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It's a real shock to the system. Perhaps I've just been spoiled for quality by the endless repeats of Seinfeld and Raymond, because good ol' Home Improvement
(a Sunday night family TV event if I recall my childhood correctly)
seemed to be all but wiped from my memory. And that's kind of sad,
because even in it's fifth season, Allen & Co are as consistent
from episode to episode as any classic comedy of the last three decades. Tim
Allen returns as Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, along with the Taylor
family,
the faceless neighbor Wilson and Tim's faithful sidekick Al. The laughs
come thick and fast throughout this season in which Tim is given an
honorary degree, Jill doles out psychiatric help, Tim makes a
stand
when his new boss tries to replace Al - and of course - the infamous
"cancer" storyline, to name but a few highlights.
For
many, Season Five was somewhat of a turning point. There was a
significantly stronger emphasis on "issues" (everything from the
aforementioned cancer of teen hotty Jonathon Taylor Thomas, adultery
and the loneliness of single parents). However, unlike most US shows
that would treat this with a cheesier tone than Cheddar - Allen's
ability to totally disarm a potentially dramatic situation with his
everyman humour and innocence (something Ray Romano would borrow
heavily from) truly sets the show apart from most others.
Well
worth revisiting, especially if you have grown jaded by the slew of
woeful Tim Allen films over the last ten years or so, because it really
is a superbly written and performed sitcom.
They may not make
them like they used to - but thanks to DVD - we don't have to worry
about forgetting about the ones that do work well. EXTRAS
If there's one thing Home Improvement
did well over it's run - it was bloopers. And the DVD is no different.
There's a good dose of bloopers from Season Five on offer here which is
just another reason why to you should enjoy this more than most sitcoms
of it's era.
Track this one down, a superb addition to any DVD collection.
Conclusion:
Movie 80% Extras: 50%
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