Category: DVD

SUMMARY:                             RUNNING TIME: 103 Min.

From Warner Home Video in 2008 is this collection of nine archival cartoons (approximately seven minutes per episode) from Filmation’s 1967 TV adaptation of DC Comics.  Plus, there is a 40-minute featurette on Filmation founder/animator Lou Scheimer.  With the exception of a credited writer, no other credits are included.  The episodes are:

• Hawkman: Peril from Pluto (written by George Kashdan).  Katar Hol’s Hawkman intercepts an invisible destruction ray, which he traces back to the villain’s observatory on Pluto. Of course, the ray is the first step towards an invasion of Earth.
• Hawkman: A Visit to Venus (written by George Kashdan).  As Hawkman, Katar Hol must rescue three astronauts abducted by mind-controlling alien raiders on planet Venus.
• Hawkman: The Twenty-Third Dimension (written by Dennis Marks).  Banished to a crystal-like dimension, Hawkman must escape to thwart a duo of trouble-making imps from planet Jupiter.

• Justice League of America: (In) Between Two Armies (written by George Kashdan).  Superman; Green Lantern; Flash; Atom; and Hawkman thwart a hostile feud between Mercury’s ‘Crystal Men’ and alien rock-men.
• Justice League of America: Target Earth (no writing credit).  Yet another alien invasion (this time, Earth is being pulled closer to the sun) forces Green Lantern; Superman; Hawkman; Atom; and Flash to split up on different missions to save the world.
• Justice League of America: Bad Day on Black Mountain (written by Dennis Marks).  Threatening to expose their secret identities and destroy the Justice League, the evil Mastermind abducts Superman, Atom, and the Flash.  Completing their own mission, Hawkman & Green Lantern try to save their teammates.  Superman ensures that Mastermind grimly meets a deserving fate. 

Note: Despite his billing in the Justice League’s intro, Aquaman isn’t included in these three adventures.

• Teen Titans: The Monster Machine (written by George Kashdan).  Kid Flash; Wonder Girl; Speedy; and Aqualad take on sea robots sent in advance of an alien invasion.
• Teen Titans: The Space Beast Round-Up (written by George Kashdan).  Wonder Girl; Aqualad; Kid Flash; and Speedy must trap three escaped space dinosaurs.
• Teen Titans: Operation Rescue (written by George Kashdan).  Wonder Girl and Kid Flash rescue Aqualad, Speedy, an explorer; and the explorer’s young son from mutated, horned men. 

REVIEW:

In terms of nostalgic value, these formulaic cartoons are worth perusing maybe once.  The cheap animation is primitive, as compared to later Filmation projects, like the animated Star Trek, The New Adventures of Batman, and He-Man & The Masters of Universe. 

Predictably, with only seven minutes to work with, don’t expect to see any personality development, as the characters are essentially all talking cardboard.  While dialogue for these DC heroes is virtually interchangeable, one notices that a bossy Superman considers himself the leader of this Justice League.  Another notable exception is the Titans’ propensity for corny nicknames for one another.  Like Volume 1, the stock plot is a never-ending series of generic alien invasions, as there isn’t an actual DC villain in sight.  Frankly, there isn’t much here, though the content is safe for kids eight and under as a low-key precursor to Hanna-Barbera’s Super-Friends.  

BONUS FEATURES:

Available languages and sub-titles are in English (for the hearing-impaired) and Portuguese.  A forty-minute featurette, “Lou Scheimer, Animation Maverick,” poignantly explores Filmation’s co-founder and his impact on modern television animation.  Trailers appear for Scooby Doo & the Goblin King; It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; Popeye & Friends, Vol. 1; LEGO Batman (the video game); Smurfs, Vol. 2; & Tiny Toons – Season 1, Vol. 1 and Freakazoid – Season 1.

PACKAGING:

With the exception of Aquaman’s deceptive appearance, the DVD case provides a fair listing of its contents.  The cover artwork is also noticeably better than the faded animation quality. 

Note: There’s a visual goof, as Hanna-Barbera’s Birdman (instead of Hawkman) is included on the menu screens. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                         3½ Stars

Note: Volume 1 showcases more episodes from 1967: specifically, of the Atom, Flash, & Green Lantern in solo action. 

