Amazon.com

Mickey Mouse and his friends enter the realm of eye-catching computer-generated animation in this five-episode, 68-minute Christmas celebration. The holidays are a time for celebration, but when Mickey Mouse,Donald Duck, and host of other Disney characters become obsessedwith holiday preparations, the frenzy of activity leaves everyone feelingstressed, selfish, and full of regret.A skating contest leads bestfriends Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck down a path of jealousy and hurtfeelings in "Belles on Ice," and "Christmas Impossible" finds Huey, Dewie,and Louie selfishly scheming to get on Santa's "good list" at any expense. In "Christmas Maximus," Goofy's son Max is mortified by his father's sillyantics and, in "Donald's Gift," Donald's craving for peace and quietthreatens to ruin the whole family's holiday fun."Mickey's Dog-GoneChristmas" finds Mickey so absorbed in planning the perfect Christmas partythat he lashes out at Pluto and almost loses a very special friend forever. While the animation style is new, what hasn't changed is Disney's commitment to stories with wholesomevalues: Mickey and the gang remind viewers that the holiday season is notabout selfishness, flashy parties, and expensive gifts, but aboutselflessness and the celebration of family and friends. (Ages 2 to 11)--Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Amazon.com

"It's been a long time since I was a pony." These immortal words launched one of television's most unlikely, but enduring friendships between architect Wilbur Post and Mister Ed, his talking horse. What better escape from the onslaught of reality television than a thoroughbred example of unreality television? Although, so convincing is Alan Young as Wilbur, and so easy his rapport with his equine costar, that you really do believe a horse can talk (Ed's voice is courtesy of Western character actor Alan Lane). This two-disc set saddles up 21 episodes from the first three seasons of this Golden Globe-winning series, which was recently added to the TV Land stable of '60sretro faves. Director Arthur Lubin knew his way around the barn. He directed the best of the Francis series of talking-mule comedies. While the episode with Mae West is sadly absent, this set does include Ed's memorable encounters with Clint Eastwood (then starring on Rawhide), George Burns (who produced the series' pilot episode), and original diva Zsa Zsa Gabor. Young is a gifted comic actor in his own right, but just as George Burns had his Gracie, Young has his Ed, who gets all the good lines, as when Wilbur congratulates Ed on curing Zsa Zsa's fear of horses. Ed replies, "She cured my fear of Hungarians." But the writers took the show's surreal premise and galloped with it, as when Ed joins the beatnik set in "Ed, the Beachcomber." Sound unbelievable? We'll give Ed the last word, of course, of course. "Don't try to understand it," he advises Wilbur during their first meeting. "It's bigger than both of us." --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Great show. Great price. Wrong packaging approach.
I loved Mr. Ed as a child and I haven't seen any re-runs since. I watched the pilot episode on this DVD set last night. It was still funny after all these years, and it looked awesome compared with the way it looked on the vacuum-tube round-screen televisions of the 1960's.

The problems are:

1. Double sided DVDs. I hate that! These are much easier to damage than single sided ones. I can't even tell one side from the other. Hold them up to a bright light and each side looks the same. Fine print in the center doesn't even tell me which side is which. And they are much more vulnerable to finger prints getting on the data medium. This is bad.

2. Overview of three years instead of just doing seasons in order like some of the other great sit-coms of that era. Let's just have seasons one through three in turn and let ME decide what the best episodes are! I would gladly pay the price of this set three times to get the entire series. Us baby-boomers have the extra cash, remember?

3. How about a bonus feature or two? Maybe an interview with someone having something to do with the show? Anything? (Still, a minor concern of mine next to having all the episodes properly packaged.)

So, this set is something good that could have been a lot better. A mediocre treatment of a great show.

Finally!!
I've been a huge fan of Mr.Ed for a couple years and i'm very glad that they released it on DVD.This has got some of the funniest episodes of Mr.Ed ever and it was great value costing me only $25.All the episodes are A's,my favorite being Clint
Eastwood meets Mr.Ed.The only thing that was bad about it was the fact that there are no bonus features at all,no interviews with Alan Young or Connie Hines,nor a single thing that mentions who the voice of Mister Ed was(it was Allan Lane,famous for old cowboy movies),but the DVD is good anyway,I hope that they will release The Best of Volume 2 sometime.The episodes are hilarious and this is great value.A+.Enjoy!!!

great series
I always enjoyed Mister Ed and am glad it came out on dvd. Its wel packaged. Hope the other seaons come out too. Its a great classic show for the whole fmaily

Charming and Delightful! Holds up well.
I remember lovingly watching Mr Ed when I was young, although not a small child, in the 60's, so I thought I would buy this DVD when I heard it was coming out. I was expecting to find something perhaps childish and a little corny, but to my surprise, it's very funny--in fact, it holds up very well and is quite entertaining for everyone, not just the kids. Actually Ed can be quite frisky. The comedy is great for all the family, but I have to admit the show is always at it's best when Mr Ed is in the scene. It loses something when there is too much human enteraction and Ed is out of the picture. Mr Ed was truly one of a kind and that voice fit him perfectly. A still delightful and charming show.

Great for a Mister Ed Lover
If you like/love Mister Ed, you won't be disappointed when you don't experience difficulty with the DVDs.

This DVD is NOT for a child to handle as it is double-sided. Please read the review from Kirland. I totally agree with this person.

I still love watching the approximately 10 episodes that I can view at this time. Thanks. ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Not even a traditional SCI-FI fan
Star Trek bores me, and Star Wars doesn't do much for me either. So that disqualifies me from being a Sci-Fi geek. That being said, I've reviewed a handful of movies on Amazon, but I've never reviewed my favorite of all time. Year after year, this one stands out: The Time Machine, first viewed during my junior year of high school, is my favorite movie of all time.

The movie is very easy to get interested in. It brings up the What If questions about the world you ask yourself and your dearest friends. The dialogue is clever and enjoyable. And Rod Taylor is the perfect gentleman time traveler.

Some people can't handle the 1960 special effects... Appreciate the nostalgia.
Romance. Action. Intruige. Suspense. Emotion. Watch this thrilling movie about much more than TIME TRAVEL, and you'll find yourself loving it, too.

And when you're finished watching the movie, you'll be taking a few minutes to think about starting your own civilization...and what three books you would take to help you build THE FUTURE!

And then you'll stop thinking and look for something else to watch on TV.

An Ageless Enthralling Classic of Sci Fi
As gorgeous as the new time machine is, its hard to imagine it can ever top the beauty of the original. Watching the film again today the elegance and detail in the design astonish me. The machine is unforgetable but its the intelligently crafted story and character filled casting in this version that can still fill young hearts with wonder at the possibilities of time travel. Its amazing how the initial half of the film seems as contemporary a tale as when it was first invented. It is only in the land of the far distant future that the film turns into a traditional pulp heroic adventure. But the evil underground dwellers, the morlocks with their blue skin, white hair and glowing eyes remain quite scary and create wonderful tension and excitement. This is a really fun adventure film that warrants its classic status because it can still be apreciated today.

