Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Secret of the Ooze / Turtles in Time / TMNT) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Ever since I started watching blu-ray last year, I had always wondered when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies would come out on blu-ray. They've been overdue for a remastering, and plus, their anniversary is this year, so what better timing? I saw this set pop up right here on Amazon and I saw that my wish had finally been fulfilled. The question is, though, did they get the remastering they deserved?
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The classic that everyone knows and loves. It's darker in tone than the other three, thus capturing the original comic book feel that Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman gunned for back when they did the original comics. Of course, parents didn't like it, so the tone didn't stay in future sequels. However, the literal darkness of the film happens to be the achilles' heel of this release. There's grain all over the place. It looks as if they transferred some of it, but didn't bother to do it on some scenes. One scene where Raph wanders out in broad daylight wearing a trench coat is where the grain is at it's worst, believe it or not. The dark scenes ALL have grain all over them. Some scenes are entirely devoid of any grain, though. So, what gives Warner Bros.? Couldn't touch all of it up? Now, believe me when I say this: This is the best the movie has ever looked. However, it lacks the detail of better blu-ray releases (though some of the detail is noticeable in the costumes of the Turtles), and the grain was to be expected, considering how dark the movie originally was, and as well as it being rather low-budget when it was first shot. The animatronics still stand the test of time, and this is the best they've ever looked, but I still wish more effort was put into reducing the grain and enhancing the details in a lot of scenes. Overall, if you don't mind grain in your films, you'll be fine with it, but this could be better.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze - My personal favorite of the collection. I've watched this countless times growing up on VHS. It looked rough then, but blu-ray has done it some justice. The grain isn't nearly as bad as the first movie, which is a plus, and it's not even noticeable much at all in brighter scenes. Plus, the detail has been enhanced to a fault. It's still not quite perfect in any regards, but I was satisfied overall withe visual quality. Tokka looks great with ever little greasy detail on his scaly body, and in the opening scene in the robbery, you can actually make out the faces of the robbers through their panty hose masks. This is also the best animatronics of the three live-action movies, and is timeless in it's execution. This is the best the movie has ever looked, though there are still some steps that could be made to better the picture just a little more. I was happy with it, though.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - I'm not typing "Turtles in Time" next to it because some idiot at Warner Bros. put that on the box. That is not the official subtitle to the movie, it's the name of the Arcade/SNES video game, and it's a very good one, at that. Anyways, this is the most hated of the series, and within good reason The plot features absolutely no key villains from the Turtles universe, the animatronics are terrible (their lips flap around like Big Mouth Billy Bass) as they weren't Jim Henson's work like the previous movies, and the plot overall is so-so. However, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I don't really remember watching it as a child, just the first two movies, so I'm really taking this viewing as a first, to my recollection. As for the transfer, it's the best of the three live-action movies by far. Besides a tiny bit of grain in the opening scene with the samurais riding in the sunrise, there's no more to be found. The Turtles looked highly detailed, right down to the pores on the costumes. The lush Japanese setting looks gorgeous in this transfer, and it really makes the movie that much more bearable to watch. While it lacks a sound plot and has laughably bad animatronics, it looks very well done. If only this much effort were put into the previous two, this would be the best package possible.
TMNT - I actually saw this in theatres the day after it came out, I owned it on DVD first day, and I got it on blu-ray last Christmas, so this is actually a triple-dip retail buy, for me. The plot is solid, though it it is reminiscent of the goofy single episode plots they used to have in the 80's cartoons, mixed in with some internal struggle amongst the Turtles, especially Raph and Leo, of course. Some say Mike and Don play nothing but mere cameos, but they make a significant enough appearance to make an impact. There's enough laughs to know that at least Mikey is around in good quantity. As for the picture quality, it looks exactly as it did before on blu-ray, and that means there's nothing wrong with it. It is blu-ray perfection. Screenshots do not do it justice. Every turtle is brilliantly detailed, you can see every hair on Splinter, every detail in every wall, and don't even get me started on one key fight over halfway through the movie that I will not reveal due to possibly spoiling the movie. This fight, which takes place in the rain, is one of the single most gorgeous pieces of CG work I have ever seen. It's brilliantly animated, just as the rest of the movie is, and the amount of detail is mind-blowing. This movie is one of the greatest showpieces for the blu-rat format you will ever find, only to be rivaled by Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete, which still stands as the most gorgeous movie of all time, in my eyes. A perfect picture for a great CG movie, overall.
As for extras, you get everything previous releases got. That's it. The only difference is that there's a trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up, coming to the Wii and PS2 next month, on the first movie's disc, but it's the very first trailer released, so its nothing new. It's just mastered in hi-def, though the actual game will look nothing like it, so what's the use? Overall, Warner did a terrible job for adding any special interviews, featurettes, or commentaries to commemorate the 25th Anniversary. I could personally care less about extra features, but those that are steamed about it are within good reason.
The extras we DO get, however, is part of the packaging. As you can see in the pictures one member nicely posted, it comes in a pizza box-esque design. I love it. It's actually much sturdier than you'd think, and the discs hold into their trays rather tightly. You also get 8 collectible cards, a reproduction sketch signed by Peter Laird (though it's printed, not actually signed), a reproduction of the original comic by Eastman and Laird that is based off of the original movie, an a beanie hat, which looks like it'd fit a younger head rather than an adult head, though I haven't unpackaged it for collectible reasons. It's a nice package overall, though many have complained about it not being in normal elite cases. You can always do custom cases, but this works perfectly fine and suits the collection well.
You may be wondering "Why the 4 stars?" after the first two movies weren't done as well as they could have been, but it's simple: This is the best they've looked. If you want a better picture for all of them, this is the only way to go, and they all look better, especially the last two. I did knock off a star because they didn't go the extra mile for the release by adding extra bonus features nor remastering the first two movies as thoroughly as they should have. However, hardcore Turtle fans like me will love it, I can say that much. It's worth the $60, in my eyes, but if you're only particular of getting the first movie (which I have found many are), wait up on this release. One can hope that it will get a re-release down the line from Warner like 300 and The Matrix have gotten, and hopefully, with better quality, as it's the one that got the short end of the stick, and the one most people will likely not be that satisfied with. However, if you want Turtles II and onward, they all look good to fantastic, so it's worth the purchase.

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Cowabunga, Dudes! Blu-ray Collection Includes All 4 Films with Radical Extras and Collectibles! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Turtles in Time, and TMNT.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Collection (25th Anniversary Collector's Edition) (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / Secret of the Ooze / Turtles in Time / TMNT) (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)**WARNING TMNT FANS**
--This set contains absolutely nothing new from the previous 2 releases of the live action films and the cgi movie is simply a port of the standalone disc with regards to special features and the transfer--
I'm not sure what all of the 5 star reviews are all about for this so called 25th anniversary boxset so far, but let me be the first to offer a counter to those "generous" scores with a dose of the reality of the situation.
This set offers nothing new from what is already available on the standalone dvds, safe for a few cheap gimmicks like 4 cloth masks and some temporary tattoos. The only thing new here is the package art and believe me it isn't worth $30, which is actually Amazon's price, the MSRP is actually more. There is no commentary on any of the movies except the most recent one which is simply ported over from the other single disc release. The transfers are the same that was used for the initial 1998 dvd releases of the 3 movies and the age really shows on the films, especially that of the live action ones. No deleted scenes or making of featurettes talking about Jim Henson's creature shop for the live action films. No Elias Koteas (Casey Jones) interview or anything. Nothing but the theatrical trailers.
Here's a fun fact for all of you turtles fans. The director of the 1st turtles movie (the best one) has come out publicly and stated that he has deleted and extended scenes in his possession that he would like to contribute to a special edition of the 1st movie along with contributing directors commentary if WB were interested. Apparently they are not. They would rather whore out this franchise and continue to kick loyal fans in the face. The only shellebration going on here is one of greed and laziness on behalf of WB Studio with there franchise. This franchise deserved much better for it's 25th anniversary than a cheaply slapped together rerelease. One can only hope that for the 30th anniversary and no doubt next "shellebration" that WB will decide to put together a real boxset as opposed to expecting fans to "shell" out more money for nothing new. I hope if anything that the 1st movie gets an eventual 2 disc special edition that it so richly deserves with a new hi def transfer and all the special features that the director has and wants to contribute because it is the only one that really holds up anyway today. Thanks for nothing WB.
1 out of 5 stars for the piss poor effort by WB for this storied franchise that deserves better. For those of you who already have 1 of the 2 prior releases of the live action movies, stick with your previous copies and don't contribute a dime to Warner Bros. Studio. They put no effort into this boxset. For those of you who don't own any of the movies yet, I urge you to go and pick up the standalone movies for dirt cheap. You can find them for $5 a piece on most retail sites and brick and morter stores and you'd be getting the exact same content on them that is on this boxset as well as the same transfer so you're not missing a thing and saving your money. Don't contribute to WB's lazy and cheap triple dip. Show them we expect more for this franchise and maybe they will listen for the next go round.

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TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES FILM COL - DVD Movie

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Alice in Wonderland (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)In 1999, NBC broadcast a new version of Alice in Wonderland, created by the same folks who produced Gulliver's Travels, Merlin, and Noah's Ark. This star-studded version had Tina Majorino (from Waterworld) as a winsome Alice, and other stars like Whoopi Goldberg as the Cheshire Cat, Miranda Richardson (Crying Game) as a rather high-pitched, shrill Queen of Hearts, and Martin Short as a very amusing Mad Hatter. There are plenty of other stars, of course, but these are the ones you will notice the most.This particular production is a loose adaptation, really. It incorporates portions of both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. And it adds a new twist - Alice runs after the White Rabbit not out of curiosity from boredom but rather to escape from having to sing a song in front of many strangers at her parents' party. Her adventures in Wonderland as thus partially about how she summons the courage to overcome this stage-fright, and when she does, she returns to the real world. In the meantime, we see the usual interesting episodes in Wonderland - the Mad Tea Cup party, the croquet match, Twiddledee and Twiddledum, the trial of tarts, the Duchess and her baby pig and cheshire cat, etc. There are even a few songs scattered here and there in the film - the songs, for the most part, are nothing special but they do not distract much from the movie (some folks may also remember a 4-hour TV miniseries on the Alice books, filled with songs, from the 1980s; this was also star-studded and probably more faithful to the books but the songs were annoying).
The best thing about this new Alice film are the special effects. They are amazing and create a most bizarre, surreal, and colorful version of Wonderland. This makes the film great fun to look at. Also, Tina Majorino does a great job as Alice, and we really grow to really like her and sympathize for her as the film progresses. Martin Short, as I mentioned, is pretty funny, too. This is definitely a film the whole family can enjoy, and there is nothing offensive in the film at all. If you liked this film when you first saw it on TV, purchase it! I did! Currently, it sells for less than 10 dollars on some internet sites! Quite a bargain.
Finally, just a few words on the DVD itself. The colors are superb and the picture quality is clear and outstanding. Sound quality is quite good - it won't give the subwoofers any workout, but nonetheless, it sounds very good for a TV broadcast. Extras on the disc include the usual suspects - film production notes, cast notes, trailer, close captioning (instead of subtitles). There is also a small section showing the original illustrations of the Alice books, and lastly, a small section about the inspiration for the Alice books (quite informative for those who do not know about the real-life inspiration for Alice).
So, all in all, the DVD is worth the purchase and makes for many fun re-watching sessions for the kids. A good family recommendation!

