The Snowman & Father Christmas
Director: Dave Unwin
Average Customer Review:
DVD (14 September, 2004)
list price: $14.94 -- our price: $13.45
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The Snowman
This charming British animated short film (it's just 23 minutes long) is a 1982 production of London's Channel 4, based on the classic children's book by RaymondBriggs and crafted with a colored-pencils-on-paper look, like fluffy, hand-drawn illustrations. Small children should be entranced by the story of a small boy in rural England whose lovingly constructed snowman comes to life and takes him flying over the white-blanketed landscapes, in a beautiful rotoscoped (traced) sequence based on live-action flying footage. Part of the charm of the film is the gentle, everyday quality of its fantasy adventures: the snowman is invited in to try on clothes and play with the Christmas decorations, then plays host to the boy at a party in the woods, at which his snowy relatives do English country dances. This is one of the very few Christmas tapes on the market that really deserves to be a holiday perennial, a gentle fable of friendship and the power of imagination. --David Chute

Father Christmas
This irreverent Santa breaks from tradition in many ways. He has no Mrs., owns only four reindeer, and decides to convert his sleigh into an airborne motor home for a pre-Christmas vacation. He finds France too snooty, Scotland too cold, and Las Vegas just right. Tanned and rested, he returns to the North Pole in time to sort through the mail, pack up the toys, and hit the skies. Like the Santa of the Raymond Briggs book on which this 24-minute video is loosely based, he narrates his own story (splendidly voiced by Los Angeles stage actor William Dennis Hunt). But fans of the 1973 book will find the animated version far less cranky than the original. Although the book was aimed at ages 4-8, the video may have a wider appeal, depending on how you feel about the children seeing Santa gambling at the casino tables, dreaming of bikini-clad babes, and suffering a bout of diarrhea. --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Dolby
• Animated

Reviews (33)

Defective Disc...
I purchased this DVD brand new and factory sealed.However, the disc is defective, and was clearly manufactured that way.It doesn't work at all.Attempting to play this disc gives me the Title menu followed by the Root menu, and then there is nothing after that-- the rest of the disc is blank.Either it is blank, or the laser beam can't even pick up because the disc is faulty-- either way, giving the same result ( = I can't play the features).I have over forty DVDs, all of which play perfectly, so the problem is NOT with my DVD player or something that I myself am doing wrong.I've tried everything, including re-loading it about thirty times.It is this disc that is the problem:it was burned improperly.After spending $13 on it, I am none too pleased.Perhaps this review will make someone at the factory sit up and take notice, and start turning out discs that actually play.It is sad to see that other reviewers have been forced to buy two or more copies of this DVD before they found one that will work.We shouldn't have to do that-- it's just wrong.I'm sure the company is *thrilled* that they've made three times the profit, by selling three discs to each frustrated and desperate customer.SHAME, shame, shame on the manufacturers.

Great stories, but sketchy DVD
I agree with the other reviewers on the excellence of the Snowman, and while it is grossly inferior, Father Christmas is still a nice feature to have in this double package.

I too had consistency problems with the DVD. Sometimes it loads fine and you see the true Root Menu, showing both story options, others it just displays Father Christmas. When this happens, I find that by re-inserting the DVD, the problem usually goes away.

Definitely a quality conrol issue here.

Memories of The Snowman
I remember being two or three years old and receiving The Snowman as a Christmas present from my grandparents.It's not only beautifully animated (back to the basics color pencil-animation is sometimes more lovely than advanced and realistic computerized images) but the music and story itself are beyond some of the most gorgeous in history.This is a Christmas classic, folks! ... Read more

Asin: 0767826701
Subjects:  1. Christmas   

The Powerpuff Girls - Powerpuff Bluff
Average Customer Review:
DVD (07 November, 2000)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $13.48
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This DVD compiles two previous VHS collections.

Bubblevicious
This trio of crime-fighting superheroines must work around kindergartenobligations, and if you've seen the Cartoon Network series you knowthey must save the world before bedtime. But they rise to the challengewith the help of their guardian-creator, Professor Utonium. In theEmmy-nominated title episode, Bubbles gets fed up with being "the cuteone," while her comrades get the better assignments, so she takes on aseries of ugly baddies, resulting in many fires and explosions. Thereare five episodes on this 60-minute tape, including the double-episode"Uh-Oh Dynamo," which finds the girls battling a monster at the citypark. The trio finally vanquishes it from inside a huge robot, but notbefore the entire downtown appears leveled. In "Mr. Mojo's Rising," thegirls must rescue the professor when he is kidnapped by an evilmegabrained monkey. "Powerpuff Bluff" introduces three hoodlums whoimpersonate the girls and rip off Townsville's denizens, landing thereal girls a spell in the pokey. "Cat Man Do" will teach youngsters togo the shelter for their pets, as the kitty (voiced by Mark Hamill) thegals "rescue" from a crimelord's compound turns out to be a mind- controlling fiend. Parents scrutinizing violent content, beware;otherwise for ages 7 and up. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Monkey See, Doggie Do
The Powerpuff Girls blends strong female figures with strikinggraphic design to create an action-packed cartoon for 5- to 9-year-olds(although parents should monitor the violent content here). Bubbles,Blossom, and Buttercup are three kindergartners with superhero powersthat help the mayor keep Townsville safe. There are five separateepisodes in this hour-long tape. In "Monkey See, Doggie Do," thevillainous Mr. Mojo Jojo is systematically turning townspeople intodogs. It's up to the Powerpuff Girls to break the spell--but can theysucceed even after Mojo turns them into Powerpups? "Mommy Fearest"paints a frightening picture of Professor Utonium's new date--goodthing the Powerpuffs see through her façade! In "Telephonies,"crank calls from the Gangrene Gang have the Powerpuff Girls roughing upMojo, Fuzzy, and Dim when they haven't done anything wrong. You'llnever guess who saves the day! If you've ever wondered what thecolorful Townsville would be like in black and white, check out "Mimefor a Change." When Rainbow the clown gets bleached and becomes theevil Mr. Mime, it's up to the Powerpuff Girls to put the color andsound back into Townsville. The Emmy-nominated "Bare Facts" details thePowerpuff Girls' rescue of the kidnapped mayor. The use of a blankscreen with audio to represent the blindfolded mayor's experience andthree distinct animation styles to underscore each Powerpuff's versionof the rescue is wonderfully effective and shows viewers just howdifferently Bubbles, Buttercup, and Blossom think. --TamiHoriuchi ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated

Reviews (23)

Toons=4 stars, DVD=2 stars
I like the Powerpuff Girls: they're cute, fun, and wholesome without being overly saccharine-sweet. There's a lot of irony and jokes to keep the parents entertained, with cuteness and action for the kids. And the parody-of-anime elements are good too.

The DVD itself could use a lot of work, though. First, the episodes seem to have no unifying element--they're just sort of randomly lumped together. This makes it difficult to choose which PPG DVD to buy. Unles you're going to collect them all, you just have to pick one and hope for the best.

Second, the features are really disappointing, as in almost nonexistent. There aren't even any subtitle or language choices--strangely, there is a language feature, but if you click on it, you find that the only choice is 2-channel English! What about Spanish, at least? And it's nice to be able to turn on English subtitles. My kids have English as a second language, and being able to read while listening helps them. (Heck, even native speakers could use subtitles to help them understand Bubbles when she's really angry.) And what about people with hearing trouble?

It's funny that, on the back of the box, one of the "Super Special Features Inside!" is "WATCH...your favorite Powerpuff Girls episodes!" Hey, since when is watching the episodes a *special* feature?

There are no scenes marked within an episode. Granted, PPG episodes are quite short, but why can't we at least skip past the titles? Instead, we have to fast forward.

The PC features--well, maybe they are fun, but I couldn't get them to work. I guess it might be my machine, but I kind of doubt it.

I'm not dissing the Powerpuff Girls--they're great. But the people who made the DVD have a lot to learn, and we shouldn't hesitate to call them on that.

very funny!
this is hilarious for both kids and adults, boys and girls. this particular edition is my favorite, and the bonus features on the dvd are great!

Powerpuff Bluff
This particular segment powerpuff bluff stunk.Who would ever believe this premise?I surely didn't and it wasn't funny either.I seriously had to consider whether I would let my son watch this because of the level of nasty humor in it.But I did think the other short toons were funny. ... Read more

Asin: B00004W1ZX
Subjects:  1. Children's Video   

The Powerpuff Girls - Down 'N' Dirty
Average Customer Review:
DVD (03 August, 2004)
list price: $9.97 -- our price: $9.97
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This DVD combines two previous VHS collections.

