Commissario Montalbano Vol. 5 - DVD

Content: For almost fifteen years now Luca Zingaretti investigates as Commissario Salvo Montalbano in the fictional Sicilian coastal town of Vigàta. Based on the popular novels by Andrea Camilleri, the Italian policeman has gained a considerable following not only in his homeland but also in Germany. Sometimes moody and temperamental, sometimes charming and thoughtful, this is how Montalbano, the man of pleasure, presents himself to his fellow men. He approaches his investigations with care and deliberation, but he can also lose his temper at times. Conversations during meals are taboo for him, and he makes no exception, even with the most beautiful women. He conducts interrogations with a very special quick-wittedness, with which he elicits many an important detail from suspects. For the bad guys in Vigàta this is not necessarily an advantage. For the viewer, however, it is tremendously entertaining and makes Commissario Montalbano crime thriller enjoyment of a particularly worthwhile kind.

After the success of the first four DVD boxes, Vol. IV is now released with four new exciting cases in which Montalbano is extremely challenged not only professionally but also privately. Illegal horse races, a dealender pharmacy representative, jealousy, Mafia murders - these are just a few of the things that keep the Commissario in the episodes 17 to 20 of the popular crime series on his toes. And in between, of course, he may present himself again as the charming womanizer, as which his female fans love him so much.

Commissario Montalbano is characterized less by fast-paced action, but by a very ponderous, but never boring production. The somewhat overzealous and dorky Catarella (Angelo Russo) and Montalbano's quips with forensic pathologist Pasquano (Marcello Perracchio) provide humorous relief time and again. The picturesque locations in Sicily, which were the inspiration for Vigàta, the exciting stories and the multi-layered main character make these new episodes of Commissario Montalbano again a real treat for all friends of solid Italian crime fiction. And this is what the individual episodes are about:

DVD 1: The trail of the fox

On the beach directly in front of Montalbano's terrace lies a slain horse - when he wants to have the carcass picked up, it has suddenly disappeared. A little later, a friend of Ingrid's, the beautiful Rachele Estermann, reports her valuable racehorse stolen. Stable owner Lo Duca suspects revenge of a former employee, but the case is not so simple ... (Text: Servus TV)

DVD 2: The Dark Truth of the Moon

Shortly after Michaela Pardo reports her brother, pharmaceutical salesman Angelo, missing, Montalbano finds his body in his terrace apartment. Suspicion falls on Angelo's mistress Elena, who is not only attractive and married, but openly admits to having no alibi. Suddenly there are several drug-related deaths and suddenly the mafia also seems to play a role in the mysterious case ... (Text: Servus TV)

DVD 3: The Ritual of Revenge

When a body is uncovered in an old clay pit, everything initially points to a Mafia murder. But Commissario Montalbano is suspicious. His suspicions are based on the mysterious behaviour of a woman who not only reports her husband missing to the police station, but in parallel also maintains a liaison with Montalbano's deputy Augello, who is decidedly tempestuous about taking over the murder investigation ... (Text: Servus TV)

DVD 4: The Dance of the Seagull

The day begins strangely. First Commissario Montalbano sees a dying seagull, then Fazio disappears. Acting on a tip, the detective has a dried-up well investigated. There he finds two men's bodies, but no trace of Fazio. Shortly afterwards, the wanted Fazio turns up, but he is injured and can't remember anything. During the investigation, Commissario Montalbano realizes that the Mafia is involved in the murders. (Text: Servus TV)

Picture + Sound: The audio-visual realization of the four episodes is, as with the previous box, on a largely good level. The audio, which is only available in German, is dominated by the centrally and very powerfully mixed dialogue. Ambient noises or similar sound effects, which could provide for a little dynamic, are against it hardly ascertainable. The picture, on the other hand, can score with a particularly positive aspect: The picturesque landscape shots are well accentuated on the DVDs. Colors are vibrant and even minor details are clearly discernible in the brighter moments. Only in the darker scenes is there slight blurring and minimal picture noise to be discovered. Only the first episode of this box features a rather washed out image, where the overall sharpness could have been much better.

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

Conclusion: Also the four new cases on the fifth DVD box of Commissario Montalbano offer crime thrillers of a very special kind. Exciting stories, embedded in picturesque landscapes, a great leading actor, who brings the multi-layered title character to life in a first-class way and an intoxicating mix of humor, suspense and drama make also Vol. V of Commissario Montalbano a great pleasure for all viewers who appreciate European crime entertainment! Recommended!

Source: Sebastian Betzold / Synopsis: Servus TV