Starring Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin, Joshua Gomez, Sarah Lancaster
Written By: Josh Schwartz, Chris Fedak
Directed By:
Studio: NBC/Warner Bros
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Chuck, the NBC series hit is now available on DVD with the complete first season. Featuring 13 episodes and a slew of DVD extras, this collection should be owned by everyone who is into action comedies. Starring Zachary Levi as Chuck Bartowski, computer geek at the Buy More, gets an unknowing email from an old college nemesis and his world is about to change. Chuck has downloaded into his brain a supercomputer’s wealth of knowledge of Government secrets, files and databases. Co-starring Adam Baldwin as John Casey and Yvonne Strahovski as Sarah, both play Spies who go undercover to protect Chuck on a daily basis. The show was one of my favorites of 2007 and unfortunately, only had 13 episodes to get started due to the Writer’s Strike. Chuck is funny, exciting and provides us with a good time.

Chuck Bartowski is now the most important thing in National Security. After one night of downloading his former roommate’s email, filled with the The Intersect, a computer supercomputer filled with the Nation’s secrets, Chuck now has to be watched like a hawk by some of the best spies in the country. Unbeknownst to Chuck, Bryce Larkin, Chuck’s former roommate was a Spy who had tried to save The Intersect from a corrupt secret agency and passed it onto Chuck. NSA Agent John Casey and CIA agent Sarah Walker go deep under cover working at the Buy More and the neighboring Weinerlicious Food Store, respectively. Not even Chuck’s closest friends and family, including fellow employee and best friend Morgan and Chuck’s sister Ellie know what resides inside of Chuck. The Way Chuck’s Intersect works is that he’ll pass by a picture, or a person, or a trinket and his brain will “flash” on a series of images and files that describe and show how that’s related. Whether it’s a criminal who does illegal smuggling, to a poster that might lead them to a bomb in a hotel. Yeah, it sounds silly but you have to let that part go and just enjoy it. The show doesn’t take itself so seriously and that way it makes it more fun and enjoyable than if it was just serious all the time. I think the show shares more comedic moments than it does serious action.

Chuck is one of these shows that get better each episode and this was only 13 episodes last year. The second season (premiering in a week or two) will be a full season. Viewers have no choice but to tune in and enjoy Chuck like the rest of us fans. Zachary Levi was unknown to me but has been on a few shows in the past. He’s great as the lead character. He’s got that leading man quality for a hit TV show, like great comedic timing and general nice guy attitude. The overall cast is fantastic and likeable. Yvonne Strahovski is gorgeous and I could spend the entire hour just watching her. Adam Baldwin has a cult following in all his work, including Firefly, Day Break, and even his role in Full Metal Jacket. His role on Chuck is no different either.

I had the pleasure to visit the Chuck set last year on my Honeymoon during one of their Deluxe VIP Tour, which I highly recommend. I witnessed the taping of “Chuck vs The Alma Mater,” where we had a chance to meet Adam Baldwin for a few minutes. Adam is a very nice guy and chatted with us all in the group. This was before the show even aired and we were all star struck. It was exciting to see the episode later on, knowing I was there to see some of it filmed.

The extra features in the set include Declassified scenes, which are deleted scenes for those who didn’t figure that out. A few good ones but some were necessary due to time constraints. Also included are Chuck on Chuck, a sit down with show runners Josh Schwartz, Chris Fedak and stars Zac Levi and Josh Gomez, where they discuss Chuck’s favorite episodes of the season. A few other featurettes included original casting sessions and character development, a gag reel and a few web mini featurettes.

Chuck was one of the nice surprises of the fall TV season last year, and certainly helped take my mind off real life with a show that is highly entertaining and fun, with great comedy mixed with action. The cast is awesome and the show just keeps getting better, not to mention guest stars that are impressive. I can’t wait to see what Chuck does next.

Features:
Declassified Scenes
Chuck On Chuck
Chuck’s World
Chuck vs the Chuckles
Chuck’s Online World

Audio:
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 CC

Video:
Widescreen 1.78:1 Color (Anamorphic)

Subtitles:
English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Thai

Favorite Scenes: Chuck vs The Alma Mater, Chuck vs the Undercover Lover, Chuck Vs the Marlin
Rating: NR
Running Time: 556 minutes
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: