Official Synopsis:
Though it aired for only two seasons, the classic 1980s cartoon series HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE remains a nostalgic favorite of anyone who grew up in the Reagan era. Originally created to sell a line of action figures, the syndicated series transcended its toy-tie-in roots with imaginative storytelling, hand-drawn animation, and an adroit blend of action, fantasy, and science-fiction. The series follows the mythical adventures of a mild-mannered royal whose magic sword transforms him into a loinclothed, Prince Valiant-coiffed muscleman known as He-Man, the most powerful being in the universe. Together with a loyal band of followers--including his pet tiger, Cringer; his man-at-arms, Duncan; the beautiful captain of the guards, Teela; a cloaked floating magician, Orko; and his winged mentor, Sorceress--He-Man fights to protect the magically-powered Castle Greyskull from the evil clutches of his skull-faced nemesis, Skeletor, who presides over his own army of supervillains. This collection presents the first half of the second season with episodes 66 through 98.
Our Take:
Before I was an Autobot, and before I was a Ninja Turtle, and long before I donned my cape and cowl, I was one of the Masters of the Universe. Nearly two decades later, I still have extremely fond memories of everything He-Man. I remember sitting on the floor in front of the television with my action figures out in anticipation of each day’s episode.Afterwards, I’d re-enact the show with my “guys.” I was an only child, so I had to rely on my imagination to pass the time (as this was before every five-year-old had their own PC, iPod or XBOX), and this was what Masters of the Universe was great for, inspiring kids with great stories that had a twist of morality to them.
While critics at the time blasted the show as being nothing more than a vehicle to sell toys and promote violence, it always strived to be more. And it certainly succeeded on some level, because how else can you explain the fact that 20 years later it still resonates with so many people? He-Man is as much alive today in the hearts of fans as it was back in the ‘80s. Masters of the Universe struck a chord, relying on timeless stories in the vein of Tolkien, Lovecraft, and Howard; featuring a mixture of magic and technology in Eternia, a world populated by wizards, demons, dragons, and talking pet tigers. While telling the stories, writers also managed to fit in an overall theme of moral behavior, such as accepting people who are different, treating others as you want to be treated, and not to cheat or steal. Simple things, yes, but they were also good at raising self-esteem. You felt like you were a part of the show, and as a kid, being accepted like that isn’t such a bad thing.
Season 2 is Masters of the Universe at it’s best. Here is where the writers really hit their stride with the episodes. Some of the most memorable heroes and villains made their first appearances during this time. While Season One featured a diverse assortment of villains, demons and monsters, Season Two added more of Skeletor’s more notorious henchmen, like Webstor, and Kobra-Kahn. Don’t fret; He-Man gets some new friends too, like Fisto and Moss Man. The show isn’t perfect, and there certainly are a few episodes with plots that are so thin you can see through them. Still, this is purely about nostalgia and, for some, enjoying a part of their childhood.
These sets are some of the best television releases that have come out.This collection is now the fifth Masters of the Universe Release, including Season 1 Volumes One and Two, The Best of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and the He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special. Each release has maintained a high standard with exceptional picture and sound on every episode, excellent special features and high quality box art. These truly are great sets, and I’m proud to say that I own them. Sure to have “He-Fans” salivating, the Season Two Volume One DVD set includes bonus features galore.
* The Stories of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (30 minutes) - Part three of what is an ongoing documentary featuring writers, artists, producers and others involved in the creation of our favorite show sharing inside stories of what it was like to work at Filmation when He-Man was in production They also discuss specific episodes from the first half of season two. These documentaries continue to be consistently interesting and have very high professional quality.
* The Magic of Filmation (30 minutes) - A look at the history of Filmation, the production company that brought us He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power, and other classics like Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids as well as Star Trek: The Animated Series. Hear from Lou Scheimer and Hal Sutherland, the co-founders of Filmation, and other directors, writers and artists who were employed by our favorite animation studio.
* Commentaries - Three episodes have their own individual commentary tracks, including tracks by father/daughter team Lou & Erika Scheimer, and also Larry DiTillio, Tom Sito, Tom Taranoqicz and Dave Teague. This was the feature I was most excited about when I found out about it. It’s rare to find commentaries on animated series, and these are top notch. These guys are the heart and soul of MotU, and it’s great to hear them. They’re even a little in awe of the fact that after twenty years, they never would have imagined they’d be watching the episodes and recording a DVD commentary.
* Interactive Episode - Watch “Trouble’s Middle Name” and go back and forth between the storyboard and the episode or watch a side-by-side view.
* Profiles – Fifty detailed profiles of various characters, monsters, and artifacts from the show. Each features a small write-up as well as a short clip from an episode they’re featured in.
* Orko’s Fun Facts - Located on the chapter menu of each episode, find out some rare nuggets of information about the episode.
* Episode Scripts – Five episode scripts featured as a DVD-ROM extra.
Whether you’re just a kid at heart, or you’ve got kidlets of your own, don’t walk, but RUN out to stores and pick up Masters of the Universe Season 2, Volume 1. Beyond getting your fix of nostalgia, the show continues to entertain and remains fun to watch all these years later.
HIGHLY RECCOMENDED!
Overall Picture:
Show: A+
DVD: A+
- Chris Lawrence
Staff Writer
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