Scottish comedic genius Billy Connolly has the ability to remain fresh for two simple reasons. Firstly, his continuing and amazing ability to see comedy in even the most tragic of times (September 11 for example), and secondly, his ability to find new ways of doing what he does best, delivering his unique brand of comedy. One of the more recent things Billy has turned his hand to is the compilation of a video diary of recent tours of places such as Australia, Scotland, and now England, Ireland and Wales.
Those familiar with Billy Connolly have no doubt seen his previous "World Tour" video diaries, as like Billy Connolly's World Tour of England, Ireland and Wales, they have been screened on ABC TV in Australia, and this one as recently as 2002.
This DVD presentation offers nothing that wasn't shown on television, including the prolific four-letter words. What it does offer is a crystal clear picture for those that have trouble tuning their sets to the ABC, and it is a fine documentary in itself that bears repeated viewing.
The style of this world tour is the same as the previous ones. We get a very rapid and at times very brief tour of a certain town or area, a potted history of some of the more notable landmarks, and we get Billy's unique appreciation of almost everything he sees. Interspersed with this are snippets from the relevant live show that was presented in that town or area. There are some local references as there always is with Connolly, but in this case they have been explained to viewers just prior as part of the video diary, and this often becomes the link to the snippet from the live show.
The eight episodes run just short of 30 minutes each, but are not quite evenly devoted to England, Ireland and Wales, (Wales has but one episode). Each is accompanied by some fine music, mostly with a traditional flavour. Even Connolly himself breaks into song occasionally, accompanied by his beloved banjo.
This is not necessarily a Five Star cruise we are on either, and while there are some beautiful and historic places visited, there are also more mundane locations such as shipworks, canals, and graveyards, but in Connolly's hands and through his eyes, each has something interesting to offer.
This well shot and well-edited tour diary is bound to appeal to any fan who has enjoyed Billy Connolly in the past. His humorous observations, unmatched delivery, and genuine love of people and life is infectious. Hearty laughs are still the order of the day for Billy Connolly and long may he tour.
In a word - gorgeous. There is almost nothing to fault with this transfer, and any nit-pick is purely for the sake of finding one. It is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and is 16x9 enhanced for those with widescreen televisions. The two most striking things about this transfer are the clarity and highly defined picture, and the amazing colour reproduction. The detail on screen is possibly the finest I have seen and you can make out almost every single hair in Connolly's purple goatee (should you feel so inclined). Skin tones are excellent, and the beautiful landscapes presented are like seeing the real thing form the rolling green fields, blue skies, and the various blues and greens of the open sea. The almost cartoonish opening sequence immediately leaps from the screen and never lets up.
This is also a very clean transfer and there are no marks or specks to speak of. Shadow detail is excellent and there are no problems of any kind with black levels, chroma noise, low-level noise, or colour bleeding. The only gripe is some very infrequent aliasing, and some minor and brief strobing of the sky in one episode; minor quibbles with an otherwise flawless presentation.
Like the video transfer, the audio transfer is a good one. The only option, however, is a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo track, but the clarity and range is superb, both for the video entries and the highlights from the show. The volumes remain constant, and there are no problems with synchronisation.
The accompanying music sounds wonderful, and shows of the range best, as the majority of each episode simply features Connolly speaking. The music is also the only time that separation of sound is relevant or noticeable.
There is some ever so slight crackling in Episode Three, but this may be attributable to something happening out of shot. Either way it is very minor and not distracting.
Whether you love comedy in general, or a good doco, or maybe you're even a slightly homesick ex-pat, you are certain to find lots here to enjoy. Lovers of Billy Connolly of course are guaranteed to get numerous laughs, and will be able to watch this more than once. His unique style and undoubted genius is well and truly on display, and that's all you need to know.
