Amazon.com essential video

Although the title means something along the lines of "no need forTenchi," everyone wants the hapless hero of this popular series. These13 OAV episodes reunite the cast from the TV show, but with somechanges. Sasami is initially much younger and less domestic; grandfatherMasaki turns out to be Yosho, the long-lost Jurai prince who was betrothed toAyeka centuries ago; genius-in-residence Wasshu reveals an unexpected bondwith interstellar outlaw Ryoko. The tone is a little racier than thebroadcast version: Ryoko runs around naked and the attempts to seduce theterminally klutzy Tenchi are more pointed.

In the first adventure (episodes 1-7), Tenchi inadvertently wakes amummified demon who was imprisoned at the Masaki family shrine 700 yearsago--none other than space pirate extraordinaire Ryoko. The problems shecauses are dwarfed by the arrival of Jurai princesses Ayeka and Sasami,bubble-brained Galactic Police Agent Miyoshi--and interstellar criminalKagato. Assuming the role (and costume) of the Crown Prince of Jurai, Tenchidefeats the evil Kagato with a magic sword that resembles the lightsabers in Star Wars.

Unexpected arrivals keep the Masaki household in chaos in the later,shorter adventures (episodes 8-13), including a baby cousin of Tenchi's, ashape-shifting robot who impersonates Ryoko, and the Emperor and Empress of Jurai. The writers occasionally lose track of the plot, especially in episode 13, "Here Comes Jurai," but Tenchi has never been noted forits logic. Inall the episodes, the filmmakers manage to balance interplanetary threats,teenage romance, andbroad comedy with their usual aplomb.

The Tenchi Encyclopedia (powered by Wasshu OS) offers short biographiesof the main characters with clips and stills, pencil tests, digital comics, Japanese commercials, and full credits for the series. A must-have forTenchi fans. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (166)

No Need for Reviews
This is by far one of the best anime series. This OAV (direct to video) set started the Tenchi DVD universe. There are three different sets in the series Tenchi. First there is the Tenchi OAV (this), the Tenchi TV series (No Need for . . . titles), and then Tenchi in Tokyo. Follow these series are the three movies, however, THIS is the best of all of them. Also if you have seen Tenchi on Cartoon Network, this is the uncut version of it. There is brief nudity in this series.

The title, in English, means "No Need for Tenchi," however, anyone that knows the series knows that everyone needs Tenchi. The story starts when Ryoko (the best character out of the whole anime) is accidentally freed from the shrine that imprisoned her by Tenchi. Boy, does Tenchi regret that he did that for Ryoko decides to take revenge on Tenchi because it was Tenchi ancestor (grandfather) that impressed her in there 700 years ago (yes I said 700). Following Ryoko, other strange alien characters start to "fall" (and I do mean fall) into Tenchi's life.

The story arc was well done and neatly woven together. My only problem is that when the story ends, it doesn't seem complete. It seems like at the end of episode 13, the series is just getting warmed up and not ending. Nonetheless, I still give this series five stars because there are two other Tenchi series to watch, even though they are not a good or as well planed.

An Absolute Great Buy!
Simply put, this Tenchi Muyo! box set is well worth its pricey $100 price tag. I was very impressed with the DVD's unique packaging design that's striking and overall beautiful. The entire series is packed into 2 DVDs (400+ minutes) and includes a special features disc which includes character bios, trailers, and more. In a technical standpoint, I never had any trouble playing the discs and the sound quality is just fine. The picture quality had no problems either. The English voice-overs did a great job capturng the characters' essence and personality, however I did notice a couple of out-of-sync parts, but no harm. What's interesting is the fact taht there's two versions of the English subtitle: one for the direct Japaneese translation, and one for the hearing impaired, which translates the English dub. Pretty cool. But what makes Tenchi Muyo! (this box set) so great is the well-written, character-driven storyline. This is one of the few anime titles that don't depend on big fight scenes or cool robot mechs or slapstick. Tenchi Muyo! is well-balanced meaning it doesn't get too serious and doesn't get too silly. After watching the first episode, I got hooked. The characters are so well-written even the villanist bad guys are brilliant. If you're any type of anime fan, or want to get your first anime, I can't recommend anything better than the Tenchi Muyo! OVA Box Set.

tenchi at its best a uk fan
this anime is so funny im not going to wright a long review i just thought id say what i think. this is the funnyest anime i have ever seen it contains well drawn action sceans to.
well i started seing this show on toonami uk beacause its got its own seprate channle i the uk. but after christmas they stoped showing it as well as gundam wing. i was realy angry i emailed them at europe.turnerinfo.com and asked them why. they said that they had no plans to show them again. i was not happy

espeshally when they realaced them with samurai jack. so i desided to get the uncut version on dvd it was amazing ive watchted it like 8 times now. eney true tenchi fan will love this dvd.

Meet Tenchi Masaki...a normal teenager...
This 14-episode series, made from the First and Second OVA story-arches, is still the best of the Tenchi settings. In it Tenchi Masaki meets the legendary demoan, Ryoko, a galactic space pirate. He also meets a couple of Royal Princesses, Ayeka and Sasami, a Galaxy Police Detective, Mihoshi, an alien creature, the cute Ryo-Ohki, and the greatest scientific genius in the universe, WASHU! Mystery, space combat and comedy all in one.
Tenchi soon gets into a lot of trouble as he discovers the TRUE history of his family and about the power locked up in his blood.
This collection is the best, even with all the new volumes and improved collections that are now out. The first two DVDs have the first 13 episodes, plus the bonus 14th episode, and the third DVD is the Tenchi Encyclopedia with interviews, info files, trailers and more. This is the perfect way to caught up on the series without paying a lot of cash. Better do it soon, because the Third OVA should be available any day now!

Not to quibble, but . . .
. . . I'm going to quibble. In the editorial review above, the reviewer says that the Tenchi OVA reunites the cast of the TV show, but that's not so. The OVA was the original; the TV series "Tenchi Universe" and "Tenchi Tokyo" came afterward and made some radical changes in the plot lines, characters, and histories.

The original Tenchi OVAs are far superior to the different TV series, movies, and specials. OVA 1 is episodes 1-6, OVA 2 is episodes 6-13, and OVA 3 is slowly being released at the time of this writing.

The character relationships and backstory are far better in the OVA. The more that's revealed about the galaxy-wide civilizations that are hinted at in the series, and the more infomation that is revealed about earth's place in this scheme, the more fascinating this saga becomes. So much anime doesn't make you think and want to dig for detail. The Tenchi OVAs are so deep and complex that it seems that the stories should never end. ... Read more

Reviews (234)

The Emperor's New Groove--A Groovy Movie!
The Emperor's New Groove is a very interesting movie. Viewers will have a comical experience, typical of Disney movies. The animation of this movie is also excellent, showing details that really make the movie shine. The music is wonderful, contributing to an overall outstanding movie.

This movie is fun for all ages, clean for a child safe movie and comical enough for the adults. Join the arrogant Kuzco as he learns a lesson in hospitality, he won't soon forget. Prepare to meet Pacho, the villager who unwittingly will teach him that lesson, and a score of other interesting characters. This movie had my interest from start to finish.

The Ultimate Groove has special features like you wouldn't believe. Did you ever wonder how a Disney movie was made, or what goes on behind the scenes? Prepare to have these questions and more answered as Director and Producer take you behind the scene, on your choice of tours. Play a game, and help Kuzco get to the castle, but beware. Danger lurks right behind you.

This game was fun, but not that fun. I would not spend too much time on it. Overall, I vote for the Ultimate Groove for the backstage tours and commentary. If this does not sound like your interest, the normal version is an absolute must.

