Dungeons & Dragons - The Complete Animated Series (1983) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was my #1 favorite cartoon series when I was eleven years old in 1983. I watched it religiously on TV back then, and when we got our first VCR, I recorded every re-run and watched those videotapes until I wore them out. Naturally, I was excited to hear this show was finally coming out on DVD. I bought the complete series box set released by BCI right away. All the episodes look great in terms of picture quality. Not to mention, the special features are surprisingly plentiful for an old, mostly-forgotten Saturday morning cartoon, and it really brought back some great memories.
Then I discovered a very disappointing problem. And I'm going to sound like a real nit-picker here - but I gotta state my case...
Any dedicated fan of this show is familiar with the episode "The Dragon's Graveyard" - generally considered to be the best episode of the entire series. That's the one where the kids decide to destroy Venger (the ultimate, evil bad guy) once and for all. They plan to do this by convincing Tiamat (the ultimate, evil 5-headed Dragon) to help them. It's a very cool story, because the good guys basically team up with one arch villain in order to settle their grudge match with another arch villain. As a kid in the 80's, I videotaped this series and "The Dragon's Graveyard" was one episode that I went back and watched repeatedly. So, I know that episode almost by heart. One of the things I always loved about that episode, and which I still remember clearly, was its powerful musical score. Especially during the scene where Venger throws fireballs at Uni, the baby Unicorn, nearly killing her, and the scene at the end, where the kids have their final, climactic battle with Venger, pin him against a rock, and lead hero Hank has to make the ultimate decision whether to kill Venger, or let him go. From watching and re-watching this particular episode to death on videotape, I remember very clearly that during these scenes the music had a fast, chaotic, rushing quality - a theme not heard frequently in other episodes - which racheted up the energy and took the drama way beyond typical Saturday morning cartoon fare.
And yet, while watching this same classic episode on the BCI-released Dungeons and Dragons DVD set, I noticed that this music had been completely replaced with slower, formulaic sections of music that can be regularly heard elsewhere in the series. This change in the music made the scenes described above considerably less effective, severely weakening the emotional impact of this episode.
Allright, now - yes - I realize how trite and ridiculous it must sound for a 30+ year old man to be nit picking the DVD quality of one single episode of a Saturday Morning cartoon show he loved when he was eleven. But the whole reason I bought this DVD set in the first place was to re-experience the innocent fun of those childhood memories, and instead I got a diluted version of that experience.
As a matter of fact, in the "Episode Trivia" section, it even mentions that another version of "The Dragon's Graveyard" episode exists, with a completely different musical score... and when I read that, all I could think was, "Yeah, no kidding, and you bozos put the weaker of the two versions on the DVD set. Thanks a lot!"
So... that's my one huge disappointment with the BCI set, and I'm guessing other fans who are total geeks for this show, will notice and be bothered by it, too.
NOW HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS... In 2009, Dungeons and Dragons was RE-RELEASED in a new DVD set, by a company called Mill Creek Entertainment. I had heard rumors that this new release RESTORED ALL of the ORIGINAL MUSIC used on the show, thus presenting every episode AS IT APPEARED, WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY SHOWN on TV in the early 1980's. At first I wasn't sure if I should believe the rumors... Then I saw that the Mill Creek release was selling for a surprisingly lower price than the BCI set... Low enough that I decided it was worth giving it another shot.
So, I ordered it, and let me tell you as a knowledgeable fan, that yes - the Mill Creek Entertainment release DOES include all the episodes with their original music. THIS is "The Dragon's Graveyard" as I remember and love it. Be advised, the Mill Creek release contains no Special Features, which is unfortunate, but I find myself not caring about that. The important thing is to have all the original episodes in their original form. And again, the price on the Mill Creek set is also a lot cheaper than the price on the BCI set, so it's hard to complain about the lack of "extras".
Bottom line - this is a great cartoon series. But if you want to experience this show in its original form - do yourself a favor: Snub the BCI set, and buy the Mill Creek Entertainment set. Take if from a long time fan of this show. I was deeply disappointed with the BCI set, and very, very happy with the Mill Creek set.

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Dungeons & Dragons was one of CBS\' most popular animated series airing from 1983 - 1986 and later on FoxKids. Created by legendary Marvel Productions the series was base on the popular TSR role-playing game created in 1974 - which spawned an entire industry! Now in a set bursting with magical Special Features fans can roll the dice to see the entire Dungeons & Dragons series in a beautiful five-disc set. Come back to the realm of action adventure and enchantment with...Dungeons & Dragons - The Complete Animated Series!Features:"Entering the Realm of Dungeons and Dragons" DocumentaryAlternate & rare footageEaster EggsINK & PAINT TrailersExtensive Gallery of Original Model Sheets and MemorabilliaFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS Rating:NR UPC:787364753093

