American Idol: The Search for a Superstar Reviews

• The less you saw the more you will like this DVD recap

  
  By A2NJO6YE954DBH on 2003-02-21
  I started watching "American Idol" the week after Tamyra Grey was booted off the show. I teach a Popular Culture class so I figured I was going to have to know who Justin Guarini was and why he did not like Simon Cowell. What I discovered during those final episodes was that it was obvious that Kelly Clarkson should win the competition and that in our house we usually agree with Simon's comments. Oh, and that Brian Dunkleman and Ryan Seacrest were two clowns trying to do a job that only required one clown (Seacrest is ten times better this year not having to try to outshine Dunkleman). So when I checked out this "American Idol" DVD it was a combination of seeing what I had missed (Gray's performance of "A House Is Not a Home" and what the finalists did to qualify in the first place) and what I wanted to see again (Clarkson unable to make it all the way through "A Moment Like This" after she won and singing a duet with her idol Reba McIntire). Consequently, like most people who watch this DVD I got some of what I wanted, but not as much as I hoped.

  I really think the producers of this "American Idol" recap was geared more for a 90-minute videotape than for taking full advantage of what you can cram on a DVD (oh, and cutting something out as quickly as possible). The limited chapter search does focus on the songs, organized by who sang them, but there are only 15 songs and I really assumed that the DVD would go way beyond what we had from the CD. The focus is more on the competition, so that we get clips of each of the nine verdicts being read along the way and it is not until the final couple of decisions that you get to hear what American had to choose between on that particular night. For the most part the focus is also on the performers rather than the judges; most of those fun moments between the judges and the contestants (and each other) are part of the extra features (pay attention as you go through these options because they loop back on each other in strange ways). The emphasis is also on the top three, who are the only finalists to get more than one song.

  Since I missed most of the first season of "American Idol" there was more "new" stuff for me to see than those who rode the roller coaster the whole way. So when I get to hear Christina Christian sing "Ain't No Sunshine," I am ahead of the game but I also know that I also wanted to hear a lot more of the songs these kids sang. As for Simon, not only do I usually agree with his opinions more than those of Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson, but I also would rather hear his few choice positive comments preserved than a constant barrage of his caustic comments. He probably told every single one of these kids that they could do better, so where is that golden moment when he says after a performance that for the first time he is looking at them and thinking "American Idol"? I am not going to take the extreme position that we need the entire season of the show available on DVD ..., but 90 minutes is just too damn brief. Then again, I suppose it is because of this DVD that Fox did not rerun the series on FX.
  
  

• Not as good as it could have been, but worthy of collecting.

  
  By on 2002-10-14
  Okay, it doesn't seem like anyone who has actually seen the DVD has reviewed it here yet, so I thought that I'd be the first.

  What it contains: A one hour synopsis of the show, starting with a seven minute recap of the audition process that was already aired as part of the finale (and unfortunately, without much footage of the final 30 being narrowed down to 10). Then comes a summary of each night of performances, each one ending with the elimination and the goodbye video for the eliminated person. Only a few performances are shown, but at least they're shown in full. They are:

  Ryan Starr - "If You Really Love Me",

  Justin Guarini - "For Once in My Life", "Let's Stay Together" and "A Moment Like This"

  Kelly Clarkson - "Natural Woman", "Without You" (the good one from the results show), "Before Your Love" and "A Moment Like This" (from right after she won)

  Christina Christian - "Ain't No Sunshine"

  Tamyra Gray - "A House is Not a Home"

  Nikki McKibbon - "Mary Jane" and "Black Velvet"

  Group Sings - "California Dreamin", "Joy to the World" and "That's What Friends are For"

  So there are some curious omissions, such as a performance by RJ Helton (who finished 5th, higher than Christina and Ryan) and Kelly's "Stuff Like That There" from Big Band night which was arguably the audience's favorite performance from the entire show. Also, the audio quality for some of the performances is poor in that it's lower than it should be. But overall, the main section of the DVD is great to have even if you taped the shows, since the visual quality is so much better.

  The extras, which I won't descibe here due to space, are the best part of the DVD, especially the "Uncensored" blooper reel and the look back at the auditioning experiences of the Final Ten (which contains great interviews and some previously unseen footage, but unfortunately lacks any clips of actual auditioning). They're also almost as long as the main feature of the DVD itself, so they really double the content of the DVD.