Accompanying the film is a sentimental featurette documenting the finding of the original time machine in a thrift shop and its loving restoration. The film is hosted by the original star Rod Taylor who reprises his role with his co-star Alan Young (Wilbur Post on Mr. Ed) at the end of the feature performing a ten minute skit that imagines a scenario where H.George Wells returns in his time machine to convince his friend to time travel with him to prevent his death in a soon to happen WWI plane crash. The affection for this film for everyone connected with it is palpable as they wistfully delight in telling stories of the experience. Oddly enough one of the big reasons I purchased this DVD at this time was the cover art was so beautiful I had to have it. Click on the Amazon.com icon for this film to see a larger version. It must be one of the best movie posters ever made. Good companion pieces to this film are Fantastic Journey and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Don't let it fool you
I gave it 5 stars just for the movie, but this edition deserves 3, cause you see the audio cd shown on the picture won't be inside the package. I returned it, and got myself the standard version, cause I bought this edition most for the cd. The picture is from an initial pressing of this edition and is no longer available, you'll get all the stuff you see, but no cd. I just thought you'd better know it.

The Time Machine still a timeless classic
Rod Taylor, Alan Young, and Yvette Mimieux star in George Pal's "The Time Machine", a great sci fi movie based on the novel by H.G. Wells.

Taylor plays George an inventor in the late 18th century (1899 to be exact) who makes a machine that can go back in time.

At first his colleagues are skeptical, but when they see George's small model machine that goes back in time, they start to believe him.

George's best friend, and supporter is David played by Alan Young.

George takes the machine back, because he is sick of the present time, with war being brought on.

He travels to the early and middle 1900's and to his shock , George finds out that Man's future lies in war (which is pretty accurate even up to today's time).

He sees how WWI and WWII started, and even sees when his house is destroyed by an enemy plane!

George then travels far into the future, the year 802701, to see if mankind has any hope of living in peace.

At first, he sees a great paradise with many people (mostly children) play about in solitude. But when one lady named Weena, starts to drown, he sees that no one seems to care. He rescues her, and after talking to the other youths, he learns that they learned nothing from their ancient ancestors.

The books they have are old and buried.

They have lived the good the life, based on the sacrifices from mankind, and they don't appreciate it (which is another accurate telling of today's times).

He learns that Weena is part of the Eloi society which is under the slavery of the Morlocks, a cannibalistic race.

The Morlocks give everything, food and clothing to the Eloi , in exchange for the slavery and their bodies as food.

The movie was directed by sci fi whiz George Pal who won an impressive 7 oscars and awards for his movies.

He is the Steven Spielberg when it comes to sci fi movies.

What's astonishing about the film is the special effects that were made without computer help (which in most movies make the movie look more fake than real).

The way the special effects people made flowers bloom, candles burn while the Time Machine went in time, is very special to see.

It's a great site, from a special effects view, how these people managed to do these effects, with the limited resources they had.

He directed "War of the Worlds" and "Destination Moon" which won numerous awards. DVD comes with a number of great features:

A behind the scenes documentary with Rod Taylor. A great documentary where he shows how George Pal designed the machine. Taylor even shows us storyboards which haven't been seen in 30 yrs.

Even the DVD main menu with Taylor on the cover and the Murlocks in the background, give the DVD a great sci fi look!!

From 1899 to 802,701 AD The "Timeless" Classic
There are a lot of reviews about this great picture and how it influenced an entire generation. All of it is true! For some reason this film ties into the imagination and fills you with wonder. We can thank Mr. Wells for creating the story, but we really owe it to George Pal, Wah Chang and Gene Warren for translating the book into a miracle of romantic adventure. The real draw of course is "The Time Machine" prop. Never in the history of film has a prop been more imitated and desired. The special effects received an Academy Award and it was well deserved. All of the elements of Victorian London in winter, cozy parlors surrounded with friends gathered for dinner, "tea table" chat over the 4th dimension and the recollection of an experiment in time travel utilizing a flashback technique are what makes this film so enchanting. When Rod Taylor finally begins a slow initial journey we see the sky in motion in day and night sequences that are breathtaking in astronomic splendor. As the flowered garden and fruit trees go through their seasonal cycles in rapid progression you cannot help but be drawn into the wonder of creation and the genius of invention! The screenwriters then play with your imagination as we see our traveler stop at different events in our 20th century past and a "cold war" interpretation of the decade in which it was filmed when he stops in the "future" on August 18th, 1966 to witness a nuclear holocaust. From here we are quickly transported to the focal point of the Wells story to a future society of Eloi and Morlock culture. The care that went into this DVD should not be understated. It is a highly polished film that restores 20/20 vision to the frames so that we can see all of the colorful beauty that was originally there. Once again, we can SEE the atomic satellite zeroing in, the clear sky above the Eloi "cafeteria" and the smoking machinery of the Morlock caverns. When our traveler returns to 1899 and presents the flower to Filby that was given to him by Weena you will agree that "that flower could not have possibly bloomed in the winter time" and in the holding of that flower you will realize that this is a magic moment in film that will be with you forever and as Mrs. Watchit gradually turns off the lights in our view from the snowy evening outside you will think about the three books you would have taken and agree that having seen this film you will never be the same again, because you are in love with a romantic idea, TIME TRAVEL. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Great movie!
It's pleasing to see so many positive reviews for this movie that was made at a time when Disney was not quite considered...up to par. Which is an unfair statement! There were several very entertaining films made by the studio in the 70's! Even if they did lose a little something special without Walt, they still are great and in a class all their own that can only be considered 70's Disney. I'm just saying, that's not as bad a class to be in as some people think! The Dexter Riley trilogy for example! Those are the Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Now You See Him Now You Don't, and The Strongest Man in the World, all starring teen Kurt Russel as well. I love those! The movies Disney made at that time were still Disney clean, and still Disney fun! In a cheezy way maybe, but so what! This movie is a great one, and yet, still not one of the best from the time, but I do recommend it to Disney fans, people who like clean, funny movies, and cat lovers of course!

Good Movie
Its funny & you just don't know how exactly it will end but all & all its an older movie.A cat named Jake has to land on earth when his space ship breaks down.The space ship is found and taken away by the government who start to worry about strange beings finding their way to the white house & causing the downfall of the USA.Meanwhile Jake finds a brillant but not well known scientist to help Jake make repairs to his ship.What happens next?You really wanna know?If so buy the movie!

Before E.T...!
A genuinely smart and entertaining comedy sci-fi film from Disney that is low-key, to the point, and delivers on a modest scale. An alien cat's (named Jake) spaceship crashlands on earth and the ship is retrieved by the military. Jake eludes the military and seeks out help by revealing himself to an astro-physicist (Ken Berry as Frank) who happens to work at the military base where the spaceship is incarcerated. Seems that a modest amount of gold is just the thing needed to repair the lame spaceship. So, Jake uses his alien telekinesis (powered from a collar around his neck) to manipulate the outcomes of a few sporting events to place bets on. Then, win enough cash to buy the right amount of gold and repair the spacecraft. In the meantime, the military, gangsters, and gamblers are on the chase of the elusive alien cat. Ken Berry is excellent as Frank the astro-physicist playing a variation of another Disney character, Prof. Ned Brainard (played by Fred MacMurray) from THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR. Good support work from Sandy Duncan, McLean Stevenson, Harry Morgan (the two Colonels from tv's MASH!! in the same film) & Roddy McDowell as they round out this inventive Disney family fare that has the right amount of decent special effects and comic situations. Comic actor Ronnie Schell ("Duke" of tv's GOMER PYLE) provides the voice for Jake the Cat and also plays a supporting role as one of the military personnel (Sgt Duffy) after Jake the Cat. One funny note is that when Schell as Sgt. Duffy has any lines, his voice is dubbed over by another actor. His voice was so distinct and the producers found it fit to overdub his lines as to not confuse moviegoers. Note: Look for character actor James Hampton ("Caretaker" in THE LONGEST YARD)in a support role. He co-starred with Ken Berry in the classic tv series/western spoof F-TROOP.