Birthday Bash
Sugar, spice, everything nice, and a bit of Chemical X is what it tookto bring us Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup--also known as those crime- fighting kindergartners, the Powerpuff Girls. This video collection offive episodes from their hit Cartoon Network show provides adelightfully humorous introduction to the minuscule marvels. The titleepisode, "Birthday Bash," features the girls defeating the destructiveplans of three separate villains (Mojo Jojo, the Princess, and theAmoeba Boys) without ever leaving their own birthday celebration. "BeatYour Greens" introduces us to alien broccoli, and "Stuck Up, Up andAway" shows the origin of the girls' female nemesis, Princess. "SchoolHouse Rocked" and "Los Dos Mojo" complete the villain cycle byfeaturing the Gangrene Gang and Mojo Jojo--the ever failing andoverdressed monkey--in tales that show us the girls both at school andon the job. A bonus cartoon, "Sheep in the Big City," doesn't featurethe Powerpuff Girls but will be enjoyed by their fans for itscombination of blatant and intelligent humor, much like the style ofthe jokes found in all Powerpuff episodes. With a running timeof over an hour, this tape is sure to provide its viewers with a goodsupply of girl power. (Ages 5 and older.) --Zachary Lively

Dream Scheme
The crime-fighting kindergarteners go after the Sandman, a jealousschoolmate, the usual monsters, and a superhero impostor in this five- episode compilation from the Cartoon Network favorite. The overworked,sleep-deprived Sandman is out of control in the title episode, puttingthe whole world to sleep so he can get some shut-eye of his own. Butthe gals thwart him by appearing in his dream and turning it into anightmare. "Just Another Manic Mojo" finds the hermit monkey trying todestroy the trio with a giant laser when they come to his castle toretrieve their wayward ball. Buttercup refuses to bathe in "Down 'n'Dirty," stinking up Pokey Oaks Kindergarten and grossing out even thevillains she battles. Classmate Princess hires Mojo to isolate ChemicalX and turn her into a Powerpuff Girl in "Mo Job." And muscle-boundMajor Man replaces the girls in the hearts and minds of Townsville whenhis exploits surpass theirs--but not for long, of course. The 70-minutevideo includes a bonus episode of "Courage the Cowardly Dog," whichinvolves an eggplant uprising against the dog's vegetable-loving owner,Muriel, in a story called "Journey to the Center of Nowhere." (Ages 7and older.) --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated

Reviews (17)

The Power Puff Girls: Birthday Bash DVD
Birthday Bash was a good DVD.It contained 2 of my favourite episodes:'Down 'n' Dirty and 'Paste makes waste.'
In'Down 'n' Dirty' Buttercup refuses to take a bath and once she got really dirty she made the town,her school and even her own house smell.Buttercup gets kicked out of town.After she flies away she fights with a monster she saw.After the fight the monster goes home and tells Buttercup that she stinks and makes her go home and have a bath so that she can fight monsters again.
'Paste makes waste is about a boy at 'Pokey Oaks Kindergarten' called Elmer Sglue who eats glue.He is teased by Mitch,Buttercup and the twins Floyd & Lloyd.Them and the rest of the class(except Blossom and Bubbles)call him "Paste eater".Later on Elmer gets very angry and turns into a paste monster and he goes to destroy the town.The only way for Elmer to stop destroying the town is by Buttercup saying she's sorry.She finally says it and Elmer and Buttercup are now friends.

I love da Powerpuffs sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!
OK! Now, let's get started. Here's the episodes of what they're about.

Birthday Bash: This is the best episode on da video!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, Its the Girls birthdays, & Mojos present is soo funny! The robot says "I am I gift from Mojo Jojo! Enjoy your birthday, or it will be your last!" hahahaha! The rocket from Princess was cool too. And the funniest present of them all was the Ameoba Boys Powerpuff Voodoo Dolls. I cracked up. And Him gives candy. (5 stars) The second one was Beat Your Greens. Another hillarious episode. It's when these evil Brocli Aliens plant brocli spores on the farm & the kids don't like Brocli. O, it's soo funny when this young dad says 2 his baby boy: "Here comes the Brocli express! Woo Woo!" O, & the brocli Aliens sound like robots with their eyes open. But, with their eyes closed, they sound like evil babys. Geesh! And, its hillarious when the kids & Powerpuffs chomp them up. (5 stars) 3d is Paste Makes Waste. Well, this boy in class, Elmer eats paste & these bullys like Mitch, Buttercup, & these 2 weird twins laugh at him 4 being a paste eater. Buttercup throws paste all over the table by saying: "Eat this, paste eata!" And when Elmer eats toxic with a bug, he turns into a man monster. Elmer puts paste all over Townsville, & it's surprising that the Mayor dosen't say anything! Idiot! Blossom & Buttercup get absorbed, & Buttercup says "I'mmmmmmm SOA-AAAARRRRR-REEEEY!!!!!!!!!!!" And Elmer says she's cool now. (5 stars) 4th is School House Rocked. Well, the Gangreene Gang go 2 school, Mr. Wednesday wanted them 2. That man sounds soo boring. But, I T loves this episode. The Gangreene Gang always fool & trick people into letting them eat food & stuff. When Ace drops it & says sorry, he really does it on purpose! Jerk!!! O, the begenning wuz kool when Ace & Snakey was playin a Powerpuff game with Bubbles vs. Fuzzy Lumpkins. Why didn't he give the Powerpuffs mean presents in Birthday Bash? Well, Ms. Keane thinks the girls we're splatting paste in school, but its the Gangreene Gang's fault of course. O, it's so funny when Billy shows he has 1 eye. HA HA HA HA HA HA! Also, when Grubber pretents 2 be a human. HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! & when Turo holds up this deadly stapler who pretends its a girl. HA! & the stupid evil gang tricks the kids into playin Dodgeball. They cheat by throwing balls at the kids. Nasty freaks!!! (5 stars) Last, but not least is Los Dos Mojos. It's when Mojo destroys Townsville lighley. when Bubbles is on the ground, she hears Mojos words & teleports & wakes up thinking she's the real Mojo Jojo! AAH! She destroys townsville with dark shadowey eyes! GEE! Its soo funny when she says "I am not Bubbles! Bubbles is not my name! If u adress me by Mojo Jojo, that would be correct! I am bad, I am evil, I am Mojo Jojo!!!" Mojo Bubbles laughs like a snake. hehehe. O, she also even says "Its time to keep your maker!" & Blossom & Buttacup say "U LEAVE THE PROFECCER OUT OF THIS!!!" & Mojo Jojo Bubbles also says "Alone shall I rule this world!" & also even "What's the matta Buttacup? Afraid 2 fight?" She also kicks Mojo out of his house! (5 stars) O, the Courage bonus episode Journey to the Center of Nowere is awsome too! Well, there's these little monstrous eggplants who thinks Muriel is their enemy. O, it's soo hillarious when Courage disguises as the Great Eggplant! He says, "Fellow Eggplants, Muriel is not our real enemy." Also, he even says: "Great Eggplant says, do this funky!" (5 stars) This is da best Powerpuff video in the collection yet!