Just shy of a five-llama rating
I avoided seeing this movie in theaters, due in large part to the television and print ads which made the film seem dumb and uninteresting. I bought the DVD largely because it was a special edition and I want to encourage Disney to make more. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the film was a pretty straight comedy buddy picture which didn't get bogged down in obligitory romances or other typical plot devices. It's not really one of my favorite animated films, but it's fun and I like it.

This is a pretty good special edition, though it lacks that bit of extra oomph that would have made it a great one. The bonus material gives viewers a pretty good overview of the film's production, including some nice bits of rough animation of the major characters. The commentary, while lacking the guys-sitting-around-talking-about-their-movie-and-having-fun informality of something like "A Bug's Life", is infortmative without being boring. I guess my main gripe with this DVD is the lack of real information about the "Kingdom of the Sun" version of the film. I realize that Disney wasn't really happy with the way that was going and would probably rather forget it. But a synopsis of the original plot would have been interesting, even if it only shows why that version was scrapped. Overall, this is a nice DVD that will please fans of the film and provide some interest for the animation buffs.

Awesome movie!
My kids watch this one all the time. My youngest just loves it, she laughs through the whole movie (and so do!) David Spade is hilarious as Kuzko the self obsorbed Prince turned Llama, and John Goodman plays a heartwarming Pacha, the peasent who's home Kuzko wants to destroy to make his dream vacation spot.

Two thumbs way up!

Talk about baseball instead
This movie stars David Spade as a "llama." Who cares about a llama? Well, he does not start out as one. The movie is about an emperor who gets a spell cast on him. This movie is lame.

Ho-hum Disney Flick
The Emperor's New Groove never gets your pulse up. You never care about any of the characters. It would have been ok as a Saturday morning cartoon special, but is unworthy of the title "Disney Animated Feature." David Spade stars as an Inca king who is turned into a llama to teach him a lesson on kindness. John Goodman voices his best friend. The villian looks like an anorexic Cruella DeVille with disgusting spidery eyelashes.

Endless babbling and anachronistic cultural references made me weary. I was glad when it was over. I know that the destruction of the Inca civilization at the hands of the Spanish conquistadors was one of history's greatest tragedies. But if I were Pizzarro, and the Incas were this annoying, I would have annihilated them, too! I recommend Disney's 2003 "Brother Bear" instead, as a wonderful film for both kids and adults. ... Read more

Reviews (148)

One of the best animated movies of all time
The story of the animated film is similar to that of the first book, but contains parts of the second book. Dozy Alice is so silly she follows trouble by chasing a talking rabbit down hs hole. At the bottom, she drinks an unknown substance which helps her get through a talking door into Wonderland. Here she meets the Dodo, TweedleDum and TweedleDee (who tell her the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter), the Talking flowers (watch out for the snobby Iris!), the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat. She even has un-birthday tea with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. However, Alice gets caught up in a game of croquet with the Queen of Hearts, and later a trial. The whole thing becomes such a nightmare, Alice realises she's had a dream while she dozed off.

Firstly, I don't know why loads of people think this film is cheesy. I know Alice isn't for everyone, but when you look at the other films made based on Children's classics by Disney (eg- Jungle Book, Hunchback of Notre Dame), you'll see it's more faithful than those films to the original. However if you have read the books and haven't seen this film, some characters are missing (eg- Duchess, Mock Turtle, Knave of Hearts, White Knight). This may just think that Disney has ruined this classic forever. They haven't. It's the best adaption I've ever seen.

Although I actually have the PAL version, I suppose the movie is just the same over in North America. The best bits are the Walrus and the Carpenter, the garden of singing flowers and flamingo croquet. And the Mad Tea Party is still the funniest part of a Disney classic. So buy this movie. Wether it's a video tape or DVD.

(I also live near Carroll's birth place!)

Disney's 13th Animated Masterpiece!
Following the success of Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland is snother Disney gem, this colorful,classic animated feature tells the adventures of young Alice in a rather odd way since it doesn't really follow the book by Lewis Carroll, but still, makes a wonderful and entertaining film. Although it was not well-liked when it was first released, it is considered today another one of Disney's greatest masterpieces. The colorful characters will make you laugh from beginning to end. It is hard to say who is the wicked villain in this film, since they all play a role in making Alice's day in wonderland not very pleasent, starting from the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Chessire Cat and the Queen of Hearts, who just wants to see someone's head roll.

This new Masterpiece Edition DVD set brings Alice in Wonderland to a more deserved release than that previous Gold Collection, which brought very little bonus features. The masterpiece edition does bring many more bonuses, and one of my favorites is that "Virtual Wonderland Party", in which children can enjoy a little while in a fantastic tea pary. Really great! This DVD also has the greatest cover art, I love it. 5 stars!

Follow the white rabbit Neo - no sorry, I mean Alice
I just spent a couple of hours looking at this wonderful movie and the extra features. The aptly named Masterpiece Edition is worth every penny, and like The Matrix, should be included in any movie collection, whether you have a child to hide behind or not.

Beautifully adapted and animated from Lewis Carroll's highly imaginative, high-trippin' classic, the imagery and illustrated puns amaze and amuse, especially the little things like the rocking-horse fly, the bread-and-butter flies, the vultures, the pencil and hammer birds, the momeraths, and the bird in the tree (Queenie Leonard) yelling "Ser-pennnnnt !"

The animators drew each frame based on the portrayals by the actors voicing the parts, and the stand-outs are Kathryn Beaumont as Alice, Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter, Verna Felton as the Queen of Hearts, Bill Thompson as the White Rabbit, and the very flexible and versatile J. Pat O'Malley as Tweedle Dum, Tweedle Dee, the Walrus AND the Carpenter, in one of the best scenes in the movie.

With fourteen songs, this is the most musical Disney around, but unfortunately, the songs are not very easy to sing along to, making me sound like William Hung every time I try to impress people with my thorough knowledge of the lyrics.

There are lots of interesting tidbits in the extras, such as the discarded Cheshire Cat song, and the fact that one of the songs was later re-worded for Peter Pan. There are other links between Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, but you'll have to watch the extras to find out just what, cause I'm not telling.

For those who don't want to watch the previews at the beginning of the DVD, just press "Menu" and get plugged directly into Wonderland.

Amanda Richards, July 18, 2004

Disney-ized
One of my fav children's books gets Disney-ized. I find that this version is simply AMAZING! Yes, there are LOTS of drugged out images (ie..the caterpillar is smoking an opium pipe, she eats mushrooms to get bigger or smaller etc) but its a magical story and its told VERY well by the Disney guys. Not to be missed, grab it before its out of print.

It stinks!
This movie is nothing like the original book, skip it and watch the Hallmark version instead. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

So Great!
Beastmaster was/is such a fantastic show that I recommend everyone out there, whether they are interested in science fiction or not, to go out and buy these DVD sets. Even if you are not into the fantasy types of programs, the wonderful scripts will have you crying and laughing along with everyone else. There are so many different senarios that the show's main character, Dar, gets himself into, that there is certainly something there for everyone. Usually the first season of every show made is the best, because it is when you really get to know the characters and get to have your first impressions. This show, I believe, is no exception, but the second and thrid seasons are almost of the same quality. I initially began watching the show when there was nothing else on and I saw Daniel Goddard, who plays Dar, running around the jungle in a loin cloth and was instantly hooked. Definitely a must-have DVD set...

