After being blown away by the first two episodes of THE VICE GUIDE TO TRAVEL, I entertained myself during the week to some Amazon reviews of the complete series. The Circle of Anonymous Critics of The Amazon is a notoriously dissatisfied bunch, but they were EXTREMELY harsh on what seemed to me, a very entertaining idea. Let's examine a few. I'm sorry if you thing that reviews of Amazon reviews are unoriginal, but there is a point to all this. If you're patient enough, you will be rewarded, like with a good novel.
TWO STARS
A cool idea but filled with short clips that don't really go anywhere. Save your money and watch it on youtube.
-Neighboresse
The videos aren't very long indeed, but I thought they were straightforward and to the point. When you're going to the Pakistan Gun Market, it's not exactly like you could ask questions of anything. You go there, you do what you have to do and then you leave. It's good enough that they could bring a camera. I'm just thankful I could see that a place like that exists. It's short yes, but it's not complacent. I could have used a little more of that Chernobyl episode, though.
TWO STARS
One of the segments involves attending a rave in the City of God, Rio's largest slum. But they never do attend the rave, because someone tells them it's too dangerous. Then there is a segment on what is supposedly the world's largest arms market; they show significantly fewer guns than the small gun store on my street. The segment on the lost dinosaur in the congo is just plain goofy; all you see is some guy getting drunk and a bunch of Congolese villagers dancing around. The Chernobyl segment could have been good except that they hyped showing mutant animals but then never showed any. Major disappointment with the whole DVD.
There is nothing new, fresh, exciting or informative about any of this. As a previous reviewer said - they start with a good idea and then run out of steam before they can execute it.
-Kevin F. Pisarsky
This is actually some decent criticism. I mean, the guys rarely deliver what the had in mind in the first place. But, they ARE dangerous place and you wouldn't get a sight out of it if the journalists in question never come back. Yes, it doesn't have anything on war journalism, but it's not the same thing. Those guys are doing extreme tourism. I'm just happy they go to the craziest places and show me exactly what it is to be there. I was just happy somebody brought a camera to Chernobyl. That scene where Shane Smith freaks out because of the Red Forest was a thing of beauty.
Why am I talking about the same episodes than last week?
Valid question.
Because the two episodes this week sucked ass. That's why. The one where they go to Congo to check out Gorillas is mildly interesting if a little uneventful, but the Wodka wars episode was beyond abysmal. No fucked up vacation in this one, they just send a strung out hipster in Poland and Russia, to investigate about who invented Vodka. I mean, who fucking cares? I want to see a journalist go to a fucked up place, not a bored out idiot doing some historical research.
I don't really care who invented Vodka. I don't even drink Vodka. It's called the VICE GUIDE TO TRAVEL because it's supposed to be about a bunch of people travelling to fucked up place. Not about a douche and history books. Really, there's nothing to say about this weeks episodes. Except fuck that Vodka research guy.