Rating: 
Summary: widescreen woes and wonderings...
Review: Here's a look at the facts on the widescreen formatting issue....Often times the original media used to shoot television shows is the same that is used to film movies. In short, widescreen. That source is then cropped and edited to fit the 4:3 aspect ratio of television. You are 100% correct in observing that the original kung fu was presented in a 4:3 (fullscreen) aspect ratio. However, in theory, if the DVD was re-created from the original source material instead of the edited source material, than no abnormal cropping or destortion should occur. So...depending on what source they are editing...we could have an exciting chance to view the additional images the director originally shot in his film (that was later edited for syndicate)...or a major disappointment in that even MORE content is cropped out of the picture. As I cannot find any information on this matter and the studio will not respond to my emails, only time will tell. I feel guilty giving this a 5-star without seeing the final product, but I grew up on this show and can only hope they do it justice. If you're reading this, you probably do as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Not filmed in widescreen - Not the original aspect ratio
Review: Any prospective purchasers of this DVD, please note that the orignal series was filmed and broadcast in a 4:3 screen ratio. To accomodate the 16:9 ratio of widescreen TVs, the image will be cropped, losing image (about 25%) from the top and/or bottom of the screen. If the series were presented in its correct 4:3 ratio, there would be black or gray bars at the right and left of the widescreen TVs ... Warner is probably trying to avoid complaints from viewers who don't realize that this is the only way to correctly present the original image as filmed and broadcast. Warner's would better serve fans of the series by presenting it as originally filmed and broadcast and educating its customers that this is the correct presentation. Prospective buyers of this DVD need to realize that they will be seeing about 25% less image than was originally filmed and broadcast.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute joy!
Review: I've been waiting for this series to become available for years. Now that it has, it has exceeded my high expectations. The old magic is still there - unchanged by time. The photography, music, story-lines, direction - all hold their own with anything produced today. I can't recommend it highly enough. My only question being - when is the second series going to become available?
Rating:
Summary: Check Each dvd disc before 30 days!
Review: I discovered disc 2, side B will not play. This was after the 30 day return period even though it was defective. I sure wish they had a phone # to talk to someone. Has anyone else had this problem? My future dvd orders might just be local from now on.
You would think that Amazon would replace defective items after 30 days?
Rating:
Summary: Like an old friend
Review: I'm so glad this is out! Watching this is like a visit with an old friend - it brings back many memories, and is just a joy to sit down and watch. I'd forgetten the production value that was put into this series. For its time, there was nothing like this show, and there still isn't! Little lessons in philosophy nicely incorporated into each story! A treasure to be sure!
Rating: 
Summary: on DVD at last!
Review: I was very excited to hear that "Kung Fu" was going to be released on DVD, as this was one of my favorite shows back in the 70's (and in re-runs in the 80's.) It is a real pleasure to be able to watch these episodes in order, with spectacular color and sound. I can't wait for the remaining seasons (and hopefully the inferior but still entertaining "Kung Fu - The Legend Continues") to come out! So why only a 4? Several reasons: (1) I hate double-sided DVD's. Warner seems especially prone to this cost-cutting tactic. Really, just an annoyance. (2) The widescreen cropping - until I read about it I didn't really notice the "missing" picture, though now that I'm looking for it, it's a little bit more noticeable. Again, this is just an annoyance for me. (3) the occasional pops and scratches - I would have thought they could be eliminated during the re-mastering. You guessed it, no more than an annoyance. Yes, there are many aspects of this show that are dated (it is from the 70's after all! Amazingly, this show stands the test of time far better than many other series from that time period, possibly because of its setting and message.) Yes, there is blatant racism and stereotyping in some of the casting (yet the show also addresses racism in many episodes.) Yes, the martial arts are mediocre at best until Kam Yuen is brought in as kung fu advisor. Yes, Bruce Lee was passed over in favor of a Caucasian (and the show would have been radically different had he not been, and not necessarily in a positive way.) All of these points are true, but this is still one of the first shows that used martial arts in a positive light (non-revenge oriented) and which along with Bruce Lee helped bring martial arts into mainstream American culture. If you enjoyed this show as much as I did, and aren't horribly offended (as some are) by the cropping - buy this set. You won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Forget the Aspect Ratio, Forget the 'Racism'
Review: "Kung Fu" is one of the best television Westerns ever done. I was 22 when the series started in 1972, just at the best age to appreciate the amazing confluence of Eastern ideas placed into a wild Western setting.