Much better than Hercules / Xena
If like me you hated how ignorant Hercules and Xena were, and want more serious fantasy like Lord of the rings. Beastmaster meets somewhere in the middle.
It of course does not have the big budget that rings did, but it still comes off very emotional and better written than Herc/Xena.
If you are an animal lover you may even tear up a few times while watching.
I'm glad that I finaly jumped in and bought the series.

excitement abounds
this is awesome that they decided to put this series on DVD so future fantasy fans can enjoy it and current ones who missed this hidden gem can see it, too. i was so caught up with this series when it came out that i couldn't wait until the next ep came out. none of the reviewers have commented on the fact that the star of the show, daniel goddard, is HOT. all of you female fantasy fans out there (there are more of us than you think) will appreciate every episode of bare-chested dan. pass the plate 'cause it is mmmmmmmm mmmmmmm good.

Wonderful series. Trekkies: Try this out
I was very sceptical when I bought the first series thinking I would hate a series based on a muscle bound Tarzan like man. I am an avid Trekkie and have watched every Star Trek episode made, up to and including the 2nd season of Enterprise. What could I possibly see in a Jungle based series with no scientific implements or space exploration.
The very first episode blew my mind with it fabulous cinematography and excellent sound effects. Once I got into the series it started to look very similar to the original Star trek. With Dar replacing Captain Kirk and Tao as his right hand man the thinker (Spok without the Vulcan ears). They are out to explore the world and right its wrongs. Amusingly the sourcerers even have their own version of the "Prime Directive" which prohibits them from interfering in human affairs.
The special effects are great, the costumes are wonderful and the setting absolutely spectacular.

Way to go ADV!
I am thrilled to see Beastmaster finally released on DVD. Out of the three seasons, the first, in my opinion, is the best. ADV-Films have chosen to release Beastmaster in season sets. The picture quality is what I'm beginning to expect from ADV. It's beautiful. ADV releases some of the best quality picture & sound ever. It is presented in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen, which makes it appear cinematic. The only extra features are all 22 of the episode previews and some ads for other ADV releases. Episode previews are something that I enjoy and want when TV series are released, so I am thankful that they at least added those. It would have been nice to have more extra features, but the show is being released more quickly than some other ADV series. (Mutant X, Farscape, & Andromeda for example.) Considering the price and the quality of this set, you should buy it today. ... Read more

Amazon.com

An elite U.S. counter-terrorism squad loses a member while decimating half of Paris in the reckless pursuit of Middle Eastern maniacs; a Broadway actor with a traumatic childhood secret is naturally hired to replace him. Oh--and they're all marionettes. South Park maestros Trey Parker and Matt Stone (along with co-writer Pam Brady) came up with this shameless satire of pea-brained Hollywood action flicks and even smaller-minded global politics, so don't expect subtlety or even a hint of good taste. Team America is soon on the trail of North Korea's evil Kim Jong Il, who treats us to a tender song about his loneliness before ensnaring Alec Baldwin and the rest of the oblivious Film Actors Guild (F.A.G. for short) in a plot to blow up every major city on the planet. Just as the mindless squad cheerfully demolishes everything in sight, so do director Parker and company. Throwing punches Left, Right, and in-between, the movie's politics leave no turn un-stoned; there's even time to bludgeon the musical Rent. It's offensive, irresponsible comic anarchy seemingly made by sniggering little boys. Painfully funny sniggering little boys.--Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (249)

"Team America"....f*ck yes.
Alot of people will dig this movie. It's accessable to mainstream audiences whether or not they get beyond the surface humor that might have linked "Team America" back to "Basketball", but it's also damn smart on so many different levels. There's the obvious connotations of the marionettes, but they've done so much more than strip bare the Hollywood blockbusters that too many people can watch with a straight face while the rest of us stand outside the theater gagging; they've displayed the cheesiness that seeped out of michael bay movies into the modern American mentallity. During no other 20th century war has cliche fiction had so many striking similarities to our hero-enemy soap opera ideas of what liberty is. But is the patriotism of the right really reminiscent of the hot blooded Reagan-era action flicks this film spoofs? Is the media role-playing of the left the result of Hollywood refusing to leave childish namecalling and immature ideology to elementary school playgrounds? Well, it's never seemed so familiar and never felt so much like there's been a mudslinging contest with the tactics and wit of a simple puppet show going on right under our noses.

"From the Guys who brought you SouthPark"...
That says it all right there, if you are unfamiliar with the now infamous landmark of the Comedy Central channel on cable, 'Southpark' are basically poorly drawn children characters that curse and make bodily function jokes at each other all day. The aim of it's creators is to basically smash every barrier of good taste and offend every group in society that they can, but where do you go from there? Team America functions along the same lines. The puppets in here are amazingly filmed, and I would recommend you see the way they look on screen. However, only see this film if you are a liberal and have a healthy sense of humor. There are a lot of infantile jokes, gross out humor and some very, very offensive material, often in poor taste. There's plenty of harsh language and this film is definitely not for children. I don't offend easily, but I even turned away during the puppet making love scene, in which they mimic all sexual positions and then go too far I feel, in showing the puppets deficate and urinate on each other. The premise of the film is obviously poking fun at Bush and the war on terror and a thinly veiled way of saying that we often poke our nose in other countries affairs. No one is left unoffended in this film. I would mainly say that if you like that Southpark
type of humor, this is your film. If that type of humor offends you, stay far away from this film.

Disgusting!
I thought this movie was going to be very funny, but I should have known better, being created by the people of south park. This was one of the worst things I have ever seen. The movie was filthy, the language grotesque, extremely perverse and total garbage!
The creators, producers and anyone involved in this movie should be extremely ashamed of themselves.
This movie should have been rated X or XXX.
If this is your version of what America should be then i feel terribly sorry for you.
Even if this IS your type of movie, it wasn't even funny.
Don't subject yourself to watching this blight on humanity.
0 starts!

I have not laughed as hard all year as I did at the scene...
...involving all the vomit. The sex scene got all the attention from critics and pundits but for my money, the extended regurgitation scene took the prize.I realize some people probably found it disgusting but they were probably watching the wrong movie.

And maybe I'm just jaded but I actually didn't think it was as raunchy as it's rep proclaimed.There's actually kind of a sweet undercurrent to the whole thing, despite the fact that it's basically making fun of the left, right and everyone in between.

Another highlight: Kim Jong Il's musical number.In fact, all the songs were dead-on parodies.You really have to pay attention to pop country anthems to nail them the way Parker and Stone did.

The extra features on the disc are pretty good, too.I never thought watching puppeteers could be so interesting.

Kinda Funny
3 and a half stars for me, please. There is no real reason for this to be uncensored, but it just did not turn out to be as funny as I hoped. Don't get me wrong...it's still entertaining. This is how things are when you mix terrorism with celebrities and Kim Jong Il with marionettes. That's it. All I can really say is that I'm at a total loss to describe this movie. I can relate most to Kim Jong Il's feelings............


"MATT DAMON!!" ... Read more

Amazon.com

Martian Successor Nadesico (1996) was initially criticized in Japan formaking fun of both anime and fan culture, but its unbridled and ultimatelygood-natured silliness won over critics--and large audiences on both sides ofthe Pacific. It's 2195 A.D. and the "Jovian Lizards" are attacking Earth.Tired of the inept campaigns of the United Space Force, Nergal HeavyIndustries builds a super battleship, the Nadesico, which they staff with toppeople who have "slight personality problems." Ditsy Captain Yurika nurses acrush on the traumatized Akito--despite his skill as a robot pilot, he signson as a cook. He's won over by the irrepressible Gai Daigoji, a fanaticadmirer of Gekigangar 3, a hilarious spoof of '70s mecha series.The story reaches new heights of absurdity in "Let's Go with Hot-BloodedAnime": the casts of Nadesico and Gekigangar watch each other'sprograms, borrowing ideas and complaining about the plots.

