Reviews (19)

Great learning tool!
I am really anti-videos for young children, theoretically! However, I have found this video to be very helpful in getting my 2 year old to understand the concept of counting. She could count to 20 before, but now she counts out everything from goldfish to babies! and she does it correctly! She loves this video and I don't mind her watching it! It is very sweet and likeable and has some catchy songs. I highly recommend it.

Sweet little movie that will teach your child to count!
I had though about renting this movie many times but always passed because I just thought it looked sort of generic and outdated. Our library was having a sale of old videos so I ended up buying this one because it was too cheap to pass up. Boy am I glad I did!

My daughter isn't even two yet and can count to 15! She loved this video from the very first time she watched it. It is very very simple, from the animation to the songs. But myself I find this refreshing. I get so tired of watching choppy overproduced kids shows, especially when they are for the younger kids. I find this one just very sweet and to the point. I know my daughter agrees because she asks to watch it everyday and walks around telling everyone it's her "counting day."

I do have to say that like someone else mentioned in another review mom's and dad's beware. Yes you will be humming and singing these little songs long after you've pressed the stop button!!! But I find that happens in most videos and at least these songs aren't too terribly annoying. My only complaint which isnt' really even a complaint is that I found the main bunny's voice to be a bit high pitched. Maybe it's just me but sometimes it really gets to me.

But that's really nothing to complain about when everything else is so good about this video. Pick it up for your little one and I'm sure they'll be counting in no time!

A must have for your little one's video library!
A true classic! Both my 16mo. old and my 2 1/2 yr. old love this video. Very educational and sweet story. Only drawback is that Mom and Dad may be humming the tunes long after the tape is over!

Sweet, Innocent, Simple, Captivating...A Great Learning Tool
I bought this DVD for my 2yr old son, who had recently taken an interest in counting. I taught him to count to 10, and ever since he has been watching this video, he counts up to 16 now by himself! He really enjoys watching the movie, as does my 6-month-old daughter. I personally enjoy the DVD and its innocence. I like that it is simple yet captivating for them. It really holds their attention. I tend to be pretty particular when it comes to movies for my children, making sure they don't teach any bad habits and that it doesn't teach anything contrary to the Bible. I was very pleased to see there wasn't any reference to magic, fairies, etc, as many things tend to include such references these days. I am going to try out other Richard Scarry DVDs and hope that I will be just as pleased with them, too...

Wonderful!
My son is 22 months old and loves this video. It teaches counting while telling a story so it keeps the attention.
We play it almost everyday. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This final sequence of Farscape episodes is as effective and powerful a climax as those of earlier seasons. The three-parter "We're So Screwed" starts with "Fetal Attraction," in which the crew of Moya attempt to rescue the pregnant Aeryn Sun from her Scarren captors and end up starting a dangerous epidemic on a space station. They get Aeryn back and lose Scorpius; in "Hot to Katratzi," the necessity of saving his worst enemy--who just knows too much to be left a captive--forces John Crichton to gate-crash the Sebacean-Scarren peace conference and bluff his way to success. Seemingly betrayed by Scorpius, John snatches victory in "La Bomba," striking another deadly blow against the Scarren empire. The title of the last episode, "Bad Timing," refers both to the show's cancellation--the cast and crew felt real bitterness towards the SciFi Channel over this--and to the cliffhanger ending; the crew of Moya have to prevent a Scarren ship finding its way through the wormhole to Earth. Farscape was perhaps the best-ever television space opera and certainly the most sexy, stylish, funny, and dramatic. It will be greatly missed. --Roz Kaveney ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Farscape Season 1 - 4 dvd
How to star my review. Well lets get AdvFilms release of the dvds out of the way. While there releases have been great the only reason they get five stars is because of the show. Advs dvds for farscape have been lacking, while you get the episodes uncut and with a little added footage the extras are laughable, but at least a little is better than none.
Season 1 - Well season 1 is the start of something great. We get character developement story lines that confound the imagination. The main storyline of season 1 is that Captain Crais is desperatly hunting the Moya crew to get at John. At the conclusion of the season Crais becomes that which he has been hunting, a fugitive from the new Peacekeeper villian Scorpious.
Season 2 - This season we get more into relationships between crew members. John & Aeryn as well as Dargo & Chiana. Scorpious is after John now for a diffrent reason than Crais was, he wants him for th wormhole tech in Johns head. At the end of the season is were John risks it all in order to save Aeryn.
Season 3 - Starts off great, but in my opinion the two Johns and splitting the crew between Moya and Talan made this season a little less perfect than the rest. Although it had some really great episodes this season.
Season 4 - The greatest season of farscape. This season John returns to earth, He has greater control of wormhole tech, Aeryn is pregnant, John & Aeryn get engadged to be wed. The only bad thing that came out of this season was its cancellation after filming of the season concluded.
Farscape Peacekeeper Wars - The savefarscape campain has worked. With the help of loyal fans there will be a continuing story. From what I have read this miniseries will tie up alot of the current loose ends but leave new loose ends. Hopefully if the fans of the show can get it good enuff ratings then maybe scifi channell will either order a new complete season like they did for that crappy show Battlestar Gallactica. If not a new complete season maybe a half season or even more miniseries. LETS HOPE FOR BIG RATINGS SO THE FARSCAPE STORY CAN CONTINUE ON!!!
Well this concludes my first an to this date only review. I am sorry I couldn't be more discriptive on the seasons but there is just to much to cover and I am only aloud 1000 words. Tune in October 17, 2004 for the miniseries.

Best Sci-Fi show ever cancelled prematurely
Season 4 of Farscape has some of the best episodes of the entire 4 season run. One of the greatest SciFi shows of my time, and it was cancelled. The SciFi Channel cancelled Farscape because of its inability to grow outside its fanbase and that the show was becoming to expensive. I believe it was that latter that heralded the downfall of Farscape, because as Internet sites proclaim Farscapes fanbase has grow and continues to grow.

The episodes of this collection are the final 4 of the series. Like all the season before it, Farscape leaves you with a cliffhanger ending to end all.

With great dialogue, excellent actors, superb writting, and a take on outerspace that was unique to itself, its a wonder why the show was cancelled.

If you like Andromeda, or Star Trek, you should check out this show. You will love it.

And watch for the 4 part Farscape mini-series coming later this year. Hopefully that will not be the final ending, but the begining of a whole new chapter in Farscape.

Farscape was the bomb (or La Bomba!)
As fans and even casual TV views have asked, how could the SciFi network keep Stargate SG-1 and dump this gem of a show? It was only 12 episodes away from achieving syndicated status when it was cancelled in 2003. These last 4 episodes certainly are memorable. In the 'Were so Screwed' trilogy, John Crichton builds a tiny atom bomb and goes to a secret Scarren base to rescue Aeryn Sun. The acting, writing, cinematography, and SFX are all top-notch in what is arguably the best 3-part story in the series. The show's humor is what made it so appealing and entertaining. With subtle nods to Blake's 7, Star Trek, and Star Wars, Farscape still became an original and innovative sci-fi adventure. This set completes the release of all 88 original episodes on DVD. Despite some horrible packaging decisions for seasons 1-3, the 5 DVD sets for Seasons 3 & 4 have all been winners for ADV Video. I can't recommend this enough to anyone who enjoyed this show.

Farscape Rocks!!!
Not only was it the best sci-fi show on television,but also gives the movies a run for their money!! The final 4 shows of this season was not only the best of the whole show,but puts the other sci-fi shows to shame..What other sci-fi show or any kind of show for that matter would end their series like the way Farscape did??? This show deserves not only rave reviews and rewards,but deserves a bigger fanbase,too!! Great writing,sets,acting;etc...it has it all!! I've always thought that Farcape were like little movies on the small screen and these final 4 eps could easily play on the big screen and make a bigger impact than any of the Star Trek movies ever had!!...HIGHLY RECOMMENDED....BUY THIS FOR YOUR FRIENDS....

Raised the bar for riveting scifi...
I rarely write reviews, however this series has a place in my heart. There are noticible writing styles throughout the series and you can tell that the cast and crew really loved this epic. Even with the way that it was forced to end it is my hands down my favorite TV series. With the upcoming miniseries we can all hope that this has an ending that follows the original vision.