  A warning to Justin fans: This edition of the DVD does not contain the bonus disc, which has "A Day in the Life of Justin", a 16 minute feature that includes some really great footage (some filmed by Justin himself) of the preparation for the 80's/90's show with the final four.
  
  

• Excellent look back!

  
  By A18UT3X2FHYJ6R on 2002-09-17
  This is a excellent chance to look back at a great summer show, and to see all your favorites again. I'm glad that talent won over flash for once. I'm sure all the final ten will do well, and it looks like the WINNER Kelly Clarkson is well on her way! I don't agree with the review above me by the way, because it sounds like sour grapes. Some people love a show UNTIL their pick doesn't win, and is voted off. A dvd to enjoy for sure!!
  
  

• More Like American "Idle"

  
  By A29EW6FITI2SS4 on 2002-11-27
  Don't the producers fo this DVD know that you can fit A LOT of footage on a disc? What we have here can not even be described as a "greatest hits" version of the Fox talent search. I am not asking to see every moment of every show (though that would be nice), but one can not help but notice what is NOT on this DVD at times. First, the positives than a short list of some of the more glaring omissions/negatives:

  PROS: 1) The sometimes stunning transformations of the players, some serious makeovers with Kelly particularly "cleaning" up well; 2) Kelly's touching performance of "A Moment Like This" after being named the American Idol; 3) Justin's performance of the same song during the finals and realizing just how much Kelly "made it her own"; 4) Tamyra's knockout performance of "A House Is Not A Home"; 5) Fun outtakes from those otherwise cheesy Ford Focus plugs; 6) Highlights of judge and performer comebacks from the tryouts (including the still-bleeped, but still-hilarious, "Ta-mee-ka" tirade).

  CONS: 1) We have multiple selections from finalists Kelly and Justin, but why leave out their signature performances of "Respect" and "Get Here"? 2) Only one solo from Tamyra - though she faired better than RJ, AJ, E-Jay, and Jim who do not even show up on the DVD with a solo performance; 3) We see the finalists trying out for the show and their joy in "going to Hollywood" - but not the audition performance that earned them the trip; 4) The omnipresence of Seacrest and Dunkleman... ugh, NOT the stars of the show.

  With the fairly low price of this DVD and on the heels of the sub-par "Greatest Hits" CD released earlier this year, I guess we should not have expected that much. The post-Idol marketing machine appears to be all about getting a product out the door as quickly as possible. I do not discourage American Idol fanatics from buying this DVD, but just gently warn that it is selected highlights and is sure to be lacking at least one of your "greatest" moments from the show.
  
  

• Missing all the best stuff....

  
  By on 2003-05-05
  I am a big Idol fan who was very disappointed with the DVD. Considering this is a two disk set -- lots of storage space -- there is next to nothing on either disk.

  The best part of the show are the performances and judges' critiques. We get far too few perfomances and NO judges critiques at all. Who cares about who the producers of American Idol are (incredibly one of the "extras!" on the second DVD). We want the performances. We want to relive Kelly's improvement and emergance at the top. We want to relive all the nasty comments Nicki received towards the end. Instead we're stuck with lackluster group performances (did anyone really need to hear California Dreaming again?) and finalist reactions to "you're going to Hollywood" at the auditions, but not the try-out performances that led up to those words.

  Finally, there are NO performances from Big Band night, which most Idol fans agree was the most interesting night of the competition -- and the night where Kelly finally broke away from the pack.
  
  

• Worth it if you want the memories
  By on 2002-09-17
  If you want the funny outtakes and the memories of the show, buy it. Definitely don't take the advice of bitter fans that think someone else should have won. The show is over, the Idol has been chosen. Enjoy everyone's journey to get there, especially if you missed it the first time.
  