What is wrong with you people?!!
This has got to be the worst T.V show/cartoon in the history of entertainment! The powerpuffs are just these three lil' skanks that don't ver save the world but a potsmokin city called Townesville, and that's only the beginning. The mayor is a complete jerk and should NOT be in office to begin with! Why don't they just impeach that old midget? Secondly, what is with the decapitated miss Belum? She does not have a face obviously becuase they couldn't think up one to put on her! Third, the fight scenes are just cheesy cheesy cheesy! (I've seen MORE action in a "Popeye" cartoon!) OH YEAH! Shouldn't the government be holding the chemical X formula for observation besides some laboratory Professor? It just does'nt make any sense! Craig Mccracken has gone downhill since this was aired! He should have stuck to his masterpieces, "2 Stupid Dogs" and "Dexter's Lab" instead because those shows were at least funny, compared to this garbage! I mean, what happened here???? ... Read more

Asin: B00004W1ZW
Subjects:  1. Children's Video   

Thunderbirds - Set 1
Director: Desmond Saunders, David Lane, Brian Burgess, David Elliott (II), Alan Pattillo
Average Customer Review:
DVD (27 February, 2001)
list price: $39.95 -- our price: $35.96
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

"Filmed in VIDECOLOR [explosions, drum roll, music builds to a climax] and SUPERMARIONATION"! The opening sequence of Thunderbirds is itself a master class in Gerry Anderson's marionette hyperbole: who else would dare to make a virtue out of the fact that (a) the show is in color and (b) it's got puppets in it? But everything about this series really is epic: Thunderbirds is action on the grandest scale, predating such high-concept Hollywood vehicles as Armageddon by 30 years and more (the acting is better, too), and fetishizing gadgets in a way that even the most excessive Bond movies could never hope to rival. Unsurprisingly, it transpires that the visual effects are by Derek Meddings, whose later contributions to Bond movies like The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker echo his pioneering model work here. As for the characters, the clean-cut Tracey boys take second place in the audiences' affections to their cool machines--the real stars of the show--while comic relief is to be found in the charming company of Lady Penelope and her pink Rolls (license plate FAB1), driven by lugubrious chauffeur Parker, whose "Yes, milady" catchphrase resonated around school playgrounds for decades. (Spare a thought for poor old John Tracey, stuck up in space on Thunderbird 5 with only the radio for company.) The puppet stunt work is breathtakingly audacious, and every week's death-defying escapade is nail-bitingly choreographed in the very best tradition of disaster movies. First shown in 1964 and now digitally remastered, Thunderbirds is children's TV that still looks and sounds like big-budget Hollywood.

On this DVD: International Rescue's very first adventure provides a template for all the rest: in "Trapped in the Sky," an experimental new aircraft becomes the target of an evil Bond-style megalomaniac who wants to get his hands on all the neat gear operated by the Tracey siblings. The show introduces, in fetishistic detail, the recurring set-pieces: Thunderbird 1 taking off from the roll-back swimming pool, the question of which pod Thunderbird 2 will use this week--the mole, or the submarine, perhaps?--and so on. Nostalgia fans will be pleased to learn that despite digital remastering the puppet strings are still in evidence, and no amount of high-tech restoration could remove the clunky expository dialogue:

Stewardess: "It's the maiden flight of the new atomic-powered Fireflash."
Passenger: "Isn't that the new aircraft that flies six times the speed of sound?"
Stewardess: "That's right, but don't worry: it's perfectly safe."
[Cut to: interior, Fireflash landing gear, a device clearly labeled "Auto-Bomb Detonator Unit"]
Sinister bad guy (talking to himself for no readily apparent reason): "Perfect. Enough explosives to smash the Atomic Reactor."

In the second episode, "Pit of Peril," an absurdly impractical U.S. Army vehicle falls into the eponymous pit, necessitating use of pod 5, the mole. Joy! Four more episodes are included. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated
• Box set
• Dolby

Reviews (28)

FAB - naturally
Yes, yes, yes ... dunderklumpen Parker is tripping all over his cockney vowels and Tintin (the non-francophone version) is demurely aiding (wink, wink) Alan, but how can you resist a world where technology is always fallible (planes exploding, reactors exploding, grandma exploding - just kidding) yet can only be saved by the same, now infallible, technology. A feature film with non-stringy actors is being made of this series - it's a guaranteed flop already. You can't tell these stories today with the wide-eyed enthusiasm of thirty years ago. Also, when Thunderbirds was made, the directors were making mini-feature-films. Now, alas, even our biggest films are made to play on TV, just like a movie-of-the-week. It'll look like a Star Trek episode - neat, clean-cut and sanitary with all the soul sucked out of its CGI animated pores. What it won't have is Lord Lew Grade sitting behind it, marvelling at its imagination, egging on its producer, giggling like a large cherubic baby. The original can't be anything other than FAB - a Fully Aknowledged Broadcast.

If you liked Gerry Anderson, you've got to get this!!
I grew up on Thunderbirds and loved every minute of it.To see the shows rendered in DVD quality picture and sound provides an awesome viewing experience, especially if you have surround sound with a good sub-woofer!The explosions and the Thunderbird launches sound incredible.Highly recommended as are all the other Thunderbirds DVDs in the series.

Great Buy
Ahhh.... the wonders of childhood. Yes, I remember the Thunderbirds and I'm glad they're back in the states. I went out and brought one of those multistandard vhs player (plays pal) just so I could buy and watch these guys. This was and still is a great childrens series. I had all of these tapes except one and now thanks to the new release from Carlton I have that one too. They still need work on the menu though. You can watch the movie but not select certain scenes in any given episode but I don't care. Buy this you won't regret it. ... Read more

Asin: B0000524FJ
Subjects:  1. Television   

Batman - Mask of the Phantasm
Director: Eric Radomski, Bruce W. Timm
Average Customer Review:
DVD (14 September, 2004)
list price: $14.96 -- our price: $11.97
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Although the live-action Batman franchise faltered artistically after Tim Burton gave up control, the slack wastaken up by the Saturday morning cartoon show, whose creators are responsible for this feature film. Though a cartoon, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is less cartoonish than the popular '60s TV show (which spawned its own movie, Batman: The Movie). Mask of the Phantasm combines the noir of the original comic book, the violence and dark humor of the Dark Knight comic book revision, and Burton's two movies.

In Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, everyone's favorite schizophrenic billionaire crime fighter is investigating the murders of several prominent gangsters. Meanwhile, his ex-fiancée and her father are back in town. Through flashbacks, these two death-obsessed kids are shown falling in love (she lost her mother; he lost both parents--of course, they meet in a graveyard), until she leaves quickly and mysteriously. Along the way, there's a short course in the origins of the Batman costume and the origins of the Joker (voice of Star Wars' Mark Hamill!), a big fight with the smoke-enshrouded Phantasm character, who is suspected of killing the gangsters, and an even bigger fight with the Joker at the abandoned Gotham World's Fair grounds. Altogether, a good ride. --Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Dolby
• HiFi Sound
• Animated
• Widescreen

Reviews (141)

great idea
Great idea for this movie the directors had
brilliant animation
have this on dvd
and love it more and more every time I watch it
it can be funny at times
very powerful
a little violent but not bad
deeply moving the whole story is
I loved watching the Batman animation series on tv as a child
and will get it when I find it on dvd in stores
Batman wether toon or regular movies is a classic hero of our our decades to fulfill

An excellent Batman score.Perfect fit for a hero.
No animated cartoon has captured a super-hero better than Batman: The Animated Series, and no music has captured a hero better than the theme for that show written by Danny Elfman and adapted by Shirlry Walker.When Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm was made the score could have been just a generic retread from the tv show.Instead, Walker gave the movie a score that is full of action, suspense and heroism.The chorale pieces tend to truly make it an intense score.There are moments that a true movie magic especially when Batman is born in the film.Overall I recommend this score as the second best Batman score ever, following up Elfman's score for the Batman movie.

Probably the best Batman film Tim didn't direct
Back when the film was released, my dad gave me a copy of it on VHS and I always loved it but after awhile as usual with things, you lose track of it and forgot where it was. Out of town one year, bam, there it is on the shelf so I nabbed it. Like a lot of reviewers have said, it combines the dark film noir style with that over-the-topness of the films.

One thing I never really got with the films is Bruce Wayne's complexity. Although on a show that has a different superhero, to paraphrase Smallville's Chloe Sullivan, Bruce Wayne has more issues than Rolling Stone. He made a vow that he would protect the innocent.

Basically the story is that mob bosses are being killed off by a grim reaperesque villain named the Phantasm(although oddly, that name's never mentioned). However, due to the image of the Phantasm's costume and blink and you'll miss it images, Batman instead gets blamed. None of which is helped by a commissioner who has it in for him, probably his one true love returning, and his battle with an old nemesis.

One thing has got to be said first off: this is one amazing score. The woman responsible did an astounding job and the opening theme is great. The voices are great too. Kevin Conroy does 2 voices(although slightly similar) voices for Batman and Bruce, so that way people close to him wouldn't figure out his voice if they met Batman. And who knew that Mark "I'll always been known as Luke Skywalker" Hamill would give a crazier performance as the Joker than Jack Nicholson?

One thing that's nice about the film is that it is quite dark. There's quite a few flashbacks and they're not quick either. There's a certain amount of complexity to the plot for the kiddies but adults will understand it. It's nice to see a different version of how Bruce Wayne started becoming Batman, and his inspiration for the Batmobile's a nice touch.