This series is the epitome of scifi perfection. ... Read more

Reviews (182)

Cowboy Bebop fans are the only winners here.
Cowboy Bebop is my favorite anime series. When I finally saw this movie, I was pretty satisfied, but there are many weaknesses seen here.

The basic plot: Faye, one of the bounty hunters of the CB crew, sees a mysterious man blow up a truck in a freeway, killing hundreds. Soon afterwards, the same man has a bounty on his head for hundreds of millions of woolongs, the CB world's currency. The crew, of course, gives chase.

The plot is no thinner or thicker than your average Hollywood action movie, except this time it's animated- beautifully. The action scenes are absolutely terrific, the highlight being the fight between Spike (Our main character) and Elecktra, a woman he meets on the way. This is the definition of a modern anime title, and it looks great.

CB is known for it's classic soundtrack, and in this movie it is no expection.

So why only 3 stars? Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, even for me, can get downright boring.

Much of the movie is concentrated on Spike getting information from a single character, no matter who it is. The rest of the crew is seemingly put off to the side, and you'll see that they play very small roles compared to Spike. The conversations can go on and on, and once you think he'll get into action, Spike goes and talk to someone else. The dialogue will have viewers squirmming in their seats.

And this is a two hour film.

If you are a fan of CB however, go out and see it. Fans will love it because the crew is thrusted into it's own motion picture, and fans will love seeing their favorite characters on screen.

I loved the action scenes, but I can only give it 3 stars, even for a huge fan like myself. If you haven't seen the series, go out and buy it immediately. You'll see why this is one of the most popular animes of all time, and the movie is not nearly as good as the series.

Get ready for the world of Bebop!
It's really hard to understand why Japanese anime hasn't crossed over to a wider audience in the United States. Many anime films are consistently better in terms of quality storytelling than their western live action counterparts. And Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is a prime example of that "quality".

Directed by Shinchiro Wantanabe, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie is based on the anime/manga series about four bounty hunters; Jet, Faye, Ed and Spike. But this time they aren't after a mere hacker or bail jumper. A terrorist has released a bioweapon onto an unsuspecting city. And if he isn't he will unleash a more devastating attack that threatens to destroy the entire human race. While that may seem like standard action film fare, where Cowboy Bebop: The Movie shines is it's ability to weave complex themes into the story. The characters contemplate life, death and the meaning of existance. There's some pretty heavy duty stuff going on here. More than likely you'll need more than one viewing to soak it all in. It's definitley deeper than what most western filmakers are churning out of Hollywood these days. The story is told well. Eventhough Bebop is well known series running about twenty five episodes, this can be considered a "stand alone" movie. You really don't need to know alot about the series to enjoy the film. This film probably would make a good introduction to the anime/manga for those who are unfamiliar with it.

The animation is richer and more detailed than that of the animated series. It has a more film like quality to it. One thing that the Japanese animators have been able to do in recent years is develop styles of animation that, despite not having a alot of photo-realistic elements that a CGI film would contain, have the ability to immerse you into a rich world all it's own. When watching Bebop you really do get the feeling that this is a living, breathing city that the characters are living in. The sound is also crisp and very clean. Space ships race past you, bullets whiz past your ears. I really wish I had viewed this film in a home theater setting to take full advantage of the surround sound elements. The films default setting is the Japanese language track with English subtitles. A bit unusual even for anime. The English track contains all the television series voice characters and sounds just as crisp. This is one of the few series that the English dialogue is probably just as good as the Japanese. And remembering a time when just about ALL dubs were horrible, that's saying alot.

There's not alot in terms of "extra's" on this disc. There's two music videos of both the title and end credits songs. A good "making of" feature which is interesting because we get to see the voice actors who play the characters on screen. And there's an image gallery, character profiles, and some trailers, including the English theatrical trailer for Cowboy Bebop: The Movie.

This is a film that should have reached a much wider audience. Hopefully it can now that it's on DVD. If you're new to Japanese anime then this will make a good introduction to the genre. This film is definitly worth checking out.

Wow
Im usually not a fan of animated shows like this, considering that in all honesty the majority of these Japanese shows and films consist of corny childrens shows or even more corny shows of cliched personas going around shooting people alongside of slutty girls with cat ears and/or gigantic breasts. Im not to waste time or money on crap like that. And for everyone who thinks that if something is animated that it must be for kids has appearently never seen any japanese films becuase if they did im sure they wouldnt let their kids near it. But dont let the R rating worry you too much. This isnt one of those pornographic films japan seems to love so much. No, its simply like a regualar american film, just animated. Theres some violence, but its used in good moderation and the nudity isnt too bad. Faye gets her shirt cut off by one of the guys, and there is a scene of her in the shower, but trust me, you dont actualyl see anything innaproprait. I enjoyed the fact that the film was done maturly and stylish, and the animation seems to make it even cooler. To start, the animeation was AMAZING. Some of the best that exsists, im sure. And the visual effects were amazing, making you think that these characters were let loose in the real world and cameras were watching them. The story is one of those classic 'mr crazy bad man wants to destroy the entire world', but its done with such a differnt spin. the 'villan' is Vincent Volaji, a test subject who lost his memory from the experiments done on him. He believes that life is purgatory and his goal is to realease the world from this purgatory and to face judgement. The title 'Knocking on Heavens Door' is so perfect taht it couldnt have been better. the entire movie is based on vincent and as he calls it 'the door between heaven and hell.' Vincent's chracter is incredibly deep and philisophic and makes up for much of the amazing quality of the film. He was prbably my favorite part. The action scenes were increadibly well-cheoriographed, like they had been cut from Kill Bill or a Jackie Chan movie. Even if you dont like this kind of thing im sure you could find something you could like. This isnt a disney movie and this isnt a pokemon movie either, so keep that in mind.

very good movie
Mind u, i havn't finished the series yet, but i couldn't wait to see the movie when i found out there was one! The movie is excelent! I've divided this movie into 3 parts. The first 30 minutes are cool when we first see all the characters, the middle 10 minutes are ok, but theres alot of talking so sit back and relax, then it picks bak up agian for the last 45 minutes with cool action. the soundtrack is an A+! With new songs and staying true to the cowboy bebop theme it's the best! animation is wonderful, much better and clearer than in the series. so join Edward, Jet, Faye, and Spike as they track down a terrorist who plans to wipe out all the humans on Mars! If you've ever seen at least 3 episodes of the series, u will love this movie! so what does that say for the rest of us who love it? ^^ this is a must-have for any anime fan! Now if they'd jus make an InuYasha movie in english, we'd be set! Agian, at the very least rent it! You won't be dissapointed!

Newcomer likes this one
I'm a relative newcomer to the world of Japanese animation. Cowboy Bebop was on my list and I was not dissapointed. I have never seen the series so I cannot judge on the differences or likenesses.

The story is as often ten times better than American animations. This time it's a bounty hunt for a man who wants to destroy the world, which in this case is Mars.

The choise of music is fun, some country/western and other English language pop songs (I always watch the anime movies in Japanese with subtitles and the animations of course perfect. Sometimes it reminded me of The Matrix because of the fighting scenes and camera angles. The young hacker Ed is the funniest character because of her speech and movement.

Worthwile! ... Read more

Amazon.com

A baby!A baby!A baby!That's right, Dora is about to become a big sister--and what a great big sister Dora will be with her talent for sharing, teaching, playing, and helping.Dora's Papi gives Dora a cellular phone so she'll know exactly when her baby sister or brother is arriving and, when the phone rings, she and Boots hurry home to meet the new arrival.Along the way, Backpack tests their listening skills by having them listen for various items; the pair learns about numerical ordering and street safety; and friends Isa, Tico, and Benny offer to share their own special talents with the new baby.When Dora and Boots arrive at Dora's house, the whole family is waiting with a big surprise.Among the other three episodes, "Dora Saves the Game" finds Dora racing to join her cousin Daisy's soccer team for an important game.Dora practices her super soccer kick, jumping, pushing, and counting from 1 to 15 as she makes her way toward the stadium and, with a little help from Diego, manages to get there just in time to showcase her soccer skills. (Ages 3 to 7) --Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Big Sister Dora DVD Arrived Just In Time
My two year old grand-daughter knew she was going to become a "Big Sister" but this Dora DVD really helped her better understand what the news really meant.Per usual, the story was great, good pace, excellent graphics and easy to understand.After watching the video, Emma eagerly anticipated the arrival of little sister Erin even more.We now watch the video at every visit to Grandma's house even though Erin is now 5 months old.We can't wait for a DVD to come out about Dora's new dog!!Hurry up!!!

