Rating: 
Summary: Where's The Japanese?
Review: It shows they did not put much effort into this remastering if they couldn't include the original Japanese language track. Absolutely a crime to not do so in my opinion. Dubbing movies and television shows into another language is possibly the worst thing that happened to movies, and this is no exception. (Sorry people who never saw the original series living on nostalgia, but it's true.) Also, many scenes were cut for the American broadcast for 'violence'. So please, why the edited version on DVD? 2 giant reasons not to buy this set, but if you're a collector and want a rubber tire for your DVD collection, I can't stop you. But you have been warned along with countless others giving this DVD a mediocre review.
Rating: 
Summary: Great series, but a few problems
Review: It's great to finally see this released on DVD. The picture quality is great. The sound is mono, but in it's own way adds to the memories of the original series. I had a slight problem with the following:1. No chapter selections within each episode. Once you select an episode you're stuck with using FF or going back to the main menu. 2. The end credits are not original. Nitpicking I know, but if you are going to give us the original, make it all original. Having said the above, the stories are still fresh. It was fun watching and remembering sitting in front of the old black and white waiting for the next episode. Can't wait for the next volume.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware! All episodes are time-compressed
Review: Just bought this new DVD and, for whatever reason, all 11 episodes are time-compressed! Each one runs 23:30 instead of the original 24:40. While the picture and sound quality are very good (much better than previous VHS releases), there was no logical reason for the manufacturer to do this. As soon as you play an episode, and hear the opening theme song: you'll know the sound and picture have been "sped" up. Hope future releases are better.
Rating: 
Summary: It's like I'm 8 again
Review: Love this show! My brother and I watched it every morning before school in the 1970s. Bought a few VHS episodes in the 1990's, but they were borrowed and never returned of course! I have been waiting for the DVD for what seems like forever. While a few of the other reviewers have called the show outdated I beg to differ. I have an 11 year old son so I've been forced, and I mean forced, to watch Pokemon and the hideous Yugio and Speed Racer is 10 times better. My son's favorite line is "it's Racer X in his disguise as Racer X" Buy this DVD it's well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Blast from the past
Review: OK, so the animation isn't exactly stellar and the plots are kind of silly. But I remember watching these things as a kid and they really bring back the happy memories! If you grew up on these like I did, you're in for a treat! If not, this DVD may not be for you. But you probably wouldn't be looking at this if you weren't already into Speed! As for the DVD itself, I have had some problems. I have a couple of players. My older Toshiba (which is usually picky) plays it fine, but my Apex (which normally plays ANYTHING without problem) doesn't. It's like it's in some kind of "single frame" mode, playing about one frame every couple of seconds and no sound. Haven't tried it on my PCs.
Rating:
Summary: Don't be confused!!! Buy this!!
Review: Okay, I wrote a previous review and thought I'd write another because I feel some people may be scared away to buy this from what other reviewers said.The time compression that some talk about is only on the title and the credit. I checked an original episode I had and it clocked in at 24:00 complete. Then the DVD came in at 23:40. So the title and credits are the culprit in the time compression. You definitely can't tell that the voices are sped up. Now the title, yes, but can we be that picky? I mean would you rather be with Speed Racer or not? Easy choice for me. And I believe someone said the pic quality wasn't good. WOW!!! I think that reviewer must have a DVD player built by a caveman, haha. The pic quality will have you in awe. So if you're one worried about time compression and titles and credits, don't buy this but if you love Speed Racer, definitely buy this. Over 4 hours for the price, COME ON!! And someone complained about the Mammoth Car ep. where Sparky was conked on the head. Yes, it is edited out and I find that horrible they edited out anything but don't let a conk to the head not let you buy this or you'll feel like you've been conked yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Go, Speed, Go (back to the store & return this ... mess!)
Review: So, you waited MANY years to finally get the original Speed Racer show on DVD! (I know I did!) Well, you may be disappointed with this release. (I know I was!) Why was I so upset? Well, read on: First and foremost, this is NOT the same version of Speed Racer we grew up with! Both the opening credits sequence and the closing credits sequence have been re-done. Gone are the original "Trans-Lux" credit and the exciting swirling white animated "Speed Racer" logo. Now, the opening boasts cheesy yellow & red titles that were obviously created by computer. The lousy graphics were then placed over a re-edited opening sequence that uses the original Japanese version as its base (You can see the swirling red Japanese title in the middle of the wheel). This is where the computer-generated credits are used (with jarring, ham-fisted edits!). The closing credits also feature computer-created graphics that are superimposed over out-of-focus background animation. The closing theme also appears to have been re-recorded... Look, I know you shouldn't base your purchase solely on the fact the opening and closing credits were changed, so let's look at the episodes themselves: The colors are very good, as it does look like the producers of this DVD went back to the original Japanese masters. The problem is that the producers decided to pack *5 hours* of material onto *one* single-sided DVD! The episodes have been compressed too much! The bit rate fluctuates from only 2.1Mbps to about 4.5Mbps. (Compare this to the 6.9Mbps to 10.0Mbps bit rate of Rhino's "Battle of the Planets" DVDs.) The Speed Racer episodes suffer from quite a bit of digital artifacting. My disc's video also freezes from time to time. Maybe the producers of this think they are being generous by including 11 episodes. Well, I think they could have given us 11 episodes over 2 discs, or at least one double-sided disc. They compressed the material too much, and the final results are very disappointing. Beyond the video compression the producers used to cram 5 hours of material onto one DVD, many of the episodes have also been "time-compressed", meaning they have been sped up. This is usually done so stations can air more commercials, but for a home video release, it's inexcusable!