Like most people that are fans of this, we're waiting for a DVD release. If they're has been one, then an SE one cause I've never heard of it. Rumors are that they'll release it along with the Tim Burton Batman films to coincide with the release of Batman Begins in June which should be interesting. However, for now, deal with a film that Joel Schumacher wish he directed. ... Read more

Asin: B0000399WH
Subjects:  1. Feature Film Family   

Batman Beyond - The Movie
Director: Dan Riba, Butch Lukic, Curt Geda, Yukio Suzuki
Average Customer Review:
DVD (02 March, 2004)
list price: $12.98 -- our price: $11.68
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

It's difficult to imagine the people of Gotham City walking the streets without their Dark Knight to protect them. But in this animated Batman tale set in the not-too-distant future, Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) decides to call it quits and retire the Bat-suit. After Wayne retreats to his mansion to live the life of a hermit, Gotham is soon overrun by criminals and gangs with such catchy names as the Jokerz. In this hive of villainy lives a young man by the name of Terry McGinnis. Like Wayne, his father had been killed, leaving him traumatized and seeking revenge (all comparisons though, should end there). As luck would have it, he stumbles across the Wayne mansion and eventually the Batcave. Now an old dusty relic, the once proud Batcave lies dormant like a wax museum, displaying trophies of Batman's career. Among these artifacts is the latest-model augmented Bat-suit, boasting flying capabilities and enough power to make Superman look like a wimp. Naturally the exuberant Terry takes the suit and embarks upon a mission of revenge against the duplicitous antagonists responsible for his father's death.

This is by no means a run-of-the-mill take on the Dark Knight. Like Warner's Emmy Award-winning cartoon of Batman in the present day, the story and action is tight and well thought out. From the opening credits (which are eerily reminiscent of David Fincher's unsettling opening shots in Seven), you enter a world in need of a hero. Unlike the later live-action movies, Batman Beyond will strike a chord with fans of the DC comic. This world of Gotham is darker, edgier, and filled with detestable bad guys. No more puns, no more chumming up to the police, and no more letting up on the violence. This is a Batman for the future and one that will have you rooting every time he inflicts his dark sense of justice upon a wrongdoer. (Ages 11 and older) --Jeremy Storey ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Animated

Reviews (52)

Refreshingly Different Yet True to the Original
A few years after the end of Batman: The Animated Series, I saw an ad for a new series that featured a new Batman in a future Gotham City.And, horrors - Bruce Wayne/Batman was an OLD MAN, unrecognizable from the form BTAS fans are accustomed to.I refused to watch it, thinking it was kind of a travesty.

But when I mentioned my concerns to a friend, he said it was good.So I checked it out, and am so glad I did.BB is the continuation of the Dark Knight and the city he protects.Bruce Wayne has become quite old, and even more stubborn.Alfred has passed away, so the only companion for the old man is a dog, Ace.Ace is no ordinary dog.I happen to remember buying the comic when Ace was re-introduced in the 1990's.Ace is Wayne's intelligent guardian and helper.Bruce Wayne is secluded in his manor, all the memoribilia of his crime-fighting days lovingly displayed in the now unused Batcave.Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, is now the aging commissioner of police, taking her father's former position.The elder Gordon has also passed away.

Enter Terry McGinnis.A brash, handsome young man with the same black hair and blue eyes as his predecessors, he stumbles upon Wayne and his secret.Wayne and McGinnis clash, and through a touching series of events and flashbacks, there is a new Batman, with the original Batman at the helm.

Batman Beyond is proof that Batman lives, that his legacy is enduring and what he stands for will last forever, even if he will not.Criminals will still look up at the night sky and shudder with fear just by hearing his name.

Batman goes high-tech...
Terry McGinnis stumbles upon Bruce Wayne's secret, that he was once Batman!McGinnis needs Batman's help, but when Mr. Wayne refuses, Terry has to BECOME Batman himself.Armed with a advanced flying, super-strong, loaded to the gills with weapons, suit and with the help of Mr. Wayne's knowledge, Terry McGinnis brings to Gotham City what it needs most : The Dark Knight!
I had to take a star away because I don't feel the future Gotham City or the new Batman are as dark or as impressive as Batman:The Animated Series.Bruce Wayne used smarts as much as devices to get out of the traps set up by them, and the fact he wasn't just a copy of Superman made him even more interesting.Also, the old fashion evildoers were just better designed.I mean, THE Joker was ten times better than a room full of Jokers!And he had better lines.
Still, the DVD has the first movie and four bonus episodes, so it is good value for your money.The artwork and plots also improved as the series developed, so I will be picking up more DVDs of the new Batman.

Movie was exciting
Cannot stop watching the action packed fun. ... Read more

Asin: B0000399WG
Subjects:  1. Feature Film Family   

The Transformers - The Movie
Director: Nelson Shin
Average Customer Review:
DVD (07 November, 2000)
list price: $19.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

During the 1980s, one cartoon series ruled the airwaves... The Transformers. This paragon of consumerism was created with a dual purpose--to entertain and to galvanize children to buy the toys. Somewhere along the line, the show became a cult favorite, so in 1986 they fashioned an epic tale of good versus evil specifically for the big screen. The result looked vaguely like an animated remake of Star Wars. Who are the Transformers? The good guys are the Autobots: Optimus Prime, SoundWave, Jazz, Ultra Magnus, and many more. Their mortal enemies are the evil Decepticons, led by Megatron and StarScream.The Autobots must save their home planet from an evil entity known as Unicron (voiced by Orson Welles). At the same time, they must defend themselves from an all-out attack from the Decepticons. Along the way, lives are lost, battles are fought, and a new Autobot leader is born as another dies. The story and action never stop in a thrilling ride that often makes you forget that you're watching an '80s cartoon with inferior graphics. The violence will also come as a mild shock to those who haven't seen this film for a while--definitely a movie for the 8 and over audience. For those who grew up on this series, this is a movie that must be watched. Unlike cartoon serials before and after, The Transformers relied on solid stories and interesting characters, a manifesto the film itself upholdswith gusto and grace while also being morally responsible. Don't underestimate this movie; there is definitely more to it than meets the eye. --Jeremy Storey ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated
• Dolby

Reviews (457)

An interesting look at the 80's
Let me preface my review by stating that The Transformers were more or less my religion while growing up.I had the toys, I watched the cartoon.Heck, I even had Transformers underwear.And to this day I can still tell the difference between Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.

As others have said, Transformers: The Movie takes place between the second and third season of the cartoon show.It takes place, ironically, in 2005, twenty years after the show originally aired.The Autobots are winning the war, having secured Earth and Cybertron's two moons.The Decepticons decide to launch one final all-out attack on Metroplex, the Autobot city.In the course of battle, many Autobot favorites, including Windcharger, Wheeljack, Prowl, and Ironhide are killed.Both Megatron and Optimus Prime are mortally wounded.

In the aftermath of the attack, the Decepticons flee to Cybertron, having been defeated.Starscream abandons Megatron and the other wounded Decepticons in space.They are found by Unicron, a robotic planet which, uh, eats other planets.He transforms the Decepticons into more powerful beings, most notably turning Megatron into Galvatron.On Earth, Optimus Prime dies, and entrusts his magical Matrix to Ultra Magnus.The Autobots learn that Unicron is devouring Cybertron's moons and will shortly devour the entire galaxy.

The rest of the movie more or less plods along with the Autobots successfully defeating Unicron.Galvatron, of course, survives to terrorize the Autobots in the future.The Autobots' Hot Rod, a new character introduced in the movie, is transformed and becomes Rodimus Prime, their new leader.Everything else remains rather status quo as the war between Autobots and Decepticons rages on, only with new faces in the forefront.That being said, the movie is decidedly uneven in terms of mood.

On the one hand, the movie has a lot of violence and death in it.Many of the more popular characters are slain within the first 15-20 minutes of the film, and all die in rather violent ways.Galvatron, played with viscious zeal by Leonard Nimoy, is a ruthless villain.During the climactic battle, he even says something along the lines of (I'm paraphrasing): "It's a shame you Autobots die so easily.I'll kill you slowly so I can have some satisfaction."He's out for blood (or motor oil).

On the other hand, there are several 'kids only' facets to the film.Daniel, the new human character, is a child around the same age as The Transformers' target audience.In the course of the movie, he gets to wear a mechanical suit which allows him to transform.Blur (an Autobot who talks very fast and seems to suffer from ADD), Wheelie (a literal child Autobot who speaks in rhyme), and the Junkions (Transformers from a junk planet who speak in television cliches) are utterly useless except for appealing to kids.Finally, Hot Rod, the movie's hero, is the prototypical 1980's sixteen year old.As a result of these character choices, the rather adult-oriented plot suffers from these attempts to lighten the mood because they are incredibly obvious and distract from the movie's flow.

