Mythbusters: Collection 4 [DVD] [2008] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

QUICK SUMMARY: My wife bought this DVD for my 13-year-old son, but it's clear from just a few days after Christmas that Mythbusters Collection 4 appeals as much to my wife as it does to my 13yo! Our whole family, young and old, has enjoyed watching these shows together.

I didn't see a list of the episodes in Amazon's product description, so here they are:

- Walking on Water
- Western Myths
- Big Rig Myths
- Viewer Special
- Superhero Hour
- Lead Balloon
- Airplane on a Conveyor Belt
- MacGyver Myths
- NASA Moon Landing
- Viral Hour
- Phone Book Friction
- Water Stun Gun

I've only sat to watch two of the episodes, Walking on Water & Viewer Special. Both of them were highly entertaining and fun to watch. In fact, the whole family -- me, my wife, 13yo, 11yo, 9yo and 7yo -- all sat to watch and didn't budge until the shows were completed. It's rare to find anything that my entire family, boys and girls both, enjoy watching together. Mythbusters is a winner.

We don't have cable or satellite TV, so we generally don't see shows like this unless we're traveling on vacation. That's how we happened upon Mythbusters some years ago. It really stood out in my older son's mind, especially. Kudos to my wife for wrapping this DVD up for him this holiday season. Little did I know that she was wrapping it up as much for herself as for my son!

Now, the acting on the show is *bad*. When they "brainstorm" on camera, it's badly performed, but who cares? You don't buy this DVD for the acting, you buy it to watch a fun blend of science and entertainment. The "Viewer Special" show was a little gross, with one of the hosts sneezing and some stuff gets blown into his moustache (which is pointed out, repeatedly, on the show).

The only reason I'm giving it 4-stars and not 5-stars is because we're very sensitive to vulgar, profane, or crass language. On the two shows I watched, one of the hosts tells the other one that his design "sucked", and another time the host said he looked "damn" good. You'll hear, "Oh, my God!" (offensive to me, as it violates the third of the Ten Commandments). As I said, *most* people will not be offended by this, but *some* people may be -- so know your audience so you know whether it's appropriate.

Conclusion: Aside from some mildly objectionable language and bad acting, this Mythbusters DVD has a great mixture of science, special effects, and entertaining hosts that make it fun for the whole family.

P.S. "Viewer Special" answered a nagging question I've wondered about for years, that is, what happens if you put your car into Reverse gear while it's traveling forward?

In short, BUY THIS ITEM! This takes some of the best episodes from seasons 5 and 6, including an episode debunking myths that the moon landing was actually a fake that was nominated for A FREAKING EMMY, and gives them right to you for a price well worth it. Not having cable for the past 4 years now, collections like this have been growing in my DVD library for some time, and this is one that I can definitely see myself watching over and over. Jamie and Adam are amazing at what they do, and perfectly toe the line between science and entertainment. You'll find yourself correcting people at parties with, "Well, from what I saw on Mythbusters..." in no time!

How can you not like Mythbusters. There's a lot of amazing stunts and a lot of laughs. Contains 12 episodes from seasons 5 and 6. Can't wait to add more to my collection. And you don't have to deal with those pesky commercials.