Sofia loves it!
My daughter can not get enough Dora. Now she goes into her "Super Baby" stance at the mention of Doras "baby" relatives. I will not give away anything else about the story line.

All I can add, is that if your child loves Dora, buy this DVD!! We all have grown fond of Boots, and even Swiper the fox around our house!

Great for the big sister!
We bought this for our three year old right before we had our second baby.She is a HUGE Dora fan anyway, so this was obviously a hit in our house.It is a fun episode!My only complaint is that one of the bonus episodes on this DVD is "A Letter for Swiper" which is also a bonus episode on the Cowgirl Dora DVD, the only other one we own!

Dora is a big sister!
Nick Jr. recently showed the "Dora the Explorer: Big Sister Dora" episode on tv. My daughters (ages 11mo. and 23mo.) LOVED it! My oldest especially enjoyed it because she is a huge Dora fan and I think she liked that they were both big sisters. It was a cute video and sure to be a hit with any Dora fan. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Hobbit
The J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy classic set in Middle-earth was adapted into thisexcellent 1978 animated feature first broadcast on television. Codirectors JulesBass and Arthur Rankin Jr., working from a script by Romeo Muller, are faithfulto Tolkien's story and for that alone they get big points. The vocal cast can'tbe improved upon: Orson Bean is perfect as Bilbo Baggins, the timorous hobbitwho grows brave on his adventure with the wizard Gandalf (John Huston). OttoPreminger is the voice of Elvenking, Richard Boone is Smaug, Hans Conried isThorin, and Brother Theodore is very effective as the weird Gollum. Terrific forkids and adults alike. --Tom Keogh

The Lord of the Rings
Although it was ultimately overshadowed by Peter Jackson's live-action Lordof the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien'sfantasy classic is not without charms of its own. A target of derision fromintolerant fans, this ambitious 1978 production is nevertheless a respectablyloyal attempt to animate the first half of Tolkien's trilogy, beginning with thehobbit Frodo's inheritance of the One Ring of power from Bilbo Baggins, andending with the wizard Gandalf's triumph over the evil army of Orcs. While thedialogue is literate and superbly voiced by a prestigious cast (including JohnHurt as Aragorn), Leonard Roseman's accomplished score effectively matches theominous atmosphere that Bakshi's animation creates and sustains. Bakshi'slamentable decision to combine traditional cel animation with "rotoscoped"(i.e., meticulously traced) live-action footage is jarringly distracting andaesthetically disastrous, but when judged by its narrative content, this Lordof the Rings deserves more credit than it typically receives. --JeffShannon

The Return of the King
The creative team behind 1978's impressive animation feature based on J.R.R.Tolkien's The Hobbit returns with this 1980 entry drawn from Tolkien'sfamous Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's good work all around, and not atall the kind of feature-length cartoon that reduces good books to treacle. OrsonBean returns as the voice of Bilbo Baggins as well as that of the trilogy'shero, Frodo. John Huston is commanding again as the voice of the wizard Gandalf,and also in the vocal cast are William Conrad, Paul Frees, and Roddy McDowall.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Anime + Lord of the Rings = Success!
The Rankin/Bass (The people who brought you Thundercats) versions of "The Hobbit" and "Return of The King" are extremely well done and all three films are BEAUTIFULLY restored for DVD! It's too bad it took the release of the Peter Jackson live-action versions to get these beautiful pieces of anime onto DVD but as long as it happened I guess it's all right even though it reeks of band-wagon capitalism. The Bakshi version of Lord of The Rings (Based on "Fellowship of The Ring" and portions of the "Two Towers") is also well done but the animation ranges from cheesy to beautiful and is uneven. I never connected with this middle film even though I appreciate it. It just lacked the organic and emotional feel and cleanliness of the first and the last one. For great battle scenes and images of Minos Tyrith, the third disc has to be seen to be believed! Full of singing and light, these discs straddle the line between kid and adult entertainment like a razor blade. It's really a shame they never put out a good CD compilation of the soundtracks to the first film and the last film (Kind of like the Less Than Zero orchestral score!) because the vocal and instrumental pieces are really beautiful!

Not very good.
The only film here that is even remotely good is the Hobbit. Bakshi's Lord of the Rings is dreadfully dull, choppy and poorly animated, and is so inferior to the recent live-action films as to be unwatchable. The Rankin-Bass Return of the King is even worse, taking what should be high drama and turning it into a laughable hodge-podge of childish songs and bizarre characterization.

Invest in Peter Jackson's trilogy insted, and just wait for him to do the Hobbit.

I love the Rotoscoping
Am I the only person that thinks the rotoscoping animation used in Lord of the Rings is superb? I have always thought that this is what animation should be, by making the characters seem very life like I sometimes forgot I was watching an animated film. Ever since I was a child I have compared every animated film to this one, and but for the recent technological advance in animation, I have always believed that Lord had the best.

I echo the comments that Return of the King was a huge letdown after the first two animated films. Too many songs and gaps in the story.

y'all expect too much!
This is animation from the late seventies/early eighties,folks!they didn't have the techniuqes and times to make it what it could've been.back then people were like"whoa!this is the greatest thing ever!"but by today's standards it is quite sub-par in animation and story authenticity,and that's why most people can't seem to give this trilogy five stars for other reasons they are too ignorant to notice.the music ,for one,is just plain awesome!in rotk,the orc's sing a slave song and the music that accompanies it is this crazy funk bassline,guitar,and drums!ALL the other music rules,too!plus,the films have the trippy old-style animated special effects(like the eye of sauron,when frodo and sam get crazed by the ring,and somthing tripped-out accompanies most every musical #)!
trust someone who knew what they were getting-get these dvd's purely for the trip-out,because YOU certainly will!(with a little smoke of the ever calming hobbit peace pipe!)

Animated, but not alive
Peter Jackson's exceptional live-action "Lord of the Rings" trilogy roared through theatres like an oliphaunt. Somewhat less successful was the spotty trilogy of animated films -- ranging from pseudo-real to anime -- which tried but failed to bring the trilogy to life.

"The Hobbit" is the best of the bunch, an intermittently charming look at the journey of hobbit Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo (Orson Bean) somehow gets drafted into coming with the wizard Gandalf (John Huston) and his band of dwarves, to go retake a mountain fortress from the dragon Smaug. Easy? Of course not, with goblins, Gollum, and hostile Elves along the way.

Ralph Bakshi's "The Lord of the Rings" takes us forward several decades -- Bilbo is now a rich and eccentric bachelor, who has adopted his young nephew Frodo. Suddenly Bilbo leaves the Shire on his eleventy-first birthday, leaving Frodo a magical Ring. But Gandalf reveals the true nature of the trinket, Frodo and his faithful pals set out on a possibly suicidal journey through Middle-Earth, to destroy the One Ring of power.

"The Return of the King" shifts back to the Rankin-Bass anime style of "The Hobbit," but with hideous results. Frodo has been captured by orcs, Sam is burdened with the One Ring, and the city of Gondor is at breaking point thanks to Sauron's hordes.

One of the biggest problems with the animated film trilogy is that the films don't fit together. While "Hobbit" shifts smoothly into Bakshi's film, Bakshi stops halfway through -- and there's a huge story gap between the end of the second film and the start of "Return." What's even worse, "Return" ditches half the cast -- Legolas and Gimli are nowhere to be seen, and neither are Saruman, Faramir, Arwen, and dozens of others.