A cute little move
When I was a little girl this movie was played every Thanksgiving on local TV. The movie really caught my eyes because the lead character was an orange cat from outer space. The movie is your usual Disney fair; no swearing, violence, or adult situations, and is suitable for all children and many adults.
The cat, a lovely Absymian named Jake, crashes on earth and seeks the help of a scientist and his quirky friends. The army gets involved, but not expecting a cat, get very confused very quickly. If you have a cat lover in your family who likes fun, campy romps, this one is sure to please!

A great movie for cat lovers
I loved this movie when I was a kid. I have it on VHS currently and cant wait to get a copy on DVD. ... Read more

Reviews (352)

A LOT better than the original
Ok, I'm really getting sick of hearing people flog this movie. The fact of the matter is that it's a lot better than the original in every way. Let's start with the beginning. The original film's first act, yes, the first HALF HOUR is set in a sitting room...with a bunch of people talking. Be careful not to doze off here. Also there is a flashback here, put in for apparently no reason. The scientist, who is never given a name, just wants to see if time travel is possible, that's his only real motivation. Then we are treated to some REALLY godzilla-like special effects and hokey Star Trek: The Original Series sets. When he finds the girl, she has 50s styled hair, speaks perfect english with no explanation whatsoever, and is dumb as a stump. The plot hole here are numerous. Check this out "You mean you have no government?" "No". "You don't work?" "No". If they don't do these things, how the heck do they know what he's talking about? Then the morlocks come bounding out. Remember that old bad monster flick with the guy in the gorilla suit and the deep sea helmet? These aren't far off. Now let's talk about the new movie. Aside from the really annoying "quirk" Guy Pierce comes up with, hanging his mouth open for the entire first act, I liked it. He now has an impotace to change the past, then a motivation to go forth into the future. I loved the broken moon thing, much more interesting than a nuclear attack that sets off a volcano in New York. The Eloi are no longer Star Trek extras, but a real culture. They don't just meander around like zombies but have real tasks to do. When the Morlocks show up, It gets pretty intense. The notion of 3 different kinds was cool. I also liked that Jeremy Irons justifies their behavior. The ending was much better, more fun, and wasn't just some geek professor turning into Rambo and punching out white gorillas.

There Was Potential...
At best, Time Machine was a worthwhile Saturday watch. The effects were top rate and very convincing worthy of even George Lucas' ILM stamp of approval (althought the f/x were done by another company).As a previous viewer commented, it was painful to watch Guy Pearce's performance in some scenes. He either displayed "wooden emotions" or he tried a bit too hard. Also, his appearance looked gaunt and very tired in the first 30 to 40 minutes of the film. The ending or fading out of the film had a sort of Titanic feel with overlapping the past and future together in one particular melancholy scene. Despite the advances in special effects over the past 40 years since the original, the 1960 version will always be the best and is definitely a classic. In addition, the 1960 release produced some very grotesque and terrifying images with regards to the underground dwellers (the Morlocks; who can forget their yellow glowing eyes and savage growls)! However, what was admirable in the new version was the introduction of actor Jeremy Irons' intellectually sinister character role ! To hear him say his lines was like hearing his voice all over again from The Lion King playing the evil Scar. Showing that although the human future race was near extinction the existence of a multi-ethnic population was still possible (unlike the original). What I kept yearning for was more adventuresome exploring by the time traveller before he would finally advance to 800,000 years into the future. Also, it would have been fascinating if the writers or director would have gone the H.G. Wells route where supposedly the time traveller goes so far into the future that the entire planet is near total destruction (possibly leaving the traveler lingering in outerspace). This was the room for potential I was talking about!

better than harry potter and the chamber of secrets
yup this movie is better than harry potter and the chambers of secrets. since that movie didn't have great acting the quiddich game was not appealing.

unbelivable
this movie was unbelivable. since this movie never gets boring.

stunning
this movie i would say is stunning. since this movie has phenomenal action and special effects. ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Not even a traditional SCI-FI fan
Star Trek bores me, and Star Wars doesn't do much for me either. So that disqualifies me from being a Sci-Fi geek. That being said, I've reviewed a handful of movies on Amazon, but I've never reviewed my favorite of all time. Year after year, this one stands out: The Time Machine, first viewed during my junior year of high school, is my favorite movie of all time.

The movie is very easy to get interested in. It brings up the What If questions about the world you ask yourself and your dearest friends. The dialogue is clever and enjoyable. And Rod Taylor is the perfect gentleman time traveler.

Some people can't handle the 1960 special effects... Appreciate the nostalgia.
Romance. Action. Intruige. Suspense. Emotion. Watch this thrilling movie about much more than TIME TRAVEL, and you'll find yourself loving it, too.

And when you're finished watching the movie, you'll be taking a few minutes to think about starting your own civilization...and what three books you would take to help you build THE FUTURE!

And then you'll stop thinking and look for something else to watch on TV.

An Ageless Enthralling Classic of Sci Fi
As gorgeous as the new time machine is, its hard to imagine it can ever top the beauty of the original. Watching the film again today the elegance and detail in the design astonish me. The machine is unforgetable but its the intelligently crafted story and character filled casting in this version that can still fill young hearts with wonder at the possibilities of time travel. Its amazing how the initial half of the film seems as contemporary a tale as when it was first invented. It is only in the land of the far distant future that the film turns into a traditional pulp heroic adventure. But the evil underground dwellers, the morlocks with their blue skin, white hair and glowing eyes remain quite scary and create wonderful tension and excitement. This is a really fun adventure film that warrants its classic status because it can still be apreciated today.

Accompanying the film is a sentimental featurette documenting the finding of the original time machine in a thrift shop and its loving restoration. The film is hosted by the original star Rod Taylor who reprises his role with his co-star Alan Young (Wilbur Post on Mr. Ed) at the end of the feature performing a ten minute skit that imagines a scenario where H.George Wells returns in his time machine to convince his friend to time travel with him to prevent his death in a soon to happen WWI plane crash. The affection for this film for everyone connected with it is palpable as they wistfully delight in telling stories of the experience. Oddly enough one of the big reasons I purchased this DVD at this time was the cover art was so beautiful I had to have it. Click on the Amazon.com icon for this film to see a larger version. It must be one of the best movie posters ever made. Good companion pieces to this film are Fantastic Journey and Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Don't let it fool you
I gave it 5 stars just for the movie, but this edition deserves 3, cause you see the audio cd shown on the picture won't be inside the package. I returned it, and got myself the standard version, cause I bought this edition most for the cd. The picture is from an initial pressing of this edition and is no longer available, you'll get all the stuff you see, but no cd. I just thought you'd better know it.

The Time Machine still a timeless classic
Rod Taylor, Alan Young, and Yvette Mimieux star in George Pal's "The Time Machine", a great sci fi movie based on the novel by H.G. Wells.

Taylor plays George an inventor in the late 18th century (1899 to be exact) who makes a machine that can go back in time.

At first his colleagues are skeptical, but when they see George's small model machine that goes back in time, they start to believe him.

George's best friend, and supporter is David played by Alan Young.

George takes the machine back, because he is sick of the present time, with war being brought on.

He travels to the early and middle 1900's and to his shock , George finds out that Man's future lies in war (which is pretty accurate even up to today's time).

He sees how WWI and WWII started, and even sees when his house is destroyed by an enemy plane!

