|
Defenders Of The Earth: The Complete Series, Volume One
|
|
|
|
Official Synopsis:
Tyrant Ming the Merciless and his vast army of evil accomplices are working overtime to eliminate the human race. But the Defenders of Earth, led by legendary crime-fighters The Phantom, Flash Gordon, Mandrake and his trusted confidant and bodyguard Lothar, join forces with their uniquely talented teenage children to challenge Ming and his evil followers in a series of great adventures. Both sides employ powerful computers and space age technology in their arsenals of weapons. They are our last, best hope. For a frightened but determined planet, they are the Defenders of the Earth.
Our Take:
Where BCI Eclipse finds all these different animated series is beyond me. Defenders of the Earth came out in 1986, and I know for a fact that I was watching lots of cartoons at that time, but I do not remember this show. Where do these cartoons come from, and why do other people seem to remember them when I don't? Well, either way, Defenders of the Earth is another animated series that has received the deluxe treatment from BCI Eclipse's Ink and Paint imprint. The show itself isn't bad; it features The Phantom, Flash Gordon, and Mandrake the Magician as a superhero team of sorts, so that gives it a nice crossover appeal.
Defenders of the Earth definitely has a heavy 80's vibe, as the heroes have a team of ordinary human teenagers that they team up with to regularly help save the world from Ming the Merciless. It's definitely a step up from its thematic predecessor, The Space Sentinels (also available on DVD from BCI), which took other mythical heroes and teamed them together.
Not surprisingly, this five-disc DVD collection comes complete with a number of great extra features.
* Interviews (34 minutes) - Key show personnel Bill Hutten, David J. Corbett, Loren Lester, Peter Mark Richman, and Rick Norwood are interviewed.
* Commentary - The show's creators talk about the pilot episode.
* Storyboard to Episode Comparison (21 minutes) - Watch an episode side-by-side with its original storyboards.
* Character Bios - A surprisingly in-depth encyclopedia feature covering many aspects of the show, not just the characters.
* Model Sheet Slideshow - A collection of art of the show's original model sheets.
* Original Presentation Pilot (7 minutes) - See the original incarnation of the show, with different characters and animation.
* Art Cards - Two exclusive art cards feature artwork by Michael Allred and Rafael Kayanan.
I certainly don't remember Defenders of the Earth, but I can see its appeal, and I'm sure that fans who do remember it will be excited to have the show on DVD after all these years. For those fans, BCI Eclipse has put together a terrific release.
Overall Picture:
Show: C+
DVD: A
- Mike Spring
Editor
|
|
|
|
|
|