In anotherepisode, the crew holds a "Geki Fest" that satirizes anime conventions,including booths selling special, "limited edition" merchandise. The warbecomes a struggle that pits the crew of the Nadesico against both theJovians and Nergal Industries. Although the conflict hinges on Akito'smysterious ability to move through space and time in a "boson jump," thepath to peace lies in Gekigangar 3 ("the thread that ties humanitytogether!"). In America, only Rocky and Bullwinkle and TheSimpsons have dared such outrageous self-parody. (Rated for ages 12 and older: Briefnudity, mildly risqué humor, cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (28)

All too complete
Providers seem to be getting the hint from the high sales of the Eva and Gasarki boxsets, so they've finally released the complete series of Nadesico. The plot we won't repeat, we're sure any fan site or other review will tell you more than you want to know - our advice is to buy without reading up on it.

The case itself is a bit of an enigma. Not just a box containing all of the dvds, this case composed of 3 double & 2 single cases moulded together. This makes a positive difference in terms of weight, space-saving and removes the worry that they'll fall out, but you do lose all that nice case art from the seperate dvds.

Without a doubt though, this is great deal taking the price into account. The quality is crisp and infinitely superior to vhs in terms of sound and picture. The one thing that we got annoyed over was Ruri's comment at the end of episode 26 "some of those questions will be answered in the inevitable sequel." But there is no sequel - just the Movie 'Prince of Darkness', which like most anime movies, only provides further questions.

Overview & My 2 cents
Overview: Aliens known as the Jovians destroyed earth's base on Mars, wiping out its space fleets. Only one ship stands between Earth and total annihilation - Nadesico. A private company, Nergal builts Nadesico, a space battle cruiser to provide "assistance" to earth's military. Free from the military control, they had the free reign to assemble the most unusual crew for the mission. With a ace pilot who is also the cook and the commander of Nadesico, an admirals's daughter, things gets complicated. This new starship is the most formidable fighting vehicle ever built. However, before Nadesco can wrestle with the Jovian invaders, the crew must defeat their fellow humans as they elude the military's attempt to seize the Nadesico.

My $0.02: It may seems like a typical space sci-fi action anime but this series provides a lot of hilarious moments with an unusual cast of characters. Also the story thickens as the crew of Nadesico learns more about their alien invaders and how it's ace pilot was mysteriously transported to earth from Mars just before it was obliterated.

I enjoyed this anime mainly because it's funny and I like animes like Robotech. You will like it too if you like sci-fi mecha type anime with comedy and some parody.

You Get To Burning - With This DVD Boxset!!!
There aren't many good sci-fi animes these days. But one I would recommend is Martian Successor Nadesico: The Complete Chronicles Collection Set. This anime series maybe in the 90s. But once you watch it, you can never get tired of watching it again & again.

With 26 episodes altogether, there are a dozen chracters you can remember. The epic tale of humans versus the jovians will surprise you with a twist. Then there is a craze anime within an anime that will bring forth the reason why the Jovians fight for. There is romance. There is comedy. And there is mecha fight scenes you will enjoy. Not to mention great music soundtrack that will keep you humming the tunes.

Cute, adorable, enjoyable by its own... this is a DVD Boxset you mustn't miss. Trust me, in my years on Robotech during the 80s... I never thought discovering Nadesico could be this addictive!

Not going to spoil any further... you just have to buy this boxset. My recommendation to any anime sci-fi fans out there.

Mobile Battleship Nadesico...
Fans of Robotech or even Starblazers might look at this collection and wonder if they should buy it. Do it. But be warned, it is also like Love Hina, Tenchi Muyo and the Excel Saga. Love between characters, war between almost everybody and humor, some of it even picking on anime, makes the 650 minutes worth any price. Plus tons of extras and WAY too many trailers.
The story is simple, at first. The Jovians launch a attack against Mars, destroying mankind's outposts and blasting the United Earth Forces right out of space. Mankind fights to defend the Earth and what they still control of the Earth's Moon, but the Jovians have a huge advantage in military technology.
The Nergal Corporation builts a super weapon in the form of Nadesico, crewed by wackos, misfits, anime fans and everybody who has the skills needed to run the ship. They plan to rerun to Mars, to liberate it.
Then things get complex. The Jovians MAY be on the RIGHT side, the Nergal Corporation is not interested in librating anybody and the Earth government seems to be trying to hide something.
The characters, from the super-intelligent Ruri Hoshino to the brilliant, if somewhat unbalanced, Commander Yurika, all have funny AND serious sides to their nature.
The series asks tons of questions, about right and wrong, love and friendship, peace and war. Even after 26 episodes, not everything is answered, but it does give you a lot to chew on. And laugh about.

Great Story!!
Martian Successor Nadesico is one of my favorite show of all time. After finish the whole series, i have to say there are some good sence with action and great garphic, however, there are some sence that is very bore and means nothing at all. But overall everything is great and i like the character's development and the humor within each characters. But it's too bad to see the ending ended in a unclear way... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Shows - Fun to Watch & Educational
There are 3 DVD's (9 episodes) included in this set:
(1) Creepy Crawly Fun (with: Inside the Haunted House, Going Batty & Spins a Web);
(2) Space Adventures (with: Gets Lost in Space, Out of This World, and Taking Flight);
(3) Holiday Special (with: Holiday Special (about recycling) All Dried Up, and In the Rainforest).

My kids LOVE these. They are 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 years old and really really enjoy the shows. They are very fun to watch, and educational too. It's amazing how much they have learned from the Magic School Bus shows. I enjoy them as well, and I have to admit, I have actually learned a few facts from them as well!

My kids and I love the Magic School Bus
My daughters have loved and been entertained by the Magic School Bus since the age of 3... they still ask for the movies as they got older. They're fun imaginative and educational. I love them also... I don't mind watching them with the kids too! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This set of 22 episodes constitutes the second broadcast season of Rumiko Takahashi's gender-tweaking slapstick comedy. The many combat scenes are executed in slightly fuller animation than in the OAVs, and there's a little more nudity in the bath scenes, including a shot of Ryoga's bare buns. But the freewheeling mixture of mayhem, metamorphoses, and martial arts continues--with just a touch of sentiment to leaven the insanity. When Ranma and Akane have a run-in with a pair of champion figure skaters, they reduce the rink to a wading pool, with a little help from the geographically challenged Ryoga. Shampoo the Chinese Amazon returns with her wizened Great-Grandmother Cologne, who teaches the cast a variety of ancient fighting techniques. Ranma and Ryoga battle kendo champion and gasbag Kuno, his twisted sister Kodachi, ninja Sasuke, and Happosi in their frantic search for a Japanese Nan'niichuan (Enchanted Drowned Man Spring)--only to discover it's a franchise that's gone out of business. Even the redoubtable Ranma has a weakness: he's afraid of cats. But he breaks through his fear and demonstrates his mastery of the recherché technique of "Cat-Fu." Ranma often acts like a jerk, but he assuages Akane's hurt feelings by eating the cookies she baked, even though he knows ptomaine will follow. At a time when many American animated series are imitating live action, Ranma 1/2 is a zany reminder of the special fun only animation can provide. Unrated; suitable for ages 12 and up: Slapstick violence, nudity, mildly risqué humor. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (24)

MUSABESU KAKUTO RANMA NIBUN NO ICHI!!
Ranma 1/2 never looked better. The transition to DVD is now at its fullest. The original video masters from KITTY TV were used, ensuring the highest animation quality possible. However it is not perfect. There is some level of graininess, and line inconsistency, also their is some color bleeding, especially in the intro.