For "Hobbit" and "Return," Rankin-Bass favored a sort of very detailed semi-anime style. It works in most areas, except the Elves -- the Elves don't look like they're from this planet. And Bakshi took an experimental dive with "Lord of the Rings": rotoscoping, where live action is "traced over." Unfortunately, it gives the film a weird, murky look.

"Hobbit" and "Lord" are decent enough as far as dialogue and action go. The characterizations can be sketchy, or even hideously bad (such as Samwise Gamgee) but most of them are fairly good. But "Return" goes overboard with too many songs that take way too long -- you'll find yourself rooting for Sauron, in the hope that you won't have to hear the "Frodo of the nine fingers" song again. And the dialogue is so overblown and overwritten that it can't even serve as campy comedy.

The animated Tolkien trilogy strives to bring the story to life, but there's little inspiration. The first is okay, the second is sort-of-okay, and the third is an abomination to filmmaking. Instead, for some inspired cinematic genius in Middle-Earth, check out Peter Jackson's adaptation. ... Read more

Amazon.com

To finance Disneyland he wanted to build, Walt Disney turned tothe new medium of television. As host Leonard Maltin notes on this two- disc set of televised specials for the amusement park, Disney used theseries to promote it, "and no one seemed to mind." ABC agreed to investin return for a weekly one-hour program. The "Disneyland" TV showpremiered on October 27, 1954: "Disneyland Story" introduced the parkand its various lands, which would be the subject of future programs.The opening-day special, "Dateline Disneyland" (July 17, 1955),attracted an estimated audience of 90 million--virtually everytelevision household in America. Hosted by Art Linkletter, RobertCummings, and Ronald Reagan, the live broadcast includes such unplannedmoments as Linkletter searching frantically for a microphone inFantasyland. The Tenth Anniversary show (January 3, 1965) featurescameos of Mary Blair and Marc Davis, two celebrated animation artists.Home movie footage of Walt pacing off distances at the barren site inAnaheim is intercut with peeks at forthcoming attractions. "DisneylandAfter Dark" (April 15, 1962) offers performances by Annette Funicello,Bobby Burgess, Bobby Rydell, Louis Armstrong, and a prepubescentquartet of Osmond Brothers. A must-have set for Disneyland buffs,Disney collectors, and nostalgic baby boomers. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Perfect for Disneyland Devotees
If you're a Disneyland fanatic, you'll love this DVD! If you're not, then don't bother. That isn't meant to be a criticism of this set at all. However, if you're thinking about buying this DVD, make sure you know what you're getting.

This fine collection includes four hour-long broadcasts from the original "Disneyland" TV series on ABC in the 1950s and 1960s. There are no "in-depth" documentaries on the park today, or any sort of Travel Channel-esque behind-the-scenes looks.

The original television broadcasts include a show filmed before Disneyland was built, "Dateline Disneyland" - the show broadcast live the date Disneyland opened, a show celebrating Disneyland's 10th anniversary, and a show about Disneyland after dark.

These four shows are absolutely fascinating for those interested in the history of Disneyland and the Disney company. Walt Disney is the host for all but the "Dateline Disneyland" episode, which is co-hosted by Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan, and other Hollywood stars. The first show takes viewers to an orange grove west of Los Angeles, the site of the future Disneyland. It also features Walt Disney introducing his park with maps, drawings, and models. "Dateline Disneyland" is a lot of fun as you watch the park on opening day - including the broadcasting snafus. Art Linkletter runs around for a few minutes in search of a microphone, many rides break down, and other problems arise to be documented in this important historical collection.

Disneyland After Dark showcases the happenings in the park during nightime. This is a fun look at the park, also hosted by Walt Disney. The last broadcast, Disneyland's 10th anniversary, might be the best of the set. It too is hosted by Walt, just a year and a half before his death. At one point, Walt shows off Disneyland's newest idea, a ride called "Pirates of the Carribean". The ride hasn't opened yet, but Disney shows some of the audio-animatronics that will be used.

If you're looking for a DVD that takes you behind-the-scenes at Disneyland and gives you a comprehensive look at the history of the park and the status of Disneyland today, look elsewhere. If you're a fellow Disneyland aficionado interested in some fascinating and important historical broadcasts, get this great set now.

Looks to be a great package
If you are planning on buying this you probably want to know what's on it. Despite the title "Disneyland USA" it doesn't include the short feature "Disneyland USA but has 4 great TV shows on Disneyland. The first is "The Disneyland Story"(B&W) This premiere episode of the "Disneyland" television series features Walt giving a brief tour of the studio and discussing the format of the series. Also included: a brief look at Mickey's career and clips from various Disney films. This was released 10/27/54 and is 49 minutes long. The second feature is "Dateline Disneyland"(B&W) hosted by Art Linkletter, Bob Cummings and Ronald Reagan; the live opening of Disneyland includes the opening ceremonies and a visit to all park's "lands." Highlights of the coverage include visits with Fess Parker, Buddy Ebsen, Danny Thomas, the Mouseketeers and Governor Knight of California. This was released 7/17/55 and is 1 hour 30 minutes. The third feature is "Disneyland After Dark"(Color) Walt Disney hosts this look at live entertainment in the different sections of Disneyland at night. In Tomorrowland Annette and Bobby sing. In Advertureland a fire dance is performed. On the Mark Twain steamboat Louis Armstrong plays jazz. At the Plaza Gardens the Osmond Brothers make their network television premiere. This was broadcast 4/15/62 and is 1 hour long. The final episode is "Disneyland Tenth Anniversary"(Color) Walt Disney hosts behind-the-scenes look at some new exhibits and talks with exhibit designers as they create new features for Disneyland's tenth anniversary. The second part of the show features production numbers performed in the park; a parade down Main Street. Clips from initial park construction are shown. This was broadcast 1/3/65 and is 52 minutes long. This looks to be a great collection and also has a featurette with Leonard Maltin and a few other extras. This is all packaged in a tin case and comes with a lithograph. For any Disneyland fan this is a must!

Disneyland USA: One to Really Look Forward To!
Walt Disney Treaures Review 4 of 11
Sorry, no easter eggs on this set. (hidden DVD features)

Disneyland USA, the fourth and final volume of wave 1, is probaly the most important. Here, as with all the others, the DVD is enclosed in a numbered tin, along with a lithograph of the poster for Autopia, and a program booklet with a list of features and a letter from Leonard Maltin, the host of the series. On disc 1, we trace the early years of Disneyland with two complete episodes from the original TV show. Each have an intro by Maltin

The Disneyland Story: The very first episode of the Disneyland Television series, which give clips of whats to come in each section of the Disneyland television series anthology. There is a sneak peek of Disneyland, a peek at the new Davy Crockett series, and a tribute to Mickey featuring two entire cartoons.

Dateline Disneyland: Join your hosts Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan, and Bob Cummings as they cover live, the inagural day at Disneyland, with the late Reagan covering the dedication. This is the most important of the set, and is a treat for Disneyland film buffs and fans alike.

On disc two, there are two more shows in full color, with intros by Maltin.

Disneyland After Dark: Here, we get to meet amazing stars from the sixties, journey through Disneyland after dark, and meet a couple of the famous "Mouseketeers," including Annete Funicello.

Disneyland 10th Anniversary: This piece has two parts. One showing new attractions at Disneyland, mainly the then in progress Pirates of the Carribean, Haunted Manision and Its a Small World. Then the history of the park, during construction, new attractions and a lot of other juicy stuff.

Finally there are the bonus features.

The Magic Kingdom and the Magic of Television: This documentary gives a short history of the park and the Disneyland TV Show with Leonard Maltin

Gallery: A gallery of photographs and posters, as well as merchandise.

The smallest of the four in wave 1, Disneyland USA could have a little more material. However, that is a small price to pay for the historical broadcasts in this wonderful set. I'll write the reviews for Wave 2 tomorrow. See you then.

