Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1077 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-02-12
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Formats: Box set, Subtitled, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 6
• Running time: 960 minutes

Synopsis
This popular show follows a group of FBI agents as they go inside the minds of vicious murderers. With Emmy-winner Mandy Patinkin (CHICAGO HOPE) playing a star behavior analyst, these profilers try to solve mysteries by delving into the psychology of serial killers and terrorists. In addition to Patinkin, CRIMINAL MINDS stars Thomas Gibson as the group's leader. Several of the group's members are able to offer special insight into specific cases: Lola Glaudini's character understands sexually related crimes, and Shemar Moore's agent helps to solve crimes of obsession. Matthew Gray Gubler plays a young agent whose social skills don't quite match his high level of intelligence. Offering insight into both real and fictional crimes, this show is an essential for drama devotees. This release includes the complete first season of the series.

Customer Reviews

Exciting, glossy, and rewarding
Criminal Minds is filmed with the same slick, well-produced Hollywood-style gloss as CSI and Without A Trace, and features the same case-of-the-week format and a similar team of young, attractive specialists headed by a complex, tortured and brilliant older man. This always successful formula, teamed with a tight and often amusing script, some excellent acting and a lot of seriously gasp-out-loud scary climaxes, makes for a brilliant programme.

Mandy Patinkin plays Agent Gideon, an intense, quiet but very talented criminal profiler who puts together physical and psychological descriptions of criminals by examining the crime scene. Most episodes build their way up to a climax where Gideon and his team struggle to identify and find the criminal before he commits another murder/kidnapping/arson etc. It's often edge-of-the-seat stuff, although it can be very gruesome, so be warned. The final showdown with the criminal is often electric, especially if the team have to play into his psychological fantasies, essentially reading his mind, in order to catch him or get him to surrender (an episode where Elle is trapped on a train with a maniac is especially good in this regard!).

Patinkin is great in the role (though arguably not as fantastic as he is in Dead Like Me - check it out if you're a Patinkin fan) and is very ably backed up by his team, especially Matthew Gray Gubler who plays the somewhat socially inept but genius Dr Reed. The good thing about Criminal Minds is that the actors have a lot to work with as we get to understand a little of the characters' backstories and motivations in some episodes, more so than in similar shows like CSI.

If you like your criminal shows tense, unpredictable, and with an element of intelligence, you'll love this - definitely worth checking out.

Great TV
Being a huge fan of crime shows such as CSI and Without a Trace i'm always looking for new shows in the same vein and after recently finishing season 2 of dead like me I decided to give Criminal Minds a go partly so I could see more of the brilliant Mandy Patinkin. I certainly havent been disappointed. Where other shows sometimes rely too heavily on blood and gore for shock value, Criminal Minds is committed to showing the reasoning behind why individuals are compelled to commit such awful crimes in the first place. The fact that all of the episodes are based on real cases makes the show even more interesting to watch in a morbid kind of way. All in all, an exciting and brilliantly written series with a fantastic cast.

Incredible!
This series has surpassed what we've seen to date in the CSI, NCIS, BONES and DEXTER series' - (all of which are worth watching). There appears to be a trend towards introducing eclectic characters - the genius with social ineptitude is seen in this series as well as in BONES - although in this series we're given more of a glimpse into the minds of the profilers and into their past, their struggle with what they see in their job and how they reconcile this with their personal lives. The acting is stellar throughout - the only character I was unsure of initially, was A.J.Cook as the liason agent - I felt she was too young for this role.

The series gives more depth to the criminal, tracing their path through life - what preceded and shaped them into what they are today - the psychology behind the crime - the patterns - how that fits in with the history of similar crimes.

Many of the episodes in this series excel; others are great; some are good. All, are worth watching.

The quotation at the start and end of each episode, gives a touch of class and provokes thought - often encompassing the episode and adding the perfect finishing touch!