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Jim Henson Fantasy Film Collection (Labyrinth / The Dark Crystal / MirrorMask) (1982) Review

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(More customer reviews)Of course, we all remember Jim Henson for bringing us those fuzzy, adorable animal puppets and their variety show.
But Henson also produced some very memorable, intriguing fantasy films, and after his death his production company has continued that tradition. "The Jim Henson Family Film Collection" brings together three classic films from Henson and his company, as well as an accompanying book of unknown content.
"Labyrinth" becomes a problem for teenage Sarah, who is stuck babysitting her crying baby stepbrother. But when she idly wished that the goblins would steal him, she never expected it to happen -- or that the Goblin King Jareth (David Bowie) would challenge her if she tries to get her brother back.
Now Sarah has only thirteen hours to navigate a changing, hazardous maze, with Jareth's castle at the center of it. To find her way, she will have to befriend strange creatures and avoid lethal bogs, nasty fairies, head-jugglers, and finally Jareth himself -- or her brother will be turned into a goblin himself.
"The Dark Crystal" is the heart of this movie, where on another world, there are two strange races -- the enormous, gentle, peaceful Mystics, and the nasty, vulture-like, vicious Skekses. They are somehow connected to a massive crystal that was broken long ago, and now a shard is missing from it. What's more, three suns are about to come into conjunction, and the shard has to be back in place.
The Mystics have cared for one of the last Gelflings, an orphan named Jen. As the conjunction approaches, they send him out to find the lost shard. Along the way, Jen finds new friends who assist him in his quest, including another Gelfling. But can they avoid the Skekses? And what will happen when the suns line up, and the crystal is completed?
These movies were created in whole by Jim Henson, and even in the darker moments, they have his unmistakeable stamp. More recent -- and quite different in tone -- is "Mirrormask," which instead has the stamp of writer Neil Gaiman, and seems like a warped "Alice in Wonderland." But Henson's production company does a great job with all the weird special effects.
In "Mirrormask," we're introduced to Helena (Stephanie Leonidas), a young circus girl who longs for a "normal" life, and makes elaborate, otherworldly drawings. But one night her mother collapses, and needs life-saving surgery. The guilt-ridden Helena is suddenly whisked into a world that looks very like her drawings, where everyone has a mask -- and the beautiful queen of light (who looks a lot like Helena's mom) is in a coma.
Helena is determined to wake the queen, and gets juggler Valentine (Jason Barry) to accompany her on her quest for the mysterious Mirrormask. But the stakes become higher when the forces of darkness -- and their eerie queen -- target Helena, and she finds that a dark duplicate of herself has taken over her life. Now Helena must somehow defeat the dark forces, with her mother's life -- and her own -- hanging in the balance.
All three of these movies are classics of one type or another, and each embraces a different kind of fantasy. One is about wanting to be swept into an idyllic fantasy life. One is entirely of another world. And one is about the dangers of the other world.
To top it off, three are coming-of-age stories, whether for a teenage girl or a Muppet Gelfling -- they all focus on someone pursuing something that can save what is important to them, and growing as a person along the way. The scripting tends to be tight and a little wry. Sometimes it gets goofy, but well-acted (and in Bowie's case, well-sung).
What's more, the styles of each movie change: "Dark Crystal" is very fantastical and serious, even with some gross, dark parts, while "Labyrinth" is more kiddy-friendly and Muppety, with the little chivalrous fox (though Bowie's tight pants are a BIG distraction). And "Mirrormask" has a different style altogether, with lots of shadowy buildings, eerie lighting, fleshy masks, wide bodies and tentacle-like limbs.
The "Jim Henson Fantasy Films" are a good collection of films, showing off Henson's more fantastical side. Definitely worth seeing.

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The Muppet Show - The Complete Third Season Review