List of Reviews of Walt Disney Treasures:

Silly Symphonies
Mickey Mouse in Living Color
Davy Crockett
Disneyland USA
Mickey Mouse in Black and White
The Complete Goofy
Behind the Scenes at Walt Disney Studios
Mickey Mouse in Living Color Volume 2
The Chronological Donlad Volume 1
On Front Lines
Tomorrowland

All with the complete list of features, including Easter Eggs! (hidden DVD features)

For Whom Ever LOVES Disneyland
This is a good DVD overall. I enjoyed the t.v shows. I would have, however, like to have seen more of "the making" of the rides and maybe even some more current Disneyland on this.

Heavy, Tear-Jerking Nostalgia For the Disney Fanatic
This set wasn't created for the typical Disney fan, it was created for folks like me: Disney ADDICTS. We fanatics tend to be more demanding, but I always pride myself in being able to appreciate the good points, while still realizing the flaws, in all Disney products. I've managed to get my hands on all the Disney Treasures sets so far, and so far they've all been wonderful, but this review is about the unnecessarily weakest one, Disneyland, U.S.A.
There are 4 feature programs and 2 extras in this set. Disc 1 contains The Disneyland Story and Dateline Disneyland, both black and white. The Disneyland Story is the 1st ever episode of the Disneyland TV series. This milestone from 1954 begins with Walt Disney telling us of his plans to build the Disneyland Park, then switches to a discussion about the TV series and how it will tell stories from the various areas of the theme park, such as Davy Crockett's story from Frontierland. The 2nd half of this feature is a tribute to Mickey Mouse (by way of cartoon clips), as Walt expresses that he wants everyone to remember that, "It all started with a mouse." The 2nd feature on Disc One, Dateline: Disneyland, is the live ABC Broadcast of Disneyland's opening day in 1955, hosted by Art Linkletter, Ronald Reagan, and Bob Cummings. This features the hosts in the various "Lands" of the park, explaining the themes and rides of each of them. We are treated to celebs like Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. riding rides, and live performances by the likes of Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen. We also see Walt's own, live dedication ceremonies of the Park and its various lands. It can really bring a tear to the eye of a true fan.
Disc 2 contains two more features, Disneyland After Dark and Disneyland 10th Anniversary, both in color, and this time from the 1960s. Some time has passed, and now the park is an established American treasure! Disneyland After Dark is a collection of live performances from musical celebrities of the time, such as Annette Funicello and Bobby Rydell in Tomorrowland, the Osmond Quartet at the Plaza Gardens, and the highlight for me, Louis Armstrong aboard the Mark Twain! We also are treated to hula dancers and a fire dance in Adventureland. In Disneyland 10th Anniversary, we see some of Walt's last work on the park as he gives Miss Disneyland Tencentennial (some sort of Disneyland 10th Anniversary Beauty Pageant Winner) a tour of the Imagineering Department to fill her in on future park plans before she goes on tour. Here we get to see Disney attractions in early production stages, such as a 1/8th inch to a foot scale model of It's A Small World and miniature versions of some elements of the Haunted Mansion. Walt also explains audio-animatronics, showing the work being done for Pirates of the Caribbean, and treating us to a sample of the Enchanted Tiki Room show. We also see various clips of early park production and a parade down Main Street. Also on the 2nd disc are the extras; a gallery of some of the Disneyland ride poster art over the years, and a short Leonard Maltin featurette on Disneyland.
The set comes in a lovely snap case with a small litho, and is in a very nice tin box with serial number. If you are a nut for Disneyland and Disney history in general, this set is for you. Be warned though, if it's a tour of the park you are looking for, you won't find it here. Many of us were disappointed that the actual film, "Disneyland, U.S.A.," was not in this set. Strange, considering the title. That short film actually IS a tour of the park, and hopefully will find its way to DVD SOMEDAY. My other complaints? Well, the DVD set is missing scenes involving the original Mousketeers, as well as certain Tiki Room sequences. All I can say is I HATE it when I buy a DVD and find out it's been edited, but especially when it's classic Disney, as was the case with Melody Time and Make Mine Music! That's just unacceptable, especially in these Deluxe sets! Also, the "do not try this at home" warnings added onto the fire-dance and fire-walk sequences were totally unnecessary and annoying. Lastly, there was the problem of simply not enough stuff. C'mon, there is a ton of material they could have included! I would have been satisfied if they had at least included Disneyland, USA. They also could have included some of the Birthday specials of the past years, like that Disneyland Birthday that had Tony Danza, Charles Fleischer, Ernest, etc... That would have been nice! But, despite these complaints, I do love the set, I just hope this is not the only time we'll ever see this material on DVD, because we definitely require unedited releases, not to mention releases of the other episodes of the Disneyland TV show, from day one to today; from Swamp Fox to Fluppy Dogs, from The Scarecrow to Mickey's 60th Birthday. Not to mention all the other stuff on the parks, like Disneyland, U.S.A., Gala Day At Disneyland, and Disneyland Showtime. Let's hope we see another Disneyland set for these shows, and some sets for my favorite place, Walt Disney World! But unless you are incredibly easily disappointed, I encourage any fans of Disney history, or Disney park history, to pick up this set and check out the other Disney Treasures collections! Even with its disappointments, this set is still a hit! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

INCREDIBLY AWESOME!!!!
I LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!! THE BEGINNING HAD THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS THEMESONG AND AFTER THE THEME SONG THEY HAD SPONGE BOB DANCING A JIG!!!! IT WAS SO COOL!!!! I LOVED IT AND THE BIGGER PINNAPLE WAS DANCING SO HARD IT WENT INTO OUTER SPACE TO THE PLANET NEPTUNE AND BECAME A ROAST CHICKEN!!!!

I LOVE SPONGEBOB
i saw the spongebob movie on the night it came out and i was impressed. the show got me impressed too because it's funny, cute, and awesome. it made me proud in my heart. spongebob will be my favorite show, movie and favorite charactar.

Looks Fantastic!
I have absolutly loved Spongebob Squarepants ever since the tv show was first aired and have been waiting for the movie ever since. The trailers for the movie are really funny! I will be there on opening day, no matter what!

SPONGEBOB!!!!!SPONGEBOB!!!!!SPONGEBOB!!!!!SPONGEBOB!!!!!
I'M READY! (...)FOR THE GREATEST BLOCKBUSTER MOTION PICTURE EVENT OF THE LAST 2 CENTURIES. I WANT TO MOVE TO BIKINI-BOTTOM AND LIVE NEXT TO SPONGEBOB, PATRICK, AND SQUIDWARD AND I WANT TO WORK AT THE KRABBY PATTY AND GIVE MY WHOLE PAYCHECK BACK TO MR. KRABS AND THEN CRASH MY BOAT AT BOATING SCHOOL AND GET MY DRIVING TEACHER THROWN IN JAIL AND HAVE A KUNG-FU FIGHT WITH SANDY CHEEKS AND LOSE TO A GIRL AND GET LOST AND DRIVE A ROCK BACK HOME AND FEED MY PET SNAIL HUGE, GIANT, OVERSIZED CANS OF CATFOOD!!!!! AND I'M 30 YEARS OLD, SO MY WIFE CANNOT SAY NO.

CAN'T WAIT!
I can't wait untill SpongeBob the movie comes out, i've been watching it every day and night on T.V, Me and my friends have stickers, magnets, pencils, everything of Spongebob. We all think SpongeBob rocks, not forgetting Squidwert of course.
Thanks, love Dragon
xxx
P.S Only 5 months and 7 days and counting untill it comes out! ... Read more

Description

Includes all episodes in the Fusion saga. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

(curls fingers) Excellent!
What an awesome saga. This is by far one of the best DBZ sagas ever. Super Buu is introduced along with SSJ3 Gotenks and SSJ Vegetto. There is even that one funny scene I like when Vegetto is turned into a little piece of candy and he still beats up on Buu. Then there's the part where they must escape from inside Buu's body; but first they are attacked by parasitic like creatures ready to devour their bodies, then they must fight imposters of Gohan, Gotenks, and Piccolo. Then there's the part when they fight none other than Buu himself. But things go wrong when they realize that Buu can regenerate himself within his own body!!! Will Goku and Vegeta escape Buu's mind in time with the pods containing Gohan, Goten, Trunks and Piccolo? Or will they become lunch for Buu? Buy this saga and find out!

