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my son wanted this dvd and has he enjoyed it or what! anything that top gear do he likes and this was no exception. only problem is that the now wants all the other challenge dvds but will look on ebay for bargains.
Well, here we are again. Another Top Gear DVD, and one that should be considered essential on subject matter alone. Let's face it, the Challenges are the BEST part of the show as they test Jezza, Hamster and Captain Slow to their limits and beyond, in tasks that are extreme, barmy, exciting, surprising, hilarious and (more often than not) end in disaster. Top Gear: The Challenges was a brilliant DVD, I thought. It had the best challenges ever in the show's history, which for that reason alone, made it worth buying and cherishing. However, the DVD was criticised by many regarding the editing and the presentation. The menus were awkward and difficult to operate, the sequence of challenges were broken up and scattered so it was hard to follow them properly, and the scene selection wasn't as well conceived as it should've been. Personally, none of this bothered me, though I could understand why it annoyed others. But first things first, what exactly can you expect from Top Gear: The Challenges 2? All the best challenges from the tenth series, which is the only logical thing to do, seeing as how all the best challenges from the show's HISTORY have been released previously. The Challenges here are Amphibious Cars: The Sequel (where they cross the Channel), The Bugatti Veyron vs. The Eurofighter, Motorhome Racing, Fiat 500 vs. BMX, the lads' search for The Greatest Driving Road, The 24 Hour Race (at Silverstone) and the epic Race Across London (featuring James in a Mercedes, Richard on a bicycle, The Stig on public transport and Jeremy in a racing speedboat). These challenges are all fresh, and while perhaps not as classic as the last batch, there're nonetheless excellent, featuring all the essential stuff that makes Top Gear the cracking entertainment that it is. But...HAVE the BBC listened to all the criticisms that were directed at the last Challenges DVD? YES, THEY HAVE. The structure of the compilation is MUCH better than it was previously. No skipping over to another challenge halfway through the one you're currently watching THIS time around. Each portion of the Challenges from the shows have been grouped together to form a much better, more structured presentation. You're watching one Challenge all the way through before moving onto the next one, allowing you to just sit back and enjoy a much-more smoother and better-flowing compilation. The scene-selection has also been better designed, meaning the chapter-breaks are at much more convenient points. And all the menus operate like they SHOULD. Cursors are where they should be, you have the cool Top Gear theme playing on almost every menu, and there's a really nice Stig animation that accompanies the transitions between the different menus. And the icing on the cake? EXTRAS. There's some really great ones here. First up, are clips from celebrity stars of the last series, Lewis Hamilton and Simon Cowell. Both of their amazing Lap Times round the Top Gear test track are shown here, along with extended interviews. The new cuts are noticeable and thus make these extras even more special. There's also a ride with The Stig in the No. 1 Lap Car, complete with an interactive option that allows you to change the camera angle via your remote. Even though there's only two angles to choose from, it's still a great addition to the disc. There's also another interactive multi-angle option featuring the Eurofighter from the Bugatti Veyron race, and although it's quite brief, it is absolutRead full review
To date, the creators, producers and makers of BBCs "Top Gear" show haven't exactly done the show proud. "Challenges Volume 1" was all over the place, with segments out of sequence, missing or cut, and a menu screen that was almost impossible to access. "The Great Adventures" was better - the Polar Adventure had extended scenes, but the USA Special had been hacked to pieces in the editing suite, resulting in less footage than you can see on satelite channel "Dave", which is no mean feat (!!) I wasn't especially hopeful when I picked up this DVD in the shop and read those fateful words "some edits have been made for contractual reasons". Actually, though I didn't spot that many edits. The Stigs mobile phone plays a different tune in the London race (the Eastenders theme is replaced by the Top Gear one), and there is a scene missing in the 24hour Britcar race where all three presenters discussed who should go out first, before choosing the Stig. Generally though, most of the segments are present and correct and haven't been changed too much, and the menu is actually user-friendly. If there is a problem, it's probably with the content itself, almost all of which is from the last series. The Channel Crossing sequel with the Amphibious Cars is worth the price of admission alone, as is the race across London and the 24hour Britcar race, but I would have liked to have seen some other earlier challenges. For example, instead of the motorhome racing, I'd have liked to have seen the boys caravanning holiday which ended up in a fireball - that was a classic. I also liked the German woman, Sabine, who tried to get a van around the Nürburgring in under ten minutes. The clip where they tried to complete some roadworks in record time was good as well, and what about the Caterham kitcar bit, where the presenters had to build a car from scratch faster than the Stig could drive from London to Scotland. There are just so many good challenges on this show. I'd love to be the guy that gets to choose what gets put on the DVD. They should have a public vote or something for the inevitable "Volume 3" that will surely follow this one. It's also pleasing to note that 2Entertain/BBC have finally made an effort with the Special Features. Extended interviews with Simon Cowell and Lewis Hamilton are provided, while potential purchasers also get the chance to dust-off that underused "angle" button on your remote control for a couple of sequences around the track with the Stig. They're not much, but at least they've finally made an effort and are starting to treat the show with some of the respect it deserves. When I last reviewed a Top Gear DVD I gave it four stars, mainly because the show is so cool, even though the DVD itself was rubbish. This time around, it's about a 4 and a half. It's still a great show, it's just that somewhere in the back of my mind, I want a little bit more. Or am I being just a little bit greedy?Read full review
It's my son's DVD....and if you like Top Gear then you will love this!!! It has the first set of challenges that the presenter took on! Great DVD!!!
its fantastic awsome value buy it over and over again go on u know you want to challenges are excellent entertainment and a good laugh :D:D
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