Cirque du Soleil: Varekai (2003)

Let's be realistic.

just watch it!

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The DVD is based upon the live act, which is constantly on tour. Because of that the DVD will always be great. Unfortunately, the live show took a turn for the worse today. I just saw the last show in Seattle, and tomorrow they head for Vancouver, B.C.Normally I love the Cirque, but today they made a big mistake. They have replaced their lead character Icarius, previously played by Anton Tchelnokov. I don't know yet if they have found a permanent replacement, but I do hope that it will not be the guy that they had as a stand-in for Anton today. He is dismally lacking the graceful naiveté that made Anton so believable as Icarius.The show is still an awesome experience... especially Kevin and Andrew Atherton's strap act, and the big finale with all of those incredible athletes performing on the Russian Swings. But for anyone who has seen Anton as the original Icarius, any show in the future will always be lacking something: a Russian kid named Anton who was born to play that role.Kevin L ([email protected])

fantastic colors costumes riveting physical feats...progressive in all ways including the magic music...illuminating the concept of evolving with the dream and the myth..so opposite to the world we tinker with in absolute terms...think I will begin painting again....nice article...applauds and salutations, embers creating wings..daunting oppositions ,liberating physical musical ...Varekai? well yes of course a word I have never heard before...such a collaboration ,coaxing the colors of freedom...sneaky humour tip toeing through the land mines of reality..swatting the proverbial laws of one reality...collective a war of emotion..bringing the flame revealing the pains and joys all seated in our souls individually cast into a circle of like minded pains and joys...a battle is won and a struggle worthwhile because emotion is born again and a gain...casting our hope line to the celestial firey circle of time...Poppa G. Brum

I saw the entire DVD -AND- I saw it live. Meaning I attend to the theater and saw it live. It's a show more than a movie. It's so amazing too. It's a lot different than the DVD, it's much better live. So, for advice, you shouldn't say you hate it until you've seen the real thing. The acts are very clever and amazing, it nearly defies gravity! Completely AWESOME. The clown acts are funny, too. If it comes to your town, go and see it! You don't have to get front row either, because the theater is somewhat small (unless you are seeing it in Montreal, Quebec.) Unlike other Cirque du Soleil shows, this one REALLY has a story to it, and it's brought out very well. One of the best, a must see!

We just saw the Boston production. It was awful. Way too much of the artsy circus stuff...WAY too little of impressive acts. The comic relief was terrible (the performers were good, the MATERIAL was bad)There was one group in the first act that was interesting. The 2nd act was a little better. The jugglers were great. The large swings at the end were fabuluous. The woman contortionst was excellent but the overall production and pageantry was a snoozer. And you would thing they would know how to make a sound system work in their own tents by now. Were they actually singing words? who can tell?Dralion was a FAR superior show.