Ice Road Truckers Season 4 - DVD

Content: They are rolling again, the trucks of Hugh Rowland, Alex Debogorski, Lisa Kelly and the other drivers from the documentary series Ice Road Truckers. As in season 3, the truckers must face the dangerous Dalton Road in northern Alaska in the 16 new episodes. With two new drivers (Ray Vellieux and Greg Boadwine) in the squad, the Ice Road Truckers must once again haul as many loads as possible, some of them very dangerous, in a short amount of time.

The 16 new episodes don't really offer much new. Since the premises are exactly the same as in the third season, there are always moments that seem more like repetitions. Also the way how cuts, camera angles and the music artificially create tension or show dangerous situations more dangerous than they actually are, slowly wears out a bit. And yet the concept still works pleasingly well in the fourth round. On the one hand, of course, this is due to the drivers, who are simply interesting and entertaining characters. On the other hand, it's also the power of nature, which provides breathtaking moments again and again. Thaws, storms, avalanches, all make life difficult for the drivers time and time again.

The fourth season will again be extremely exciting, especially in the last episodes. For one thing, extreme thawing weather ensures that the track becomes increasingly dangerous. In order to keep the schedule, for example, an important delivery must be driven in an impressive convoy. At the same time, the competitive pressure among the drivers is increasing. In the end, everyone wants to be ahead in the standings and have driven the most tours. The fact that sometimes highly explosive dangerous goods must be driven over the icy roads, at least some of the drivers gladly accept.

Ice Road Truckers has followed a very simple concept since the beginning of the series: big trucks driving heavy loads on one of the most dangerous roads in the world. While there have been repeated attempts to bring some fresh air to the proceedings, such as in season 3 with the appearance of driver Lisa Kelly, there have also been attempts to make the truckers' tours look increasingly spectacular and dangerous. Season 4, for example, features one of the longest trailers to date. But the basic principle has not really changed much. If you were hoping to see something new, you will probably be disappointed by season 4, because the similarities to season 3 are too obvious. But if you can't get enough of the adventures of the Ice Road Truckers, you can safely grab this one again, because it's still entertaining in its fourth year!

In the meantime, there is a spin-off in the USA, which is called IRT: Deadliest Roads: here it will take Lisa Kelly, Hugh Rowland and other truckers away from the Ice Road for the first time and onto other dangerous roads (in season 1 in the Himalayas). It's something to be excited about.

Picture + Sound: Again, it's business as usual. The audio, dominated by the dialogues, is well intelligible and coherently mixed. The largely clean picture is on a good TV level and pleases with a decent level of sharpness throughout and satisfying contrast. The rugged beauty of Alaska comes across well as a result.

Extras: Only just under 18 minutes of cut footage is on offer in the DVD box set. At least there are some moments worth watching here, though, like the short portraits of the new drivers or the pranks the drivers play on each other, which make this encore a nice extra for fans of the series.

Conclusion: Once again, the fourth season of Ice Road Truckers offers docu-entertainment at its best. Although the concept of the series has worn out a little after four seasons, but there are again many breathtaking shots and exciting moments in the new episodes, which provide an overall high entertainment value - even if the very big surprises are missing. Technically, the fourth box is again on a good level, but the bonus material is a little weak. For fans of the Ice Road Truckers but still recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp