Arrested Development
Also known as "Arrested Development Season 3"
Visit the Bluths, the most dysfunctional family in Orange County, for the last time
Starring: Jason Bateman, Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor, Jessica Walter, Ron Howard
Director: Joe Russo, Paul Feig, Lee Shallat Chemel, Anthony Russo. Jay Chandrasekhar, Greg Mottola, John Fortenberry, Peter Lauer, Robert Berlinger, Lev L. Spiro
Running Time: 260 minutes
US MPAA rating: TV-14UK BBFC rating: N/A
Comedy, Television
On DVD What do you look for in a good sitcom? Now I like believable storylines and scenarios, with unpredictable twists. I like empathetic characters. I like to have people on screen I can suffer with, wince at and sympathise with. I want to laugh and cry with them.
But then, Arrested Development is not a good sitcom, it is a laugh out loud, great sitcom!
Arrested Development shouldn't ever work. The plotlines are plain far fetched, ridiculous even ludicrous. The characters are improbable, selfish and self-centred, even the 'hero' Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman) is impossible to sympathise with, he is a doormat, a sucker, a mug. He doesn't deserve sympathy. In short it is a mess, but a brilliant, wonderful mess.
An everyday story of ordinary rich folk down on their luck, it plays out the lives of a family of mad, chaotic and crazy people (dysfunctional does not quite do it justice) as they mainly fail to scam, swindle and con each other while ineffectually trying to rebuild lives ripped apart by the bankruptcy of the family business - brought down when Bluth Senior's tax frauds are exposed.
Arrested Development is easy to watch, knitted together neatly by Ron Howard's gentle narration, and it bubbles merrily along as the Bluths stagger from crazy crisis to crazy crisis.
The cast look like they are just having a fun time and enjoying themselves - what a way to make a living!
Alongside Jason Bateman, Jeffrey Tambor and Jessica Walter are delights as the mother and father from hell, Portia de Rossi is tremendous as the sister from hell (frankly, I didn't know she could act), and Will Arnett and Tony Hale are excellent as two very different versions of the brother from hell.
As to the younger generation - Alia Shawkat and Michael Cera as cousins George-Michal and Maeby are fabulous, more victims of their mutual repressed lust than of their dreadful parents.
Factor in appearances by a deluge of guests like William Hung, Judge Reinhold, Andy Richter, James Lipton, Justine Bateman, Charlize Theron and many more in season three and you have one to watch again and again.
Comedy this good is a rare commodity.Release Date: Arrested Development Season 3 is available to buy on DVD on April 23rd in the UK.
Copyright for: Arrested Development S_3 (UK):- © 2007 Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC. All Rights Reserved.
DVD Extras: Nothing to get excited about here, but heck, what do you expect on a TV set, you got 13 episodes anyway.
It's Got: Mad people, mad stories, more laughs than you can shake a stick at
It Needs: Season four, write to Fox!
Alternatives: Boston Legal, Allie Macbeal
Summary: A wonderful, crazy, laugh a minute, tale of down on their luck rich folk.
Review Date: 16th April 2007
External Links
Official Web Site
Arrested Development at the IMDB