The animation is very good, and still holds up today, even if it's a bit dated (the mecha designs and human fashion style scream 1980's).Everything is fluid and the action sequences are a joy to watch.

Aurally, the movie is a mixed bag.It features some stomach-turning music by the band Kick Axe (no, I'm not kidding about their name).They perform the worst cliche 80's hair metal ("You've got the touch!You've got the power!") imaginable.Thankfully, the voice acting is very strong, with the exception of Wheelie.I just can't stand him, and his high-pitched voice doesn't help.

Overall, the movie is solid, but has some glaring flaws that both show its age and detract from the overall experience.If you or a family member loves The Transformers or 1980's action cartoons in general, then you should get it.

Widescreen vs. Full-Frame: Ending the Controversy, Hopefully
Hello,

I started looking into this question of how "Transformers: the Movie" was photographed and found these helpful URL's below:

* http://www.tftm.net/screening.shtml
* http://www.tftm.net/technical_details.shtml

Apparently the fellow(s) behind this site have done some rather extensive research on this topic and found that it was indeed done in a 4:3 aspect ratio.The idea was to allow each theater to perform their own matting based on whatever projector they have.It's a practice known as "Open Matte" or "soft" matting.

I hope this puts your concerns at rest for purchasing any reissue of "Transformers: the Movie".Unless, of course, they decide to use DVD-9 (dual layer DVD) and thus not use so much compression on the video (I refer you to the URL's for further explanation).Save your cash for a Blu-Ray / HD-DVD player and all the titles you'll repurchase to see your movies in true HD format ;).Now if I only had that 20th Anniversary Tron DVD...

Oh yes, the movie is a lot of fun.The music is what it is, but it was 1986!What do you expect?That's the only reason this movie gets (4) out of (5) from me because it gets to be a touch grating on the ears at times.Anyway, get a pizza, a few root beers, and enjoy this movie.

Cheers,
Isaquit0

Stop the Music!!
Okay, I went out and actually bought this movie because I haven't seen it since childhood.About five minutes into it a bunch of the old-school characters get wiped out.Then another five minutes sees more of them getting sent to silocon heaven.The story was just flat out ridiculous, here you have this planet that is annihilating the universe but no one has ever seen or heard of it?

Enough about the plot, I know it's a kids movie.Now to the really annoying part, the music.Every battle sequence was filled with awful 80's hair-rock music, lyrics and all.Most movies, like donnie darko, use short clips but this flick played entire songs.I heard "The Touch" in both the beginning and the end of the movie.I can't stress how much I hate that tune.The only time I liked it is when Marky Mark butchered it in "Boogie Nights."

The overflow of music makes this "so-called classic" impossible to enjoy.Thankfully the movie is just under 90 minutes, and if you try hard enough, it's possible to make it to the end.But be warned, for those of you that enjoyed it as a youth, times change and people grow up!This Movie Sucks Ass!! ... Read more

Asin: B00004YA6T
Subjects:  1. Children's Video   

The Powerpuff Girls - The Mane Event
Director: Robert Renzetti, Craig McCracken, Robert Alvarez (II), Genndy Tartakovsky, John McIntyre, Randy Myers, Lauren Faust
Average Customer Review:
DVD (03 April, 2001)
list price: $14.98 -- our price: $13.48
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Color
• Animated

Reviews (11)

Great Powapuff DVD!
Now, this is the best Powerpuff DVD yet!

The Mane Event... Well, Bubbles & Buttercup give Blossom a hideious stupid haircut. Everybody laughs, even the thousand eyed monster. The ending wuz funny when Blossom shaves Bubbles & Buttacup. HAHAHA! (5 stars)

Boogie Frights... BEST EPISODE ON HERE! Well, Buttacup scares Bubbles when she says Boogie Man appears, "AFTER DARK!!!" Scary, but funny. O, & that Boogie Man funky thug creep is makin this Discoball, & theres lots of funky Nightmares like the gangsta bug. O, & its so hillarious when the monsters scare the Mayor, & the most funny part is when a monster creates an olda female version of him, & says "Uh, pardon me, what is it?" HAHAHA! The Mayor was freaked 2 death! "BLAME IT ON DA BOOGIE!" Boogie Man turns his Limo in2 a rocket, & says "We gon make this naaight! Last 4eva!" hee! (5 stars)

Slumbring With the Enemy... 2nd BEST!! Well, theres a Slumber Pajama party at the Powerpuffs house, & Mojo dresses up as lady Mojesha. A hahaha! Well, they have fun, & the girls destroy things so they can find Mojesha. GIRLS! & of course, Mojo reveals himself after he uses Antidote X. U evil! & the normal girls beat em! (5 stars)

Ice Sore... I like this 1 too, its ok. well, this is when Ms. Blossom gets her Ice Breath, & she freezes alot, & when she frezes the robbers, they get away fasta! NO! & y r even Bubbles & Buttacup soo mean? BUBBLES! Be urself! not violent like Bubblevicious! (4 stars)

Twisted Sister... This 1 has 2 kool parts, but its the worst episode on this DVD! Ill tell ya y soon. Well, our 3 girls r too exhausted 2 fight anymore, so they wanna make another Powapuff. Its Bunny! She sounds pretty goofy. Shes funny, but she arrests the wrong people, the Police! Its 2 sad at the end, cuz Bunny explodes (crying) (2.3 stars)

Something's A Ms... Well, the 4th best episode on here, but it got kinda boring when I watched it 2 much. Well, Ms. Bellum is giving the Mayor goofy kisses, & she takes the Mayors job, but no crimanals 4 Powapuffs 2 beat! Well, its really Seduca thats doing this. & Seduca has new hair gel! GEE! & Ms. Bellum gets freed! The Girls & Ms. Bellum cut her hair! (4 stars, well 4 now)

Power Lunch... Well, this is Powa Lunch when it was never before seen, It was the same thoh. Well, that Gangreene Gang get super powas by eating alot, & the Girls barley beat them. O, when the Girls see that mean gang again, 4 the 1st time, Ace is being selfish by sayin... "Yea right, ur supa powas cant beat us!" JERK!!! But, somehow they loose their powas, & the Girls beat em. (5 stars)

Helter Shelter... Well, this 1ns cool, & Bubbles brings in like Millions of animals to the house, & a whale, & the whale gets dried up & ill. awww! It wuz funny at the end when the herd goes out. (4 stars)

Last but not least! (Down, DOWN!)

The First Powapuff, but not Powapuff season, The Woop@$$ Girls! Well, this is the old stuff, & the Girls were 1st called the Whoop@$$ Girls. Whoa! the stupid A word? Well, the opening is cool, but the Girls dont look cuter. & the profeccer looks SOOO Much olda! & the Gangreene Gang look much more devious, ecpecially Ace. they were the only villans in the Woop@$$ Girls opening. well, look down.

the episode is A Sticky Situation... Well, this episode is only 3 minutes, & The Amoeba Boys r in this! & they really do crime at first! too bad this is the 2nd episode thoh. & this only takes 3 minutes! (3 stars)

This DVD [stinks]!
I've seen this episode before. Buttercup and Bubbles mess up Blossums hair and she looks ugly. That wasn't really funny. All the other episodes here are just as stupid! Whoever created this show TRIED to make a Super-Hero adventure, but failed miserably. It's pathetic really. Avoid all PPG DVD's! They are not funny and are a waste of time. TRUST ME!

Grrrrrl Power!
The Powerpuff Girls are so funny! The Mane Event will have you gasping for air. Bubbles and Buttercup are forced to slay a giant eye ball distroying Townsville alone. After their jealousy of how gorgeous Blossom's hair is in the morning causes them to give her the worst hair cut of her life. Now embarrassed to go out in public, will the girls beable to do it alone? This is a great dvd and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Asin: B000056WRC
Sales Rank: 23207
Subjects:  1. Children's Video   

Heavy Metal (Special Edition)
Director: Gerald Potterton, Jimmy T. Murakami
Average Customer Review:
DVD (23 November, 1999)
list price: $27.95 -- our price: $25.16
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

As long as there is a need for adolescent male sexual fantasy, therewill be an audience for Heavy Metal. Released in 1981 and based on stories from the graphic magazine of the same name (possibly the greatest publication to simultaneously provoke imagination and masturbation), the film has since become the most popular single title in Columbia/TriStar's entire film library. That's an amazing fact considering just how silly and senseless the movie really is--an aimless, juvenile amalgam of disjointed stories and clashing visual styles, employing hundreds of animators from around the world with a near-total absence of creative cohesion. It remains, for better and worse, a midnight-movie favorite for the stoner crowd--a movie best enjoyed by randy adolescents or near-adults in an altered state of consciousness.

