I bought this DVD even though I was completely unfamiliar with Ari Ziegler. 
I took the risk because I've been basically happy with all of my ChessBase DVDs so far (especially the Endgame series by Mueller!).
And although I'm still fond of my VHS copies of Daniel King's 2-part "French Defense" for Foxy Video, I thought it might be nice to check out a more contemporary survey.

Cut to the chase:  It's quite good.
Mr. Ziegler is certainly more soft-spoken than Andrew Martin or Jacob Aagaard but I don't find him dull; but rather thoughtful and objective.
(By the way, does anyone have the old Julian Hodgson videos?  That guy was a maniac sometimes!) .   

The pace certainly is a bit slower than in the other opening DVDs, but I enjoy it. His manner is calm and intelligent rather than energetic or loud. And besides, I would think this type of demeanor serves to model most French players, or at least the stereotype.

He tells a few anecdotes and he smiles a lot.  He strikes me as a gentleman rather than a show man.   
I personally find this more appealing then some of the goofiness of Aagaard, for example.

I think Ziegler gives strong advice and objective analysis.  I was amazed how often he would recommend a move from theory that I personally prefer.  For example, I do not like the Winawer, 3...c5 in the Tarrasch, and I rather dislike the Fort Knox.  I like to stay flexible but I also want some control in the center. I've always agreed with the philosophy that Black should play a calm, classic approach of pressuring white's d4 and e5 unless white plays too loosely or over-reaches.  It's all a matter of taste, of course, but I was really surprised how much I agreed with his assessments and his recommendations for Black.   

One specific example:
He mentions that some white players are afraid playing Na3 in the Advance variation because of of ...Bxa3 (taking the knight before it goes to c2 and also doubling the pawns).  Then he chuckles and says "Actually, I wouldn't dream of playing a move like this.  The black-square bishop in the French Defense is a very valuable piece. I only exchange it if I really have to."


While Mr. Ziegler does not avoid mainlines (in fact, he states the mainline is only real try for Black in certain setups; e.g. Milner-Barry), he also isn't a slave to chess fashion.  His recommendations are solid but not meek.  He's classical but with some bite.  He gives some lines for people "who are happy with a draw" and for others who want to continue the fight.

The drawbacks:   
OK...I'll grant that  it is a bit slow for some people; but so is the French!
Regardless of the pace, when the material is good, I think its important to absorb the ideas rather than trying to cram your head full of variations.   
Another drawback is that his coverage of the Kings Indian Attack and the Exchange line is quite light.   
But honestly, I don't really need much help with either of those lines.  However, I can understand that some people might be irritated to not have a clear roadmap.  He covers the basic ideas, gives some suggestions, and quotes a few games...but he obviously doesn't take them nearly as seriously as Nc3, Tarrasch, or Advance.  He doesn't spend 45 minutes explaining it all to you, but simply covers what white wants to achieve and how he prefers to counter it.  Like I said, it doesn't bother me but some people might want more coverage of these lines since they are quite popular at club level, even though they're not the most challenging from a theoretical standpoint.


Overall I think the DVD is excellent and serves as a great introduction for anyone under 2200.
Just add a little bit of Watson's book and some ChessPub and you've got yourself a sound repertoire against 1.e4

Cheers,
Nietzsche

ps - I'm curious how his book on "Mating the Castled King" is going to turn out.  Its sounds a bit too elementary...

I see that Ziegler is advocating the Classical (3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7).  That seems a natural choice for a repertoire book/DVD (certainly it's simpler/less theory-laden than the Winawer); it was also the choice of Daniel King for his similar video some years back.  Ziegler plays the Classical himself, however (which doesn't seem to be the case with King).  I wonder what his specific main recommendations are, and how/if he attempts to counter the ubiquitous "White is slightly better" verdict on the Classical.  For example, I recall King recommending that Black follow DeFirmian-Chernin 1988; but I also recall ECO thinking that White can play better, and I don't know if King addressed that.  Perhaps this would be regarded as unimportant minutiae by most (potential) buyers of such videos, though.

Chessbase came out with a two-DVD set on the French (total playing time 12 hours; it's a "comprehensive" rather than a repertoire treatment) not long ago, by GM Thomas Luther (who plays the French with Black and 1. e4 with White).  As far as I know it's only available in German though. 

Short clip: http://www.chessbase.com/news/2006/products/French.wmv

Have you seen the brief description at CB? http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=291