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(More customer reviews)"My six-year-old loves the jokes, and runs around the house singing the songs!"
In line at Best Buy, that's what the mom behind me was saying this morning, still half in disbelief that she was buying yet another season of these 30-year-old TV programs. And to me, that one sentence sums it all up. "The Muppet Show" offers comedy that appeals to all ages -- most episodes include MuppetLabs, Pigs in Space, Swedish Chef or other recurring skits -- as well as wonderful old ditties and show tunes that are themselves often staged with a sly sense of humor.
This third season is perhaps the best of all. Digitally remastered like those on the earlier Season One and Season Two sets, these 24 shows from 1978-1979 are the Muppets at their peak. Hosts include a broad range of personalities, from rocker Alice Cooper to Irish comedian Spike Milligan.
And good news for music lovers: unlike Season Two, this set includes its song lyrics in its captioning!
Here's the complete line-up:
EPISODE 1: Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. Nothing dated here except the blow-dried hair of Kristofferson, who can't keep a straight face as he serenades Miss Piggy with "Help Me Make It Through the Night." Coolidge sings "We're All Alone." When Sam the Eagle adds commentary to Rowlf's "A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go," his insights include "This shows us that there was indeed a time when frogs went 'woo.'" Fozzie and Rowlf do a rousing version of "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life for Me)."
EPISODE 2: Leo Sayer. Has Kermit got a new girlfriend? Piggy thinks so, after starlet pig Annie Sue shows up. Meanwhile, the very-70s Sayer boogies down with a human-sized peacock as he sings "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing." Other songs: "The Show Must Go On," "When I Need You."
EPISODE 3: Roy Clark. With silk shirts and very wide lapels, the country star declares he feels like he's "back on the farm." Ah, the 70s. Songs include the bouncy "Sally Was a Good Ol' Girl" and the oh-so-serious "Yesterday When I Was Young." In skits, the Swedish Chef gets attacked by a pile of living dough, while the Pigs in Space helplessly bounce up and down after Dr. Strangepork fixes the Swinetrek with toaster parts.
EPISODE 4: Gilda Radner. Terrific! A 7-foot-tall talking carrot (with an attitude!) joins Radner in a medley of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General" and other selections from "The Pirates of Penzance." Stuck to Beaker with MuppetLabs super glue, Radner attempts "Tap Your Troubles Away" from "Mack & Mabel." Muppet numbers include a terrific version of "Lullaby of Broadway." Confusing the word "Muppets" with "muffins," Emily Litella opens the show.
EPISODE 5: Pearl Bailey. The host does a great job with "In the Good Old Summertime" and a medley of show tunes including "Hello, Dolly!," "Anything You Can Do" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses." In skits, Dr. Honeydew invents Edible Paperclips, while the Pigs in Space turn into food when their Swinetrek passes through a field of Snacko Waves.
EPISODE 6: Jean Stapleton. Annie Sue leads the pigs in the rowdy 1917 Brazilian classic "Tico-Tico no Fubá" ("tico tico tico clock!") and joins Rowlf for the 19th-century ditty "Daddy Wouldn't Buy Me a Bow Wow." Best known as Edith from "All in the Family," the host sings "I'm Just Wild About Harry," joins Fozzie for Irving Berlin's 1914 standard, "Play a Simple Melody" and shocks Sam with the news that the Swedish Chef doesn't speak real Swedish.
EPISODE 7: Alice Cooper. Cheesy effects, silly makeup and bad lip-synching mar the host's supposedly serious productions of "Welcome to My Nightmare," "You and Me" and "School's Out." The worst show of the season.
EPISODE 8: Loretta Lynn. One of the few Muppet Shows that doesn't take place in the regular theater, this country-music show is set in a train station. Songs include "You're Lookin' at Country" (Loretta with Lubbock Lou and his Jughuggers) and "Sentimental Journey" (Gonzo).
EPISODE 9: Liberace. Chaos reigns when Gonzo tries to get his tap-dancing chickens into a Liberace spectacular. Also included: a Swedish Chef sketch that turns into an episode of Pigs in Space.
EPISODE 10: Marisa Berenson. The Swedish Chef makes the wedding cake as Miss Piggy and Kermit head to the altar. Of course things don't work out. A 1960s model turned actress ("Cabaret," "Barry Lyndon"), Berenson sings two songs.
EPISODE 11: Raquel Welch. Miss Piggy and Welch don identical low-cut gowns to perform "I Am Woman." Also features a good Swedish Chef skit about chicken in a basket.
EPISODE 12: James Coco. Not that memorable. The highlight: Coco sings Randy Newman's "Short People" with a group of tiny Muppets.
EPISODE 13: Helen Reddy. Miss Piggy sings "Stayin' Alive." Reddy and Kermit perform "You and Me Against the World." Reddy and Sopwith the Camel do "We'll Sing in the Sunshine."
EPISODE 14: Harry Belafonte. Of course there's "Day-O" (with a pig chorus), but Belafonte also performs a wonderful African song, "Turn the World Around," accompanied by Muppets wearing African masks.
EPISODE 15: Lesley Ann Warren. The Great Gonzo rides his motorcycle up a ramp into Statler and Waldorf's theater box. Warren performs a "Beasty and the Beaut" ballet with Doglion. Miss Piggy takes over the Swinetrek.
EPISODE 16: Danny Kaye. Some strange sights: The Swedish Chef with a human partner (Kaye, who refers to the chef as "Tom") and Statler and Waldorf out of their box (disgusted with the show, they head out to the back alley).
EPISODE 17: Spike Milligan. Note my byline and you'll understand why I love this one. It includes a group performance of "It's a Small World" on a set that bears a remarkable resemblance to a certain Disney attraction.
EPISODE 18: Leslie Uggams. A great guest appearance from Big Bird from Sesame Street. In one skit, it's love at first sight for Gonzo when Big Bird wanders onstage. "Wow! Perfection incarnate!" the chicken lover exclaims as he spots the giant feathered fellow. "Statuesque, yet still poultry in every sense!" There's also a funny MuppetLabs skit about fireproof paper.
EPISODE 19: Elke Sommer. One of the weaker episodes, this is another one that just doesn't age well. The one-time sex symbol performs "Animal Crackers in My Soup" and, dressed as Cleopatra, "Row, Row, Row."
EPISODE 20: Sylvester Stallone. Again not my favorite, but there is one memorable skit: in a gladiator sketch, Stallone and a full-size lion perform "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."
EPISODE 21: Roger Miller. Lots of music. Penguins on the Mayflower sing "Alabamy Bound," Miller joins some watermelons for "In the Summertime," Miller and a Whatnots trio do "Hat," Muppets in a pub perform "Down at the Old Bull and Bush," Rowlf plays "Pop Goes the Weasel" (and turns into a chicken) and Miller joins some Muppet chickens for a medley of "You Had a Do Wacka Do," "Dang Me," "My Uncle Used to Love Me But She Died" and "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd."
EPISODE 22: Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. A herd of cows goes mad for Fozzie's cow jokes in this cowboy-themed episode (Fozzie: "You cows are an udder delight!). Prairie dogs sing "Blue Skies," Roy and Dale perform "Skyball Paint," "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and a medley of "Hazy Mountains," "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" and "Happy Trails."
EPISODE 23: Lynn Redgrave. Veering away from the variety-show format, this episode is a 25-minute Muppet production of "Robin Hood," with Kermit as Robin, Redgrave as Maid Marian, Fozzie as Little John and Gonzo as the Sheriff of Nottingham. The Town Crier declares "Five o'clock and all's well! Except that Maid Marian has been kidnapped, the Sheriff's up to no good, that dog is stealing the cheese, Kermit's mad at Piggy, and it's really only 4:30."
EPISODE 24: Cheryl Ladd. Skits include Miss Piggy and Ladd trashing their dressing room as they sing "I Enjoy Being a Girl." In "Pigs in Space," Dr. Strangepork invents a pill that makes pigs invisible.
Bonus features include "The Muppets on Puppets," a 60-minute documentary from 1968. Jim Henson, Rowlf the Dog and Muppet design chief Don Sahlin demonstrate how to build and operate a hand puppet and review the various types of puppets as well as the history of the art and its use of special effects. The DVD set also includes a new featurette, "The Making of The Muppets."
As before, the menu screens are live-action. On one, Miss Piggy advises you to "only watch the scenes with me. Trust me, some of the other stuff is just plain weird!"
On the front of the box, Fozzie's fur is not only very orange (more so than indicated on the image above), it's fuzzy.