With a framing story about a glowing green orb claiming to be the embodiment of all evil, the film shuttles through eight episodic tales of sci-fi adventure, each fueled by some of the most wretched rock music to emerge from the 1980s. The most consistent trademark is an abundance of blood-splattering violence and wet-dream sex, the latter involving a succession of huge-breasted babes who shed their clothes at the drop of a G-string. It's all quite fun in its rampantly brainless desire to fuel the young male libido, and for all its incoherence Heavy Metal remains impressive for the ambitious artistry of its individual segments. Courtesy of producer Ivan Reitman (who'd just scored a hit with Stripes), voice talents include several Canadian veterans of Second City comedy, including John Candy, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy, and Joe Flaherty.--Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Widescreen
• Animated
• Dolby

Reviews (98)

A mixed up batch of fun
Most movies now and days contain so much that you actually lose interest. And while, yes, this movie seems to jump from point to point, it all contains one message. Chaos is prevelent no matter where you go, but there will ALWAYS be someone there to stand up and be our guardian. The animation in this movie is awesome. The storylines are great. It's a great movie. I grew up watching this movie with my own father. He introduced it to me and I fell in love with it immediately. How could I not? I am thankful to my father for showing me this movie. I hope that many generations can come to love it.

How to watch this movie
EXCELLENT. Imaginative ALIENS, trippy SPACESHIPS, cool ROBOTS, exotic PLANETS. Described as animated soft-porn, but sexual content takes up no more time than kissing scenes do in Star Wars. Bold and creative artistry makes other worlds truly otherworldly. Rather than piecing together a lame and predictable plot in the tradition of Hollywood or Disney, various sub-movies show a simple good vs. evil battle depicted in different worlds at different times. This frees the animators to be at their best, and the results are entertaining and visually stunning. The lone scene that doesn't occur in the future or on other planets - a WWII bombing mission - seems oddly in place with the rest. EXCELLENT.

A look into a 13 year old's Immature Fantasy
If you are 13 years old and just hitting puberty this is probably the coolest DVD you've ever seen.Pointless nudity, pointless action, pointless gore, and heavy metal music.What more could you want.

Having seen real Anime that is good, it was tough to even compare this.The animation was horrible, and the dialog even worse.Stereotypes, clichés and all the plot of a B, no C grade movie.

If you have half a brain and like good animation I recommend movies like "Ghost in the Shell" or "Akira" (if you want something from the same era), but I must warn you;If you only want to see some mindless drivel conjured up from a 13 year olds wet dream, then don't waste your time on the two movies I just mentioned.You'll be bogged down in excellent animation and intelligent plot.The only movie comparable to this would be "Ninja Scroll" as far as action and type, but again it is 4.5 stars better than this.

In conclusion I'd have to say that this is the worst animated movie I've ever seen (though as I mentioned before, if I had just hit puberty this would have been a 5 star movie).If you are over 18, or if you have ever actually kissed a girl, then steer clear of this waste of time. ... Read more

Asin: 0767836316
Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)   

Cowboy Bebop - Session 1
Director: Shinichirô Watanabe
Average Customer Review:
DVD (04 April, 2000)
list price: $29.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Each of these two snazzy 20-minute installments is a self-contained and satisfying adventure tale about a futuristic hipster bounty hunter, from themost popular Japanese animated TV series of 1998. This is elegant action-comedyanime, with smoothly integrated CGI space-flight elements, gorgeousgraphics, blues harmonica and sax riffs on the soundtrack, and a no-sweatpost-Tarantino attitude. Despite occasional eruptions of gun-fu Asian-actionviolence, and some intimations of heavy-duty drug use (one especially noxious narcotic is administered as an aerosol spray, straight onto the user's eyeballs), the tone is surprisingly convivial. None of the generic tough elements are grim or mean-spirited. Lanky antihero Spike Spiegel is a planet-hopping freelance cop with a cyborg sidekick and a genetically enhanced Welsh Corgi assistant, and as many wisecracks as punchesget thrown. The emphasis is on clever twists of plot in an episodic short-storyformat. --David Chute ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated

Reviews (153)

COWBOY BEBOP IS SIMPLY ONE OF THE BEST ANIMES OUT THERE
This series is just full of surprises. It got the most in depted characters I have ever seen in anime since Neon Genesis Evangelion. The animation is brillant and well lets just say everything about the show is great okay.
I found the first session really good. The first episode was cleverly made because it shows what they are all about, think about it...when Spike complains about not having beef, it comes to view that they run short on money really fast. After they get the bounty, hat the every end Spike finally gets his beef which proves that is what they live for. Other characters like Eion, Faye Valentine get introduced later in this DVD. Edward is in the next DVD. You get to see a bit of Spike's past too. Which is great, I love character with a messed up past.


BY THIS SERIES NOW.........NOW!!!!!!!!1

Anime at its best!
About every Anime fan out there should have already seen or heard about Cowboy Bebop. Its still and probably always will be my fave Anime series. From Director Shinchiro Watanabe (Samurai Champloo, Animatrix). Cowboy Bebop is easily one of the greatest and well known Anime. It follows the Journey of Spike Spiegel Ex-Red Dragon Clan member as he lives his life with long wanted Freedom from the Clan and still searching for his Love Julia. Now a Bounty Hunter working with Former Ex-Cop Jet Black they're constantly on the trail of Bounty Heads trying to earn enough Money to Eat for atleast another week. Great Music from Yoko Kanno and amazing fight scenes and great Set of Characters. Join the Bebop and Enjoy!

Deserves 10 stars
Cowboy Bebop is the best anime series in existance and I'm willing to fight/kill anyone who says otherwise.
I bought each individual dvds, but I highly reccomend buying the complete boxed set.
One million stars ... Read more

Asin: 6305789312

The Big O (Vol. 1)
Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama
Average Customer Review:
DVD (19 June, 2001)
list price: $24.98 -- our price: $22.48
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The art deco-influenced backgrounds and simplified character designs give this series a look that's closer to Warner Bros.' Batman than to anime series like Gundam Wing. The Big O begins with a premise similar to A Wind Called Amnesia: the inhabitants of Paradigm City somehow lost their memories 40 years ago. Since then, they've struggled to survive in the half-ruined metropolis. Dashing Roger Smith, who looks a bit like Pierce Bronson, is officially a negotiator who handles difficult situations, but he's really a covert superhero. Like Batman, he's fabulously wealthy, and his car and wristwatch are loaded with deadly gadgets. But when the going gets tough, Smith summons the Big O, his giant "Megadeus" mecha to slug it out with other robots. His butler, Norman, and Dorothy, an automaton girl, assist him in these endeavors. At times the cool palette, saxophone music, and suave-but-tough-guy dialogue suggest the filmmakers are trying to capture the noir tone of Cowboy Bebop. But the rather superficial Smith lacks Spike Spiegel's underplayed intensity, and director Kazuyoshi Katayama can't match Shinichiro Watanabe's visual panache. The Big O will appeal primarily to kids who are fans of the Batman and Superman television series. The Cartoon Network started playing the series in 2001 in an edited format. This edition (featuring the first four episodes) is rated 13 and up for minor profanity, occasional suggestive humor, and mild violence. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated

Reviews (39)

Roger the Negotiator
From the creator of Giant Robo comes the ultimate in retro cool. This series is one of the great ones, one of the classics. It has a main character who's filthy rich, dressed to kill, has the gadgets of James Bond, the crime-fighting abilites of batman, negotiates with villains just to have some fun and...pilots a giant robot!

Like Giant Robo, the Big O itself is a throwback to old-school anime. Less high-tech and more steam-punk, the thing is clearly a mechanical iron hulking beast, rather than a fast-moving flying transformer. OLD SCHOOL. But there's more than just a tribute to old anime to be found here. The sense of style is very retro 1930's adn 40's. From the cars to the clothes to the buildings, everything has a retro look. And the characters themselves are drawn with a simple elegance than blends perfectly with that style.

The animation itself is more like a direct-to-video release than a TV show, and clearly had a very high budget. There is an incredible film-noir feel to everything thanks to the subdued color palette and stellar animation, which makes use of camera angles better than many a hollywood Oscar winner.

