Keeping Up with the Kardashians: The Complete Third Season – DVD Review

DVD Reviews, Reviews



Paris Hilton is widely considered to be the first “celebrity” to become famous by having no talent at all (in other words, being famous for being famous). Besides being heir to the Hilton Hotel fortune, she is only known for her wild partying days that somehow made her famous. Once that happened all of her friends hoped to cash in on success as well.

Many may not remember that Kim Kardashian was Paris Hilton’s friend and she jumped on Hilton’s back until Kim became a “star” as well. Throw in a sex tape, and relationships with R&B star Ray-J and New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush, and soon you have Kim (and her family) starring in the most watched reality show on E! in Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

The reality series focuses Kim Kardashian, daughter of the late Robert Kardashian, a member of O.J. Simpson’s “Dream Team” of criminal defense attorneys back in the 1990s. The Kardashian clan has a bit of The Brady Bunch thrown in. Kim’s family consists of her mom, Kris, and her new husband and 1970s Olympic decathlete Bruce Jenner. They are joined by her sisters Kourtney and Khloe, her brother Robert Jr. and half-sisters Kendall and Kylie. They are all featured on this series that follows the misadventures of all of their lives, but the show’s focus is on Kim’s career and Kris’s role as mom and manager to her daughters (and the conflict that results).

The biggest difference between the third season and the first two seasons is that other family members get more screen time. The first season was pretty much all about Kim, with the rest of the family just being supporting characters. The second season saw more focus on Khloe and Kourtney, one of the reasons why they ultimately got their own spin-off show. In the third season we get to know more about Robert Jr, Kendall and Kylie.

The usual predictable scripted reality stuff can be seen during this season. That includes petty arguments between family members that are mostly staged for the cameras, drunken antics, hook-ups, foul language, random trips, and wacky activities set up to give people something to talk about from episode to episode.

To make matters worse it’s hard to like anyone in this family. You might envy their lives but most of the time everyone on this show has an unwarranted air of superiority. That is the way they come across on camera, especially if you have never seen the show and just watch it for a few minutes. The only reasonably likable family member is Bruce Jenner, but he gets less screen time than everyone else and is basically on there to play the confused dad role. You really start to feel sorry for him if his family really acts the same way off camera.

It’s almost an accepted fact that most reality shows these days aren’t really reality. Some reality shows can hide that fact better than others. Keeping Up with the Kardashians is the worst at doing so, though. This series pretty much tells everyone that everything that happens is fake and doesn’t really care. Fans of the series will certainly enjoy season three for the same reasons as the first two. That being either watching young, rich, beautiful people live the lives they likely will never live, or simply just laughing at people who think they are the greatest thing ever. But if you are not in the key teenager/young 20-something female demographic, this series will be hard to watch. Kardashian fans don’t care what anyone says, and will watch this season without a second thought.

Episodes:

Disc One:

Episode 1 – Free Khloe
Khloe gets a prison sentence for a parole violation, causing Kris to confront some unresolved issues concerning her late ex-husband.

Episode 2 – Kourt’s First Cover
A cover-shoot fiasco leads to friction between Kourtney and Kris; Rob adjusts to living with his girlfriend.

Episode 3 – I’d Rather Go Naked…Or Shopping
Khloe agrees to do a nude campaign for PETA; Kim’s out-of-control shopping habits cause concern among family members.

Episode 4 – Pussycat Vision
Kim needs eye surgery just before performing with the Pussycat Dolls; Bruce gets a colonoscopy.

Episode 5 – All for One and One for Kim
A secret business deal causes friction in the family; Kris searches for a common interest with Bruce.

Episode 6 – Cinderella Story
Khloe believes she is adopted, so she gets a DNA test; Rob’s sisters confront him over his recent erratic behavior.

Disc Two:

Episode 7 – The Two Year Itch
Kourtney accuses Scott of cheating; Khloe gets a biopsy to test for skin cancer.

Episode 8 – Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Khloe hosts a fashion show in New York City; Kim is faced with the difficult decision of choosing between her boyfriend and her career.

Episode 9 – Leaving the Nest
Khloe searches for an apartment in New York City; Kris’ daughters get her a monkey to pacify her desire to have a baby.

Episode 10 – Meet the Kardashians
Bruce undergoes plastic surgery; the Kardashians meet Adrienne Bailon’s family for the first time when they all go camping together.

Episode 11 – What’s Yours Is Mine
Kourtney borrows various items from Kim without asking, leading to a rift in their relationship.

Episode 12 – Double Trouble
Kourtney and Khloe both experience heartbreak when they deal with ending relationships.

Tthe video is given in fullscreen color with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The transfer is good, but it’s pretty basic. But as good or a little bit better than TV quality, so there are no major problems here.

The audio included is available in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound. The dialogue and music come out loud and clear. Again, it’s very basic, but there are no major problems here either.

Audio Commentaries
There are full-length commentaries for the first 10 episodes of this season but not the last two. That’s very odd. But Kim, Kourtney, and Khloe comment on all of the first 10 episodes. You really have to be a fan to sit through all of these. They can be quite entertaining, but they really don’t provide a lot of insight.

Deleted Scenes
There is 24 minutes worth of scenes that didn’t make the final cut of this season. Nothing too interesting.

If you enjoyed watching the first two seasons of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the third season is a must-watch for you. There is also a ton of commentaries for this season, which make this probably an easy buy for fans of the show. Just don’t take anything going on-camera too seriously or consider it “real” at all, and you might get some entertainment from this series.


Lionsgate Home Entertainment presents Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Season 3. Created by Eliot Goldbery, Jeff Jenkins, Farnaz Farjam-Chazan, Jonathan Murray, and Ryan Seacrest. Starring Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Bruce Jenner, Rob Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, and Kylie Jenner. Running time: 264 minutes. Rated: Not Rated. Released on DVD: August 17, 2010.



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