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Wocka! Wocka! Wocka! The innovative variety show s sensational third season earned television s prestigious Peabody Award as well as an Emmy® Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Program. Featuring a sensational lineup of hilarious guest stars including Sylvester Stallone, Gilda Radner, Raquel Welch and Liberace Season Three is loaded with more Muppetational moments than any show in primetime history. Experience all 24 episodes from Season Three digitally re-mastered and restored in this special 4-disc DVD set. With hours of bonus features, including an all-new behind the scenes documentary, original Muppet commercials and much more, The Muppet Show: The Complete Third Season is unbeatable entertainment for the whole family.

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The Muppet Christmas Carol - Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition (1992) Review

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(More customer reviews)The five PLUS stars are for the MOVIE, not necessarily this 2005 DVD release . . . . (Now that I have seen the new DVD, I give it 3 1/2 or 4 stars. See explanation below.)
In Oct. 2002, Disney Home Video released its first DVD formatted THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL. The response was both pro and con. The response that was negative dealt with two primary issues:
(1) That the 2002 DVD was pan-and-scan (AKA "full screen" or "1.33:1") instead of widescreen, and, in fact, unlike many DVDs, did not even offer the viewer a choice between pan-and-scan and widescreen. For fans of the movie who prefer widescreen, this was a great disappointment!
(2) That the 2002 DVD for Region 2 and perhaps other regions also removed the "When Love Is Gone" song. Disney has not, to my knowledge, offered an explanation for the removal. I would guess that it was because the song is "sad" and someone at Disney probably decided that such a "sad" song did not belong on a DVD intended for children.
Thus, that 2002 DVD had TWO strikes against it as far as MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL purists were concerned. At the Amazon site for that earlier DVD, you can find more than 130 reviews, many of which express PROFOUND disappointment about the lack of widescreen and the missing song. (Note: Amazon has unaccountably merged those 2002 reviews with the 2005 reviews. Just got toward the end of the list to see the older reviews.)
Fast forward to 2005, just a couple of months ago. Disney announced a new release of this film--The Muppet Christmas Carol - Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition. Eager fans immediately assumed that this would be the long-awaited anamorphic widescreen version. However, various statements and press releases listed the movie as 1.33:1 or, in other words, pan-and-scan. When this was discovered, the fans HOWLED at what seemed like a betrayal and an absence of common-sense by the people at Disney. THEN, within a few days of the official announcement, Disney "back-peddled" and issued a new announcement that the first one was in error and that the 50th Anniversary version would be in BOTH pan-and-scan and widescreen. The ***SIGH*** of relief was like a wind that rushed across the globe!
But now comes the TRICKY PART that tries to answer your specific question. Some fans who have contacts within the industry or have means of mining the Internet, discovered that the CONTENT of the pan-and-scan and the widescreen versions that would be on the same disc would be different in that one would have the afore mentioned song and one would not. As mentioned HERE in these reviews for this new release, apparently the version to contain the song is the pan-and-scan version--which, if it's true--is a totally incomprehensible creative decision. (Why would the the version that was TRUE to the widescreen format be missing the song, thereby compromising that version?)
Right now, as a GIANT FAN of MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, who has longed for a widescreen DVD since the advent of DVD, I am hoping that there has been some miscommunication going on (for example, look above at the official aspect ratio listed in the Product Details. On today's date of Oct. 13, 2005, it's listed as 1.33:1, so the facts about this release seem to be unfortunately garbled!)
Incidentally, there exists a WIDESCREEN (though obviously not anamorphic) Laserdisc version of the film that INCLUDES the song "When Love Is Gone." I know because I own it . . . and it is among my most precious possessions!!
All we can do is wait until November 29 to find out what this new release will truly hold. I personally hope there will be an anamorphic widescreen version that also includes "When Love Is Gone."
ADDENDUM: Well, yesterday was November 29, 2005, and I picked up this DVD. There's good news, bad news, and some qualified good news. The anamorphic widescreen image far exceeds any previous video or DVD version. However, the rumours are TRUE that the widescreen does NOT include the wonderful song "When Love Is Gone," and that the fullscreen version DOES include it as "Extended with Deleted Scene." However, for the diehard, there is this awkward-but-workable compensation: The two versions are on the same side of the DVD, thus when the widescreen version comes to the point when the song should be sung, you can use your remote to go back to the menu, choose fullscreen, go to chapter 5, listen to the song, and then go back to widescreen to view the rest of this glorious Christmas movie. It is a BIG pain and an unfathomably poor decision by the suits at Disney!
Since a complete widescreen version obviously does exist in the Disney archives (the Laserdisc version in the mid 90s was both widescreen AND complete), one can only wonder how and why Disney made this very insensitive and unprofessional decision!
Neverthless, FINALLY having MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL in anamorphic widescreen is definitely a plus. Being able to see all the Muppet antics clear to the sides of the screen is a pure joy, and not being forced to watch tastelessly SQUISHED images is a tremendous relief! Also, this disk is the best resolution (though not perfect) that has ever been available in any home media format, and the Dolby Digital sound is quite acceptable.
Since this is likely to be the last DVD version of this movie for quite some time, we should (1) continue to ponder Disney's callous obliviousness and its clear childish stubbornness to do what's right, while (2) counting our blessings that at least we are nonetheless PART way to the ideal MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL DVD.
Talk about MIXED emotions! I think that one problem is that nobody at Disney is clear that the film is a true work of art, instead of "just a movie stamped out for kids." I think nobody there realizes that the film deserves far more respect than the grudging, lackluster, shoddy efforts they have so far foisted on the public. I am very pleased to see the many astute reviewers for this new edition over and again make this point exceedingly clear! THE WORST OF IT IS THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!
BTW, on November 29, 2005, Garan Grey posted a review mentioning several EXCELLENT points underscoring Disney's faulty decision-making--especially about the lackluster special features, recycled menu design, and so forth, in what is supposed to be a very special "special edtion"! However, this reviewer says: "By the way, it seems that the "widescreen" version is just matted down from the full 35mm 1.33 frame, so the fullscreen version is not missing any of the picture." In point of fact, ALL pan&scan versions that I have seen (INCLUDING the pan&scan on this very disc) SQUISHES the titles, cuts Muppets off the sides of the movie, and even sometimes squishes scenes so the characters look tall and skinny. Which is WHY I have been waiting for the widescreen for years! In general, I'd say that Garan Grey is definitely incorrect on this point.

