Product Review: Smallville Season 5 DVDs

The SMALLVILLE DVDs hit the shelves tonight at midnight across the United States as thousands of avid fans rush to the local store to purchase their copy. If you're unsure whether you want to purchase one yourself, perhaps this review will help you make up your mind, because you really don't want to miss this set, especially for the Denise Quiñones fan!

Season 5 marked the first time that superhero Andrea Rojas ever showed up on the screen, played by the lovely Denise in one of her first few television roles as an actress.

Denise played as a guest star in one episode titled Vengeance, but it doesn't stop there! She was asked to return for a follow-up story in the Vengeance Chronicles as well. Straight off, once you open the DVD set, you'll notice that the insert/booklet features the Daily Planet and Metropolis on the front cover, and a picture of Clark holding Chloe at the Fortress of Solitude from the episode "Arrival" on the back cover. On the inside of the booklet is a small spread that features two images of Denise taken during the "Vengeance" episode.

One of the first disks I wanted to see was the Vengeance Chronicles, since they were something I really enjoyed during the season. These little mini promotional videos feature Chloe Sullivan and Andrea Rojas (who is superhero to Chloe's reporter ) while they work together to prove the mysterious Level 33.1 was real and really controlled by the waxing villain, Lex Luthor. One feature that did not originally air with these promotional videos last season was the presence of two easter eggs.

In the VC chapter titled "Level 33.1" there is a moment where Denise's character, Andrea, is standing in front of a set of monitors. If you hover your mouse over those monitors, they turn red. Clicking on the monitors will take you to a separate screen where you can learn more about what went on in Level 33.1 with certain key characters from the show.

A second easter egg is in the last VC Chapter, as Chloe is typing in her Digital Wall of Weird. Clicking on the word "Hero" will take you to an updated version of Chloe's digital wall of weird, featuring some of the season's most important people who piqued Chloe's curiousity.

Be sure to get your copies as soon as possible to own the first television show that Denise has starred on that was released on DVD!! You can purchase them through Amazon.com or get them from Best Buy for the extra half-hour of the Extended 100th Episode Documentary, produced by RetroFit Films and scored by Vengeance Chronicles composer, Greg Nicolett. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

- Tabitha Chapman (www.alisonmackonline.com)

Press

Review of "Smallville: The Making of a Milestone" (Allisonmackonline.com)

Reel Chicago "Who's Who" In Chicago Production (ReelChicago.com)

Review of "The Small Assassin" (FilmMonthly.com)