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The Sinbad Collection (7th Voyage / Golden Voyage / Eye of the Tiger) (1958) Review

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(More customer reviews)THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD
By far the most "classic" of the three, this spectacular piece of cinematic adventure may very well be Ray Harryhausen's masterpiece. Legendary sailor Sinbad (Kerwin Matthews, in his signature role) is on the verge of marriage to Princess.....uh, I forget (a beautiful Kathryn Grant), and uniting their two countries. But not before the evil magician Sokurah (Torin Thatcher, in an extremely amusing performance) can shrink the princess to a doll's size in order to get Sinbad to return him to the Island of Colossa. There, Sinbad battles a giant Rok, a fire-spewing dragon, and (my personal favorite), the Cyclops...all brilliantly achieved by the greatest FX pioneer of all time, Ray Harryhausen. Oh, and there is the classic duel with the skeleton. Now I constantly hear people say, "Oh, like in 'Jason & the Argonauts'?", and it drives me crazy! Though the battle was far more elaborate and, well, better in that film, this is the original, people, the one that started it all! Indeed, this type of fight would appear again, and again, and again in subsequent Harryhausen films, ever improving (which really showed the true ingenuity of the man). "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" is most likely, THE fantasy-adventure classic of all time, though some people say the same for the original "The Thief of Baghdad". But, I haven't seen that film, so I couldn't say. Plus, it doesn't have special-effects wizard Ray Harryhausen behind the camera to provide dazzling creatures right out of a dreamworld! A rousing, witty score by Bernard Herman, too!
Rating: 5/5
THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD
My favorite of all three films, even if it doesn't really deserve the title "classic" as much as "7th Voyage" did. John Phillip Law replaced Kerwin Matthews in the title role, and proves to be less impressive, but only by a little. And, hey, he actually has an accent! This time 'round, Sinbad discovers a strange map disguised as a golden treasure of sorts, and with it sets off to the magical isle of Lemuria, where legend has it that if you place the map/trasure in the Fountain of Destiny, you will be granted all-powerful, all-knowledgable, and eternal youth. But he'll have to reach the isle before the black sorceror, Koura (played to perfection by the sinister Tom Baker), who has more than a few tricks up his sleeves to stop Sinbad and his crew! This is a much different film than the first; the swashbuckling attitude is replaced by a darker, but more mystical atmosphere, which I find very cool! The score by Miklos Rozsa perfectly matches it, too (just check out the music during the scene with the Oracle; it's awesome!). The story is very inventive, with more twists-n-turns than you would guess. There is lots of suspense, too! And there is also Caroline Munro as the love interest for all you teenage boys out there! Ray Harryhausen once again provides a massive array of imaginative and expertly constructed creatures, including a flying homunculus (a spy of koura), and a six-armed statue of the goddess Kali, which is the showcase for a masterfully-choreographed sword fight sequence. As well, there is an exciting battle between a one-eyed centaur and a griffin! A first-rate fantasy-adventure.
Rating: 4.5/5
SINBAD & THE EYE OF THE TIGER
By far the least of the three, it's still enjoyable, nonetheless, though not for all the same reasons as the first two. First off, the acting is atrocious, but it is in a bad way; rarely do you feel the need to laugh out loud at its campiness. Second, the plot is pretty lame, and recycles quite a bit from the preceeding voyages. Sinbad is now played by Patrick Wayne, the son of John Wayne, though it really doesn't show. He has none of his father's prescense on screen, nor does he possess any acting abilities whatsoever! He is now on a quest to the land of *it's a really long, utterly forgetable name*, in order to return the Prince Kassim back to his human form. You see, he has been transformed into a baboon (?!) by the evil sorceress Zenobia (Margaret Whiting), but Sinbad must have the prince's permission to wed the Princess...once again, I forget her name, but it's a really hot Jane Seymour. They are joined by the wize man Melanthius (Patrick Troughton, I think) and his lovely daughter (Taryn Power). Like I said, the story is weak, so it's up to the craftsmanship of Ray Harryhausen to save the day, and he does it very effectively! The giant walrus isn't menacing in the least, but the fight between the Troglodyte and Saber-toothed Tiger is suspenseful and exciting. Indeed, the creatures (such as Kassim the Baboon) produce more emotion than the actors themselves! All except for the Minaton...I mean, he's supposed to be this unstoppable colossus, right? Well, all he does in the entire picture is row a friggin' boat! That we are deprived of seeing this brute giant in action is all but devastating. The music is overall mediocre, but the backgrounds are beautiful and mystical. In fact, the production crew shot the film in places that had never been used in any film before it, and it shows! (P.S. Why the hell is it called "The Eye of the Tiger"? It has nothing to do with any tiger, nor any eye...at least, not enough to put in the title.)
Rating: 3.5/5
CONCLUSION: This a great trilogy to add to your Ray Harryhausen collection. All three films are digitally remastered, and they're all beautiful (especially "The Golden Voyage"). They all feature the excellent documentary "The Harryhausen Chronicles", too. On a little side note, the DVD covers and great production notes inside are awesome!