  
• Disappointed Idol Fan
  By A24LC7KJEBS4YI on 2002-10-24
  This video could easily have been 2 hours and should have been. It is only 60 minutes long. It should have included more of the auditions (at least auditions of the final 10 if not others) and judges' comments. They should also have included the final ten singing together in the last show. Instead we are shown tiny clips of the various shows. They do not show everyone singing. We get songs from Kelly (natch), Justin, Tamyra, Nicki, Christina, and R.J. They also show when people are voted off and the clips they showed about that person when they were voted off. It also has the group sing-a-long of "California Dreamin'."If you didn't know before why Kelly won, it is abundantly clear when Justin sings (or tries to) "A Moment Like This." Kelly's winning moment is there and she sings "A Moment Like This" after she is crowned American Idol. This makes up for the shortcomings of the video. They could have included so much more and for the amount I paid I expected them to. I guess that's why they didn't put the total running time on the package.
  
  
• DON'T BOTHER
  By on 2002-10-28
  I cannot express how disappointed I was. If you think you are going to see any of the great performances, such as Tamyra singing "A Fool in Love" or Kelly singing "Stuff Like That There" you are mistaken. They didn't show ANY of the big band performances. If you are a Kelly fan, it is a real waste of money because they don't show very many performances from her. You do get to see Christina captivate the audience with her rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine". That, along with Tamyra's "A House is Not a Home" are the only real highlights. Even Kelly's emotionally charged performance of "A Moment Like This" at the end does not save this DVD. It consisted mostly of behind the scenes which I was not interested in and a background of the judges, again nothing interesting. Don't waste your time or money.
  
  
• The Search For A Superstar
  By A19IT5EUTAAC6X on 2005-01-08
  I bought this d.v.d. a couple of years ago and I really loved it.The only problem was I was expecting the whole season and I didn't get that.That's why I only gave it 4 stars!It is the length of 1 episode.I love the bonus features and the bonus disk!They really rock!It has amazing performances from:Kelly Clarkson,Justin Guarini,Nikki McKibbin,Tamyra Gray,Christina Christian,and Ryan Starr!It's worth the cash!I wish they would create a d.v.d. like this for seasons 2 and 3!
  
  
• Seriously, Who Would Buy This?
  By A38U2M9OAEJAXJ on 2002-09-19
  I honestly can't fathom who would be the market for a DVD like this. Couch potatoes who long for the glory years of "Star Search?" Or masochists who want to torture themselves even further by watching these tragically inept performances? "American Idol" is another nail in the coffin of pop music, endorsing the belief that it's not about how talented you are, but how cleverly you're marketed. Oh, I am begging you. Please do not get this DVD. Please. It looks atrocious.
  
  
• Great Show, Wretched DVD
  By A2BD0G4SRK0WMV on 2002-10-31
  As a big fan of the guilty-pleasure summertime smash American Idol, I could not have been more disappointed in this "Limited Edition" DVD; it's absolutely dreadful.
  A few highlights:
  - Much of the contestant's performances have been cut, including the ENTIRE swing night (arguably the best night of the show).
  - The DVD packaging promises "The Complete Auditions". Nope. Only the same short clips we saw on TV.
  - Endless hype for American Idol 2, to the point that the DVD feels like one big commercial.
  - Some "uncensored" footage of Seacrest and Dunkleman being even more revolting than usual. Ughh.
  - The most pointless bonus disk in the history of the medium.
  There are exactly two (mildly) good things about this DVD, and they are:
  -"A Day in the Life of Justin", where Guarini effortlessly charms us through his day.
  And
  - Some extra footage of the judges selection process, the highlight of which is Simon playing his usual mindgames with the poor unsuspecting contestants. Heh heh.

  And that's it folks. Save your money; I wouldn't put it past the producers to put out an additional, more complete DVD. And believe me, it couldn't be worse then this one.
  
  

• Seattle Fan
  By on 2002-11-24
  Don't waste your money. This DVD is more for the producers of the show than the fans. A quick payday riding on the success of the show. It DOES NOT include all of the songs even of the final 10 contestants. I expected to see the full show or a least the full show for the final ten; but you only get a few songs (Kelly has 4, Christine only 1) and you don't get the judges comments at all. We get to see more of the auditions that we do of the finalists. Wait before you buy, the producers won't miss out on another opportunity to make a buck. I am sure there will be another DVD of maybe the entire show coming soon.\
  Keep your money!
  