George then travels far into the future, the year 802701, to see if mankind has any hope of living in peace.

At first, he sees a great paradise with many people (mostly children) play about in solitude. But when one lady named Weena, starts to drown, he sees that no one seems to care. He rescues her, and after talking to the other youths, he learns that they learned nothing from their ancient ancestors.

The books they have are old and buried.

They have lived the good the life, based on the sacrifices from mankind, and they don't appreciate it (which is another accurate telling of today's times).

He learns that Weena is part of the Eloi society which is under the slavery of the Morlocks, a cannibalistic race.

The Morlocks give everything, food and clothing to the Eloi , in exchange for the slavery and their bodies as food.

The movie was directed by sci fi whiz George Pal who won an impressive 7 oscars and awards for his movies.

He is the Steven Spielberg when it comes to sci fi movies.

What's astonishing about the film is the special effects that were made without computer help (which in most movies make the movie look more fake than real).

The way the special effects people made flowers bloom, candles burn while the Time Machine went in time, is very special to see.

It's a great site, from a special effects view, how these people managed to do these effects, with the limited resources they had.

He directed "War of the Worlds" and "Destination Moon" which won numerous awards. DVD comes with a number of great features:

A behind the scenes documentary with Rod Taylor. A great documentary where he shows how George Pal designed the machine. Taylor even shows us storyboards which haven't been seen in 30 yrs.

Even the DVD main menu with Taylor on the cover and the Murlocks in the background, give the DVD a great sci fi look!!

From 1899 to 802,701 AD The "Timeless" Classic
There are a lot of reviews about this great picture and how it influenced an entire generation. All of it is true! For some reason this film ties into the imagination and fills you with wonder. We can thank Mr. Wells for creating the story, but we really owe it to George Pal, Wah Chang and Gene Warren for translating the book into a miracle of romantic adventure. The real draw of course is "The Time Machine" prop. Never in the history of film has a prop been more imitated and desired. The special effects received an Academy Award and it was well deserved. All of the elements of Victorian London in winter, cozy parlors surrounded with friends gathered for dinner, "tea table" chat over the 4th dimension and the recollection of an experiment in time travel utilizing a flashback technique are what makes this film so enchanting. When Rod Taylor finally begins a slow initial journey we see the sky in motion in day and night sequences that are breathtaking in astronomic splendor. As the flowered garden and fruit trees go through their seasonal cycles in rapid progression you cannot help but be drawn into the wonder of creation and the genius of invention! The screenwriters then play with your imagination as we see our traveler stop at different events in our 20th century past and a "cold war" interpretation of the decade in which it was filmed when he stops in the "future" on August 18th, 1966 to witness a nuclear holocaust. From here we are quickly transported to the focal point of the Wells story to a future society of Eloi and Morlock culture. The care that went into this DVD should not be understated. It is a highly polished film that restores 20/20 vision to the frames so that we can see all of the colorful beauty that was originally there. Once again, we can SEE the atomic satellite zeroing in, the clear sky above the Eloi "cafeteria" and the smoking machinery of the Morlock caverns. When our traveler returns to 1899 and presents the flower to Filby that was given to him by Weena you will agree that "that flower could not have possibly bloomed in the winter time" and in the holding of that flower you will realize that this is a magic moment in film that will be with you forever and as Mrs. Watchit gradually turns off the lights in our view from the snowy evening outside you will think about the three books you would have taken and agree that having seen this film you will never be the same again, because you are in love with a romantic idea, TIME TRAVEL. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Filled With Spirit
My children love this movie - they occasionally ask for it even after the holidays are passed. I can't blame them - it's filled with three great stories. Donald Duck's selfish nephews wish it could be Christmas every day so they can get more presents. When their wish is granted, they discover it isn't always good to get what you ask for. In story two, Goofy and Max, his hip, teenage son, learn a lesson in love and believing when they discover the REAL Santa lives in each of us. And in the third story, Mickey and Minnie bring to life a cartoon version of the wonderfull story "The Gift of the Magi." Superb narration, entertaining animation, and a timeless message of love that reaches beyond Christmas.

Disney Makes Christmas Special
This DVD is filled with the Spirit Of CHristmas. It is narrated and strung togtehr by the naration of Kelsey Grammer.
Thre separate stories wrapped inside Disney's beloved characters.

Story One is the story of Donald, Daisey, Uncle Scrooge and the nephews learning what Christmas is really all about. It's Heuy, Duey and Luey who learn that Christmas is spacial ONE day of the year. Becasue sometime when you wish for things you can get them and having is not as always a pleasing a thing as wanting it. Imaging X-Mas 265 days a year!

Story Two is about Father and son. Goofy and his son learn the value of each other while Goofy spends most of the time trying to convince his son Santa Clause does exists. At first its hard but later Goofy's son learns that his day is giving loving and cheerishes him more than anything. Santa Does exists.

Story Three involves Mickey and Minnie in the basic of basic of the Christmas Spirit. Each one wants to buy the other something they need. But the problem is they can't afford it so give up something for the other. The end result is Love survives all.

A wonderful video with great animation, action and humor. It will tug at your heartstrings - just a little. Fun for the whole Family (12-2-03)

An excellent direct-to-video Disney flick!
This here is a collection of 3 Christmas themed stories narrated by Kelsey Grammer, the first story tells a " Groundhog Day"-esque tale about Huey, Duey and Luey wishing it was christmas everyday but their wish comes true, unforuntely it's really the same day repeating all the day but they must change it in order to get rid of the wish. The second story tells about Goofy with his son max who tries to prove the existence of Santa Claus then the final tale tells about Mickey whom must give up their two personal possesions for the sake of how they love each other.
A highly entertaining animated anthology nicely done each with a moral in the end, watch for the climax as the all stars of this movie come together for a christmas song. Cameos by Scrooge Mcduck from "Ducktales" and "Mortimer" the Rat.

A Charming Telling Of Christmas Stories.
This Video is filled with the Spirit Of CHristmas. It is narrated and strung togtehr by the naration of Kelsey Grammer.
Thre separate stories wrapped inside Disney's beloved characters.

Story One is the story of Donald, Daisey, Uncle Scrooge and the nephews learning what Christmas is really all about. It's Heuy, Duey and Luey who learn that Christmas is spacial ONE day of the year. Becasue sometime when you wish for things you can get them and having is not as always a pleasing a thing as wanting it. Imaging X-Mas 265 days a year!

Story Two is about Father and son. Goofy and his son learn the value of each other while Goofy spends most of the time trying to convince his son Santa Clause does exists. At first its hard but later Goofy's son learns that his day is giving loving and cheerishes him more than anything. Santa Does exists.

Story Three involves Mickey and Minnie in the basic of basic of the Christmas Spirit. Each one wants to buy the other something they need. But the problem is they can't afford it so give up something for the other. The end result is Love survives all.