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'Tis the season for love, laughter, and one of the most cherished stories of all time! Join Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and all the hilarious Muppets in this merry, magical version of Charles Dickens' classic tale. Academy Award(R) winner Michael Caine (Best Supporting Actor, 2000, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES; 1987, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS) gives a performance that's anything but "bah, humbug!" as greedy, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge. One fateful Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Together with kind, humble Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) and his family, the Spirits open Scrooge's eyes -- and his heart -- to the true meaning of Christmas. Filled with original music and dazzling special effects, this restored and remastered 50th Anniversary Edition of THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL will become a holiday tradition your family will treasure all the days of the year.~~(C) The Muppets Holding Company, LLC and BVHE. MUPPETS characters and elements are trademarks of The Muppets Holding Company. All Rights Reserved.~

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Farscape: The Complete Series Review

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(More customer reviews)I first started watching this program somewhere in the Second Season during its initial run on the SyFy Channel at the urging of my wife, who had been an avid viewer since day one. I had seen the Pilot when it was first broadcast, but never watched with regularity (at the time I was working a lot of overtime on Friday nights). I did come away from the Pilot very impressed by what appeared to be a great premise, excellent special effects, and potentially some great characters. Eventually my Friday evening schedule cleared up and once I started watching a couple of episodes I was completely hooked.
There is a definite 4 year story arc here; most of the episodes do tie together as the later seasons demonstrate. I won't elaborate on all the details of the program, mainly because there are many reviews here that do just that. What I will discuss is the quality of the box set that A&E has released, and has done an outstanding job of packaging and remastering the episodes. I had collected the old ADV releases over the years, and they did a good job of reproducing very good audio and video for the most part. What this set has done is go WAY beyond anything that has been on DVD previously. I don't know if this is the case, but it certainly looks as if A&E did a complete makeover on the video and audio on this set, and it is nothing short of SPECTACULAR.
Some quick notes about this wonderful package:
VIDEO: These episodes are presented in their original aspect ratios of 4:3 for Seasons 1-3 and 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen for Season 4. Do not be mislead by other reviewers who claim that the final season of the show (which was indeed the only one filmed in widescreen) is not in its proper format. The quality of the video is STUNNING: details of all levels of color jump out at you, and the detail in close-ups and special effects are truly amazing. (A note here: I watched this on an Oppo BD-83 Blu Ray player which upscales standard DVDs to 1080i). The video is so good, I would swear I was watching a Blu Ray at times; THAT's how good it is. It is a remarkable improvement from the ADV releases of a few years ago (which up until the release of this set, were fetching a hefty price on eBay). I truly was stunned at the video...I don't think this show ever looked this good.
AUDIO: One word: phenomenal. The 5.1 mix totally immerses you in the story. All speakers and the sub-woofer are used perfectly and to to any extremes. The ADV releases had a very good 5.1 soundtrack, but the new A&E version has absolutely jaw dropping audio. Yes, it is THAT good.
PACKAGING: 5 "sets" of DVDs gathered in one glossy box keeping them all together. Each Season has its own "set" with the final set being reserved for a number of special features ("making of" documentaries, mostly). The other Special Features as promised in the description of the set here, are scattered throughout the various discs. I wish the glossy box was a bit more sturdy and easier to access the sets (do you open from the left or right? you decide). A minor quibble though compared to the overall satisfaction I've gotten so far from this new A&E release.
BOTTOM LINE: "Farscape" is truly an incredible show with excellent writing and some fine acting throughout its 4 year run. It would have been nice to have the final 3 hour installment "The Peacekeeper Wars" (which somewhat neatly ties up and concludes the series) included in the box, but rights issues prevented that from happening. You can certainly buy it separately on Amazon (and you REALLY must do so in order to see the conclusion of the show) and keep it next to this on your shelf. Speaking of which, the amount of shelf space saved with this package compared to the original 2 disc ADV volumes is incredible. Even if you own every ADV release like I do, this set is more than worth getting. The video and audio are markedly improved (even though it is never mentioned that the episodes are remastered, one look and you will be able to tell in an instant); and it truly does make a HUGE difference compared with the original ADV releases. The aforementioned amount of shelf space saved is indeed a plus.
Overall, 5 stars for the quality of the show, and this incredible new release with remastered video and audio. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

