Review of Blackadder: Back & Forth

Introduction

Blackadder - Back & Forth is perhaps most famous as being the only thing worth going to the ill-fated Millenium Dome for. With all the money thrown at the Dome, it`s astounding that a 30 minute film was the best thing in the whole place, but perhaps it just shows what a stupid idea the Dome was.

Getting the Blackadder cast back together after 10 years was definitely not a stupid idea though. After going out on a high with Blackadder Goes Forth, rumours were always abound of the next project around the corner, but nothing ever happened. In the meantime many of the cast have had successes with film projects such as Bean (Atkinson), Wilde (Fry) and Maybe Baby (Laurie).

The plot is outlined above, and if you`ve ever seen any Blackadder then you`ll know what to expect - cunning plans, insults and a good few laughs along the way.

Video

A 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer is on offer here and it looks very good indeed. It`s spotless, with not a hint of dirt to be seen. Colours are good, contrast is good and black levels are good. There`s a reasonable amount of detail on show too.

There appears to be some confusion over the correct aspect ratio though. I didn`t see the original broadcast in the Dome, but the extra features imply that it might have been 2.35:1, as there are deleted scenes framed at that aspect ratio. There are also shots of monitors with various different aspect ratios marked on them so maybe it was intended to be shown at 1.78:1. Whatever the answer, it`s certainly better than the TV broadcast that I saw of this, which was a full-frame 4:3 affair.

Audio

A choice of DD5.1 and dts soundtracks for the main feature. Yes, that`s right, dts. For what is essentially a 30 minute TV comedy show. Overkill you might think, but it is put to good use during certain scenes, including a few scenes in space and a Jurassic Park style moment. It`s not going to become a reference disc, but it`s good fun and was definitely worth the effort of putting dts on the disc.

Features

Two extra features on offer here, to boost the running time of the disc (the main feature is only 30 minutes long after all).

First we have "Baldrick`s Video Diary", which is a 30 minute "making of" style documentary, all in 1.78:1 anamorphic, with interviews, behind-the-scenes clips and some deleted scenes. It`s quite enjoyable and there`s some interesting information imparted along the way. There are also clips from the original TV series, which have been zoomed to fill the 1.78:1 ratio - this makes them look rather poor quality. It would have been nice to see some of the items included here separated out into their own sections, for example the deleted scenes.

The other extra is Blackadder - The Cavalier Years, a 15 minute sketch filmed for Comic Relief. In 1648, Blackadder and Baldrick stay loyal to King Charles I (Stephen Fry with his best Prince Charles impersonation), risking the wrath of Cromwell (Warren Clarke) and his Roundheads.

Conclusion

Blackadder - Back & Forth is perhaps a slightly hit and miss affair overall. It`s good fun to see most of the old cast back together, and Miranda Richardson`s wonderfully loony Elizabeth I makes a welcome return. There are some good laughs along the way too. The short running time does rather make it feel like they were trying to do too much in the short time available, and this is perhaps why it misses on occasions. It doesn`t help that they set themselves such high standards with the preceding series.

The inclusion of the "video diary" is certainly welcome, as there are some good moments including Stephen Fry translating what he says in Latin while dressed in a very short skirt.

The addition of Blackadder - The Cavalier Years also helps to compensate for the short running time of the main feature, as you get a bit more Blackadder for your money. Money is where the problem lies though, as an RRP of 19.99 is rather too high given the content. Had the main feature been an hour longer then it might have been acceptable, but as it stands, the RRP is about 5 pounds too high.

Recommended for die hard Blackadder fans if you can pick it up on the cheap. If you`re new to Blackadder you should buy one of the other series on DVD instead.