Product Description

An astonishing season of destiny! Clark Kent now carries a full load of classes at Central Kansas U., but that's not all he carries. He carries the full weight of his - perhaps the world's - destiny. "We call this season Superman in Training," series co-creator Alfred Gough says. "Clark is going to accept his destiny." During this exciting pivotal season: The Fortress of Solitude rises. A spaceship mystery unfolds. A dark tragedy - one even Clark's powers can't prevent - strikes. These and more key elements of Superman lore fall into place.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #931 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2006-09-12
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Widescreen, Box set, Color, Dolby
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 6
• Dimensions: .75 pounds
• Running time: 925 minutes

Features

• An astonishing season of destiny! Clark Kent now carries a full load ofes at Central Kansas U., but that's not all he carries. He carries the full weight of his - perhaps the world's - destiny. "We call this season Superman in Training," series co-creator Alfred Gough says. "Clark is going to accept his destiny." During this exciting pivotal season: The Fortress of Solitude rises. A spaceship myst

Amazon.com
Consistently solid with some major developments, the fifth season of Smallville kicks the characters off to college, but not before finishing the cataclysmic disaster that ended the fourth season. With Chloe transported to the Arctic Circle and Kryptonian supervillains in town, Clark (Tom Welling) is in the Fortress of Solitude meeting Jor-El (voiced by Terence Stamp). He gives up his powers, but to get them back will cost him the life of someone he loves.

The even bigger development is that Clark and Lana (Kristin Kreuk) finally give up their dalliances with others and become an official couple. That means the other girls in Clark's life become fifth and sixth wheels, so Chloe (Allison Mack) reveals the secret she's been keeping from Clark and becomes a best pal. Super-gorgeous Lois's (Erica Durance, now part of the opening credits) banter with Clark loses its bite without any sexual tension so instead she meets Arthur "AC" Curry, a fantastic swimmer who has an eye for Lois and an accusing one toward Lex (Michael Rosenbaum) and LutherCorp. He's not the only one; Clark's Central Kansas A&M professor, Milton Fine (James Marsters) hires Clark to help him on his project, an expose of LutherCorp. Lex is the pivotal character of the season. His relationship with his best friend, Clark, now history, Lex has a Christmas Carol-type dream in which he sees himself in a law-abiding--and happy--life. (That episode, "Lexmas," also has some amusing interplay involving Clark and Chloe.) Undeterred, he decides on a life of power and dives into a state senate race against Jonathan Kent with gusto, though a fanatical Lex supporter turns the race into a literal one for life and death. Lionel Luthor (John Glover) also makes a strong comeback in this season, pulling unseen levers and making everyone wonder exactly what he knows.

There's some fun. "Thirst" is a tribute to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and another DC Comics character, Cyborg (Teen Titans), appears. Carrie Fisher plays Chloe's editor at The Daily Planet, and "Exposed" reunites Schneider with former Dukes of Hazzard costar Tom Wopat, and the two go peeling out in a vehicle. But things come to a head in the series 100th episode, when Jor-El's prediction comes to pass and splintered relationships end up leading in unexpected directions. Then in the season finale's cliffhanger, Clark has to face three of his enemies. DVD features include commentary on two episodes and a half-hour examination of the 100th episode, from writing through production. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

the best season so far
I have been a fan of "Smallville" from the beginning, and was very happy both as a viewer and a fan at how this season turned out. In direct opposition to season four's disastrous story arch involving Isobel and the Teague family attempting to manipulate Lana, this one takes a much more serious (and yet enjoyable) path through Clark's choices and their ultimate consequences. It also shifts the love interest from Clark and Lana to Lex and Lana, something they have been hinting at four seasons and only now have the courage to bring out.

Lex Luthor and Jonathan Kent do battle to become state senator, Lionel Luthor switches sides (again), Clark consummates his love for Lana and then is forced to give her up, Chloe starts working for the Daily Planet, one of the leading cast members is killed off, and it winds up in the most explosive, dramatic, and powerful season finale of the series.

It's rare that I have enjoyed almost every episode in a season, but there is some solid stuff here -- "Lexmas" is a heart-ripping "what if" featuring Lex's alternate life if he is to choose the path of good, with a sadistic twist in the second half to make Stephen King take a step back; "Tomb" is a fantastically fun ghost story in which Allison Mack plays an alternate Chloe; "Reckoning" brings two consecutive deaths and a painful funereal; "Mercy" revolves around the charisma between Martha and Lionel when a manic madman forces them to make their way through his house of horrors; and five or so episodes revolve around the steadily building seduction of Lana Lang. Tom Welling also makes his directorial debut (and a marvelous one at that) in "Fragile," an ironic twist of fate since it contains a super-hot first kiss between Lana and Lex at the end.

I am a little disappointed that there aren't more features (one would have thought at least "Reckoning" and "Fragile" would get a commentary, and no blooper reel is unfortunate, since many of the actors have mentioned the various pranks and oops! on set) but will be delighted to own this season. I look forward with great anticipation the possibilities the next will bring.

Dark and enthralling!
So much changes in the fifth season of Smallville that it is hard to comment on aspects of the season without spoiling it for those who have not seen it yet.

However, in the most general terms, Smallville continues as one of the most interesting fantasy shows on television. A new character played by James Marsters of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame joins the cast. He plays a professor at the college that Clark attends. Of course, no one is who they appear to be in this tale.

Themes of loyalty and betrayal prevail. As Clark, Lois and Chloe enter college and a new phase of life they must make harder decisions. Lex continues to make choices that will separate him from his humanity and his friendship with Clark Kent. Clark continues to push away Lex and Lana, even though at times it seems he will reconcile with them. Lois continues to be flip, curt and annoying. It is interesting that not only Clark but most of the main characters seemed doomed to have no sex life--as if the assumed celibacy of this superhero is infectious somehow.

In general the season is darker and less hopeful than prior seasons. Despite this it continues to fascinate and enthrall.

"Smallville" is great! But...
I really, really love "Smallville" and don't think I can add anything that you won't read in other reviews but, I've got a gripe about the 5th season packaging that I just can't overlook... There are no English subtitles! How can this be? There's Spanish subtitles and there's French subtitles but no English. Now, personally, I don't HAVE to have subtitles... I just like them to be available because I can get a lot more out of the story, but, what about people who are hard of hearing or deaf? The first four seasons included English subtitles.
My only other complaint about Season 5 is the packaging... not nearly as nice as the first 4 seasons... and I hate the overlapping DVDs which make it hard to remove the DVDs in the rear. But, my main complaint is not having the English subtitles. I got spoiled watching the first 4 seasons and having the subtitles. To not include English subtitles now is just plain stupid.