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John Crichton. Astronaut. Flung through a wormhole and lost in a galaxy far from home. He finds himself in the middle of a prison break, surrounded by hostile aliens, soaring through space inside a glorious living space ship called Moya. Hunted by the relentless Peacekeepers, he allies himself with his unimaginably alien fellow refugees and searches for a way home. So begins the epic sci-fi classic Farscape. A fusion of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry, prosthetics and CGI, Farscape features mind-boggling alien life forms, dazzling special effects, edge-of-your-seat thrills, irreverent humor and unforgettable characters — all brought to life by the creative minds at Jim Henson's Creature Shop. No wonder it's been called the most imaginative sci-fi series in television history. Here, in time for the series' tenth anniversary, are all four Farscape seasons, 88 episodes, together for the first time in one epic collection. These are the adventures of Moya's crew — Crichton, Peacekeeper Aeryn Sun, warrior Ka D'Argo, azure priestess Zhaan, spritely thief Chiana, Dominar Rigel, Pilot and many others. Like Moya herself, this package contains amazing surprises including hours of bonus materials, making-of featurettes, commentaries, interviews, deleted scenes and much more. Prepare for Starburst!

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Dinosaurs - The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons (1991) Review

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(More customer reviews)In my opinion, the final episode of "Dinosaurs", entitled "Changing Nature", is the best final episode of ANY series ever shown on television. It gives its own comedic and touching version of why the Dinosaurs became extinct, and it has an obvious relevance to the current environmental situation. Unfortunately, it appears as if the episodes are presented on the DVD not in production order, but in release order. In other words, there are several originally unaired episodes which are presented on the disc after "Changing Nature". If you buy this set, which I heartily recommend, do yourself a favor and watch "Changing Nature" last.

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They're huge. They’re pre-hysterical. The Sinclairs are back in their final two seasons of Earth-shaking fun as they face the challenges of everyday life in sixty million and three BC. Baby turns two – and into a total terror. Daddy Earl confronts his "diaperphobia." Charlene’s theory that the world is round lands her in scholastic hot water. Robbie deals with overwhelming pubescent urges, and in the final controversial episode, the family’s jumpin' Jurassic lifestyle gets the big chill. The brainosauraus of Jim Henson, the award-winning comedy series brings state-of-the-art puppetry and audioanimatronics to the screen -- and a whole new meaning to the words "family fun." Add Seasons 3 and 4 to your collection of evolutionary entertainment – and get ready to rock your funny bones. Includes featurette "I'm the Baby, Gotta Love Me," with music video located at the end of episode five.

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Sid the Science Kid: Change Happens Review

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(More customer reviews)[...] This DVD contains the episode: My mushy banana, My Shrinking Shoes, My Ice Pops, and The Perfect Pancake.
Sid the Science Kid wants to know why things have to change. Why does his yellow banana turn brown? How come his shoes are shrinking? What made his ice pop melt and just how does Grandma know how to make a pancake this is not too squishy or burnt? Sid and his friends work together to discover the efects of time, temperature and the environment with the help of some revealing experiments and songs.
My three year old boy and 5 year old girl love Sid, and prefer this collection "Change Happens" over the other just released collection The Bug Club. The rotten banana episode is a particular favorite, with the kids talking about "decay" the whole day long. This DVD is almost two hours long (115 minutes) but if you act now you will get a bonus DVD disk containing an additional 2 hours of content (134 minutes).
Early purchasers will also an additional DVD called Front Row Fun starring an additional episode of Sid (on our disk we got the episode Why do we need Charts) as well as episodes of WorldWorld, Dive Olly Dive!, Hermie and Friends, Pocoyo and Hopla. This is a real bargain for the price. A super show produced by Jim Henson's studio and directed by his son Brian Henson. Highly recommended.

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Sid wants to know why things have to change. Why does his yellow banana turn brown? How come his shoes are shrinking? What made his ice pop melt and just how does Grandma know how to make a pancake that is not too squishy or burnt? Sid and his friends work together to discover the effects of time, temperature and the environment with the help of some revealing experiments and songs.