The brilliant musical score recalls everything from the Avengers to Batman to blues, jazz, and classical music (including opera). The sound of this show is not just there, it is engineered for effect, and the music always adds to the scene.

Of course it's really the story and the characters (to say nothing of the plot) which holds a good anime together, and this show does NOT disappoint. Roger Smith himself is more than just a sterotyped hero. As with all the other characters in this show, there is far more to him than what appears on the surface. His counterpart Dorothy (introduced in the first two episodes), is a perfect match for him, as her dour expression and pessimism counter his persistent cheerfulness and good nature. That and the fact that she can fight with, investigate with, and generally KEEP UP with him. Really Dorothy has to be one of the most interesting Androids ever conceived, as we constantly get hints that there is more going on in her head than what appears on the surface. There are of course many other wonderful characters introduced in this show, but two main ones take the cake in the first three episodes. Beck is a wonderfully pathetic excuse for a criminal masermind who comes to see himself as Roger's nemesis, but really just annoys everyone more than anything else (because defeating him isn't really a challenge for Roger and Dorothy), and Angel, who's mysterious agenda, deadly beautiful, and wonderful verbal sparring give Dorothy a run for her money in the department of love-interest.

The plot of the city with no memories in search of its past is very compelling, and the reference to memories beign uncovered and lost technology lends everything a somewhat magical, fightening undercurrent that makes the mysteries that much more compelling. As the plot slowly unfolds, we become more and more engrossed in the reality of Paradigm City, the city of amnesia.

The quality of writing and dialog in this fantasic anime really cannot be over-emphasized. I would have to call it an absolute tour-de-force of adventure, romance, and drama. Watch the whole series over and over, and you just might notice new aspects of the story and characters each time.

This volume contains the first four episodes. The first two epsidoes are about the criminal Beck and his hostage/blackmailing schemes involing the adriod R. Dorothy Waynewright and her makers/fathers. While good, they mainly serve to introude Beck and Dorothy, and are done in a different style from the rest of the series (no intro, and credits during hte beginning). The third episode begins the real meat of the series, and introduces Angel through a mysterious job for Roger to investigate a power plant for the Paradigm Power Management. That third episode features the main show intro, and shows if nothing else that the theme of monster/machine battles with the Big O are going to stay.

The fourth episode is the kicker though. Underground Terror establishes perhaps the real villain of the show, the scariest person Roger has to fight (a man covered with bandages like a mummy who has a nasty habit of burning things and raining down destruction upon innocents). It is in this episode that we finally get a little more insight into the past of Paradigm City, the loss of its memories, and just who and what exactly Roger and Dorothy are. Not that any questions are really answered, more are just raised. This episode might be my favorite of this volume because of the interaction between Dorothy and Roger.

This is an absolutely brilliant show. The amount of polish on every aspect is clear to see, and it features one of the finest English dubs you'll ever hear. David Lucas (Spike from Cowboy Bebop), and Lia Sargent (Battle Athletes Victory) give career-defining voicework in the main roles, and the voices of Beck and Angel in particular are also wonderful.

Anyone who's a fan of classic anime, giant robots, superheroes, or sci-fi will want to give this one a try. The only downside I can see is that at times the battles seem to overshadow or distract from the story, but that's a minor complaint at best in a show that deserves every animation fan's respect and admiration. Let negotiations begin!

Watching the Big O is non-negotiable. Do it.
Ahh, the Big O. Truly a masterpiece.
The Big O features an art deco-inspired art style, simplistic-yet-stylized character design, and a soothing musical score revolving around sweet jazz.
The most common description I've heard of the Big O is to throw Batman into the Godzilla movies, replace the spandex with a giant robot, and throw in some James Bond flair for good measure. While these raw ingredients sound like a recipe for disaster, Big O takes something frail and turns it into something strong as diamond: the human soul.
All the citizens of Paradigm City lost their memories in the "Event," which occured 40 years prior to the audience's introduction. Roger Smith, a wealthy businessman, acts as a negotiator in extreme incidents. But when things get too rough he calls on his "megadues," the Big O, for help. The massive machination towers over the city as guardian. While the local police aren't too friendly towards it, Roger and Big O get their job done with enough gratitude from the citizens.
Roger, assisted by his butler Norman and an android girl named R. Dorothy, takes on the task of either recovering or destroying the city's lost memory. Tormented by his own desire to uncover his history and the knowledge that it no longer matters, Roger faces enemies of his long-lost past and threats of Biblical proportions.
The robots aren't what most would imagine, either. Instead of being super-machines from a science-fiction movie, Big O and its enemies feature coarse design for realism and dramatic effect. The stovepipe limbs and clumsy mechanics make them more believable. Even Big O's trademark attack fits the theme. Rather than have a laser cannon pop out of its chest, the robot's arms use built-in tanks of compressed air to deliver powerful punches. Watching the steam rise from the smoking fist never gets boring.
The overall visuals of the show are astounding, and the dialogue is almost Shakespearean - just without all the confusing, flowery, words. The intriguing plot will draw you in, so even you want to know what Paradigm City's past was like. But the story is built on the individual characters and their relationships with one another; which gives the larger events all the more Umph!
The Big O's spectacular artwork, beautiful music, original characters, and deep storyline make it really shine. Grab your popcorn and have a seat... "it's Showtime."

And suddenly, a huge robot appears from nowhere
"The Big O" is a disappointingly mediocre series. Disappointing, because it had the potential to be something really cool. However, it falls short of the mark.

The show looks great, and the art-deco feel adapted from "Batman: The Animated Series" is really spectacular. The character designs are all enticing, and the premise is interesting as well. A world that underwent complete amnesia 40 years ago, and now the citizens live and work in an environment they don't completely understand. The lead characters, negotiator Roger Smith and the girl-android Dorothy, are cool characters, investigating Dorothy's past along side other mysteries. The whole thing has a really nice film noir feel to it.

But...then a non-sequitor Giant Robot appears, for a climatic Giant Robot battle every episode. It breaks the detective-style flow of the series, breaks the tone, and is just plain silly. Imagine watching "The Maltese Falcon," only to have the story end with Humphrey Bogart climbing into a previously unmentioned Giant Robot.

The combination of genres just doesn't work. Too bad really, as there are enough Giant Robot animations in the world. An art deco film noir animation would have been really something. ... Read more

Asin: B00005BCJO

Samurai X - Betrayal (Rurouni Kenshin)
Director: Kazuhiro Furuhashi, Kaeko Sakamoto
Average Customer Review:
DVD (14 November, 2000)
list price: $29.98 -- our price: $26.98
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The peace that reigns over the remote mountain village of Otsucontrasts sharply with the rapid-fire violence of the previous episodes(Samurai X: Trust) set in Kyoto. Working as a farmer, growingcrops and savoring the passage of the seasons, Kenshin comes to termswith the discontent festering in his soul. He regrets the death andsuffering he has caused, and hopes to find a better life--with themysterious Tomoe. A conventional story would end on this note ofself-discovery and moral growth. But Samurai Xunfolds like a Kabukitragedy: the desire for revenge remains strong, especially among theagents of the last Tokugawa Shogun, who are anxious to crush thenascent rebellion led by the Choshu clan. Kenshin was an importantagent for the Choshu; Tomoe is just a pawn, but the outcome of a gamemay hinge on a strategically positioned pawn. Kenshin finally graspsthe lessons his master, Hiko, attempted to teach him: the need forinner peace and the possibility of defending the weak without resortingto violence. The exquisitely detailed artwork evokes 19th centuryJapan, and director Kazuhiro Furuhashi depicts these understated innerconflicts as skillfully as the epic sword fights in the first episodes.Samurai X demonstrates the power of animation to present storiesof great emotional depth, earning it a rightful place among the topanime series. Unrated; suitable for ages 18 and up for explicitviolence. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated

Reviews (67)

Revealed at last: how Kenshin earned his cross-shaped wound
Telling fans of the "Rurouni Kenshin" series that "Samurai X: Betrayal," the second half of a four-episode anime mini-series is where we find out why Kenshin has that "X" shaped scar on his face should be enough to get them to check out this prequel.The story is set in 19th-century Japan and in the first half, "Samurai X: Trust," Shinta, a young man sold into slavery after his parents died, is trained by the mystic swordsman in Japan to be the most feared assassin in Japan and given the name Kenshin.When he grows up our young hero meets Tomoe Yukishiro, a mysterious young woman whose fiancé had been murdered by Kenshin.