  
• SAVE YOUR MONEY
  By A363TEOIGRI0YA on 2002-10-17
  I was so disappointed in this dvd, it's tiny little clips of each show, and not even good clips at that. The bonus dvd, it's [not good] too. They made this for all the 14 year olds who love Justin. So, if you're a 14 year old who loves Justin... this is the dvd for you. Do not assume that this dvd is like the Sex and the City dvd or the 24 dvd, because it's not.
  
  
• Not worth the money
  By A2UWYWEPXMPRE1 on 2002-10-18
  This video stunk. There was nothing on the video that wasn't aired on TV, and only a few full-length performances. There were no full-length (or even half-length) clips of those goofy Ford Focus skits or their other behind-the-scenes things like when they built the house for Habitat for Humanity. They had very brief clips of them--but the clips were only about 5 seconds long. That's not enough time to enjoy American Idol. They didn't show any of the judges much, nor the judges' comments, and no interviews with the contestants or fights between the contestants and the judges. The closest it got to showing arguments was a quick clip of Justin turning to the audience and saying, "I respect your opinion, Simon, but what do you guys think?" and also Randy getting out of his seat and asking Simon if he wanted to fight. However, they left out many entertaining parts of the show, and didn't show Justin's apology. The whole video, being only an hour long and full of boring footage, was a big disappointment. It contained about 5 performances, such as Tamyra Gray singing "A House is Not a Home", and clips of people being voted off, with little clips of footage shown on TV about the contestants (like soundless 5-second clips of behind-the-scenes stuff, and Jim signing to his deaf parents). Save your money and buy the DVD instead--with all the extras, it's sure to be better. (Plus, I hear there's Easter eggs in the DVD!) Don't waste your money or an hour watching this boring video.
  
  
• Not worth your time
  By A2G9XNIF0X79D1 on 2004-01-12
  I'm reluctant to give this DVD 2 stars, but I will only because of the extra features. But do I recomend that you buy this for your collection? NO!

  Actually I'm hoping that you quit reading this review and look for something else on amazon.com. First off they should have definately put the WHOLE show on this disk (or 2 or however many it took). I think that would have been a success. But alas, they didn't.

  I'll leave this short and sweet.

  My advice: Do not buy this DVD because you will be wasting your time.
  
  

• An American Experience
  By A1C5KB7EJYT8Q9 on 2002-09-28
  American Idol is a show that brought people joy for a couple of months. It was nerve racking and fun watching someone get eliminated each week hoping that your favorite was voted to stay in the contest and have their dreams come true. It was corny sometimes and it had it's commercialism, but if you ever actually watched the show you also know that it had it's sincere, unstaged moments that were true to heart. When a show comes along and sweeps over a nation, touching and inspiring those who watch, who cares about it's corny moments? Every tv show has them and this is no different, but it's a great show to watch and as someone who DID watch it, I can see why people would wanna own this DVD and relive the fun and anticipation all over again. For those of you who seem to have a problem with the show which seem to be alot of you since you seem to be so passionate about it that you would have to write a negative review, my advice is to seek a life and live it and not worry about what others are doing. For those of you who actually care about this DVD, I would suggest getting it. I think it's basically just the final episode with a bunch of special features and extras added. A great collection in every American Idol fanatic's collection. Keep your eyes peeled for the American Idol's Greatest Hits Collection October 1st, 2002.
  
  
• Justin made this show a success
  By A3RW4OICBIGG6E on 2002-10-15
  This DVD is awesome simply because it features Justin Guarini. Sure, I love all the kids, but the simple fact is, I watched and voted only for Justin! He has something that draws you to him, and a beautiful voice of course. He is the best thing to come along since sliced bread! Seriously, I now know what beatlemania felt like...and thank you god for bringing Justin to all of us! Get this DVD! A day in the life of Justin is reason enough at last. This is coming from a 30 yr. old woman, by the way! He brings out the 12yr old girl in me, what can I say!
  
  
• Pretty bad
  By A1XBMS6MN8X5JX on 2002-10-27
  Not being in the States, I wanted to get a glimpse of why this series became the hottest TV sensation of the summer of 2002. This is such a poorly pieced together effort, and viewers who didn't get to see the show will end up being confused about a lot of things.

  For one thing, they rarely place the contestants' names onscreen, so for a first time viewer, it gets rather confusing who's who.