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SINBAD COLLECTION - DVD Movie

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Dragon Ball: Season One Review

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(More customer reviews)I have long wondered when Funimation would finally get the rights to the first thirteen episodes of Dragon Ball allowing them to release a proper set. Now after all that waiting it's finally going to happen and their giving us the first two sagas and beginning of the third all in one set! I'm ecstatic to read from Gen Fukunaga, president at CEO at FUNimation Entertainment, that the original thirteen episodes will be redone uncut as up til now they've only been properly available in a highly edited DVD set titled 'The Saga of Goku'. While I happily purchased that set long ago from LionsGate Entertainment I'm more than happy to upgrade to this set if it means finally owning those first thirteen uncut episodes.
This set will contain the following 31 episodes from the Goku/Pilaf, Tournament and Red Ribbon Army Sagas:
The Saga Of Goku/Emperor Pilaf Saga
1 Secret of the Dragon Ball
2 The Emperor's Quest
3 The Nimbus Cloud Of Roshi
4 Oolong the Terrible
5 Yamcha the Desert Bandit
6 Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls
7 The Ox-King on Fire Mountain
8 The Kamehameha Wave
9 Boss Rabbit's Magic Touch
10 The Dragon Balls Are Stolen
11 The Penalty Is Pinball
12 A Wish to the Eternal Dragon
13 The Legend Of Goku
Tournament Saga
14 Goku's Rival
15 Look Out for Launch
16 Find That Stone!
17 Milk Delivery
18 The Turtle Hermit Way
19 The Tournament Begins
20 Elimination Round
21 Smells Like Trouble
22 Yamcha Vs. Jackie Chun
23 Monster Beast Giran
24 Krillin's Frantic Attack!
25 Danger From Above
26 The Grand Finals
27 Number One Under The Moon
28 The Final Blow
Red Ribbon Army Saga
29 The Roaming Lake
30 Pilaf and the Mystery Force
31 Wedding Plans?
There haven't been any real extras on Funimation sets other than previews for their other DVD releases so I wouldn't count on finding any here. The set is said to include English and Japanese language options with the original Japanese musical score in 5.1 Surround. I'm glad Funimation and Amazon are announcing the set as Full Screen Aspect Ratio because though I adapted to the cropped 'widescreen' Dragon Ball Z sets I can't imagine watching Dragon Ball in anything other than 4:3 aspect ratio. I'm so excited for this to come out and can't believe that my long standing wish to have the first uncut season of Dragon Ball is finally coming true. Thanks For Your Time.

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The greatest adventure of all time begins now! pGoku may be small, but this fearless warrior packs a punch as powerful as any on the planet. Left alone after his grandfather’s death, this unusual boy is happy to spend his days hunting and eating and eating some more. But everything changes on the day he meets Bulma – a bossy, blue-haired beauty with boys on the brain. Together, they set out to track down the seven magic Dragon Balls and make the wish that will change their lives forever.
And that’s just the beginning! Goku also spends some time on Turtle Island where he and Krillin study martial arts under the legendary Master Roshi. The old hermit may not look like much, but if his new pupils can find him a woman, he’ll make sure they’re ready to rumble at the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament!
Season One of Dragon Ball is a must-have for everyone from the die-hard fan to the next generation of collectors.

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Pete's Dragon (Disney Gold Classic Collection) (1977) Review

