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Rating: 
Summary: Still Not "It"
Review: The only studio that can properly release POPEYE shorts is Warner Bros, since WB has the copyright to the Fleischer/Famous POPEYE cartoon library. But, Warner Bros has not reached a deal with King Features Syndicate (which owns the copyright to the "Thimble Theater" characters) to release POPEYE cartoons on DVD yet. So, what do we have here, then? Volume 1
If these cartoons had been released by Warner Bros, they would have been the real deal. However, all the cartoons that are presented here have already been released on a VHS tape (I wouldn't be surprised if they had been transferred directly from that tape onto this DVD). In other words, these are the ONLY Fleischer POPEYE shorts that are already available to the public. The three two-reel Three-Color-Technicolor specials ("Popeye Meets Sindbad the Sailor," "Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves," and "Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp") have already been released on many second-rate VHS tapes and DVDs. These films are public domain and are NOT digitally restored for this DVD release. (These three cartoons are being restored to their original, theatrical glory by Warner Bros as I am writing this. Jerry Beck has already seen the restored version of "Sindbad" and he says it's astonishing, brilliant, fascinating, breathtaking...Mr. Beck is the guy to be trusted.) Now, regarding the B&W cartoons on Volume 1...."I'm in the Army Now" and "Customers Wanted" are two "cheaters." Both cartoons feature footage from earlier cartoons (granted, the recycled Fleischer footage is much more interesting than the KFS or Hanna-Barbera POPEYEs). "I Never Changes My Altitude" and "The Paneless Window Washer" (mainly animated by W. Bowsky) are truly amazing cartoons. They feature frantic, energetic, hilarious fistfights between Popeye and Bluto. These two films are worthier than Volume 2 and Volume 3 together. "Little Swee'Pea" (animated by S. Kneitel) is an OK Fleischer short. Swee'Pea in this short is Olive's (adopted?) son, whom Popeye takes to the zoo (where the "trouble" begins). This cartoon was featured on Winstar Home Entertainment's "The Great Animation Studios - Fleischer Studios." The cartoon displays some amazing three-dimensional backgrounds, an illusion achieved through the Fleischers' innovative Stereoptical process. Finally, "A Date to Skate," while not one of my favourite POPEYE cartoons, is a true Fleischer picture, which contains Jack Mercer's (Popeye) hilarious under-the-breath mutterings and an interesting example of the Fleischeresque self-reflexivity. Volume 2 and Volume 3
These two volumes in this series offer nothing more than the same bunch of the public-domain Famous Studios shorts from the 1950s that we have seen so many times on a number of public-domain VHS tapes and DVDs (the only B&W cartoon: "Me Musical Nephews" was featured on the aforementioned VHS tape)...And, taking into account that it is only Warner Bros that can restore these cartoons to their original glory, what we have here is a collection of déjà vu unremastered shorts. True Popeye fans are still praying (even myself, and I am not religious) for Warner Bros and King Features Syndicate to transcend their materialistic urges and grow above their bureaucratic narrow-mindedness by finally reaching a deal to release the restored Fleischer (and Famous) POPEYE DVD collection (à la Disney Treasures)...That would be a true celebration of our favourite one-eyed, pipe-smoking, spinach-chomping grizzled mariner's 75th birthday.
Rating:
Summary: Yet another "colletor's edition" not worth collecting...
Review: This is perhaps one of the poorest Popeye DVD's out there..."Sindbad the Sailor" is presented in black and white here! It's a color fim! Why is it black and white on this disc? No restoration work of any kind has been done to these shorts at all. I do like the cover art and the disc menus on this disc, though.
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