  Secondly, you're left wondering why the top 10 were eliminated in the order that they go. Most of the time, you don't even see/hear even a few seconds of their performance that night, and you never get to hear what the judges think about them (except once, and that time, it wasn't even a critical comment).

  On one particular elimination, the person voted off wasn't even present at the show, and all you saw were a few seconds of her being taken away in an ambulance. No explanations were given, so one doesn't know if she had an accident, an asthma attack, a stroke or whatever... not even if she got out of the hospital alive. It's really frustrating.

  The bonus features save this DVD from receiving a one-star rating, since they're a lot more fun than the actual 62 minute program. It makes you think that if they had integrated the additional footage into the main feature (particularly the scenes with the judges fighting), then it would've been a bit more entertaining. And seriously, would at least ONE performance from each top 10 finalist have been too much to ask for?
  
  

• Very Little Content... Not Worth Buying
  By AD0Z6SQNBKI9E on 2003-04-18
  I am a big American Idol fan but only saw a few episodes from the 1st season. I bought this DVD because I wanted to find out what happened on the episodes I did not see. This DVD was so disappointing. There is only about an hour and a half of footage and you only get to see a few performances. Really lame!

  I am so sick of these TV shows putting out "highlights" DVDs. There is so much more to show and I for one would be willing to pay a lot more for complete seasons (like some shows are starting to do). Even if it is only one disc... you can fit a whole lot more than an hour and a half onto 1 disc.

  I would not recommend this DVD to anyone. There is so little content and if you watched only a little bit of American Idol last year you are not going to see much more here.
  
  

• I love what American Idol has done for singing!
  By A1P8ZI6DJQO765 on 2005-08-10
  As a professional singer and Voice Teacher, I am so thrilled to see how American Idol has given the art of singing such a jump start in these last few years.
  
  
  These American Idol programs are filled with so much varying talents. From Hard rock to Country, America is becoming interested in identifying true talent. As an Opera Singer myself I can still enjoy the gifts of other genres and am sad to hear when others look down upon the show. Also, as a voice teacher of many styles I can't stress enough the need to my own students for them to develop themselves as a "Complete Unique Package". Finding their own true niche and style including: voice type, genre, best repertoire, to the the right audition outfit. American Idol teaches the same theories. Be true to yourself and your voice to get your best shot at this business of singing. I am an advocat for AI and all shows that encourage the high developement of arts in America. We come from a society that watched sports religiously on telievision (which is great) but there are so many talents to support including singing out there amongst us. American Idol gives artists and viewers a fantastic opportunity.
  
  
• Missing A lot.
  By A1EH995ST90KVG on 2006-02-17
  The First Season of American Idol was an amazing season. Far better then any of the other seasons since, but this DVD does not offer enough it is a nice recap of the show but not a good enough look back. I wish they had done it more like the "Pop Idol: A Star Is Born" DVD in which they go through the whole season quickly but show 4 or 5 of the performances from each week until the Final 5 when all of their final performances are shown. The DVD would be much better had it followed that format. The DVD is still fun to watch but could be better. I wish there were more Nikki McKibbin performance's
  
  
• SIGH...
  By A23KAWGZ4RE1RI on 2002-09-25
  The "music"(more like product industry) just won't quit dragging out mediocre talent to the masses and making money of them, will they? "American Idol" was the final straw in the totally corporate state of music. These people aren't groomed to have their old identity or sound or individuality but more so have to fit a standard. And the standard wasn't even high. Except for Tamyra, none of the vocalists were anything above average background vocalist level and for Pete's sake, this show was damn CHEESY!!! "American Idol" comes off like a microwaved "Star Search" with a little "The Weakest Link" ( both shows voted people off with a sharp-tongued British host never running out of snide remarks to make) thrown in. Like most terrible gimmicks in America, the public ate it up. The judges (Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson) were everywhere and the show became ultimate reality-television water cooler discussion (along with past reality franchises "Survivor", "Fantasy Island", and countless other programs). "AI" winner Kelly Clarkson quickly released a generic single in a week's time to capitalize on the "craze".
  "AI" revels in everything that's wrong with mainstream America:
  there's no emphasis on music but looks, greed, and most strikingly: MONEY!!!
  
