Miami Vice: 01 Vendetta (Miami Vice) - Ranger613
Overview - Extend the Miami Vice pilot to include “Calderone’s Return” (E04-E05).
Video - 512 X 384p AVC. The picture quality is a little soft, particularly in the pilot. Colors and sharpness improve during the second half. Editing is fine. A bit choppy during commercial breaks, though not a major issue. This is a huge ass file, 9.4 GB, which doesn’t seem right for the video size.
Audio - 317 kbps AAC. 2 Channel stereo. No subs. Dialogue is clear. The sound struck me as compressed, likely in keeping with TV from the 80s. Good for hearing conversations, less so if you desire gunfire, music, revving engines to roar from you speakers.
Narrative - Pretty good about staying focused on “the Columbian,” the slippery Calderone. Future series dynamics are touched on (Rodriguez, and Sonny’s family). I though some of the driving scenes went on too long, as did the boat trip to and from the Bahamas.
Enjoyment - It has been ages since I watched the pilot. There are clumsy comic elements that would quickly disappear, along with Sonny’s kid and Lt. Rodriguez. I was always a big fan of this show, especially the later seasons. This does have a dated look to it. To be honest, I have shows from the 60’s and 70’s that look a hell of a lot better.
I liked this, but I have doubts post 90’s viewers would appreciate as much.