But, the consistency of the animation, far makes up for this. Unlike the first boxed set, the animation is high quality on every single episode. The outlining is crisp and the colors are vivid and distinct. I've never seen Ranma 1/2 look so good.

This is a must buy for all Ranma 1/2 fans. The pacing of the story has quickened in the second season. Takahashi's characters are now fully developed. And my look how they shine! You'll love it. And you'll be begging to see the next season.

It Gets Weirder, Folks.
If you thought Season One of Ranma 1/2 introduced you to some strange but loveable characters, you, to quote the vernacular, "ain't seen nothin' yet."
From a skating competition to rescue Akane's pet P-chan (Ranma's rival Ryoga in a cursed form), to the return of Amazon warrior Shampoo, now fully aware of Ranma's curse, and carrying one of her own, things get weirder and weirder.
We also get to meet the man who founded the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts, the pint-sized pervert Happosai. He'll go after anything female, even girl-type Ranma.
And Shampoo is accompanied by her Great-Grandmother, a skilled warrior who knows techniques that can make Ranma a more powerful martial artist, or leave him broken in the hands of his rival, Ryoga.
And tremble in fear as tomboy extrodinaire Akane Tendo prepares a meal. (and thank whatever diety you believe in that you don't have to eat it.)

Ranma 1/2 is a strong series all the way through. If you like Season One, then you know that this transgender martial arts comedy is the most hilarious thing on the market.

Just sit back and enjoy.

Ranma 1/2 is by far the best anime around, and this is why..
If you dont know the story of Ranam 1/2 its about a boy named...Ranma Saotome who went training with his father (Genma) in Jusenkyo, China. This training ground is cursed and has Springs of drowned SOMETHINGS, While training Genma falls into Spring of drowned Panda, so when splashed with cold water, Genma turns to a panda and splashed with hot water turns back to a man. And ranma...well he fell in spring of drowned girl. so you gessed it, he turns into a girl.

This season (2) Kicks of with the introduction of Azusa and Mikido a odd skating duo, Whats this? Mikido kisses someone, but who can it be?

Shampoo send ranma a cat from china, what relation ship does this cat and Shampoo have in common, and why is Ranma acting very odd near cats?

Some old lady starts attaking Ranma...she seems to be Shampoos Great Grandmother, and she will stop at nothing to make Ranma Shampoos husbend...

A new rivel comes in the form of Mousse a master of hidden weapons from china, and he seems to want shampoo as his wife...and he too holds a secret...

Genma and Soan's master (Happosia) awekens from the darkness, and hes one small old DIRTY man, Who likes to steel braws and pantys. But dont be fooled by his perverted ways, this guy is strong...even stronger then Ranma!

Looking for good laughs buy this!
if you're looking for good laughs you should by the Ranma1/2 Series one of the funniest shows in tokyo.this was the 1st ranma season boxset i bought. Other good series are Tenchi muyo, Sailor moon, Cardcaptor Sakura, love hina, and blue seed. But this is the funniest anime series ive ever seen.

Getting better...
Okay, with the second season of Ranma 1/2(or the first, since this in Japan they started a new Ranma series beginning with this season), we can see that the characters are starting to get more in place, and although Akane and Ranma are still slightly out of character from the comic, they aren't treated as bad as they were in the first season. Ranma switches outfits in this season to the one he usually wears(in the comic, although he has a blue shirt instead of a red one). More of the characters are introduced, including Mousse, Happosai, Cologne, and Sasuke, who is an original character(voiced by Shigeru Chiba, who also voiced Raditz in Dragonball Z and Kuwabara in Yu Yu Hakusho). I do feel Sasuke is a bit out of place(I would have preferred Hikaru Gosunkugi from the beginning), but I can adjust. The animation gets a bit screwy at times, but it's pretty good, more or less. The dub actors seem to be getting a bit more in tune with the characters, although Ranma at times sounds really screwed up, like when he screams, "I'm REALLY angry!," at Mikado. But, the series is getting improved. Well, on to season 3! ... Read more

Reviews (426)

Stop Complaining
I REALLY hate these reviewers saying this is a bad dvd. For 20 bucks, you get enhanced visuals and sound, a commentary from the composer [Music is halfthe movie, after all!], AND the uncut edition you'd previously have to buy through Canada or bootleg! Rhino could've sold this at 30 bucks-like most dvd's-but they're LOSING money by selling it to the fans at vhs retail. If you think Lucas will give you a better deal, then don't buy this and wait another decade for the Star Wars trilogy! And yes, I consider this the best deal I've ever had on a dvd! It's perfect, exactly like I remembered it, but with the curse words I missed the first time around. It almost makes me feel like I'm watching Macross Plus; that's how good it looks and sounds. Transformers fans-like myself-MUST own it. DVD's like this are reasons I'm glad to own a dvd player. Now let's hope the He-man movie on dvd happens too. (And I mean the animated movie, not the horrible live action-flick with Dolph Lundgren.)

The coolest Transformer movie created!
This movie rocks! Just if you're wondering, the Transformers are two legions of robots who war over the control of their home world, Cybertron. These robots convert from vehicle to robot, whenever they please. The good guys are the Autobots: Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, RC, Ultra Magnus, Blaster, Wreck-Gar, Perceptor, Ironhide, Jazz, Cliffjumper, Bumblebee, Grimlock, Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Swoop, and of course, the legendary Optimus Prime (there are other Autobots; too many to list). The bad guys are the Decepticons: Megatron, Starscream, Astrotrain, Bombshell, Kickback, Barrage, Shrapnel, Venom, Soundwave, Thundercracker, Bonecrusher, Hook, Laung Haul (Bonecrusher, Hook, Laung Haul and a bunch of other guys combine to form the most powerful Decepticon called Devestator), and more.
What really was dumb to jam in the movie was 2 swear words. I thought the coolest scene in the movie was Hot Rod opening the Matrix of Leadership and Transform into Rodimus Prime, and also "lighting their darkest hour" while playing "The Touch" in the backround. Having the coolest soundtrack a director could dream of, this movie is probably the coolest you'll ever see! By the way, the Transformers theme song and the song called "Dare" are in my favorite range of soundtrack. Hope this reveiw helped everyone who read it.

One word AWSOME
I went to see this movie when I was a teen in the theaters. It was an awesome movie to see in the theaters. Now my son is into the Transformers and found my VHS of the movie and plays it all the time. He actually likes it better than ARMADA, ENERGON BEAST WARS and MACHINE WARS. About 4 years ago I went thru a lot of trouble getting a VHS of the movie (It took me over a year of searching and finally I got it from a Canadian video company). I'm glad to see the DVD has come out. It is a great movie a lot of action, humor and watching it with my son he sees that war has consequences. Every now and then we will put sound thru the stereo and put the headphones on. Now I got to get the DVD because he may wear out the VHS.

The best of theTransformer's movies.
I went to see this movie when I was a teen in the theaters. It was an awesome movie to see in the theaters. Now my son is into the Transformers and found my VHS of the movie and plays it all the time. He actually likes it better than ARMADA, ENERGON,BEAST WARS and MACHINE WARS. About 4 years ago I went thru a lot of trouble getting a VHS of the movie (It took me over a year of searching and finally I got it from a Canadian video company). I'm glad to see the DVD has come out. It is a great movie a lot of action, humor and watching it with my son he sees that war has consequences. Every now and then we will put sound thru the stereo and put the headphones on. Now I got to get the DVD because he may wear out the VHS.

Disney can take their movies and stick em up their wazoos
Disney artists need to take lessons from this movie. Disney uses a lot of lazy computer animation, which usually looks horrible.

This movie is 99 percent actual hand drawn animation. All of which looks superb.

The music is also great. About 6 great songs with that 80's hard rock attitude.