  
• Classic Entertainment
  By on 2002-09-30
  American Idol proves that the talent show format, originally made popular by Ted Mack, Major Bowles, and later by Star Search, never dies, it just comes back redressed for the times. And why not? What could be more entertaining than seeing young and talented people take their shot at stardom? This show was a welcome relief from the scores of other "reality shows" that simply put pretty people in difficult situations. Although the performances certainly run the gamut, they all have heart, and the behind the scenes footage is facinating and hilarious.
  
  
• Don't Waste Your Money, This DVD [is Terrible!!]
  By A30TKE9V3N9U9K on 2002-10-09
  This is only the highlights, they did such a bad editing job!! It's totally not worth it!! They only show 3 seconds of everything, i want my refund!!
  
  
• Rip Off!!!
  By on 2002-10-29
  I just received the DVD as a gift and was hoping to see the ENTIRE SEASON because I had missed a couple of shows. However, it turns out that the DVD just contains some clips of various highlights and omits some of the best parts of AI. I too, was really hoping for Kelly's Big Band Performance and was sorely disappointed. The DVD packaging also claims to have Complete Finalist Auditions and while there are clips of each of the finalists during their original audition, we never get to hear them sing! As for the rest of the songs, forget about it. The choices are odd and some of the best songs were ignored. I can't believe it! It's not like they're going to show reruns, so find someone who taped all the shows and borrow them before you buy this DVD.
  
  
• There's a lot missing...
  By on 2004-01-12
  For anyone who sat through all the hours of the show, I imagine you'll be both pleased while utterly disappointed. The DVD highlights the audition phases and earlier performances from SOME of the finalists, which may well bring back fond memories. However, do not expect much from the judges. After the performances, which are hacked to pieces by editors trying to shorten a DVD, you'll miss seeing, hearing, and remembering the judges reactions. I don't think it can be explained why so much was left out, surely there should have been performances; if not all, then one from each. I enjoyed the "never-before-seen-footage," but the actual show segments were disappointing to say the least.
  
  
• American Idol Must
  By A3SK5RBOL52OOC on 2005-04-11
  Even if you didnt like American Idol, you must admit that they have brought forth some of the most amazing talent that america has seen. This DVD focuses in on the main stars of the show: Ryan Starr, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Christian, Justin,Nikki, and Tamyra Grey. All of these Idols have amazing talent and are doing very well in the music world today. Kelly is still batting out music that is selling by the millions, Ryan Starr has just released another single of hers called "My Religion" which is doing extremely well on iTunes. Also Tamyra and Justin are entering the world of Broadway. If you are an american idol fan, buy this DVD and see where it all began, with Kelly, Ryan, Justin, Nikki, Tamyra, and others!
  
  
• It's all about Nikki
  By AEM0O1B4O9KP0 on 2002-09-25
  This amazing DVD is a must have for American Idol fans. As for me, I'm not much of a fan but I purchased it as a novelty collector's item. I got it primarily because of lovely Nikki McKibbin (my favorite finalist with amazing eyes and dazzling killer smile.) I recommend this DVD to everyone! And also, thanks for voting for Nikki - close, but top three ain't bad!
  
  
• AMERICAN IDOL A GREAT SUMMER SHOW BUT...
  By on 2002-09-30
  AMERICAN IDOL WAS A GREAT SUMMER SHOW. WHO WOULD WANT TO SEE A REPEAT PERFORMANCE? MAYBE A DIEHARD FAN? I RECOMMEND THE DVD TO ANYONE WHO DIDN'T SEE THE SHOW THIS SUMMER. KELLY WAS A DESERVING WINNER BUT I PREDICT TAMYRA GRAY WILL BECOME A STAR...SLASH THAT COMMENT ... SHE'S ALREADY A STAR.
  
  
• Don't waste your money
  By AYMTI3YEYBN5W on 2002-10-22
  This is just highlights. It is almost all talking. I liked the show because of the signing. I bought this because I wanted to have all the great songs they sang on DVD. But there is very little singing. Instead of showing RJ singing "Lately" to get into the top ten. They tell you how good of a job he did. Don't waist your money like I did.
  
  

• American Idol - The Best of Seasons 1 - 4
• American Idol - The Best & Worst of American Idol ( Limited Edition )
• American Idol - The Worst of Seasons 1-4
• American Idol Greatest Moments
• From Justin To Kelly (Special Edition)