So, how do I know they have been time-compressed? Well, I compared the actual episode content (minus the opening & closing credits) of the first eight episodes to the Japanese version. Of these first 8 episodes, 3 run faster than the originals. Now, the US-version is edited in a few places, so that will shorten their runing time, but identical portions should run the same speed. Sadly, they don't.
When you watch the episodes side by side (something my TV is capable of doing), the US Speed Racer episodes start getting ahead of their Japanese counterparts. Episodes 1, 7, and 8 all immediately start running faster than the originals. The running time for the first episode is 21:31. Compare that to the 22:45 of the Japanese original (1:14 faster). That's enough for 2 more commercials! Episode 7 is 1:35 faster, and episode 8 is a minute faster.
I don't want to speculate on why the producers felt the need to time-compress these episodes, but it shouldn't have been done! The Japanese release of "Mach Go Go Go (Speed Racer's original Japanese name) came out on a total of 9 DVDs. They cost a lot more than this disc, yet they feature a much better picture, with less compression. I only wish the US-version was of the same high-standard as the Japanese-version. Sadly, it's not. Finally, to emphasize how [bad] an operation this whole DVD is, look at its "1966" copyright date. Well, "Mach Go Go Go" wasn't released in Japan until 1967, and the US version didn't come out for another year or two...! Why 1966? How can a company release a truly definitive version of Speed Racer when they don't even know when it was made..?!
Rating:
Summary: "Gimmie five-thousand clams and I'll steal the plans!"
Review: Speed Racer is 60's futurism at its best, and is as cool 'now' as it was back 'then'! These episodes offer a combination of fast, manic, campy, and 'cute' (hey, Spritle and Chim-chim pulled their own weight; even Sparky added character) - but most of all, they just burn "coolness" on all cylinders. I shouldn't fail to mention that the dubbing crew for this series was top notch (a few of their members also worked on Marine Boy - wish we could see THOSE remastered) and added to the shows appeal, along with excellent music. These episodes are imminently watchable and enjoyable - no matter what one's age. I've enjoyed delving into all manner of nostalgic re-releses over the years, but Speed Racer has been the best and most surprising by far! I can't wait for the next set to be released. Highly Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: "Gimmie five-thousand clams and I'll get the plans!"
Review: Speed Racer is 60's futurism at its best, and
as cool 'now' as it was back 'then'! These episodes offer a combination of fast, manic, campy, and 'cute' (hey, Spritle and Chim-chim pulled their own weight) - but most of all, they just burn coolness on all cylinders.
These episodes are imminently watchable and enjoyable -
no matter what one's age. I've enjoyed delving into all manner of nostalgic re-releses over the years, but Speed Racer has been the best and most surprising by far! I can't wait for the
next set to be released. Highly Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: This is a great DVD!
Review: Speed Racer is a Japanese "Manga" that was created in 1966. In 1967, the 52 episodes of the show were dubbed into English, and syndicated across the U.S., where they were watched by millions of young people who carried the cartoon in their hearts all the way to today! Speed Racer is the story of a young racecar driver who experiences excitement and danger around the world, both on the racecourse and off. Even though the show is now some 38 years old, the cars are still fantastic to look at and the story has lost none of its fascination! Recently, the first eleven episodes of the show have been released in this DVD. The eleven episodes cover five stories: The Great Plan, Challenge of the Masked Racer, The Secret Engine, The Race Against the Mammoth Car, and The Most Dangerous Race. Not only that, this DVD is crammed with extras, the best of which are and interactive look at the Mach 5 (Speed's car) and a gallery of villains - each with a clip showing the villain in action! This is a great DVD! My ten-year-old son has been a fan of Speed Racer since he was quite young (a chip off the old block!), and he is very glad to have some of the episodes on DVD. So, now he and I can sit and watch this great cartoon together. If you know a young boy who likes racecars, then get him this DVD, and he will love you for it! One extra thing: the limited-edition "rubber tire" packaging is a nice touch. It is so well done that it is really a work of art. Get this DVD!
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