Great Saga. Vegeto and Gotenks are seen for the first time.
This saga is great. We get to see Vegeto and gotenks fight for the first time. This saga starts off with Buu splitting into the people, they fight and the evil buu wins. The evil buu absorbs the good buu and he transforms. After that happens buu tracks down gotenks energy and goes to the watch tower. He wants to fight them or else all of the world will be destroyed. Piccolo decideds to have him fight gotenks in the hyperbolic time chamber so that if they lose piccolo can destroy the door and buu will be trapped and the world will be saved. They fight and Buu escapes. Now its up to gohan (who was unlocking his hidden power in the kai world) to save the day. gohan fights bravely but is absorbed. Gotenks is also absorbed. Goku who was also at the kai world is given the fusion earings and with luck he finds vegeta (who made a deal with King Yama). Goku finally talks vegeta into using the earings and they fuse into Vegeto. Vegeto kicks buus butt and buu is furious. After they fight for awhile buu absorbs Vegeto. This is a great saga. The fight scenes with gotenks and buu, and Vegeto and buu are great. This is a definate must have for all DBZ fans.

Dragonball Z: Fusion Saga
Highly recommend this 7 disc set. This saga set contains Episodes 239-260.

Action packed.
This is a great Box set. In this we can see Vegito the saiyan formed when Vegeta and Goku do fusion. You can also see Majin Buu transforms into super buu. But there is just 1 complaint from me. There is just too much action in it but if you like fighting in Dragonball z this is the box set you want. But i suggest if you are buying this set it would be better to buy the Kid buu set as well. I own both of them and the Kid buu set is magnificent.

The Best of Dragon Ball Z Yet!
Ive watched a lot of Dragon Ball Z in my day, and the Buu saga is definetly the high point of the series. Fused in between the Babidi and Kid Buu saga's, Fusion is excellent in many categories. Seeing Gotenks greatest ability (The one that lets him equalize with Buu's power) is a real thrill, and watching Buu's constant transformations is fun as well.

Even so, the Fusion saga has its errors (hence the four stars); I found the parts with Mr. Satan flat-out boring. There were also some stupid moments, such as a scene where Vegetto transforms into a candy. Youll see what I mean.

Overall, the Fusion saga is definetly better than all the previous saga's, in terms of intensity and animation; Akira Toriyama's art style has also greatly improved since the Cell Games. The character's are more vibrant and well defined, and the animation was top notch for its time (Although its pale in comparison to todays anime). All in all, Fusion is merely preperation for the final and also best saga in all of DBZ: The Kid Buu saga. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Based on a series of fantasy novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a bloody anime adventure. Set in the distant future, the story focuses on D (voice by Andrew Philpot), the son of a vampire and a mortal who has dedicated his life to exterminating vampires. D is pursuing Charlotte (Wendee Lee), who has been carried off by vampire Meier Link (John Rafter Lee). The bounty-hunting Markus brothers and tough-talking Leila (Pamela Segall) are also on the trail. A long, violent chase brings them to the Castle of Carmila the Bloody Countess (Julia Fletcher), where the narrative founders in a series of confusing illusions that lead to an inconclusive ending. Bloodlust looks better in still images that evoke Yoshitaka Amano's intricate illustrations than it does in motion. The very limited drawn animation clashes visually with the more fluid computer-generated imagery--D's cape billows dramatically, but his expression rarely changes. Fans of such violent anime features as Sword for Truth and Ninja Resurrection will enjoy the no-holds-barred action sequences, but more squeamish viewers will be put off by the beheadings, impalements, disembowelments, etc. Vampire Hunter D, an earlier, more modest feature based on the same material, is a better adaptation. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (331)

Mediocre at Best
Maybe I anticipated the release of Bloodlust too much or maybe I've just watched too many really good animations recently, which detracted from this movie. Most likely, it just wasn't that good. I was a big fan of the first VHD, but for a new movie that has had this much attention and praise I was quite disappointed. I'm not going to just give it a good score simply because of high hopes and respect for its predecessor. D didn't deliver the sword battles that can be found in Samurai X. The artwork wasn't sinister or gothic compared with Blood - The Last Vampire. The characters weren't nearly as well developed as those found in Ninja Scroll. After the dust settles and the hype moves on to a new movie, Bloodlust will be far removed from the status of "an anime classic" reserved for the likes of Akira and Ghost in the Shell. This move could've been much better than what's playing in movie theaters right now, but that's just my opinion.

The Original Classic's Sequel
Bloodlust is a great combination of action and beautiful animation. Those of you who have seen the first film and were not impressed should look no other place than Bloodlust. Unlike the first film this is much more of an action packed violent movie. The voice acting of D is again done very well. Unlike in the first film all of the side characters are done just perfect. The animation in this film is the best you will ever see. The sound and picture quality is also very good. But no anime can be perfect as shown in this film. The D's hand which was awsome in the first film comes of as annoying in this one. The Scene in which the shuttle lifts of may make you gag put it isn't too horrible. Even with these flaws it is still a far superior film than the original. Those of you who have not seen the original should probably see it after you see Bloodlust.

So this is my review of Bloodlust

Story 7/10- The story thats there is good there just isn't that much of it.

Sound 8/10- The voice acting is done well and the quality is good.

Visuals 10/10- Great.

Extras 7/10- Nothing special.

Rating 15 and Up- Its not as violent as people say it is.

Movie 10/10- With a great lead character, tons of acton, decent story, and great animation Bloodlust is a must see.

The End

Um..Studio Madhouse..Kawajiri....Amano.....could there be...
..........a more incredible team to bring the latest Vampire Hunter D story to life?

Our wandering vampire hunting bad*** has been hired very reluctantly by a local aristocatic family to rescue a woman kidnapped by an ancient vampire named Meier Link. But D has some competition in this particular mission. The Markus Brothers, a team of vampire hunters with advanced technology hope to beat D to the prize. But after a brief encounter with Meier Link, D begins to suspect that the realtionship between Link and his abductee might not be what everyone assumes. Very dramatic with an outstanding orchestrated soundtrack, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust is a worthy follow-up to the 80's classic. And believe me, fans of the original were the most difficult to please.

Some people have complained that this DVD doesn't contain the Japanese track. It should be noted that there is no Japanese track. Since the film takes place in Europe, the film was originally dubbed in English using some of the top American talent. Which is why the dubbing is far superior than most other Englich-dubbed anime.

"I know I'm a parasite, but I've always been a helpful parasite haven't I, D?"......HA

better than it deserves to be
first off i want to stay that i HATE vampire hunter d. the original that is. i saw it once a few years back and thought it was the most worthless piece of trash i'd seen this side of dragonball z. i still do. so going into this i already had some preconcieved notions about how assy this would be.
the opening scenes just floored me. the animation is second only to akira, and its a close second. the characters, even the secondary characters like the marcus brothers, are spectacularly designed and have great personality. the plot, while on the surface may seem very standard fare, is done delicately and with enough pinache to absorb a casual viewer.
the action scenes are top-notch. the music is awesome.
the ONLY downer to the movie is the main character, who through most of the movie just sorta sits there. as boring and mannequin-ish as he is they did a pretty noble job of giving him some personality. if you dont believe me just watch the closing scene.

One of the best 10 movies I have seen. Period.
I cannot say why. It is, after all, animated. There are few animated full-length films on my best-100 list. Nevertheless, Vampire Hunter D is on my of-all-movies, top-10 list.

I am not knowledgeable enough to rate the animation. Maybe the most important thing is it is not evident after the first few viewing minutes; the movie just becomes an engrossing story. Animation only comes to mind afterwards; when something is obviously better done through animation than special effects (somewhat as black and white goes away after a few minutes of Young Frankenstein or Casablanca and comes to mind only when you think back on the film and realize color would not have been an asset).

Bloodlust has fabulous characters and a story complex enough and good enough to draw you in completely. It is much better than the first film. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Star Blazers - Comet Empire -- better than the original
I bought the entire second Star Blazers series, Star Blazers - Comet Empire, on DVD back in December 2003, and I have lost count of how many times I've seen it.

