STREET DATE: JULY 18th
Official Synopsis:
This two-disc set includes the five best episodes of the long-running series She-Ra: Princess of Power, as voted on by fans. It also includes the 1985 feature film "The Secret of the Sword." The set is packed with special features including a documentary featurette, a feature length audio commentary, a music video featurette, trivia, collectibles and more! She-Ra: Princess of Power first aired on television in 1985, as a female-directed spin-off of the popular He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
Our Take:
As big a fan of He-Man as I was as a kid, I never really got into She-Ra. I'd like to think that I was enlightened and that it wasn't because she's a girl, but then again, I was about 10 years old at the time. Who knows what my reasoning was.
So the new Best Of She-Ra set was the perfect place for me to get my introduction to Etheria. Of course, watching the show with an adult's eyes, it's easy to find flaws in it, but overall, She-Ra is a worthy successor to He-Man. Let's face it, it is pretty derivative; She-Ra has very similar sidekicks, powers, and comic relief characters. But that familiarity, coupled with the fact that She-Ra is a direct spin-off from He-Man (they're twins), makes it easily digestible for He-Man fans.
This is a perfect set for people like me. Full season box sets are in the works, but this best-of is great for more casual fans. It includes the "The Secret of the Sword" movie, which was the first five episodes that were originally edited together into a feature-length cartoon, and five episodes chosen by the fans as the most popular. The movie features He-Man as a major character, and, not surprisingly, he also shows up in the number-one ranked episode.
As is always the case with BCI Eclipse and their new Ink and Paint imprint, this two-disc set includes a number of great special features. Also, don't skip the chapter selection menus, as they have fun facts about the individual episodes on each one.
* Documentary (26 minutes) - A look at the show's creation, featuring interviews with numerous people involved in the production, including J. Michael Straczynski, who was a staff writer on show.
* Commentary - There's a commentary track for The Secret of the Sword featuring producer Lou Scheimer, writer Larry Ditillio, director Gwen Wetzler, and voice actor Allan Oppenheimer.
* I Have The Power Music Video Featurette (8 minutes) - An interview with voice actress Erika Scheimer and the He-Man/She-Ra music video "I Have The Power."
* Storyboard Comparison (3 minutes) - Compare the storyboards to the finished music video.
* Music Video Extras - A sing along version of the song, an alternate recording, and a Spanish recording of the song.
* Scripts - A DVD-ROM feature that lets you read original She-Ra scripts.
* Art Cards - Postcard-sized exclusive art cards by comic book artists Brandon Peterson and Joe Chiodo are included in the packaging.
While I still remain a much bigger He-Man fan than I probably will ever be of She-Ra, the show holds up pretty well, and is a pretty good cartoon in its own right. It's definitely geared for girls, but with enough action and fantasy to keep boys involved also. This one's a great nostalgia fix and a fun watch as well.
Overall Picture:
Show: B
DVD: A
- Mike Spring
Editor
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