Mariah Carey The Adventures of Mimi (3 Disc Deluxe Edition)
May 2008 Reviewed by: Joseph Taylor Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

In April, Mariah Carey surpassed Elvis Presley as the artist with the most singles to reach number one on the Billboard singles chart. "Touch My Body" was her 18th chart topper since her recording debut in 1990. Carey has had a few failures, beginning in 2001 with her semi-autobiographical film Glitter and the film’s soundtrack, but she made a strong comeback in 2005 with The Emancipation of Mimi. The disc featured appearances by Snoop Dog, Nelly, and Twista that probably helped Carey focus her commercial energies. She’s always been a shrewd pop artist, with her hip-hop and R&B tendencies wrapped in a sweet candy shell.

The Adventures of Mimi is a concert video of Carey’s performance in Anaheim, California, during her 2006 tour of the same name. According to Carey’s website, the tour was her most successful, although some wags have pointed out that only half the shows sold out -- not surprising considering the size of the venues. Ms. Carey’s show is scaled to arenas and stadiums, so everything about it, including its star, has a larger-than-life quality. When she makes her entrance on a huge two-tiered stage via a riser, she’s one level above her band, with smoke machines, flashing lights, and a big sound surrounding her. Whether in two-channel or 5.1, the sound of the band (enhanced with recorded tracks) is up front but somewhat compressed.

Carey’s first costume (she goes through five wardrobe changes during the show) is a revealing black sequined bikini. She wants you to check out her body and, speaking as a healthy middle-aged heterosexual male, she ain’t nothin’ but fine. Still, all her stage outfits call attention to her voluptuousness, and one wonders after a while if she isn’t selling herself short. She’s a skilled vocalist, but the assembly-line quality of many of her songs and her emphasis on her sexuality leave the impression that she is focus-group tested.

The camera pans the crowd to show fans holding up signs of admiration and loyalty for Carey, and one has to wonder where that devotion comes from. Carey is absolutely detached from her audience. In the two forgettable documentaries included with the DVD package, she speaks of her desire to connect with her fans, but onstage she presents herself as something to behold from a safe distance. At one point in the show, she walks through the audience to a small stage in the middle of the arena. She is surrounded by a retinue of bodyguards, as any performer would be under the circumstances, but Carey, draped in a black robe like a prizefighter, acts as if her biggest fear is that someone from the real world might touch her.

As I noted, The Adventures of Mimi set includes two documentaries about the tour, neither one terribly revealing, and a short by Spike Lee, "Lovers and Haters." The theme of the latter seems to be that other people are jealous of Carey's fame and good looks. Maybe Lee needed the dough. Fans will enjoy the concert DVD, which is exciting and well shot, and they may feel they are learning something about Carey from the documentaries. A third disc in the set links to her website. The concert is also available as an "Exclusive 2 DVD Set," and on Blu-ray Disc.

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