A wonderful video with great animation, action and humor. It will tug at your heartstrings - just a little. (12-2-03)

Great stories about the Spirit of Christmas
I got this video (and I'm going to buy the DVD this year) about 2 years ago and my daughter and I have sat and watched it for the last two holiday seasons. There are three stories all about the true meaning of Christmas (another reviewer explains them so I won't repeat it here). In my opinion this is one of the best Christmas videos (animated) that I've seen in a while. Disney really came through on this one. Enjoy! ... Read more

Amazon.com

To paraphrase the Green Goliath himself, Buena Vista's Incredible HulkDVD is a smash, providing 83 minutes of exciting sci-fi with enough action to satisfy Hulk novices, and scripting that hews to its Marvel Comics origin to please longtime devotees. The DVD compiles the first four episodes of the 1996-97 animated series, which outline the Hulk's origins, as well as the struggles of his human alter ego, Bruce Banner, to rid himself of the creature. The episodes also make fine use of Marvel's rosters of heroes and villains; in the two-part "Return of the Beast," the Hulk tangles with the Leader, the Gargoyle, and the hideous Abomination, while in "Raw Power," he's up against the malevolent ZZZAX; and in "Helping Hand, Iron Fist," he goes mano-a-mano with Iron Man and War Machine. Terrific performances (TV Hulk Lou Ferrigno provides the creature's voice) and extensive extras make this DVD a must-have for comic and cartoon aficionados. --Paul Gaita ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Reasonably Complete Look At The Animated Hulk
This disc showcases the first four episodes of what I believe was a 13-episode single season (which wasn't followed up). The art is passable, above the level of GI Joe and Transformers, and closer to the animation in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters or (if you remember this) Dino Riders series. The episodes are self-containing and don't really branch out and connect to other episodes (other than the two-part "Beast" story). There are other supporting characters other than the Hulk shown in this series, which makes it an interesting mix.

The extras are definitely worth your while. The 1966 clip is hilarious, especially in comparison to the recent movie and this DVD. Pay attention to the inappropriately paced and melodied opening theme song and the art, basically stills with large "Pow!" and "Bam!" type sound effects layed over, or shifting eyes. The trivia and the Stan Lee Soapbox should keep you entertained for a good 15 to 25 minutes, which also goes for the interview with writer Peter David.

At the end of your viewing session, you'll have a more complete understanding of what the Hulk is about and how things about the Hulk have evolved, kind of like a mini-documentary. Recommended for Hulk fans, 80s thru 90s cartoon afficionados, but not so much for anime fans or those who were disappointed by the live movie and have only a little Hulk knowledge.

First Four Episodes of the 1996-97 Series
This is a collection of the first four episodes of the 13-episode Incredible Hulk series from 1996-97. That said, you should be able to imagine the art and voice levels for this DVD. Funny enough, Lou Ferrigno of the 1970's series provides the Hulk's voice.

The art is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ Ghostbusters/ Spider-Man/ Captain Planet-level. It's decent, but the Hulk looks more like an aging Frankenstein (his face comes off as pouty instead of mad most times). The series opens with the two-part "Return of the Beast," followed by "Raw Power" and "Helping Hand Iron Fist."

Hulk faces Abomination, The Leader and Gargoyle in the earlier episodes, and the more familiar War Machine and Iron Man in the last of the four.

A decent series that was cut off and never had true closure.

Awesome Series!
This was a great series. Now that the new HULK movie is coming out this DVD is coming out just in time.

Here are the bonus features:
Exclusive Interview With Award-Winning INCREDIBLE HULK Writer Peter David
"Inside The Hulk" -- Trivia Enhanced Viewing Option
Stan Lee's Soapbox
Bonus Episode From The 1966 Series -- "Origin Of The Hulk"/"Enter The Gorgon"/"To Be A Man"

All Hulk fans will enjoy this. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Warning - No Commentary
I loved this film in the cinema, though it may be too
slow and dated for some children now. However I was
very dissapointed when I bought this DVD to find that
there was no audio commentary contrary to description
here and other sources. I don't know whether it was
perhaps on some early copies but it isn't on the
current version. Seems a missed opportunity if it was
dropped for some reason.

Tom Thumb
Loved the film; brought back memories of my childhood when my parents brought me to see it back in the late 50's. The film though presented principally for children, has a lot of sentimentality and morals to its' credit. Really nice movie.

A delightful film for the entire family!
I found this late 1950's version of Tom Thumb" to be the best Rus Tamblyn was superb in it. It's so very well worth seeing. i think it deserves all the stars it can get. It really impressed be as such a magical film. The dance numbers were great. It was funny amusing, romantic, colorful, nice songs and dance. I also found Alan Young wonderful in it as well. It's a must see for the entire family.

Tom thumb
This film is one of the best films of all time for children and adults too, unfortunately the film is not available on video or DVD in the United Kingdom so anyone who lives in the U.K. will have to have a Video Recorder which is NTSC compatible. This film used to double bill at the cinema with Wizard of Oz but more enjoyable of the two and you don't tire of watching it.

when i was a little kid, this was my favorite movie
and the good parts are just as good today.

start off, of course, with the brilliant sequences from george pal. if i am not mistaken, this was the final puppetoon animation he did, as he was then involved increasingly in directing feature length films. but if only for the yawning man and con-fu-shen, this film would be worth seeing.

add to that, the wonderful live performances by such as the underrated dancer russ tamblyn in the title role; the legendary jessie matthews; and a young peter sellers and terry thomas as marvelous comic villains. sadly, the love story between queenie and woody slows thing down, and even the usually wonderful alan young cant save that part of the movie. (incidentally, a year later young would turn in his finest performance in the george pal "time machine.")

i have such fond memories of this movie, and it manages to live up to them -- i would wholeheartedly recommend it, especially to fans of fantasy, dance, or puppetry. bravo! ... Read more

Reviews (47)

A Real Disney Winner for the Whole Family!
What a clever, fun little movie this is! I enjoy it just as much as my 3-year-old son, and we love to watch it together, over and over. My favorite aspects are that it's an interesting story (a classic "mystery") with intelligent characters & clever dialog. There are no gratuitous sidekick characters, no meaningless song & dance numbers.... everything fits together perfectly in this movie. I initially wondered if my son would lose interest in the wordy, British-accented main character Basil, but nothing about the movie was over his head. Even the villians (including a delightfully mean rat, voiced by Vincent Price) didn't overwhelm him. Overall, "The Great Mouse Detective" is thoroughly enjoyable for everyone!

I've finally bought it on DVD!
That's right all you fans of Disney and of this movie, the long awaited DVD of this movie has finally arrived and ready for you to own it.

This 1986 Cult Disney Classic is about a Detective Mouse named " Basil" with new assistant " Dawson" who must find out what clever scheme that his foe " Ratigan" ( voice of Vincient Price) is up to and must reveal the secret of what he is planning to do with London.

a Brilliant and unique animated feature full of incredible animation and it first uses early CGI for some scenes, this is a movie worth owning for Disney and Animation lovers cause on Repeated viewings it never bores you.

The DVD is fantastic, it's got good features like two Cartoons, Behind the Scenes footage, Scrapbook, and the Picture is absolutely perfect without no single Dirt or Grain to appear and the Sound is phenomenal, this is a must own Disney DVD.

Why rated G
This is one of my favorite disney movies,i think that the song 'Goodbye so Soon'could be used in younger classes at the end of the day when its time for the kids to go home,however i don't think that this movie should be rated G,there is a scene in the movie showing mice smokeing and drinking it should of been rated PG.

Smart, Fun, and just plain excellent!
My first memory of this movie was when my Dad rented it from the video store for us kids. I don't remember my mother watching it with us, but I do know as a child it fascinated me, and my Dad actually got into it, too. My sister and I were looking to expand our DVD collection of good movies without all the garbage that most "adult" movies have. We thought of this one and found it at Wal-Mart. After watching it again, I can say it was just as thrilling! The voice talent, Vincent Price included (since I am a big Batman fan and enjoyed his rendition of egghead), carried well through the movie without sounding the least bit fakey. The take on a mouse detective named Basil of Baker Street living inside the home of the real Sherlock Holmes is one of the smartest movie ideas ever. The plot never slows. The movie progresses at a good clip and keeps you interested. The humor and climax are totally original. Nothing completely predictable and nothing borrowed here. Adults will love this just as much as kids. It's one of those movies that's simply good all the way through.