For another example for great hand drawn animation, check out G.I. Joe the movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Building words is an exciting and empowering experience for youngchildren (and frogs) who have mastered individual letters and their sounds. When young Tad wants to nominate his Dad for a "Best Dad" contest he askshis brother Leap and sister Lily for some help filling out the application. The three young frogs go see Professor Quigley at their Father's TalkingWord Factory for a little instruction and get to watch the"Sticky-ick-o-rama" and the "Word Whammer" machines at work.Tad quicklydiscovers that vowels act as the glue that sticks letters together and thenlearns to combine individual letter sounds to make three-letter words, usecommon ending sounds to create rhyming words, and blend letter sounds tomake even longer rhyming words.Phonemic awareness, vocabulary building,and rhyming are entertaining and fun thanks to familiar Leap Padcharacters, colorful animation, and short songs.An interactive wordgame challenges young viewers to fill in the missing first letterin a variety of three-letter words.This program is a great next step forgraduates of Leap Frog: Talking Letters Factoryandchildren ages 3 to 6.Tami Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Another great video from Leap Frog
After learning their letters and phonics in less than 2 days from watching the Letter Factory video, I decided to go out and buy the Word Factory video for my boys (just turned 3 & 4). You cannot beat the price, Walmart and Target had the DVD for just $9.99! Both of the boys love this video too, especially my 4 year old. He has learned all about the vowels A,E,I,O,U and how they stick the words together like glue. It's got very catchy tunes and lots of colors to keep thier attention. They have no idea they are learning how to read, just that they are watching TV! I am so impressed with both of the videos (Letter and Word Factory) I just hope Leap Frog continues to make more with the same great quality. At the beginning of the Word Factory, Tad is playing with his Dad with Leap Frog Letter Flash Cards, I REALLY hope to see them in stores soon, my son asks me for them EVERY time we watch the video. Everyone must go buy both of the videos, the price is great and the investment is priceless!

Our Boys loved it!
We have a 4 year old and a six year old. It was a great introduction to our 4 year old and a fantastic review for our 6 year old. They want to watch it over and over.

The DVD includes a great game!
The PS2 is a great way to let you your child take advantage of the letter game on this dvd. You can play the game with the dvd remote, but my son kept messing up the settings on the dvd player.

Since the PS2 is very capable of playing dvds it seemed like a good idea to play the dvd in the PS2 and let him use the game controller.

The game is very good. It displays all of the letters and tells them a sound. Then they try and find the correct letter that goes with the sound they just heard. The most frustrating one for us is the "m" and "n" sounds, becuase they sound very much the same.

The game lets them try twice, and if they don't find the correct letter it plays the section of the movie that helps them remember which letter makes the sound they were hearing.

Overall, the game (AND THE MOVIE) are excellent, and I'm extremely happy!

I strongly think that this is my all time favorite leap frog product! It taught my son a lot about PHONICS in 2 days! Prior to this video we use to spend 2 days on trying to learn just one letter!

This movie makes learning phonics FUN for kids, and makes me one very happy parent!

Amazing!
I just had to state how amazing this video is. I just spent 2 weeks with my daughter, son-in-law, grand daughter and brand new grand son. My grand daughter is 23 months old and she knows all her letters. She can pick them out at random anywhere a letter appears. She knows the names of the letters and their sounds. She has been doing this since they brought the letter factory into their home when she was only 21 months old. Well, it is time for her 2nd birthday and the best present I can send her is the Word Factory. Now Leap Frog needs to come up with number and color videos!

Waiting for more Leap Frog videos...
We bought this video for our son months ago, and he STILL loves to watch it over anything else he can choose from. Not only did it help him to learn his alphabet, but he thoroughly enjoyed learning it as well. He loved this video so much he would walk around all day asking us things like, "What does the 'A' say?" with a huge smile on his face when he'd say the letter sounds before us. When he saw the Words Factory video in the store, he was as excited as we were to get him started on that one as well. We can't wait to see what Leap Frog videos will follow. It would be great to see some Leap Frog videos dedicated to learning numbers as well. *hint, hint* We hope you all enjoy this video as much as we have. It's a keeper, without a doubt! I recommend it for any child. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Twenty-two years before this 2001 sci-fi adventure opens, the Kanagawa region of Japan was devastated by a major earthquake; the "Lost Ground" suffered the most serious damage. A small percentage of the inhabitants who cling to life amid the devastation are Alter Users, whose psychic abilities enable them to create mecha forms of themselves. Hot-tempered, red-haired Kazuma is a powerful Alter who defies all authority. His obstreperous attitude brings him into conflict with Ryuho, a dedicated officer in HOLY, the special police force recruited from the Alters. They command so much power, their battle reconfigures the topography of the Lost Ground.

What sets s-CRY-ed apart from formulaic mutant good guys vs. sinister military-industrial cabal series is the relationship between Ryuho and Kazuma. Like evenly matched high school athletes, they pursue a rivalry tinged with admiration and even grudging affection. Ryuho's bond with the brilliant physician Mimori and Kazuma's almost fraternal romance with the eerily puissant Kamani can't compete with the heroes' need to establish who's the strongest, once and for all. s-CRY-ed ends not with the defeat of the screeching Kyoi Mujo and his evil plot, but weeks later, as Kazuma and Ryuho pound the wasabi out of each other, because neither one can bring himself to stop fighting. Like cagey boxers, screenwriter Yosuke Kurodaand director Goro Taniguchi feint and weave, keeping the audience slightly off-balance with their characters' unexpected actions. (Rated 13 and older: violence, mild profanity, grotesque imagery, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Description

Includes all 8 volumes of Blue Gender. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A must have anime!
The basic story is unorigional: boy winds up in an horrible desolute future filled with horrors he has trouble coping with, the graphics are unremarkable: lots of animation reuse, well but not exceptionaly well drawn scenery and characters, the enemy is rehashed: giant bugs! the staple of many, many anime (the japanese and their giant bugs...) going all the way back to tekkamon blade (anyone remember that incredible anime!...anyone?...anyone?), yet this is one of the greatest anime of all time.

This anime is real. Its portrayal of human emotion, its mecha and even the movement and actions of the insects are stark and lifelike. The main characters are not invincible, but very much human. Sub characters drop like flies and never did I once feel like there wasn't a sense of urgency or danger in any one of the predicements encountered by Yuji and co. (unlike many other popular anime series: DBZ, Gundam, R. Kenshin)I was constantly at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Even the "larger plot" (for newbies: The larger meaning many anime try to convey which usually trips them up in the end: the final revelation in Evangelion, the Gasaraki's conundrum, GITS' "cyborg mating"...I digress)is cogent and only serves to add to the overall story and not detract from it.

Overall this anime is a plus to any otaku's collection, and I recommend it to many newbies as well, though not as their first anime.

This anime is not for children. It is incredibly violent and utterly devoid of "fuzzy" comic relief.

You can't stop watching...
Blue Gender intrigued me when I caught a few episodes on Adult Swim, enough to buy the set. And it's quite an adventure. The animation ranges from stunning to just okay, but the story arc is riveting and very powerful. The box set is the way to go, because if you miss an episode, you miss a major part of the plot. And there are some wonderfully enexpected twists. Yuji Kaido, awoken from an illness-induced cryogenic sleep to a world gone mad, and Marlene Angel, the seemingly emotionless perfect soldier, are the central characters. Over the course of the series they undergo remarkable growth, discovering their own strengths and limitations, and of course learning to care about each other. It is a harsh, bitter environment these people inhabit. Other characters come and go. Many die shocking, horrible deaths. But Marlene and Yuji are the heart, soul and emotional core in this story of giant mutated insects and armored mech suits. The English dub is quite good, although Yuji's helpless whining when he is first awoken does get irritating. The orchestral score is terrific, perfectly capturing the suspense and drama playing out on screen. At times the music and sound effects are positively chilling. The DVDs do contain some sexual situations and graphic gore that was cut from the Cartoon Network broadcast. Overall, Blue Gender is a strong series. But be forewarned, once you are caught up in the story, you may not be able to stop watching.

