Arne Dahl Vol. 2 - Blu-ray

Content: After more than two years of waiting, the A-Group, a special investigation unit of the Stockholm police, is finally back in action. Based on the novels successfully published by literary scholar and author Jan Arnald under the pseudonym Arne Dahl between 1998 and 2008, the first three film adaptations were released in Germany in late 2012. Two more had already been shot, which now finally get to see the German fans of the troupe. And that on DVD and Blu-ray in two versions: once in the almost two-hour version, which has also run on German television, and once in the two-part, almost three hours long uncut version. The latter are definitely preferable, as they can spend more time on character development in addition to the actual investigations, and can shed more light on the impact of the dedicated police officers' work on their personal lives.

This pays off especially in Rosenrot. This case affects Kerstin Holm (Malin Arvidsson) very personally in a very special way. This simply comes across much more intensely in the long version than in the TV version. In any case, the films derive their appeal from the fact that in addition to the extremely exciting stories, the investigators are also interesting and complex characters with many strengths, but also very human weaknesses. The fact that the criminal cases sometimes seem a bit contrived and that some clichés are used doesn't really weigh negatively. Deep Pain is a very good example. This case, at the end of which the future of the A-group is completely uncertain, is not only set in Sweden, but in numerous other parts of Europe (including Germany). There really is no sparing of stereotypes. And yet the whole thing works, is extremely exciting and rousing. This is not only because of the atmospheric production, but also because of the good development of the characters, in whose fate you participate as a viewer only too gladly.

So the Arne Dahl films do not revolutionize the genre, but enrich it with really very worth seeing contributions. Luckily, three more films have already been shot and will be seen in Sweden in 2015. Let's hope that fans in Germany do not have to wait over two years to see how it will continue with the A-Group and whether they will still exist in their original cast. But for now, the two films from 2012 are absolutely worth watching!

And this is what the films are about:

Case 1: Rosenrot

A policeman shoots an African immigrant who is to be deported from Sweden. Kerstin Holm is assigned to interview the policeman, who turns out to be her ex-boyfriend Dag Lundmark. During a break in the interview, Lundmark disappears without a trace.

Meanwhile, a burglar breaks into an apartment where he finds a dead body with a suicide note. The letter leads to two more bodies in a swamp in Värmland. The A-group discovers a connection between the two murders, which are linked to espionage in the international pharmaceutical industry.

Kerstin Holm tries to track down Dag Lundmark on her own. Suddenly she realizes that he has stumbled upon a terrible secret and is just waiting for her to find him, which she succeeds in doing in the end. (Text: ZDF)

Case 2: Deep Pain

In "Deep Pain" a complex series of murders of international proportions keeps Stockholm special investigators Kerstin Holm and Paul Hjelm on their toes. There's a long needle stuck in his head: it's a chilling, calculating murder perpetrated on the renowned Swedish Nobel Prize nominee. But why must the almost ninety-year-old die in such an agonizing way? And what is the connection between his death and that of a horribly mutilated corpse that Paul Hjelm and his team discover in Stockholm's Skansen amusement park? There is only one lead the investigators can follow: Epivu. The dead man from Skansen scratched this strange word into the ground - and the other victim also seemed to have known these letters. (Text: ZDF)

Picture + Sound: The A-Group may investigate on Blu-ray in good picture and sound quality. While there are some minor point deductions in overall sharpness in the darker sequences, the visuals are otherwise convincing with good coloration du a decent level of detail. The DTS-HD mix makes the dialogue sound well intelligible from the speakers. A few well-implemented sound effects provide good surround dynamics throughout the otherwise rather unspectacular proceedings. Good!

Extras: Bonus material has the box unfortunately not to offer!

Conclusion: It has taken a long time, but now the next two Arne Dahl film adaptations around the Stockholm A-group are finally available. The two cases, which are available in both the 2-hour TV version, as well as in the 3-hour uncut version, offer exciting entertainment for all fans of sophisticated Nordic crime series. On the Blu-ray, the series presents itself in atmospheric picture and sound quality. There is no bonus material, but the long versions alone should be enough incentive to buy. Therefore, the bottom line is also a clear: Absolutely recommendable!

Source: Sebastian Betzold, Synopsis:ZDF