KITKA

One of the better Disney films of the 1980s.
Full of adventure and mystery, in this film, Disney takes a slightly more sophisticated turn and the outcome is really enjoyable. The film has really nice animation especially the scene atop Big Ben. The voice talent is great, especially the dastardly Vincent Price. The villain is good, and very malicious and powerful. The DVD is really good as well. The movie is in a new letterbox treatment- very nice. I highly reccomend this film for anyone who loves the Disney film genre. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gatchaman Rules!!
Gatchaman is my all time favorite anime series and I am thrilled that now I can own each and every episode on dvd! Having the original Japanese subtitled and uncut Gatchaman episodes is wonderful! Thanks Rhino, please keep up the good work in releasing this anime classic gem. I plan to own all 105 episodes!!

Battle of the Planets on DVD! Transmute! Thank you Rhino!
I must say that I never thought that we would never see this wonderful show on video, much less on DVD!
I remember watching this amazing show when it premeired on my local TV station back in 1978 and loving it! It's one of my all time favorite shows back when we had actual cartoons on TV, not like now.
Rhino deserves applause for bringing Sandy Frank's Battle of the Planets to video. I love this series of DVD's! The video transfers and sound are great! I wish they would have included three more Sandy Frank episodes instead of the original subtitled Japanese Gatchman, I am not a die hard anime fan. And then there are the bloody awful Turner TBS/TNT Networks edited G-Force episodes.
But I'm not complaining. Thank you Rhino! Keep them coming! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A very satisfied parent
I have a young daughter, and anyone who has a daughter knows, girls love horses. I think that's a universal law. Anyway with all the crap on TV these days, with the violence, sex, and profanity (including cartoons!!), it's good to know that my daughter can have her own DVD sets in her own collection.

My daughter just loves to see a talking horse and all the trouble he and Wilbur get into. I don't have to worry about content and can let her watch it until her heart's content.

A show like Mister Ed would never make it past the pilot episode these days, so I'm glad there's the technology to bring wholesome entertainment to our kids. I may sound like a prude in this review, but when your kids start yelling 'You bastard!', 'Kiss my ass!' and 'What a bitch!' because they hear it on FOX cartoon shows, enough is enough.

Episode Guide For Volume 2
The Best Of Mister Ed Volume 2 contains the following 20 episodes

Ed Gets The Mumps
Ed Visits A Gypsy
Ed, the Chauffeur
Ed, the Donkey
Mae West Meets Mister Ed
Mister Ed Writes Dear Abby
Like Father, Like Horse
Ed, the Race Horse
Ed, the Pilot
Ed, the Stowaway
Animal Jury
Ed's Juice Stand
Ed's Contact Lenses
The Bank Robbery
My Horse, the Mailman
Robin Hood Ed
Ed, the Artist
Ed a Go-Go
Coldfinger (aka Ed Sniffs Out A Cold Clue)
Ed Breaks the Hip Code (aka Spies Strike Back)

A Fun Series !!!
We really enjoyed the first collection of Mister Ed shows and look forward to the release of this second collection.Mister Ed is a light-hearted, funny show with great nostalgia.Would highly recommend.

Disappointing collection, should have been entire 1st season
Instead of getting the entire classic First Season of Mister Ed, these are the disappointing episodes that are offered in the so-called "Best Of Mister Ed - Volume Two":

Disc One: Ed Gets the Mumps; Ed Visits a Gypsy; Ed, the Chauffeur; Ed, the Donkey; Mae West Meets Mister Ed; Mister Ed Writes Dear Abby; Like Father, Like Horse; Ed, the Race Horse; Ed, the Pilot; Ed, the Stowaway; Animal Jury; Ed's Juice Stand. Disc Two: Ed's Contact Lenses; The Bank Robbery; My Horse, The Mailman; Robin Hood Ed; Ed, the Artist; Ed a Go-Go; Coldfinger (aka Ed Sniffs Out a Cold Clue); Ed Breaks the Hip Code (aka Spies Strike Back).

This is such a pity. Mister Ed is such a wonderful family show. If only they would just release it in its original order!! Three-stars for the second disappointing and out-of-sequence release of a DVD set of a five-star show. A mixed bag and a mishmash of episodes of Mister Ed, but not the best episodes. There are still many classic First Season episodes yet to be released.

Mr. Ed is a great show for families
This is a wonderful family show. It was before the time of TV violence, sexual content and swearing, which means it's okay for adults and kids alike. Contrary to what another reviewer has said, Mr. Ed does NOT go to the glue factory. He and his owner Wilbur have many adventures. Yes, there are times when Wilbur does look slightly off his rocker to his peers, but Ed is a good friend to him. Look for great guest stars and funny jokes. Mr. Ed will continue to be a great show for years to come and I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The early anime series that began in Japan as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972-74) aired in the U.S. in two very different versions. For Battle of the Planets (syndication, 1978), much of the violence was excised and the R2-D2-esque robot 7-Zark-7 was added; G-Force (Turner Broadcasting, 1986) was darker in tone and closer to the original Gatchaman. All three series focus on the adventures of five teenagers in bird suits. In Battle they tackle the evil Spectra in "outer space," although the backgrounds are clearly Earth, where G-Force and Gatchaman are set. Episode 3 illustrates the difference between the series: In Battle, when a whiny little boy gets in the way of a giant mummy attacking an airport, the evil Zoltar warns him away; in Gatchaman, villainous Berg Katse tells the mummy to step on the child. Unrated; suitable for ages 10 up. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (10)

About Bloody Time!!
It has been about 20 years since I ran around with a Yo-Yo, pretending I was Princess. And I have seen many different Anime since then, and I'd say my tastes have matured. Expecting the worst, I watched this DVD, and I tell you, it is amazing what I had forgotten. 7-Zark-7 was from a different anime, Casey Kasem was the voice of Mark, the hero. Some of the characters were annoying, but it was great!! Death, smoking, violence, all that are missing from today's children's entertainment, since were worried about scarring them. I loved every minute of it, and felt some of the old thrill I had when I was a child. And to top it off, the DVD had the original Ninja Science Team, Gatchaman episodes. And another Gatchaman Series, I hadn't known about.
The only thing I didn't like, was these episodes focused too much on Mark, and that Volume 2 was released before volume 1. But, other than that, it is a great buy.

A must for all anime fans
This DVD contains two original broadcasted episodes of Battle of the Planets, the original Japanese version of two episodes as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and one episode of G-Force in three languages. My review will go threw each feature.

Battle of the Planets: Episode 3
Content: B+
Animation: B
Music: B
English Script: B
Action Scenes: B+

When 7-Zark-7 discovers a new planet, he discovers a numerous amount of plane crashes on his new planet, Zarcadia. He sends out G-Force to find out the problem. After Mark meets up with Dr. Sweet and his nephew Buddy, Mark discovers a giant mummy is causing all the plane crashes. Later, Dr. Sweet's brother returns disguised as Zoltar, head of Spectra. Zoltar wants Dr. Sweets anti-pluton, but Mark wont let him have it. And the mummy attacking the plane station is a perfect chance to try out the anti-pluton.
Edits: Sweet's brother's plane crash scene, gun pointed at Buddy's head, scenes of mummy crushes planes edited down.

