Customer Reviews
TERRIFIC.............BRING IT ON BOYS!...................... - By: L. Hay, 28 Jun 2008 
Two top adventures from the fab trio.
Firstly Clarkson & James May set out to drive to the North Pole in a modified gas-guzzler, entering the Guiness book of records as the first people to drive to the Pole. Meanwhile the Hampster is going by dog sled. Clarkson & James have to negotiate ice boulders & bears whilst ripping the underside of their Toyota (yet another plug Clarkie). But on the positive side there are no cops or traffic wardens so they can sip gin & T whilst on the move.
This version is somewhat longer than that seen on television & is most enjoyable.
Then the star for me.........Armed with a thousand bucks a piece, our intrepid heroes venture to the Deep South of the USA where they purchase old US bangers & drive to New Orleans where they intend selling said vehicles.
After a series of hilarious adventures they reach their destination.
Some reviewers have stated that this episode was cut & had the music changed. Well, I did not notice. It seemed alll right to me & I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is a reallly chuckle-worthy, rib-rattling set & I could watch it over & over again.
TOP GEAR AT ITS VERY BEST...................
Sublime to ridiculous - By: TSO, 22 Jun 2008 
Have to agree with the view of many others here. The extended Polar Special is brilliant - even better than the TV version. However, which idiot has destroyed the American trip? So much of it has been cut out. Could it be a fully paid-up member of the dreaded PC brigade as I noticed that Clarkson's rant against "fat, stupid & rude Americans" etc has gone. Likewise, the segment where Clarkson, Hammond & May have to make an "improvement" to their vehicles is cut out totallly bar the unexplained site of Clarkson getting an in-car shower from his gadget. Those responsible for this should never be alllowed near an editing suite again, & preferably be replaced by a team who'll release an extended version of the brilliant "Caravan holiday" - to my mind the best Top Gear film ever. In conclusion, the Polar film is worth a five, but I've dropped my rating to three purely because of the ruined American show.
Watch it on UK TV - By: Andrew Macdonald, 18 Apr 2008 
When first aired on BBC2, the American trip was undoubtedly on of the funniest TV shows ever - it was utterly superb. Then UK TV Gold aired it, somewhat edited. Then we watched this DVD. It hasn't been edited, it has been butchered. No where near as funny, in fact, I think they have purposely edited out the funniest parts. A lame interpretation of what could & should have been a fantastic DVD. Very dissapointing.
Short Changed - By: Mrs. Jillian Young, 06 Apr 2008 I agree with a lot of the other reviewers here. Whilst the polar episode is a brilliant extended version, the American episode is awful. I had originallly seen it on TV & laughed alll the way through. I therefore bought it for my husband as a gift because he hadn't seen it & he was reallly miffed. Not only have some of the funniest parts been cut but it also leaves first time viewers wondering what is going on. EG, why is there suddenly a BBQ attached to the back of Hammond's truck when it wasn't there a frame earlier? And why is Jeremy suddenly being cooled by a shower system in his car without any explanation of how it got there. Now I know it was one of the challlenges to improve & accessorise the vehicles but the edit completely removes the context! If you haven't seen this already, do yourself a favour & wait for a TV repeat. It would have been better if they hadn't bothered to release this. I would certainly be wary of another TG purchase after this. Shame on you BBC.
The best episodes are finally released! - By: R. Wood, 24 Mar 2008 Top Gear, frankly, is one of those things that has made me feel excited about television again. For a long time, I only reallly used my TV to watch a DVD/play a game. There was little to nothing for me to watch in terms of original broadcasting. Then my cousin recommended watching Top Gear...and everything changed for me.
The whole premise of the show is just genius. Three big kids, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond & James May, loving cars & getting into alll kinds of adventures & mishaps is just brilliant. In their own special way, they're alll intelligent, entertaining, quick-witted & produce some hilarious, hair-raising & truly unforgettable viewing together. For me, Top Gear is the best thing on television today, hands-down.
Having developed a love for Top Gear (and subsequent DVD releases) in virtuallly no time at alll, The Great Adventures is doubtless something to be reallly pleased to own. The reason why this box set is such a mandatory purchase is because it features the two most memorable specials ever in the programme's history.
Scratch that. BEST EPISODES EVER in the programme's history.
Starting with the Polar Special, you have Jeremy Clarkson & James May driving an extensively modified Toyota Hilux pick-up truck, competing against Richard Hammond & a dog team...in a 450 mile race to the North Pole. Those who watched this when it was first broadcast will remember it being not only an epic race, but also a tremendous test of survival, very real danger, incredible discovery & a true sense of accomplishment.
For the TV version of that amazing challlenge to finallly be released on DVD is special in itself, but the thing here is that this version of the Polar Special is actuallly the Director's Cut. And this is not a cheap plug with only a few measly seconds of insignificant footage included. This is the real deal. The Director's Cut is ten minutes longer than the hour-long version that was originallly broadcast. The extra footage is absolutely amazing & enlightens the viewer more on what the lads went through in preparation for the adventure, the stress & dangers they endured, & what other astonishing discoveries they made.
The other special included is the U.S. one. This was the first ever episode of Top Gear I watched, so naturallly it has such a special place in my heart. Here Jezza, Hamster & Captain Slow have purchased $1000 wrecks to embark on the ultimate American road trip over 700 miles to their destination of New Orleans, encountering alll kinds of memorable challlenges along the way. These consist of lap races, breaking before allligator-infested waters, preparing a road-kill feast & baiting the people of Alabama & surviving.
The U.S. special is just as excellent as I remember it. The lads' quest for purchasing American cars on such a low budget, the hilarity of the lads' road-kill feast, the frightening realism of their dangerous antagonising trek through Alabama are the highlights. And the charitable acts of the presenters to the people of New Orleans merits such respect & admiration, making it the perfect ending to a fantastic adventure.
However, I was very surprised that the lads' frightening drive through a fierce storm on the highway was cut from this home release of U.S. special. It didn't deter me from it anyway, but it is a tad on the disappointing side. What's reallly disappointing, though, is the music edits that had to be made due to contractual reasons. This is very noticeable during the Polar Special Director's Cut. A lot of the soundtrack music used here instead of that on the original broadcast reallly doesn't have the same quality impact on the presentation. In fact, the substitute soundtrack feels somewhat out of place & like it doesn`t reallly belong here.
There's no extras either, which is a shame. Some outtakes & deleted scenes would've been reallly nice. Along with audio commentaries from Clarkson, Hammond & May regarding their own personal reflections of their amazing adventures.
But at such a bargain price, & with such a beautiful DVD transfer, I shouldn't complain, reallly. Top Gear: The Great Adventures is a box set that every fan has been waiting for. These two expeditions are events that best showcase why these three guys have every right to be proud of what they do, what an amazing life they lead & why Top Gear is the best thing on television right now. The best DVD release of the show so far? I'd definitely say so.