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Labyrinth (1986) Review

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(More customer reviews)In the early 80's Jim Henson created one of the most ambitious fantasy films ever: The Dark Crystal. It was a movie that had a completely realized world with its own creatures and flora... and it was performed entirely by puppets. Not the Muppet kind that Henson is famous for, mind you. These were serious creations that involved serious innovations in animatronics. While many loved the movie and it was critically acclaimed many others didn't "get it". There was no human interaction in the movie whatsoever and that put off people. Also the movie was serious with none of that Muppet mayhem Henson fans are so used to. That put off a few more people.
The next evolutionary step in Jim's grand scheme of fantasy puppetry was Labyrinth, and they filled in the gaps that The Dark Crystal left for those who couldn't (or wouldn't) "get" the concept of a fully realized fantasy setting that is outside of our own. How does he do it? Let me tell you...
Step One - Human actors. Labyrinth included the young, yet already talented Jennifer Connelly as their heroine and well-established musician and actor David Bowie as her nemesis. Now you get the fun of a complete puppet world while at the same time you have human characters that interact in that same environment. Thus giving the viewer a better connection to the puppet characters.
Step Two - Better puppets. The Dark Crystal is a masterpiece in of itself, however the technology used to animate the puppets was in its infancy and if you had to be picky about it you can pick away at the limitations of the puppets in that movie. With Labyrinth you get updated technology, which gives you puppets who can show emotions better. Case in point is the goblin Hoggle, who is the starring puppet. So much attention to detail went into his facial expressions that you can actually see the fear, disgust, anger, and joy in his eyes. Add to that other puppetry innovations and you have a world of cool puppets.
Step Three - Keep it fun. The Dark Crystal was a grandiose and serious film that included some funny moments now and then. Labyrinth is the opposite. Is a fun film where the characters meet up with unexpected and often times crazy situations. Makes this fantasy adventure feel more comical in the same way it would reading a fun bedtime story.
Step Four - Keep the original concept. Jim Henson did The Dark Crystal with the thought that he wanted to create a whole different world inhabited by beings and creatures portrayed entirely by puppets. Labyrinth is essentially the same thing, but done in a different way. Walking through the movie's namesake (the maze that leads to the goblin city) is definitely like being in another world that's both fascinating and fun. Much of what you see is visually impressive and essentially relish in the fact your eyes can play tricks on you. Brian Froud is again signed on as the conceptual designer and his work shines just as well in this iteration as it did with Dark Crystal.
Labyrinth also has the destinction of having songs specially written for the movie by David Bowie. Keep in mind this movie was in the 80's so what you get is 80's Bowie, and there are a couple scenes that flow more like music videos (or musical numbers) than standard scenes.
You might get the impression I am dogging on Dark Crystal in order to lift up Labyrinth. Can't be farther from the truth. However I do know the differences between the two films and how the other was made in response to the first. Labyrinth is the folk tale while Dark Crystal is the fantasy book. I believe both are fantastic movies.
The original DVD for Labyrinth was a good compilation right from the start, and was superseded with the Anniversary Edition having remastered visuals and a couple new featurettes. Now we have the movie on Blu-Ray, and boy I thought the Anniversay Edition looked good. I was worried when this movie went high definition that a lot of the original film grain was going to be lost in the digital cleaning that's popular with some companies with older films. Luckily what you end up with is the best looking picture to date. I'm not going to say this movie is presented in supersharp crystal clarity, but then again that would ruin it. The movie look as true to the original theatrical release as you can get. Details really pop out without looking antiseptic. Visually the Blu-Ray does breath new life into this classic. The extras are pretty much identical to what was offered on the Anniversary Edition with one exception. Here's what you get:
Documentary Making of the Labyrinth - Has interviews with actors, puppet performers and production staff including Jim Henson, Brian Henson, David Bowie (who gives us some insight on his character) and Jennifer Connelly as well as lots of details on design and production of the movie. This documentary is a gem for those of you want solid behind-the-scenes details and was in the original DVD and is included on the Anniversary Edition.
Journey Through the Labyrinth: Kingdom of Characters and The Quest for Golden City - These two featurettes from the Anniversary Edition include updated interviews with the cast and crew and never before seen footage from the Jim Henson archives. Kingdom of Characters focuses on... you guessed it... the main characters in the movie including conceptual design for the puppets (although Hoggle seems to be mostly left out, likely because there is so much of him in the original documentary) and background info on the actors. The Quest for the Golden City is mostly design details on the labyrinth, Goblin City and castle itself. These featurettes do well to fill in the gaps left by the original documentary. The extra footage is test footage of the puppets and such, with some production footage as well. I noticed some of the production footage was a rehash of what's on Making of the Labyrinth, but the crosstalk is few and far between.
The Storytellers Picture-in-Picture: This is the Blu-Ray exclusive featurette. When you turn it on while watching the movie occasionally a window pops up with an interview with one of the crew members speaking some interesting anecdote about the film. There isn't a whole lot of these that pop up in the movie, but when they do you get some rather interesting and entertaining production and behind the scenes information. Hearing about the casting call for the Helping Hands scene and the interview with Warwick Davis are alone worth checking out the feature.
Commentary by Brian Froud
You also get Dolby True HD Surround in English, French, Portugese with a Dolby Digigal Spanish track (how many movies have a Portugese dub?) with subtitles in all. Kind of strange they left out the Japanese audio that the Anniversary Edition had. I recall hearing improvements from the previous release's Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, but nothing groundbreaking.
Every release of Labyrinth has been impressive from the very first DVD, and with each new release it gets even better. So is it worth the double/triple dip? Well just like how the Anniversary Edition gave you a better picture with more extras the Blu-Ray ups the ante. I say if you want to enjoy this movie in the best way visually then yes. The new extras are nice, but to be honest as long as they original making of documentary is in there everything else will always come in second.
Labyrinth is a wonderful movie for all ages. The visuals will impress and the hijinks will entertain. If you are a Muppet fan this movie will be much more accessable than the Dark Crystal, and if you like The Storyteller then you have abolustely no choice but to get this (it's like a full length Storyteller movie sans John Hurt).

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LABYRINTH - DVD Movie

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