Search - Cirque du Soleil - Solstrom - The Complete Series on DVD

Cirque always brings a smile to my face

Brian Kerecz | PA, USA | 03/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While the acts performed in Solstrom, a 13-part television series, are not always truly comparable to the acts on stage, this program has many amazing acts which never made it into a show but could, and should, have.

Some would have been quite difficult to merge into a show. One I remember, which was amazing, was a husband/wife team who juggled together, using their hands, feet etc. Perfect together, and amazing to watch, but I am not sure how that could have made it into a Quidam or another show......but that in no way takes away from what they did.

Some acts, such as Viktor Kee's other-worldly juggling, had poor lighting for the show compared to the Dralion stage he had. But they are all still memorable.

Some acts have actually added stunts, such as the acrobats at the end of Quidam. In one sequence in Quidam, two of the acrobats are jettisoned and one goes over the other. In Solstrom, amazingly enough, four now do what two did. It is incredible, and nice to see how Cirque is always tweaking and making the shows better, impossible as that may seem.

The show's story line admittedly was a bit contrived, but I do not think anyone tuned in to see the underlying story line. Cirque never ceases to amaze me. If you like Cirque, this is a must have."

Actual DVD review: Family Entertainment.

DDC2000 | 05/21/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"According to the short documentary, the purpose of Solstrom was to reach an international FAMILY audience and NOT the hard-core Cirque fans. So the humor was broad and the theme simplistic. Limited to two takes because of performer fatigue, each episode took seven days to put together with the artists arriving the day before rehearsal. Actual filming was only four days, utilizing 150 people working almost 24/7 to put together 130 numbers in four months on a limited budget and time constraints. The customer reviewer that wanted Cirque to "go to Italy" just didn't get the premise of the "stage show" where no one cared if you saw the overhead lighting fixtures as the camera moved off the set. Really, how would they have rigged some of the acts if they had gone outdoors? With a crane? And taking the whole crew to Italy for ONE show? The purpose of the show was an experiment for televison, which is a cold flat medium. The "theme" for each show was usually held together by some of the clown acts from the Cirque shows who helped to move the dramatic storyline that framed the acrobatic acts. Not every episode worked but there are enough for those who enjoy "family-oriented" entertainment and are not the jaded jet-set Cirque fans. The show allowed 200 more acts to be seen besides the established Cirque performers. The Superbit version has excellent video and sound quality. Using the Closed-Captions option reveals some lines of dialog-comments that were not spoken by Fogus Punch. The series flows and plays much better without the interruptions of the commercials. If you have no imagination and have no sense of humor, don't buy this DVD."

A lot of fun, but it's not the Cirque experience.

Jason Cheung | Staten Island, NY | 07/17/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Having seen actual Cirque Du Soleil shows myself, I'll tell you first off that you really have to be there in person to get the full effect of someone dangling 50 feet in the air above you, or having a performer do a double backflip almost into your lap, and engage you in a staring contest.

The little stories that are told in Solstrom follow the Cirque tradition, but that's the very problem. The way it's always felt to me, Cirque Du Soleil isn't really meant to be watched on TV. While it's great to watch in person, it feels all too much like a Saturday morning kids special, with computer-generated sparkles, and cheesy music.

As for the acts themselves, they're absolutely mindblowing, as I could only expect from Cirque Du Soleil. Some of the performers from the actual shows make appearances, along with other very talented people you may or may not have seen elsewhere, such as diabolo experts, jugglers of all sorts, and even professonal bubble blowers.

This would definitely be excellent to watch with kids, but adults may get a little antsy having to put up with the cheesy sound effects and scenery.

Acts get an absolute 5, but you'd have to be 5 years old to enjoy everything in between."

It's Cirque!

Mike | USA | 03/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cirque in all it's glory - these are acts that perhaps didn't make the final cut to be in a regular show, but I still appreciate the chance to see them and judge for myself.

I enjoyed every episode thoroughly, and I also enjoyed seeing Milla Jovovich - how could anyone NOT like her?

Good series if you are a true Cirque afficianado!"