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List Price: $39.95 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 13874
Released: August 18, 2009 |
| Our Price: $27.49 |
| Used Price: $18.86 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Patrick Swayze is back and gunning for justice as Charles Barker, an unorthodox but effective FBI veteran in The Beast. Though considered by many, including rookie partner agent Ellis Dove (Travis Fimmel), to be the best in the business, FBI undercover operative Barker has a style that is nothing if not unconventional. In pushing Dove to immerse himself more deeply into the characters they create, Barker makes it clear how the stresses and dangers of working undercover make normal relationships impossible. As he and his mentor are tested by cases that pit them against ruthless drug lords, dangerous arms dealers, corrupt cops and deadly killers-for-hire, Dove also struggles with his own secret: he's being asked to cooperate with an FBI investigation of Barker, who's suspected of going rogue. And as Dove is pressured to become an informant, Barker launches his own investigation into a conspiracy within the Bureau that's protecting a secret cadre of agents operating outside the law.
Description of The Beast: Season One:
The arrival of the crime drama The Beast on DVD is bittersweet for several reasons: its release unfortunately coincides with the passing of its star, actor Patrick Swayze, who logged his last (and some of his best) hours on screen in the show, and his death brought an end to a promising series that might've endured even without him. Swayze, who was diagnosed with the pancreatic cancer that claimed his life in 2009 shortly before beginning work on The Beast, is top-billed as a seasoned FBI agent whose superiors look past his unorthodox methods due to his success rate at breaking cases. Travis Fimmel, last seen in the short-lived Tarzan series, is Swayze's new partner, a former sharpshooter whom the agency hopes to groom in the veteran agent's image. The episodes that comprise The Beast's first season are split between Swayze educating his younger partner in the finer points of two-fisted crime-solving, and Fimmel's discovery that Swayze is the subject of internal investigation for his actions. The core story has been done before, and done better (the theatrical feature Training Day, for one), but Swayze brings a palpable grit to his performance (one can recast his career along the lines of a Dick Powell, who also transitioned gracefully from song and dance to action-drama), and while the 13 episodes included on this three-disc set are a fine tribute to the breadth of his abilities, one can't watch The Beast without thinking that the actor's untimely death robbed viewers of what might have been a truly intriguing shift towards harder fare than the titles commonly associated with Swayze. Each of the 13 episodes is accompanied by a brief, by-the-books featurette that addresses aspects of the show's production; one wishes that more material could have been produced while Swayze was alive to provide for a fitting tribute. --Paul Gaita
Stills from The Beast: Season One (Click for larger image)
The Beast: Season One Reviews:
Very good show 
2009-12-07 - Swayze finally found some great writers for this series. Writers made Homacide Life on the Stgreet the best back when it was on and this showed signs of being just as good or not better with time, especially with Swayze in the lead. He was wonderful
Enjoyable, Exciting ... 
2009-11-27 - A series that always kept you wondering who is really the 'good' guy at any particular time. It's such a shame that Patrick didn't live that long after beginning this series, as I really enjoyed it. Maybe his brother, Don, could take over Patrick's roll as there is quite a resemblance to Patrick (at least I think so).
Great show--a sad farewell
2009-11-22 - I was always just a so-so fan of Patrick Swayze prior to this series and his unfortunate passing. But this show really impressed me and after watching it I was very sad to realize he has left us and this will be his final work.
The show starts off a little slow following two undercover FBI Agents with questionable ethics and it takes a few episodes to develop a rooting interest for them. But after about the 6th show the series really picks up and this series started to take on the best elements of "The Shield" another awesome cop show. The two Agents are fearless, lethal, and completely dettached from the 'real world' in order to do their jobs and that's what makes them so compelling to watch.
At the end of the show when you've really formed an attachment to the characters you realize the show is not only not on anymore, but the driving force behind it in Patrick Swayze, is no longer with us. That being the case, this is wonderful 'farewell performance' for PS and the show is well worth having in your collection.
Patrick Swazye
2009-11-15 - My The Beast arrived on time on in excellant condition. I loved season one of The Beast.I highly recommend it to all Patrick Swazye fans.
The beast
2009-11-11 - Received the package intact. I loved the DVD especially since this is the last series that Patrick Swayze is in.