If there's a classic Japanese animation series that's worthy of collecting on DVD, this is it! The stakes are far higher for the earth and the crew of the Argo this time.

The thing that has always been enjoyable about Star Blazers is its good-versus-evil view of the world. True heroes are identified, as are the true villains, although there is an exception as I will note below.

Prince Zordoff of the Comet Empire and Leader Desslok of the Gamalons are in league to conquer the human race and the crew of the Argo. Theirs is a pact of true evil that the humans must stand up to -- or fall into slavery or destruction. That is, until Desslok sees how misguided he was in his war against the human race and the Star Force. He has a revelation of biblical proportions when he sees Nova cuddling a wounded Wildstar during the battle on his ship.

I especially liked the pipe organ music, because that gives you a sense of despair as the Comet Empire shrieks through the universe.

When evil makes itself felt, rather than giving into darkness and despair, the Forces of Good stand up to it -- no matter the odds or the cost.

I think the other thing that is good and proper about the Star Blazers storyline is that it deals with death -- something that modern animated series like "G.I. Joe" and "Transformers" shied away from.

There are many scenes, such as Sgt. Knox on the planet Brumis, where the casualties of war are remembered and honoured. Then there's Captain Gideon and his fleet battling the Comet Empire and its fleet at Saturn. Many people die on both sides of this conflict, and the battles show the destruction.

It's not necessary or desirable to show mangled bodies -- I agree with this. Nor should war be glorified. But, it's important to show the tragic consequences of war, and the sacrifices that are made, and this story does both very well in that regard.

Perhaps the most enduring character in Star Blazers - Comet Empire is Trelana (SP?) of Telezart. How difficult a decision it would be for any of us to have to live with -- the thought that you or I had destroyed an entire civilization with a great mind energy, even though we didn't mean to do it. Then swearing never to use that power to harm another living being, only to be faced with an almost equal threat in the Comet Empire -- and the knowledge that other civilizations like earth's are faced with enslavement or extinction unless she stands up to the Comet Empire. What could be more ambiguous, and more heart-wrenching, than having to make these kinds of choices?

If there are any criticisms of Star Blazers - Comet Empire, they are minor. For instance, in one episode, the leader of earth is a prime minister. In the next, that person is a president. So, there were some minor flaws in the script writing for the English translation of this series.

There was also a problem with the planet Brumis. The Space Marines had to abandon it when the crew of the Argo rescues them. Then, when they return to pay homage to the dead military personnel there, the planet has been made into a huge Comet Empire base. I find it hard to believe that planet Brumis could have been made into a huge and secret base for the Comet Empire in that short a time.

However, these are minor flaws that I can overlook in an otherwise great storyline.

Overall, Star Blazers - Comet Empire is a great science fiction storyline. In fact, it's better than the original because the threat is much greater, and because of the expansion of the number of characters.

I can only hope that Star Blazers - Bolean Wars is equal to this one.

Star Blazers
I merber Star Blazers on TV back in 70's I watch what going to happen next. Now all the Star Blazers is on DVD. I going to buy the last of Star Blazers series.

"Target: The Comet Empire!!!"
When I was a kid I admit to giving the second series of "Star Blazers" a pass. I watched it once, then waited patiently for "The Quest for Iscandar" episodes to start again. I think I now understand why. While the first series gave me an emitonally nostalgic buzz, it is a fairly simple and straight-forward story filled with great ideas and outstanding concepts that are easier for kids to digest. But with "The Comet Empire" the characters are so well-developed and the plotting so intricate that when I was young it was simply too much information. Today, however, I prefer this series for a multitude of reasons. The most noticable difference is that the animation has improved ten-fold! There are many scenes throughout the series that rival current-day anime. While "The Quest for Iscandar" was loaded with great ideas, the plotting sometimes took a backseat to inspiration. But here the story is more fluid and diverse, with interesting sub-plots, and with even more great ideas. While the first series concentrated on introducing the main characters and developing depth of character, this second series expands on those characteristics while giving more screen-time to the rest of the cast. Sandor and Orion and Eager and Homer all get more attention, as do the newer characters, like the colorful Sgt. Knox and his Space Marines; the charming Leader Desslok makes his return, as well. As an adult, I enjoy "The Comet Empire" more for the simple fact that there is more going on. Aboard the war machine that is "The Comet Empire" there is devious behavior and political maneuvering, with certain individuals vying for the throne. While at Earth Headquarters, the actions of The Star Force are taken as mutiny at first, but later embraced as their last defense. The complexity of emotion and plot kept me interested all the way to the end. This wasn't the nostalgia-rush I got from the first series, but seriously, everything else here is an improvement. Although, I still gave "The Quest for Iscandar" 5 stars. This is easily one of the best animated series of all-time, and I highly recommend both series. "The Quest for Iscandar" for unbridled nostalgia, and "The Comet Empire" for an excellent adventure story.

Not just a "cartoon". Much, much more
Like everyone else who worships this series, I too lived and breathed Star Blazers in my youth. Right after school, at 3:30 on Channel 11 (but occasionally in the morning at 7:00), was my time to get lost in another world. In fact I vividly recall my mother, during the show's morning performances, waking me up for school by turning on my little black and white tv, and I would be roused from my slumber to the theme song: "We're off to outer space..." What a great way to start a day! I tear up just thinking about it. And of course my friends and I would discuss that day's episode at school. Unforgettable, irreplacable memories.
Growing up has not lessened the experience one iota, since Star Blazers contains all the drama and excitement of any adult tv show, without the language and nudity (though apparently some skin existed in the original Japanese version). The character development is staggering (due to the amazing voice actors); the frustration of loss and the elation of victory is palpable.
I prefer the Comet Empire Series only slightly more than the Iscandar series because the artwork is a little better, though neither of them have truly bad artwork. It's not the hi-tech modern anime that we're used to now, but rather the acorn from which it grew. The scene at the beginning of the series where the Star Force is gathered at Captain Avatar's Memorial and the new Andromeda battleship flies toward them covered in lights was quite an advanced piece of work for the time, but that sort of technique wasn't used often in the series.
The dvd extras with the original voice actors is too good to be true, and it's a shame they weren't used on the Bolar Wars series. I will not watch it due to that little detail. It just isn't the same. Wildstar, Venture, Nova, Sandor, Conroy, Orion, et al. are forever to be associated with the voices from the first 2 series.
Even though I realize the Argo should have been destroyed 100 times over with the damage it received (especially from the Comet Empire's "hidden" ship), I will not let that minor technicality sway my opinion of this remarkable, intelligent, moving story. The music is great, the voice actors make you truly feel close to the characters, and the drama and heroism is unmatched by any other "mere cartoon".

Another triumph
Those of you who've read my review of the first series know how I feel about Star Blazers. This series languished in my faded memory for 20 years before I found it on DVD. And then it exploded any expectations I had by being magnificent and beautiful -- one of the best sci-fi series .... heck, one of the best series period to ever hit the small screen.

The second season details the struggle against the awful Comet Empire. The peace and tranquility bought by the Argo's victory over Gamilon is shattered when a mysterious comet wends its way toward the solar system. At the same time, a garbled desperate message reaches Earth and the Star Force reunites to investigate and find out just what the threat to Earth is.

Once again, the talented writers have found the right balance of thinking big and writing small. The story is epic -- monumental. And yet they never lose sight of the human drama. Amidst the stunning battle at Saturn, the Star Force's desperate fight on the surface of Telezart and the final apocalyptic confrontation, we still get those little moments that make Star Blazers so amazing -- Wildstar's developement into a capable commander, the tension between him and Sergeant Knox and a touching tender love story between Trelaina and Mark Venture that brings tears to the eyes of the most cynical viewer.

I wish that someone had spent the time and money restoring the video and audio. The quality of the material is poor. The audio fades in and out, the video has flecks and spots and warps. The problem is the source material. No one imagined anyone would care about this series in 2003 and so no one bothered to preserve it.

But you know what? By episode 10, I didn't even notice. The story had swept me away and I could just ignore the poor quality of the audio/video and embrace the story with the same rapture I did at ten years of age.