One of the best I have ever seen!
When Blue Gender first aired on Adult Swim, I really got into it but I never saw the whole thing. Just from what I did see I felt justified in buying the box set and I knew I wouldn't regret it. After viewing all 26 episodes, I can go far as to say this is the best anime series I have ever seen with the exception of Cowboy Bebop. Trust me though, Blue Gender is a very close second.

Yuji Kaido, the main character, is diagnosed with an incurable disease so he becomes a "sleeper", and the plan is to wake him when mankind finds a cure. After he has been asleep for much longer than he was told, he is awakened to find out the world he once knew has become his worst nightmare. The Earth has been invaded by giant insects known as the "Blue". The blue have wiped out most of the Earth's population and those who remained left to a space station called Second Earth. It is a recovery team from Second Earth that awakens Yuji, and the team is there with the mission of bringing back as many sleepers from Earth as possible. In fact it is Marlene Angel that wakes Yuji, and the two soon have to work together if they are going to make it out alive.

This is a series filled with emotion, strong violence, and nudity. Some may opt to pass on this series due to these themes, but I can't recommend seeing this enough. Seeing Yuji's nightmare as he awakens on Earth is incredible, as is his transformation into the fighter he becomes. There are twists in the storyline at every turn, and the action is nonstop. I never felt like the plot was dragging, as every episode left me wanting to see more. It is just that incredible. The animation is pretty good and works for this series. I especially like the design of the different kinds of Blue, which add so much to the effect of the action. And the best bug comes in the end, but youll have to see what I mean. Another thing that makes this a great series are the characters, who have so much personality. They are realistic people in a war against a species that has invaded their Earth. So by now you have the basic idea behind Blue Gender, and there are too many great plot twists for me to say anymore about that.

There is a certain reviewer about 3 down from me who claims this anime has a weak story, bad animation and was a total waste of money. I have to ask: what Blue Gender did you watch? I mean I can understand that this might not be a title for everyone, but to say it was a complete waste of 536 minutes with absolutely no good? I have to disagree about the main character Yuji, who is annoying when he first wakes up, but as he realixes what he must do to take back his Earth his personality becomes more complex. But anybody who hasnt seen this, at least rent it first before you buy reviews that tell you that this series is total crap.

Packaging for this set is superb, with a great looking art box to hold all 8 volumes of the series. It is a high price for the whole set, although you can buy the volumes individually for about $20 each. It is definaely cheaper in the long run to buy the box set, and if you look in the right places you can find it for way less than the $120 retail price ( I bought mine for $70 new). As for extras, each volume contains some art galleries, character bios, and trailers for other anime releases. Nothing groundbreaking, but good. All volumes contain the Japanese (for the purists that like the original dialogue) and English tracks with Dts, so if you have a nice system crank it up when you are watching this. If you dont like too much violence you may want to pass this one up. Otherwise, I hope I have persuaded you to at least see this series for yourself and hopefully you will be amazed like I am with what you see.

Buy this DVD set now!..... Maybe from me!
Man this is an awesome anime! The minute it was available i snatched it up. If i were you i would buy it now. This is an anime classic... maybe you should buy it!

realy bad animation
I'm not a guy to judge a animation only on its "animation", but Blue Gender has to be the worst animated series ever. I even baught the whole set cheap and sold after watching the first dvd. The main character was too much of a sissy, but what realy brought down the series down for me was the lazy, cheesy, tom and jerry, animation. So lifeless and bleak. Don't get this anime ... Read more

Amazon.com

Set your WABAC machine for 1960, and the further misadventures of Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose, the most illustrious citizens of Frostbite Falls, MN (population: 48; and that's during the summer rush). This four-disc set contains seven full-length serials, several of which loom large in the Rocky & Bullwinkle canon, including "Upsidasium," "Metal Munching Mice," and "Greenpernt Oogle," with the rare, reclusive oogle bird (sorry, you'll have to wait until the release of season 3 for the Kirwood Derby).

Perhaps emboldened by what they were able to get away with in season 1, producer Jay Ward, writer and the voice of Bullwinkle Bill Scott, Queen of Cartoons June Foray, "and a host of others," gleefully further broke with television convention. Rocky & Bullwinkle was at once very silly (for the kids) and slyly satirical (for mom and dad). Characters broke the fourth wall ("Don't look at me," a villain insists at one point, "I'm not giving up the plot"). Corporate America (television executives in particular) was mocked. In "Metal Munching Mice," news that robotic rodents are devouring television antennae causes panic when it is realized that the public are unable to watch commercials. And then there are the subversively funny "Fractured Fairy Tales," in which Puss 'n Boots gets skinned, Red Riding Hood is devoured, and no one lives happily ever after, and the time-travel adventures of cultured canine Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman, in which historical figures are revealed to be boobs. Just for laughs, there is the faux melodrama of forthright Mounty Dudley Do-Right, and the Bullwinkle segments, "Bullwinkle's Corner" and "Mr. Know It All." Still crazy after all these years, Rocky & Bullwinklerises like the anti-gravity Upsidasium above mere nostalgia. Like The Simpsons, this series rewards viewers who pay attention, and invites repeat viewings to catch all the jokes you missed. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (3)

How Many discs?
The covorart says 6 but the description says 4. I think it will be 4 though because what wood they need 6 discs for? I like the covorart alot better for this season. i cant wait until its out.

The 2nd of 6 Boxed Sets?
If the description above is correct (52 episodes) we'll be getting the storylines UPSIDAISIUM (36 segments) and METAL-MUNCHING MICE (16 segments).
At this rate, it will take 6 Boxed Sets to finish the series.
I'm hoping that at some point, they re-instate the closing credits theme with the names in lights and the explosions at the end. That's the best version of the Bullwinkle theme and it's absent from the Season 1 box.
Also, the artwork says 6 discs while the description says 4 double sided discs. Which is correct and which is a filthy liar?

Moose is on the Loose
This boxset contains the remainder of "The Rocky Show" episodes that aired on ABC from 1959-61. It became the Bullwinkle Show on NBC for the next three seasons. Don't expect the real broadcast version of the show being packaged as episodes. The Rocky and Bullwinkle adventures on the first boxset were in proper order. But the inbetween cartoons were from all over the five seasons of the show. Mr. Peabody and Fractured Fairy Tales were mingled with later cartoons: Dudley Do-Right and Aesop & Son. If this goes in order and they contain the remainder of the Rocky Show episodes, the adventures are:

Upsidasium
Metal-Munching Mice
Greenpernt Oogle
Rue Brittania
Buried Treasure
The Last Angry Moose
Wailing Whale

It will be nice to see clear copies of the Rocky and Bullwinkle commercials. Bullwinkle does an amazing song to sell "Trix" cereal.

