trapped in a car buried in gravel was hysterical.
MR. MONK AND THE DAREDEVIL- *** ½
Good episode that features Monk's arch rival Harold Krenshaw played by Tim Bagley; both Monk and Harold want to be the center of Dr. Kroger's attention and this episode has the two at it again. Not the best episode of the season, but with Monk and Harold laughs are bound to happen.
MR. MONK AND THE WRONG MAN- ****
Solid episode that has a man Monk locked away for a double murder is now cleared due to DNA; but is this guy really innocent? Funny episode like the previous not one of the best, but very enjoyable without a slow moment.
MR. MONK IS UP ALL NIGHT- **** ½
Starts off slow, but once it gets going it gets really good; this one is very much a mystery and figuring out what happened is a lot of fun. Besides the mystery there are also a lot of funny moments.
MR. MONK AND THE MAN WHO SHOT SANTA CLAUS- *****
Classic episode of Monk; This is the 3rd Christmas episode of the series and it's probably the best one and one of my favorite episodes of the series; From beginning to end this one is a blast. Seeing Monk and Santa Claus fighting each other was just too funny.
MR. MONK JOINS A CULT- *** ½- Good episode with some funny moments, but as a whole it slightly lacks; Still worth watching though.
MR. MONK GOES TO THE BANK- ****- Classic Monk; this is one of the best episodes of the series with a solid twist at the end; the final few minutes are hysterical; Randy Disher steals the show in this one.
MR. MONK AND THE THREE JULIES- *****- Possibly the best episode of the season and one of the best of the series; this one has a killer on the loose murdering women with the name Julie Teeger, which of course is the name of Natalie's teenage daughter. The story is excellent with great mystery and an excellent twist and it's one of the funniest Monk episodes.
MR. MONK PAINTS HIS MASTERPIECE- ****- Another episode I wasn't expecting too much out of, but it turned out excellent; while not the strongest episode of the season it's a lot of fun. Sadly this is the last episode that Stanley Kamel appeared on due to his death.
MR. MONK IS ON THE RUN PART I- *****- The great thing about Monk is you can pretty much watch any episode of any season and enjoy it and not be lost. But they do have one running story arc on this show; the murder of Monk's wife Trudy; and right here is one of the Trudy episodes. This one has Monk the trail of who killed his wife, but before he can get answers the man is killed and Monk is the suspect. Obviously we know Monk is innocent even though it looks as if he did pull the trigger. This episode is one of the best of the series; it's funny and dramatic with an excellent twist and an ending that will have you begging for more.
MR. MONK IS ON THE RUN PART II- *****- Great season finale; it's funny, dramatic and suspenseful. After this episode Monk gets one step closer to solving the murder of his wife. The season started off great and ended great.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun but Weaker Season
Comment: Why mess with success? That seems to be the idea behind this season of Monk. And while it wasn't as strong as some of the other seasons have been, it was certain still fun.
The season opens with Sarah Silverman reprising her role as Monk's biggest fan. She hires Monk (Tony Shalhoub) to find out who is framing her dog for murder. The catch? The dog died before the murder took place.
And there is more fun to be had. Monk suspects Captain Stottlemeyer's (Ted Levine) new girlfriend of murder. Natalie's (Traylor Howard) daughter Julie (Emmy Clarke) gets her first boyfriend and learns to drive. Monk takes a job as a security guard at his bank to catch a robber. And he must deal with the consequences of shooting Santa. And he falls under the spell of cult leader Howie Mandel.
When I reviewed season five, I did mention that they were occasionally crossing the line from character to caricature. That seemed to be more of a problem here in my eyes. In fact, there were several in a row near the beginning that seemed to be forced for laughs. The episodes dealing with the nude beach and the rapper were painful instead of funny. And some of the others had a been there, done that feel to them.
On the other hand, there are still so many good moments. This is especially true of the two part season finale which advances the Trudy storyline when Monk is accused of murdering the six fingered man.
And I can't fault the acting. All four leads (including Jason Gray-Stanford and Lt. Disher) continue to do great jobs bringing their characters to life. I was disappointed that we only got to see Julie a couple times. And it is sad watching this knowing that we won't get to see the late Stanley Kamel any more as the excellent Dr. Kroger.
Monk may be showing its age. But it is still fun and entertaining. Fans will welcome the newest season into their homes.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great show. OK DVD
Comment: First, let me prefise this by saying I still enjoy the show a bunch but the DVD is lacking.
"Monk" one of the few series I try to watch every week and if I can't, will DVR it. While each episode still follows the same formula from seasons 1-5 (murder happens, Monk solves it), for the most part each case is still quite interesting and the 2-part season finale was great (I certainly hope they keep pushing the Trudy case forward, however).
The DVD, on the other hand, isn't as good and deserved better (maybe it was limited due to the writer's strike). According to the individual slim cases, there are "Video Commentaries" on certain episodes. When I first read that I thought it was an awesome idea, not entirely original but I you don't see that very often. But boy when I played them, I was severely disappointed. These are not video commentaries in the traditional sense. Instead what we got were interviews with the writers on 7 episodes. What they had to say was fine, but I felt it was a bit misleading to call them video commentaries.
The only other feature is one commentary track on "Mr. Monk Stays Up All Night" with Tony Shalhoub, Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford and Director/Exec Producer Randall Zisk. It's a fine track with too many dead spots, however.
The sixth season of "Monk" still features some good episodes and fun cases and, despite the lack of features, is well worth buying! I will definitely be tuning in for season seven (wow, has time flies).
Customer Rating:
Summary: Monk is the best
Comment: I bought all the seasons and I can't wait for the season 6 to come out!
A MUST buy!
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Editorial Reviews:
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Get even more obsessed with TV's funniest and quirkiest detective series, Monk, as every episode from the smash-hit sixth season comes to DVD on 4 discs! Tony Shalhoub reprises his 3-time Primetime Emmy® Award and Golden Globe-winning role as the brilliant but phobia-laden detective Adrian Monk, who never lets his obsessive-compulsive disorder stop him from solving a crime in the most ingenious way imaginable! Dropping the clues this season are a roster of red-hot guest stars including Alfred Molina, David Koechner, Sarah Silverman, Snoop Dogg, Angela Kinsey and Vincent Ventresca. Take a tip from an insider: you'll be "committed" to the best detective series now on TV!
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