However, after viewing this series - the second season - on DVD, the force of it is even more obvious.
Now, I am in agreement with those who condemn the aspect ratio editing; a TV show - unless filmed originally in widescreen should be shown in the stand TV 'full screen' format. However, the DVD sets are better than nothing at all.
I also agree that Bruce Lee was ill treated by the producers of "Kung Fu." However, Bruce Lee died in the summer of 1973! And how did he die? A film star known the world over, whose films are still regarded as seminal within the genre. Besides, as one who has mingled in the Hollywood (of the late 70s, when things changed to an extent) milieu, writers, actors, directors, et al, get cheated and ignored all the time. Sure, race can be part of the theft or mistreatment, but "Hollywood" is a cut throat place all too often, where there is no 'rule book' on anything. So, would the critics of the alleged racism and mistreatment of Bruce Lee rather have had him do only the first season of "Kung Fu" before he died, or become the world renowned martial artist whose legend has endured for over three decades after his death? The answer is obvious! They didn't kill him, they made him a legend! There are just too many moral lepers with too much power in "Hollywood", and yet, there are also people like Spielberg, Paul Newman, the Reiners, Ron Howard, who are as close to solid gold as it gets in this life. "Hollywood" is just not the place to go expecting justice; the whole film and television industry is based on relatively temporary general popularity, not the ethical treatment of those involved in making the 'product.' A lot of the decisions that are made have strong social components - people who have worked together on other efforts - rather than just artistic perspectives in common. Anything from "Hollywood" is a collaborative effort of people whose careers live and die on the whims of the general public... and it makes everyone involved skittish or edgy and often cynical. Too much is out of control, so they tend to go with what seems safe (for them) or what the 'execs' or the bag men (follow the money trail) require. The people in "Hollywood" know how unstable their work is and they expect others to know that as well. It's quicksand.
That "Hollywood" could have produced such a fine series as "Kung Fu" deserves praise, not condemnation over the fate of Bruce Lee in a TV series.
Now, to anyone with martial arts training, the first season in particular was almost amusing because so much of the martial arts had to be supported by slowing down the camera speed and using unusual angles to hide the inabilities of David Carradine. Over the course of the three years, Carradine did improve greatly, though he was never going to be in the same class as Lee.
Carradine was the perfect choice, martial arts skills aside, to convey the message of the creators of "Kung Fu." He made "Kung Fu" his series in a way that I doubt Bruce Lee could have.
It is also interesting to note that David Carradine played the lead in an Oscar winning film biography of Woody Guthrie just after the "Kung Fu" series ended. Anyone watching that film could see the "Kwai Chang Cain school of acting" skills being applied to his presentation of Guthrie.
Bruce Lee was amazing in "Green Hornet" and his films, but he was not right for the lead in "Kung Fu." Carradine was.
Rating:
Summary: Stands the Test of Time and Beyond!
Review: This , in my opinion, was one of the few quality TV shows to ever be made and one of the few worth watching. It is my deep desire that parents are buying this for their children to watch. Wouldn't it be wonderful if these shows affected the next generation the way it affected us in the 70s! David Carradine should have won best actor for this. It is a joy to watch this season one then season two to see the steady progession of the character of Kwai Chang Caine evolve. The interviews on the DVDs are an added bonus. We made a marathon out of watching seasons one and two and are anxiously awaiting season three if it is going to be put out on DVD? One can only hope that that will happen as well as the later Kung Fu series being released on DVD. If you have not read David Carradine's autobiography it is also well worth it. I picked it up again after watching these episodes. It is truly a hero's journey written in an observer's voice without judgment. It is interesting to watch how he lifted himself up especially after the birth of his first daughter. Truly an icon of our time. We are blessed to have him here!!
Rating:
Summary: Still A Great Show, Even After 30 Years
Review: I remember watching this show religiously when I was a kid and thinking it was the best thing on TV. The philosophy of life exemplified by the character Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine) had a real and lasting impact on me. Watching the same episodes all over again 30 years down the road, I find that they have not lost their original power. I would recommend watching this show with your children. If everyone learned to behave more like Kwai Chang Caine, the world would be a better place indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Second Season
Review: Just to let everyone know...the complete second season will be available Jan. 18th 2005!!!
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