The extras on the DVD are even better than last time. They include not only an overview of Earth, the Comet Empire and the weaponry, but interesting interview with the cast members. These people were struggling actors who did what seemed a throwaway job. And they're suprised and moved to find out how much the series meant to the viewers.

But again, this is just a bonus. The real flesh of this collection is the best animated series to hit the small screen. Once again, I advise you to jump in with both feet. You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very Good
Very good, its not as good as the book but movies based on books hardly ever are, its still a great show and they twisted it uh bit from what the book is like so people who read the book can still injoy it and find something new and different when they watch it. To make things simple if you are uh fan of the book or you just injoy uh good anime show this is uh great set of DVD's to add to your collection. :)

Good, but..
All in all these 3 movies were good, but in my own opinion the drawing style for the three movies was just lacking a bit. Also, the story line wasn't as detailed as the manga series. The final movie, Love Hina Again, really got me irriated a bit. I thought it would, in a way, follow suit with the end of the manga, but the ending just leaves you hanging, which is irriating. I suspect that there probably is going to be another Love Hina tv movie, but I am not fully sure. I openly buy it, but I rather suggest to you all to buy all the 14 manga series. They are a hell alot better and you get to see more..you know..the stuff that Keitaro keeps getting hit by when peeking in the Spring Bath..

Three great movies in one collection...
The Love Hina Christmas Movie DVD is the first you should watch. Not only does it have Episode 25 as one of the extras, but the movie itself is very touching, as Keitaro finally tells Naru he loves her. But her reaction, which is to run away, is not the one he wanted. Does she love him or is she still in love with somebody else?
The Love Hina Spring Movie DVD is the next one you should watch. Naru, Keitaro and Mutsumi have taken their entrance exam for Tokyo U BUT before the results can come in Keitaro disappears. Naru pretends not to care, but in the end she runs off to rescue him.
The story goes nuts, as we end up on a tropical island with a secret civilization, lots of flying turtles, missiles and a girl named Nyamo. Pretty normal for Love Hina when you think about it.
The third DVD, Love Hina Again, is three episodes. We learn Keitaro and Naru have begun college life. Yet Naru has still not told Keitaro she loves him (not to his face anyway). And now he's gone off on another archaelogical dig with Naru's old flame Seta!
THEN Keitaro's little step-sister shows up and things really get weird, even for Love Hina. Talking cats, love magic and lots of new rules to live by. This DVD also has cool outtakes!
If you love Love Hina, you should try to get all the DVDs, used or new.

A Great Love Story
I own the whole DVD box set, both Movies and Series. And I have also read entire manga or comic books of Love Hina.

The manga version include BOTH Series and Movie version of Love Hina. But it is very different from the Series. I guess the manga is more detailed and fun to read. Also the storyline is very different. DVD and manga are telling the same story, but DVD is kinda like director's cut edition.

There are many stories shown in manga which have not shown in the DVD. There are also many stories shown in DVD that have not shown in manga.

Some people say that manga version is better than the DVD version. I do not totally agree with it. I enjoy watching and read this great masterpiece. I think BOTH are very good and are worth to collect. Some people also say that Spring Movie is very BAD. Well, Over all, I think Spring Movie is not that good compare to the other two movies.

Over all, I give this product 4.5/5 STARS! It is a great anime! But none of the anime is PERFECT, just like us human *^_^*

If you like love story which is VERY VERY SAD. I highly recommend <>. I just bought <> recently, I think it is also one of the greatest anime ever made!

Thank you for reading my review!!!

Manga is way better
Love Hina Again is better than the anime series. Christmas Movie, Spring Movie, and Again were my favorite of all of the animed series, but the Comic series, is better.
The comics run for a while longer than the anime. Things are explained in more detail and I'd consider the manga's story much better than that of the anime.

I'd say they swayed a little too far away from the original work while adapting this. But it's still pretty good. (So long as they didn't try to translate the word "tanuki") ... Read more

Reviews (187)

Welcome to... METROPOLIS
I waited for what seemed like years to see this movie but when I finally did see it, it lived up to all expectations. It's about a 20's version of the future where robots are just as smart as humans but they are treated differently. The story goes much much deeper than that but i don't want to explain it.
ANIMATION:10/10: It's a mix between anime a fifties cartoon and computer graphics. I personally thought they blended very well. Although the CG wasn't superb it WAS passable and there was a whole lot of it.
SOUND:9/10: In the theatrical release there was no english dubbing, it was left in it's original japanese form with subtitles. However the DVD has the english language and the original japanese language. The dubbing is actually quite good. The music was EXCELLENT! However if your not into jazz you should probably turn the sound off and just read the subtitles. At the end when they played "i can't stop loving you" it had a really weird effect on you but it was cool.
CHARACTERS:9/10: Metropolis has realistic lovable characters that wear cool clothes. (Rock's boots are tight!!!)
OVERALL:10/10. Metropolis is a must see and a must own. Buy the DVD.

Style extravaganza... but falls short of it's potential
As an anime fan, I felt compelled to watch this movie. After all, it's a must see, according to everyone and their mothers. Sadly, this movie doesn't hold to the hype.

It's undeniable that it gets brownie points for style: The graphics are crisp and clear, and the jazzy music worked it's way into my soundtrack favorites list. However, I felt the use of 3D Computer Images was overdone, and contrasted too much with the normal 2D animation.

So far, so good. However, when it comes to the story, it falls flat. Metropolis sure gave it a shot: It attempts to be deep, it attempts to create a living, breathing environment, it attempts to use great characters... and that's it's problem: It attempts. but it never quite meshes out correctly. It never achieves the potential it holds to reach the state of greatness it was intended to.

Still, it's not something to keep it out of your collection. A reccomendable movie for most people, worth the money. Just don't expect a Grave of the Fireflies quality movie.

Work Smart Not Hard
* METROPOLIS, a Japanese animation film by Katsuhiro Otomo (of AKIRA
fame) and colleagues, is an adaptation of a late-1940s manga (Japanese
comic) series by Osamu Tezuka, the godfather of Japanese animation
and comics. The manga was in turn inspired by Fritz Lang's silent-film
sci-fi classic, METROPOLIS.

METROPOLIS takes place in a city of breathtaking skyscrapers sitting on
top of underground complexes populated by humans and robots. The
society of Metropolis is caste-oriented, with an elite at the top of
the skyscrapers and a downtrodden, restless underclass at the lowest
level of the underground, with armed fascist gangs maintaining their
idea of order while a revolutionary underground arms for an uprising.

The story begins with the opening of the "Ziggarut", which despite its
name is a skyscraper, not a step pyramid. It is the creation of the
aristocratic Duke Red, an ambitious man with an obscure agenda. His
adopted son, Rock, leader of the fascist gangs, idolizes the Duke but
has an agenda of his own, which he carries out by indifferently
shooting anything in his way. A lad from Japan named Kenichi arrives
with his uncle, a detective in pursuit of a fugitive, and the two
become involved in the intrigues, which revolve around a pretty
android named Tima.

METROPOLIS is, particularly by anime standards, an impressive
production job, mixing elaborate computer-generated visuals with
excellent character artwork in Tezuka's style (though they made the
legs longer). It takes an interesting "retro" approach, with airships
flying over the city and a soundtrack mostly focused on old-time pop
tunes and New Orleans jazz -- SAINT JAMES INFIRMARY in an anime, what
a surprise -- and also makes good use of a Ray Charles number.

The end result is a movie that is visually dazzling and technically
impressive but fails to be memorable, not in spite of these things
but because of them. There is a fundamental clash between the
computer graphics and Tezuka's artwork style, and more to the point
the characters end up being lost in the scenery -- sort of like a
theatrical stage that is so elaborate it's hard to spot the actors.
Somehow I ended up thinking of the kind of web pages that are full
of bells and whistles but don't have any content.

The story actually seems basically sound, and the irony is that
METROPOLIS seems like it could have been a very good movie if
substantially less effort had been spent on the computer graphics and
more on getting up-close with the characters. In practice, METROPOLIS
never really picks up much momentum. It's interesting to watch