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(More customer reviews)"Pete's Dragon" (1977) has become a somewhat forgotten Disney movie that was originally inspired by the success of Mary Poppins (45th Anniversary Special Edition) as a live-action/animation musical. The story finally got the green-light in 1975; songs were by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, and an all-star cast was assembled: singer Helen Reddy in her first film role, Broadway's Jim Dale, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons, Jim Backus, and Mickey Rooney. Sean Marshall, in his first acting job, portrayed the title character of Pete.
Pete is a young orphan who has escaped the abusive family that adopted him: a dirty bunch of hillbillies known as The Gogans (Jeff Conaway, Kenickie from Grease (Rockin' Rydell Edition) [Blu-ray] plays one of The Gogans). They adopted Pete to use him as a slave. Elliott, a large green dragon who can become invisible at will, helps Pete escape, and acts as his friend and protector. Pete ends up in the small village of Passamaquoddy, where he is taken in by kindly Nora (Reddy) and her father Lampie (Rooney). The two own the lighthouse in town, where Nora waits for her boyfriend Paul to return, even though he was lost at sea years before. The Gogans find Pete and attempt to steal him back, with the aid of Doc Terminus (Dale), a medicine showman, and his shill, Hoagy (Buttons). Although fairly predictable, it is a heartwarming story with an excellent cast and music that is light and breezy. Definitely good fare for the young!
Nominated for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ("Candle in the Water"), pleasantly sung by Reddy.
When watching today, the animation looks a little antiquated, as digital animation and the ability to combine live-action with cartoons has obviously improved since 1977. Still, with the limitations of the day, what the Disney team was able to create is still quite impressive. The entire town of Passamaquoddy was built on the Disney backlot, with a functioning lighthouse built above Morro Bay, California. The US Coast Guard had to give permission to Disney to actually light it so as not to confuse real ships in the water. Disney's Golden Oak Ranch in Santa Clarita was also used for a number of outdoor shots.
SPECS:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound * Widescreen (1.66:1)--Enhanced for 16x9 TVs. This was the first Disney film recorded in the Dolby Stereo sound system. The clarity and color of the image of the DVD are excellent; sound is good too, but nothing that will really blow your speakers away. Running time of approximately 129 minutes, which is just about 5 minutes short of the original roadshow version.
BONUS FEATURES:
Sneak Peeks: Snow White on Blu-ray, The Prince & The Frog (theatrical), Disney Blu-ray, Hannah Montana the Movie, Up, D23, Earth, and Tinkerbell: The Lost Treasure.
Brazzle Dazzle Effects (25:23): Narrated by Sean Marshall (Pete) who is heard present day, but never seen! Sean takes us on a journey telling the history of live-action/animation in Disney films, beginning the Alice Comedies. Virginia Davis (Alice) recalls pantomiming to invisible animals. "Children love to pretend. I loved to pretend, too." Disney thought that by putting a live girl in an animated setting he could get a leg-up on the competition. Ub Iwerks joined the Disney team early, left, and then returned in the 1940's. Many of the special effect processes that have made Disney film magic possible were a result of his genius. "The Three Caballeros" was a milestone in 1945 in combining color live-action film with animation. Using rear-screen projection and special process-lab effects, Iwerks helped the film accomplish many things never seen before. The real jump came in 1959 with "Ten Who Dared," a film that used the Sodium Vapor Process Screen. Using yellow lights/filters, filmmakers were able to block out backgrounds that made it easier to combine the animation. Without this process, "The Parent Trap" and "Mary Poppins" would never have been possible. Marshall recalls filming "Pete's Dragon" in the summer of 1976. He loved the entire process: special effects, acting, dancing, makeup. "The only thing I didn't like was the fame!" He recalls Red Buttons and Mickey Rooney attempting to upstage each other, and how choreographer Onna White's instruction helped prepare him to be a college pole-vaulter. In this featurette, you will see the original live-action film and learn how it was combined with the animation. Very interesting to watch documentary.
Deleted Storyboard Sequence: "Terminus & Hoagy Hunt Elliott" (2:25)--Nothing really missed here!
Original Song Concept: "Boo Bop BopBop Bop (I Love You Too)" (2:35): Very pop-sounding; almost a little out of place. Not missed from the storyline, it featured both Pete & Elliott.
Original Demo Recordings (all from February 11, 1976):
Brazzle Dazzle Day: Alternate song, first attempt. The song was liked by re-written.
Every Little Piece: Alternate melody. Thought to be too somber, the lyrics were kept, but the melody was rewritten.
The Greatest Star of All: Deleted song for a deleted character. Artist Ken Anderson thought 2 villains were not needed, so both song and character were cut.
Promotional Record:
Pop versions of songs from the movie released on a 7" Vista record are presented here: It's Not Easy, Brazzle Dazzle Day, There's Room For Everyone, Candle on the Water.
Art Galleries: Concept Art, Behind-the-scenes, and publicity galleries. Varying quality, but still very cool to see, especially the behind-the-scenes shots.
Trailers: International & Theatrical Trailers
"About Pete's Dragon": 5 screens with production notes about the movie.
"Disney Family Album" (excerpt, 2:20): About artist Ken Anderson. He describes how he based Elliott on Wallace Beery - large, bumbling, but loveable. He also is seen at the Disney ranch, which he describes as his Laughing Place.
"The Plausible Impossible" (excerpt, 3:36): From the Disneyland TV show, October 31, 1956. Shows the Disney Art of Animation book, with chapter 5 about the Plausible Impossible--using animation to make the unreal look real. Clips from Fantasia shown.
"Lighthouse Keeping" (1956, 6:45): Donald Duck cartoon
Includes a game for the very young, where you must find Elliott.
Overall, a really great DVD with enjoyable extras.

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Pete, a young orphan, runs away to a Maine fishing town with his best friend--a lovable, sometimes invisible dragon named Elliott! When they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora (Helen Reddy), and her father (Mickey Rooney), Elliott's prank playing lands them in big trouble. Then, when crooked salesmen try to capture Elliott for their own gain, Pete must attempt a daring rescue.

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