It will be interesting to see how they work the Bullwinkle Show boxsets since they'll have only 21 Bullwinkle's Corners, 52 tandems (Mr. Peaboy/Dudley - Fractured/Aseops), and 85 R&B "episodes." Here's hoping there's just one more boxset so that we don't have to wait 2 years for the remaining episodes ... Read more

Amazon.com

Now here's something you don't see everyday, Chauncey. It's the complete first season of one of television'ssmartest, savviest, and most subversively funny animated series, ranked by TV Guide as one of the top 50 series of all time. Like the animators at Warner Bros.' Termite Terrace (birthplace of Porky, Daffy, and Bugs), producer Jay Ward, his partner Bill Scott (the voice of Bullwinkle), and the cracked writing staff did not write down to children. The dialogue is witty and sharply satiric. Characters break the "fourth wall" between the screen and the audience. They make sly references to the show's creators and the television network. They hurl barbs of mass destruction at Washington, D.C. politicians. And then there are the godawful puns. This four-discset contains the series' first two serial adventures. "Jet Fuel Formula" is a cold war-era blast, as Rocky (voiced by June Foray, the Queen of Cartoons) and Bullwinkle frantically race to re-create a rocket fuel recipe (actually Grandma Bullwinkle's recipe for mooseberry fudge cake), while being menaced by those no-goodniks Boris Badenov and femme fatale Natasha. "Box Top Robbery" reveals that the basis for the world's economy is not gold and silver, but cereal box tops.

Linking these cliffhanging episodes are such hilarious segments as "Fractured Fairy Tales," which upend familiar storybook favorites (Red Riding Hood, for example, is a predatory fur merchant after the unwitting wolf), "Mr. Peabody," the canine genius who travels through time in the company of his boy, Sherman, and forthright Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties, who must contend with his own horse for the affections of sweet Nell. Bullwinkle gets extra credits as Mr. Know-It-All and as the host of Poetry Corner. And watch him pull a rabbit out of his hat! These cartoons are as fresh and funny as when they first aired more than four decades ago. Boomer-era adults will be amazed at the jokes that no doubt soared over their heads as children. --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (68)

Rocky & Bullwinkle Intact & Beautifully Resotred on DVD ! !
At last! Rocky & Bullwinkle get the restoration treatment they deserve. I grew up with these guys. Loved them then, and now that I understand all the jokes, love 'em even more.

This is a collectors and R&B fans dream come true. All 5 seasons are planned for release and this is the first. Four discs, 26 shows, that include the entire 40 episodes of "Jet Fuel Formula" and 12 episodes of "Box Top Robbery".

You also get 20 Fractured Fairy Tales; 21 Mr. Peabody's; 6 Aesop and Son's and 5 Dudley Do-Right's.

The video and sound from these shows is the best you've seen or heard yet. Bill Conrads naration was so clean I thought, at first, it was someone else!

Extras include "Dear Bullwinkle" (footage of the Bullwinkle puppet originally planned as bumpers for the show); "Classic Commercials and Promo's" (used to promote the show); "Rocky & Bullwinkle Savings Stamp Club" (a rare episode to promote U.S. Savings Bonds); "The Many Faces of Boris Badenov" (a montage of Boris disguises) and a "Sneak Peak" at the release of "Complete Season 2" (two R&B episodes with the Metal Munching Mice).

My only concern (a minor one I suppose) is the comment made in the intro by Jay Ward's daughter, Tiffany Ward (in the enclosed 16 page booklet). She says, "We've brought all the episodes together under one name, using the rare second-season opening (Dad's favorite), beautifully restored the original prints, and replaced the music as Dad later requested with themes he specifically produced for the first two seasons."

I take that to mean that most of these shows do not use the original openings and music. If that's true, I would have preferred them "as shown on TV", but I've been waiting for this so long I will overlook that. Especially since the quality is so good.

This is a MUST for your DVD library.

Punny From the Start
I didn't really discover Rocky and Bullwinkle until I was in college. When I did, I spent every afternoon for a week watching the tape releases and laughing all the way through. I later bought the tapes and love re-watching them whenever I need a laugh. Naturally, I jumped on this set as soon as I could.

Presented here are all 26 episodes of the first season. It contains two stories for our heroes Rocky and Bullwinkle, Jet Fuel Formula and Box Top Robbery. The first, running 40 segments, seems a bit long to me at times. Almost like they were looking for ways to extend the story. But for the most part, it flows along just fine. Box Top Robbery is a short, sweet, and funny 12 "episodes." Probably one of my favorite parts of the show is the titles presented at each cliffhanger. I've always been a sucker for a bad pun.

Also in each large episode are two other segments, either "Fractured Fairy Tales," "Aesop and Son," "Dudley Do-Right," or "Peabody's Improbable History," as well as the brief "Bullwinkle's Corner" or "Mr. Know-it-All." Part of what makes this show great is the humor directed at adults, and these are some of the best examples. Frankly, I can't image trying to watch this show as a kid because so much of the humor would have gone right over my head then.

The DVDs themselves are a treat. The picture shows its age, but I found it a little charming and made it feel like I was watching the old show I am. And it's better then my video collection. The sound is clear and well presented in simple Dolby, befitting the age of the show.

The final disc includes extras. The two segments from season 2 are certainly appetite wetters. The clips of Boris and Natasha in their various outfits are ok, but certainly not worth watching more then once. However, the other three are fun. "Dear Bullwinkle" features a Bullwinkle puppet answering "letters" sent in by fans of the series. Think Mr. Know-It-All as an advice columnist. They include several promos for the show from its initial airing. And an extended promo for savings stamps features Rocky, Bullwinkle, Boris, Natasha, and Sherman and Peabody.

I don't know enough to know if the title segments have been changed or not. My only complaint is that the "Mr. Know-It-All" and "Bullwinkle's Corner" segments aren't listed in the booklet that comes with the set. They are listed on the chapter selection for each disc, however. Overall, this is a minor complaint. Fans of the show will love having this disc to relive the classic show.

Hello Fearless Leader! Moose and squirrel are on DVD!
This boxed set is amazing. Even though I am not of the baby boom generation that originally grew up with the series, I was alive when "The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends" resurfaced on Nickelodeon in the early 1990s. I was a fan from the first episode I saw. The dialogue in these cartoons is some of the best dialogue ever written; It's intelligent, and you still laugh. I bought the first season as soon as it was released on DVD. It's worth the investment if you are a lover of the show. I can't wait for season 2!

ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE ROCK!
I was about 7 or 8 when "Rocky and Bullwinkle" ended its original run, and hadn't thought about it for maybe 35 years. Then I saw it on the monitor at my video store and said "Rocky and Bullwinkle? Whatever happened to those guys?" Finally, I got to know a special friend- a musician who's also my new "culture minister". Once we determined that most of today's fare is too strong for my highly sensitive brain, he said "Know what my real favorite TV show is? 'Rocky and Bullwinkle'. You'll love it!" So I rented this collection- and soon I'll buy it. Boy, was he ever right! This stuff KILLS me! How on earth did I ever go without the moose and squirrel? And Boris Badenov? And Mr. Peabody? And Dudley Do-Right? "Rocky and Bullwinkle" was the "Simpsons" of the '60s- only better, wittier, and a lot smarter because we weren't so jaded then. Jay Ward is now one of my all-time heroes, and the voices can't be beat. Those cheesy Mexican drawings are also part of the charm. I'm not one to quibble about things like revised theme songs and watermarks- though I hope they restore the brassy opening theme for Season 2. My mom thinks it's "inappropriate" for me to tell people I love this stuff, but what does she know? I think it's the funniest thing on earth and those pun-filled one-liners are a true lost art. So you can have your "hard PG-rated", "hard R-rated", and "NC-17-rated" material, thank you very much. Give me the joyous, jape-
filled,jokey, jivey, "J-rated" Jay Ward brand of humor any day of the week! And forget Dylan, Prince, the Coens and Franken (Keillor's OK)- all hail the greatest Minnesotans of them all: Rocket J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose, the pride of Frostbite Falls!

SONY BITES ROCKY & BULLWINKLE ARE 5 STAR