Battle of the Planets: Episode 4
Content: A-
Animation: B+
Music: B
English Script: C+
Action Sequences: B+

When Dr. Harlem is killed by a giant centipede made by Zoltar, his daughter, Debbie, wants to seek revenge. So Mark brings Debbie along on the mission to destroy the centipede.
Edits: Debbie put in bed scene edited out, Debbie does NOT press the button in the end.

Gatchaman: Episode 3
Content: A-
Music: B
Japanese Script: B+
Action Sequences: B+

Same plot as episode three with a few name changes. The Japanese version has more zing to it and the screaming from all the people at the airport when the mummy attacks is almost dead on.

Gatchaman: Episode 4
Content: A-
Music: B
Japanese Script: A-
Action Sequences: B+

The voices really sound great in this episode. And give a few hints that Ken might have a girlfriend.

G-Force: Episode 102
Content: A-
Animation: A-
Music: B+
English Script: B+
Spanish Script: B
Portugese Script: B+
Action Sequences: A-

After the G-Force gets out of another daring escape, they come head to head with one of Galactor's henchmen. And uncover a secret at the bottom of the ocean.

Overall, a good disc that is just as great as the last. Highly recommended.

Slight technical difficulty
Lots of other reviews here do an excellent job covering the content of this DVD. I just wanted to mention that there is a slight technical problem with this DVD (and the rest of vols. 1-4). The English language track on the G-Force episode is virtually inaudible, which is a real disappointment and knocked the DVD down a star. I tried on two different players (Pioneer DV-626D and Playstation 2), and they both have the same trouble. I even wrote in to Rhino's technical support and they kindly exchanged the discs for me, but sadly, the replacement discs are the same way. I just wanted to put out the warning here. The rest of the disc is fine and has great content - it's just that one problematic audio track.

Good Show, Bad Layout
"Kaguta Ninja Tai Gatchaman" ("Science Ninja Team Gatchaman") is an anime series that debuted in Japan in 1972. It was about a team of 5 kids (4 teenagers and a preteen) that fought the evil Galactor organization, which was bent on world conquest. Sandy Frank brought the series over to the U.S. in 1978. Due to Standards and Practices restrictions at the time, a lot of violence had to be cut before the series could be dubbed into English. To fill in the time and gaps left in the story, new footage was animated of an American-made character, 7-Zark-7, a robot (which looked a lot like R2D2 to capitalize on the "Star Wars" craze at the time) that watched over the team from Center Neptune (an underwater base; don't ask), and his robotic canine companion, 1-Rover-1. Zark's job was, through voice-overs, to assure the audience that nobody died, or, if a plane got blown up, a robot was at the controls. Oddly, for a character that was created to censor things, Zark had a lot of sezual conversations with Susan, his robotic love interest on Pluto, over space radio. The fact that Susan sounds like a phone sex operator, and that Zark's antennae spring to full erection when she talks to him, makes this even more hilarious. Whereas Gatchaman was entirely Earth-based, BotP often had the kids going to another planet that looked exactly like Earth. I think you can see where this is going. In addition, the kids got name changes - even those that already had English names! Ken, Joe, Jun, Jimpei, and Ryu became Mark (as in Hammill), Jason, Princess (as in Leia), Keyop (WTF?), and Tiny Harper. The voice casting wasn't that great. Casey Kasem (Mark) sounded nothing like a teenager. In total, 85 of the 105 episodes got "the BotP treatment" (though not exactly the first 85 episodes). Personally, I think that this dub is so bad, it's unintentionally funny. Later, Turner did their own dub of Gatchaman, called "G-Force". The voices were better, more violence was retained, and there was no Zark. However, the characters were renamed again. This time, the names were extremely stupid: Ace Goodheart, Dirk Daring, Agatha Jun (Aggie to her friends; the only sensible name), PeeWee, and Hoot Owl (Hootie). Again, 85 of the 105 episodes were dubbed, but they weren't exactly the same 85 episodes that made it into BotP. One annoying (or hilarious, depending on the person) thing about "G-Force" is that they often added a repetitive, pulsing techno beat in the background. I crack up whenever it comes on, and it comes on multiple times per episode. It's so totally out of place, yet I enjoy it. Anyway, this DVD contains 2 episodes of "Battle of the Planets" as the main feature and the 2 corresponding episodes of "Kaguta Ninja Tai Gatchaman" and 1 episode of "G-Force" as special features. The BotP episodes have the original 2.0 mono track and a 5.1 remixed track. The Gatchaman episodes have the 2.0 mono track only and the option of English subtitles. The "G-Force" episode has the original English track as well as Spanish and Brazilian dialect Portuguese tracks. I think that Rhino was trying to offer a way for us to view all 3 versions of the show, but, by including only 1 episode of "G-Force", they totally messed it up. The format is 2, 2, and 1. So, Volume 1 contains Gatchaman and BotP episodes 1 & 2 and "G-Force" episode 1, Volume 2 contains Gatchaman and BotP episodes 3 & 4 and "G-Force" episode 2, etc. It makes no sense. We didn't need the Spanish and Portuguese tracks. This is America! They should have put those tracks on the foreign DVD releases. Without those extra tracks, there would be enough room for a second "G-Force" episode, and that would keep the right episodes paired together. Overall, I recommend this disc and the others in the series. For those of you that have never seen "Battle of the Planets", this will give you an idea of the censorship on American television in the late 1970s. For those of you that are buying this to relive your childhood, be warned: your love of "Battle of the Planets" is probably based on nostalgia only; you might find the series to be completely retarded now.

what can I say
This is one of my favorite tv series from the 70's and 80's. I was so happy to hear this was finally coming out. The only thing i was disappointed with was there's only six of these and there's not my on the way of dvd features. But the eposodes themselves make up for the lack of extras. give it a look. ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the early shows that helped to build an audience for anime in America, Battle of the Planets began in Japan as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman in 1972-74. For its 1978 U.S. release, the 105 episodes were cut to 85. Much of the violence was excised and new animation, featuring the R2-D2-esque robot 7-Zark-7 and his robo-pooch 1-Rover-1, was created to bridge the gaps. Turner Broadcasting acquired the property in 1986 and recut it into 85 different episodes. The resulting G-Force included more violence, yet it wasn't shown in its entirety in the U.S. until it aired on the Cartoon Network in 1995. This release includes all three versions, enabling viewers to compare and contrast.

In episode 1, five highly trained teenagers--incongruously clad in bird suits--tackle a giant biomorphic enemy vessel. The group executes the commands of their brilliant scientist-leader in the virtually identical Gatchaman and G-Force. When they take on the bad guys, the punches, kicks, and yo-yo weapons connect forcefully; to escape, they convert their ship, the God-Phoenix, to "Firebird Mode," an avian cloud of glowing plasma. In Battle, the quintet takes orders from the dithering, Hanna-Barbera-style Zark. The hand-to-hand combat is heavily censored and the heroes somehow turn themselves into a "Fiery Phoenix." It's campy and silly, rather than exciting. Unrated; suitable for ages 10 up. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Forget Sandy Franks BOTP, check out Gatchaman!
Personally, if you're really interested in BOTP, then check out the BOTP episodes, but don't do yourself a disservice and skip watching the original, UNCUT, Gatchaman episodes. Don't expect to find any trace of the abominable 7-Zark-7 or his robot dog. And sorry, no Casy Casem either. Just pure Gatchaman in it's unbutchered form. This disc is a great example of what American companies will do to "mainstream" a foreign show for broadcast in the states. Check it out, these are a must have! Lets hope Rhino keeps up the great work.

