DVD review (region 1 & 2)
Directed by Douglas Mackinnon, Matt Lipsey
Starring James Nesbitt, Gina Bellman, Denis Lawson, Michelle Ryan
Release date Out now (region 2); 18 September 2007 (region 1)

The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde gets a 21st Century reboot courtesy of Doctor Who's Steven Moffat…

It's perhaps a little obvious to say Jekyll is a drama with a split personality, but that's exactly what it is.

On the one (hairy) hand, it's a classic tale of one man's battle with his dark side – far from a retelling of Stevenson's original story, but drawing on it and diverging from it to interesting and imaginative effect.

On the other (hidden) hand, it's a modern conspiracy yarn, where the real monster is an outwardly respectable BigCorp, exercising control from the shadows, and answering to no one in particular.

These two competing strands rarely gel, and at times even hamper each other. But thanks to Steven Moffat's excellent writing and gift for endlessly watchable characters, the overall effect is far less monstrous than you might expect.

It's the human element that works best, with James Nesbitt as the modern Jekyll; a family man called Dr Tom Jackman, who strikes an uneasy deal with his alter ego, in the hope that the two can exist side by side.

There's not enough exploration of this pact or the moral questions it raises before the more melodramatic elements of the story take hold, but, as the plot ventures into ever more sci fi territory, it's the believable relationships that keep it all afloat.

Gina Bellman and Denis Lawson are excellent as Jackman's wife and oldest friend, and "Hyde" is far less interesting facing off with trained killers and armed guards than when waging small-scale terror on passing thugs, his family and – most of all – himself.

As you'd expect from a Moffat script, the humour is smart and sexy, and the narrative is far from linear. Several flashbacks threaten to break the momentum halfway through, but build to an essential origin story to tie all the modern-day threads together.

By the last episode, the story bears little resemblance to the initial real world setting that BBC1 drama no doubt demands, and the descent into all-out fantasy is hardly smooth. But it's an enjoyable ride, albeit a bumpy one, with some very memorable moments along the way.

Extras include cast and crew commentaries on episodes one and six, a scene analysis and a making-of documentary. Simon Hugo

VERDICT: 8/10
Always enjoyable and often superb, despite its split personality.