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Samurai Jack - Season 1

Samurai Jack - Season 1

List Price: $29.98
Your Price: $22.49
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Samurai Jack Lives
Review: I couldn't stop watching this series when it came on. One wouldn't think an adult would like this but it's a great adult animation series. The characters are wonderful. I think only one or two at the most I didn't care for but I still enjoy them all. The animation is absolutely wonderful. I don't know why the second season isn't out on DVD yet and don't why Cartoon Network hasn't run a new series. I hope the producers don't let this character die off in pixel land.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Incomplete
Review: I pre-ordered Jack Season 1 from Amazon.com and got it today. I opened it looking forward to watch my (everyone's) favorite episode, XIV Jack Jump Good. It's not here! The 2 DVDs contain 12 episodes, 4 of which are already on the first Jack DVD. The last episode is XIII Aku's Fairy Tales.

Hopefully Season 2 will come out soon, and contain the episodes that aired in the winter of 2002.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Hardly A Creative Premise
Review: If you're curious as to the "inspiration" for this "creative" show, just look up the mid 80's graphic novel RONIN by Frank Miller. It's all about a Samurai who is sent to the future and must do battle with a shape-changing demon by the name of Agat in a futuristic landscape......???????? Now my question is, has Miller tried suing the pants off these guys? If so, why not?

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Art can be animated.
Review: In this day and age of p.c. shock troops, facts spun for monetary and political gain, and religious zealotry, it is a breath of fresh air to have a cartoon that brings honor and courage to an otherwise commercialized genre. Samurai Jack rules, 'nuff said.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Worth it...
Review: It is only late at night I watch this show, and I must say, finally a cartoon has acheived the perfect amount of funny, and action. The cartoon it's self is very dramatic, and epic, but you also get a good giggle out of it.

Clever, brillant animation, and very well worth it to any one.
P.S. I have never been a fan of Cartoon Netowrk, but this takes the cake. Second only to ZIM

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Televisions's Top Animated Badass Takes a Bow
Review: It's easy to knock American animation. Compared to the robust competition across the Pacific it seems uninspired and shallow, barely able to hold a coherent thought that isn't about produt placement. And, it's for kids. Any animation on these shores that would earn the qualification "adult" has much more to do with content than style - no one has accused South Park of groundbreaking animation.

Ah, but then there's Samurai Jack. It's a cartoon to be sure, but one that doesn't try to dumb things down. It has adult style, not content, and in some ways that's much more difficult. It's a heady, atmospheric broth - easily the most purely cinematic cartoon in a good long while. Jack walks a remote road to the music from Yojimbo, a cabaret dancer twirls to the theme of Austin Powers, shots are framed and cropped with eye of Kurosawa, the lush background art (easily the most underutilized facet of popular animation) shimmers straight out of the stark backdrops of a spaghetti western.

Some episodes are better than others (how could they not?), but most series, particularly animated ones, have a steep learning curve - you can see the confidence the creators possess increase with each episode. The only reason it seems a disappointment is that you know the next set is going to be so much better.

A point about other reviews - I'm finding it irritating when a DVD is somehow found lacking for having less "special" features. I have just as many DVD's as anyone else and I can't say I've ever learned anything interesting from the numerous outtakes, second takes, commentaries, auditions, makings of and spotlights on performers. If anything I'm finding more and more that it takes away from the core of the DVD, diluting the magic of special performances by breaking them down into minute and very human detail. All it comes down to is a tool to sell. The proof should be in the pudding.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: against my better judgement
Review: Normally I wouldn't review a DVD set before its distribution. However, I don't see any way that season one of Samurai Jack could earn any less than five stars, unless it was simply not what it is purported to be. For several years, I've waited for Samurai Jack to appear on DVD, gritting my teeth every time I spotted Saved By The Bell DVD sets on sale at my local maximart. Now, my dream is about to come true.

Another review posted here describes Samurai Jack as having "saved television animation". Not so. American televised animation has been maturing and flourishing right under our eyes for the last fifteen years, since The Simpsons blazed the trail. American animation is utterly unlike Japanese anime, with a far greater emphasis on comedy and social commentary. Shows like South Park, the Adult Swim half-shows (Space Ghost, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Harvey Birdman, Sealab 2021, etc.), Dr. Katz and Home Movies (another personal favorite) are doing just fine.

Nevertheless, Samurai Jack is something special. It is not in the tradition of current American animation; while light-hearted and sometimes comedic, Samurai Jack is never topical and is certainly not dialog driven. It is heavily influenced by Japanese animation in terms of both subject matter (samurais, swordplay and science-fiction) and style (action-driven, with many borrowed visual ideas). And yet, it is a thing apart from traditional anime as well. The style of art is uniquely simplistic and elegant, potraying a maximum of information with abstracted silhouettes. The tone hearkens backs to a more traditional Japanese culture, of silence and elegance, and from the antecedents of Japanese cinema as found in American Westerns.

Yeah, enough about the influences. The important thing to know is that a decade or two down the road, Samurai Jack will be rightly regarded as a masterpiece. Not of animation per se, but simply as a work of art. The rendering of the hero's quest, a fanicifully stylized future, innocence and adversity, and mostly its ability to be so visually expressive with a minimum of detail and dialog, these are transcendent qualities.

All of this is said in reference to the TV series, so I have to qualify my statements just a little bit. If the DVD set has some major deficiencies or special features, I will be sure to amend this review appropriately. Nevertheless, this is a hard one to screw up.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wachaaaaaaaaaa!!!
Review: Okay! Okay!! So they borrowed the basic premise from Frank Miller's "Ronin". However, "Ronin" isn't material that will appeal to a vast majority of folks!!! Be that as it may,while Miller may cater to bigger peoples, Samurai Jack caters to all peoples!!! Despite all this, the artwork is visually appealing and is far more original that most other American toons! Some stories work better than others but even the least successful ones are better than 95% of the other stuff out there (exception: Invader Zim). The real appeal is the fact that intelligence doesn't take a backseat to any cheesy kiddie stuff. Admittedly, many 4-6 year olds may not really grasp it but they still will find it visually interesting. Adults will find much to enjoy due to the artwork and main character. Those familiar with Samurai flix and Spaghetti westerns will find tons-o-much too like! Although, I do like the series, I do have a couple of complaints with the collection. First off, I wish they would have released newer extras. The ones in the set are practically the same as those in the "Samurai Jack The Movie." Second, The first four episodes are also found on the movie, thus, negating the purchase of the movie! I really wish that companies would use their brain matter and release material without totally negating previous purchases!!! Wishful thinking? True!!! However, if I had known that they were going to do this, I would have waited longer to purchase it and got it cheaper!! I feel a little ripped though!! It probably would have been nice to slip in a couple of special episodes to sorta ease the pain. Again, wishful thinking!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Stuff!
Review: Samarai Jack is one of the best cartoons to come down the pike in a long time. Although Jack looks a bit too much like the Professor in Powerpuff Girls, he packs a pretty mean punch. But, this cartoon is more than just your usual spills, thrills and chills, it is remarkably well done with excellent animation and clever storylines that makes this one shine over the usual Cartoon Network fare. It is one of the few cartoons that holds my attention as my 10 year-old son watches hours on end of cartoons. It is one of his favorites too, repeatedly voting for it on the Internet for the next CN marathon. But, this is a set you will want have for yourself as Samarai Jack gets less and less airtime.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Cool
Review: Samurai Jack is cool show, cool fighting, hilarious, etc. Unique style of drawing, highly recomend this show for all ages!


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