This DVD of "Romantic Tales from the Meiji Era" includes "Act 3: The Previous Night at the Mountain Home" and "Act 4: The Cross-Shaped Wound."In Act 3 Kenshin tries to live a life of peace that is at odds with his brutal life as he and Tomoe hide out in Otsu, posing as a simple farmer and his wife.Kenshin even thinks of making the fantasy real, although there does not seem to be any reason for him to fall in love with the mysterious Tomoe, but then the "traitor" is revealed to Kenshin, setting up the tragic end game in Act 4.As the title indicates, this is where we learn how Kenshin received his distinctive wound and the most impressive part of the tale is that writer Nobuhiro Watsuki and director Kazuhiro Furuhashi come up with something that is both surprising and lyrical.You might have trouble reconciling the contemplative Keshin we see at the end of "Samurai X" with the more childlike one of "Rurouni Kenshin," but it is hard to deny the power of this story.

I think watching "Samurai X" after enjoying "Rurouni Kenshin" is the correct order for viewing, even though it is the prequel to the series.There are profound differences between the two, with "Samurai X" being more sophisticated that the series, with the violence heightened and the comic elements stripped away.The prequel is not intended for young viewers, even if they are fans of the series, because even though we all know that Kenshin becomes the "Hitokiri Battousai" (i.e., "the man who slashes even as he draws his sword"), his being an assassin constitutes an even darker chapter in his early life.

Better or Worse?
Some people say it's much better than the TV series,or it's not that much more violent,there wrong.Samurai X is a whole lot gory than the TV series because in this they show swords going through people's heads,etc.In the TV they don't,so that ends there.Anyone who says this is ok for kids has problems.THIS IS NOT FOR KIDS,that's why it says 17+.
Personally I like the TV series better,because it's got a better story,and in the TV series it's got better fighting.Let me tell you why,anyone can kill someone with a sword,but it's much different with a reverse-blade sword,with a reverse-blade sword you have to have skill therefore making Kenshin to use better techniques of the Hiten-Mitsurugi style.In samurai X he doesn't do any cool moves,just cut slice,off goes your head.
If you like gore and not that good and an ok story this is for you.If you like alot of action,awesome moves that you've never seen or thought you'd ever see,no gore(not a whole lot of blood),and an awesome story the Rurouni Kenshin TV series is for you.
2 stars for the story & art,that's all.

Only for the Kenshin fan
If you like Kenshin, you will like this DVD.It is, however, quite different than the t.v. series.First, the animation is quite a bit better.Second, there is none of the silliness of the series.This is 100 percent serious, which may be good or bad, depending upon if you like some of the foolishness of the series.I felt like Kenshin loses some of his appeal in this by being too serious, although the series could perhaps tone down SOME of the silliness. Third, the characters are never quite developed in this movie (although they are more Asian-looking. I never understand why Japanese anime heroes always look more American than me, but the villains always seem to still look Japanese. Is this a Japanese ideal?)In the series, we see Kenshin's struggle and turmoil, but in the movie he is basically portayed rather one dimensional and flat until the sees the errors of his ways. Finally, while everyone else seems to think it was violent, I don't find it that much more violent than the t.v. series.I personally don't have a problem with my children watching it, because it's animation and loses the edge that reality violence has.

The main problem I see with this movie, and not to give anything away, is that I had trouble figuring out why Kenshin and Tomoe fell in love to begin with, because there was nothing overly interesting or particularly redeeming in their personalities to spark a romance.While the Kenshin in the t.v. series is quite lovable and adorable, the movie version of Kenshin is a little bland and not as personable or caring. The relationship does explain, however, why he might be a little shell shocked about falling in love again, and why he is so hesitant to fall in love with Kaoru in the series.If you like Kenshin, you will want to have these blanks filled in, as the first two movies fill the gaps of what happened to Kenshin to make him what he is in the series.

The reason I give this only four of five stars is because if you are not a Kenshin fan, you will not appreciate the movie.It is SLOOOOOW moving for the most part, almost painfully so in some parts, (in fact I thought my DVD player had stopped during one scene), and if you are not familiar with Kenshin the man from the series, it is doubtful you will appreciate or understand his character. People I watched the movie with who had not seen the series did not think the movie was very good, and could not figure out why I like Kenshin so much to begin with.

I would recommend this if you are a Kenshin fan, and you have any desire to find out about his first love, how he got the famous X-shaped scar, what made him decide to become the manslayer, what made him decide he needed redemption, and how he almost found it prior to his meeting Kaoru. If you are not a Kenshin fan, I wouldn't buy the movie, but maybe start with the series. Buy one DVD with three episodes and I can almost guarantee you will be HOOKED. ... Read more

Asin: B000050GC8

Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey Mouse in Living Color
Director: David Hand
Average Customer Review:
DVD (04 December, 2001)
list price: $32.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

During the mid-'30s, Mickey Mouse's fans ranged from the more than onemillion children who were members of the Mickey Mouse Club to Franklin Roosevelt,Mary Pickford, and the Nizam of Hyderabad; theater marquees announced "A MickeyMouse Cartoon" with the feature titles. These wonderful shorts, many of which havenever been released to the home market, remind viewers just how charming Mickey wasbefore his popularity and role as a corporate symbol restricted his behavior. In thesecartoons Mickey's personality was boyish, appealing, and slightly mischievous. Thesuperb animation emphasizes that impish appeal. When Mickey dances with a deck ofcards in "Thru the Mirror," he displays a stylish grace Fred Astaire might envy; in "BraveLittle Tailor," his expressions and body language reveal his thoughts as he outwits Williethe Giant. It's virtually impossible to watch him without smiling. These shorts overflowwith color and motion, and their lavish visuals pack an increased impact in an era ofminimal television animation. Only Walt Disney would spend the money to animate afull deck of cards, a band flying through the air in a tornado, or a clutch ofsemitransparent ghosts, and only his animators could make those characters live on thescreen. The prints have been lovingly restored without pumping up the color too much:the nuances of the delicate watercolor backgrounds still come through. Parents, Disneybuffs, and animation fans will want this superb collection in their home libraries.Unrated: suitable for all ages. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated
• Closed-captioned
• Box set

Reviews (63)

Mickey steps out of the world of black and white.
These DVDs feature the first 26 color Mickey Mouse cartoons.This is a real treat for animation buffs.These are among the best cartoons ever produced.Most of these cartoons have Mickey playing "straight man", with most of the laughs going to Donald Duck, Goofy or Pluto.But there are a few cartoons with Mickey by himself, like "Thru the Mirror" and "Brave Little Tailor", which show that Mickey could still carry a cartoon by himself when he was given the right role.Highly recommended to fans of classic animation.

The mouse is overrated
As Leonard Maltin freely admits in the extra features, Mickey Mouse just isn't funny on his own. As a result he is always teamed with Donald, Goofy or Pluto in order to make his cartoons work. During the 30's and 40's Mickey soared and plummetted as he was soon overshadowed by the undeniably funnier Donald Duck.

In this collection of 26 Mickey shorts there is basically two different types of cartoon.

1. Mickey on his own-not that funny. Doesn't do much.
2. Mickey and his pals-Whatever they do disaster follows. And in most of these Mickey still doesn't even do much. It's strange to think that 'Orphan's Picnic' and 'The Whalers' are called Mickey Mouse shorts when he is hardly in them and Donald and Goofy eat up most of the screen time.

Hilarious these cartoons are not. But brilliantly animated and amazingly vivid (especially for stuff that's almost 70 years old) they are. The level of detail that Walt and Co. put into the cells and background is what gives them all a sense of class and sophistication few other cartoons can match.

The picture quality can range from astoundingly clear to dusty and dirty at times. As can the sound be clear as a bell to a bit chewed up in some places. Overall the quality is good though. The extras are quite good and Leonard Maltin seems to have a good knowledge of what he's talking about instead of someone just reading off cue cards.

But what really annoys me about the DVD is the fact that you have to wait though about 86 different screen before getting to the actual menu. Disney, please stop doing this!

Charming...In Small Doses

A beautifull and charming collection.I do have a suggestion.These shorts were all meant to be viewed individually.I think watching them all in one sitting will loose their impact.One can only watch Donald Duck falls on his head so much in one sitting.I play a short each time before I watch another DVD movie, just like the shorts were viewed in theaters.I found that I enjoyed them a lot more that way. Just a suggestion. ... Read more

Asin: B00005KARD
Subjects:  1. Classics (Silents/Avant Garde)