SUMMARY:                 RUNNING TIME: 63 Min.

From Warner Home Video in 2008 is this archival collection of nine cartoons (approximately seven minutes per episode) from Filmation’s 1967 TV adaptation of DC Comics.  With the exception of a credited writer, no other credits are included.  The episodes are:

• The Atom: Invasion of the Beetle Men (written by George Kashdan).  Hiding inside a meteor, five alien beetle-like creatures capable of size-changing intend to cause atomic sabotage on Earth.  It’s up to Ray Palmer as the Atom to thwart their efforts softening Earth as a potential invasion target.
• The Atom: The Plant Master (written by George Kashdan).  Ray Palmer must rescue his fellow expedition members from captivity on a secluded island held by a plant-controlling terrorist group.  This episode includes the Atom’s hilarious ‘Tarzan’ yell wrapping up some baddies with a plant vine.
• The Atom: The House of Doom (written by George Kashdan).  Supposedly, invaders from planet Zurgo are manipulating evil Dr. Rokar to ruin Earth’s space exploration technology.  It’s up to Ray Palmer’s Atom to short-circuit this villainous conspiracy.

• The Flash: The Chemo-Creature (written by George Kashdan).  A mutated, ant-like monster uses bizarre nuclear powers to create havoc in Central City and challenge Barry Allen’s Flash.
• The Flash: Take a Giant Step (written by George Kashdan).  Evil Professor Crag sends a giant robot to battle Barry Allen’s Flash and Wally West’s Kid Flash.
• The Flash: To Catch a Blue Bolt (written by Bob Haney).  Alien speedster Blue Bolt wreaks havoc in Western Europe and Egypt, with the Flash and Kid Flash in hot pursuit.  Note: Filmation’s Wally West has black hair instead of reddish-orange (presumably, to distinguish his hair from his red Kid Flash mask).

• Green Lantern: Evil is as Evil Does (written by George Kashdan).  It’s Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern in battle against Evil Star on Earth and on planet Oa.
• Green Lantern: The Vanishing World (written by George Kashdan).  The kidnapping of his Venusian teenage sidekick, Kairo, by the brutish Org and friends (with big foreheads and bad haircuts) forces Green Lantern into battle on an asteroid.  He must later chase Org’s getaway spaceship.
• Green Lantern: Sirena, Empress of Evil (written by George Kashdan).  Taken captive, Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern needs Kairo’s help to stop evil Sirena’s attempted takeover of planet Oa.  Note: Filmation’s Guardians of the Universe appear far more human-like rather than in their familiar alien blue skin tone.

REVIEW:

In terms of nostalgic value, these formulaic cartoons are worth perusing maybe once.  The cheap animation quality is primitive in comparison to later Filmation efforts, like the animated Star Trek, The New Adventures of Batman, and He-Man & The Masters of Universe.  Predictably, with only seven minutes to work with, not one iota is spent on developing anyone’s personality, as the characters are essentially talking cardboard.  That’s why dialogue for Green Lantern, Flash, and the Atom is nearly interchangeable (at least, that’s consistent with DC’s Justice League comic books from that era).

As with Volume 2, the stock plot is a never-ending series of generic alien invasions.  At least, guest villain Evil Star makes a welcome appearance from the pages of Green Lantern.  Although his episode is ruined by an atrocious, pun-filled ending, Blue Bolt is an intriguing foe for the Flash & Kid Flash, as if he were an alien knock-off of the Reverse-Flash.  Beyond that, there really isn’t much else to see here, though the content is ultra-safe for kids eight and under.  

Note: The jarring visual-audio technique used for the intro for “The Atom” and similarly in “The Flash” may be headache-inducing.

BONUS FEATURES:

Available languages and sub-titles are in English (for the hearing-impaired) and Portuguese.

PACKAGING:

The DVD case has a fair listing of its contents.  Frankly, the cover artwork is noticeably better than the animation quality. 

Note: Amusingly, Hanna-Barbera’s Birdman (instead of Hawkman) is included on the menu screens. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:               3 Stars

Note: Volume 2 showcases more episodes from 1967: specifically, of Hawkman, the Justice League of America, and The Teen Titans.