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.