A big surprise
I ordered Vol. 1 of the "Battle of the Planets" DVD wanting to re-live some childhood memories of watching this show after school. It was nice to see the "G-Force" team in action after some 20 years. The episodes are great, that is until you watch the original "Gatchaman" episodes on which they were based. Then you realize just how much your childhood viewing experience was shortchanged.
Put simply, the American version pales in comparison. As a viewer you will get to see just how how much drama, action and pathos were excised from these cartoons because of violence concerns by U.S. broadcasters. Many of those edited scenes were replaced with narration by "7-Zark-7", an "R2D2" rip-off created no doubt to capitalize on "Star Wars" which had been released a year or so earlier. Watching some two decades later, you realize just how jarring this proved to the show's pacing. "Gatchman," however, moves at a more rapid clip.
I almost forgot to mention, that "Gatchaman" was set on Earth and there were no 'battles' with other planets. That said, you also realize just how awkward the premise of "Battle of the Planets," was. I gave the DVD 5 stars, but only for the "Gatchman" episodes.

Excellent!
Having fond childhood memories of "Battle of the Planets", I eagerly purchased the DVD. I never had a problem with 7-Zark-7 when I was a kid, but now he makes me cringe. However, I still prefer "BOTP" over the "Gatchaman" episodes that are also on the DVD. I found the "Gatachman" characters extremely unlikable, especially "Ken" (Mark on "BOTP") who was particularly abrasive. My dream version of "Gatchman"/"BOTP" would be if Sandy Frank productions reassembled the original "BOTP" voice cast and dubbed the "Gatachman" series into English WITHOUT changing the plot or adding an innane robot to annoy us. As far as the "G-Force" episode included goes, well... the voice talent had none, the character names were [bad], and the music sounded like it had been dubbed from a bad porno. You may be wondering why I gave this DVD five stars and an "Excellent!" title - well, "BOTP" made me feel nostalgic and it's really nice to see what Sandy Frank cut out ("Gatchman"). Now if only they'd make my "dream version"...

Slight technical difficulty
Lots of other reviews here do an excellent job covering the content of this DVD. I just wanted to mention that there is a slight technical problem with this DVD (and the rest of vols. 1-4). The English language track on the G-Force episode is virtually inaudible, which is a real disappointment and knocked the DVD down a star. I tried on two different players (Pioneer DV-626D and Playstation 2), and they both have the same trouble. I even wrote in to Rhino's technical support and they kindly exchanged the discs for me, but sadly, the replacement discs are the same way. I just wanted to put out the warning here. The rest of the disc is fine and has great content - it's just that one problematic audio track.

Good Show, Bad Layout
"Kaguta Ninja Tai Gatchaman" ("Science Ninja Team Gatchaman") is an anime series that debuted in Japan in 1972. It was about a team of 5 kids (4 teenagers and a preteen) that fought the evil Galactor organization, which was bent on world conquest. Sandy Frank brought the series over to the U.S. in 1978. Due to Standards and Practices restrictions at the time, a lot of violence had to be cut before the series could be dubbed into English. To fill in the time and gaps left in the story, new footage was animated of an American-made character, 7-Zark-7, a robot (which looked a lot like R2D2 to capitalize on the "Star Wars" craze at the time) that watched over the team from Center Neptune (an underwater base; don't ask), and his robotic canine companion, 1-Rover-1. Zark's job was, through voice-overs, to assure the audience that nobody died, or, if a plane got blown up, a robot was at the controls. Oddly, for a character that was created to censor things, Zark had a lot of sezual conversations with Susan, his robotic love interest on Pluto, over space radio. The fact that Susan sounds like a phone sex operator, and that Zark's antennae spring to full erection when she talks to him, makes this even more hilarious. Whereas Gatchaman was entirely Earth-based, BotP often had the kids going to another planet that looked exactly like Earth. I think you can see where this is going. In addition, the kids got name changes - even those that already had English names! Ken, Joe, Jun, Jimpei, and Ryu became Mark (as in Hammill), Jason, Princess (as in Leia), Keyop (WTF?), and Tiny Harper. The voice casting wasn't that great. Casey Kasem (Mark) sounded nothing like a teenager. In total, 85 of the 105 episodes got "the BotP treatment" (though not exactly the first 85 episodes). Personally, I think that this dub is so bad, it's unintentionally funny. Later, Turner did their own dub of Gatchaman, called "G-Force". The voices were better, more violence was retained, and there was no Zark. However, the characters were renamed again. This time, the names were extremely stupid: Ace Goodheart, Dirk Daring, Agatha Jun (Aggie to her friends; the only sensible name), PeeWee, and Hoot Owl (Hootie). Again, 85 of the 105 episodes were dubbed, but they weren't exactly the same 85 episodes that made it into BotP. One annoying (or hilarious, depending on the person) thing about "G-Force" is that they often added a repetitive, pulsing techno beat in the background. I crack up whenever it comes on, and it comes on multiple times per episode. It's so totally out of place, yet I enjoy it. Anyway, this DVD contains 2 episodes of "Battle of the Planets" as the main feature and the 2 corresponding episodes of "Kaguta Ninja Tai Gatchaman" and 1 episode of "G-Force" as special features. The BotP episodes have the original 2.0 mono track and a 5.1 remixed track. The Gatchaman episodes have the 2.0 mono track only and the option of English subtitles. The "G-Force" episode has the original English track as well as Spanish and Brazilian dialect Portuguese tracks. I think that Rhino was trying to offer a way for us to view all 3 versions of the show, but, by including only 1 episode of "G-Force", they totally messed it up. The format is 2, 2, and 1. So, Volume 1 contains Gatchaman and BotP episodes 1 & 2 and "G-Force" episode 1, Volume 2 contains Gatchaman and BotP episodes 3 & 4 and "G-Force" episode 2, etc. It makes no sense. We didn't need the Spanish and Portuguese tracks. This is America! They should have put those tracks on the foreign DVD releases. Without those extra tracks, there would be enough room for a second "G-Force" episode, and that would keep the right episodes paired together. Overall, I recommend this disc and the others in the series. For those of you that have never seen "Battle of the Planets", this will give you an idea of the censorship on American television in the late 1970s. For those of you that are buying this to relive your childhood, be warned: your love of "Battle of the Planets" is probably based on nostalgia only; you might find the series to be completely retarded now. ... Read more

Description

Join Mickey and all your favorite Disney animated superstars-together for the first time ever-as they share a heartwarming holiday celebration and sing a special song, "The Best Christmas Of All," that captures this wondrous occasion.
When a huge snowstorm leaves everyone stranded, Mickey and all of his guests at The House of Mouse, including Pooh, Piglet, Belle, Snow White, Ariel and many more of his old and new friends, break out the cookies and hot chocolate to help Donald mend his tattered Christmas spirit. The fun starts when Minnie pulls out their favorite holiday home movies and everyone starts to reminisce. Their magical memories soon put everyone in the Christmas mood-even grumpy Donald, who ultimately becomes the star of the evening. As everybody lifts their voices in joyful song, they realize that the "Best Christmas of All" is the one you share with all your friends! ... Read more

Reviews (40)

The Magic Of Disney Shines In This Holiday Season
Whether you have children, or just want to venture into your own past, remembering the magical spirit of Mickey Mouse, this video is perfect. This video has a little something for everyone, and those of you with children, like myself, will see the holiday magic light up on their faces.

MI