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Underdog (Collector's Edition)

Underdog (Collector's Edition)

List Price: $19.98
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I love it!
Review: I think the people that re-released the Underdog cartoons should be commended for restoring the cartoons to their original brilliance... Best of all it is all UNDERDOG! I was never into the in between stuff when these were run on TV. I think that the sound and picture were better then the prints used for TV.. This gives our floppy ear hero the respect that he deserved.. I hope that Joe harris decides to release all the cartoons on DVD format. I bought the 3 VHS tapes, and a just ordered the DVD... GREAT WORK on the final prints... I liked the new openings. Can't wait to see the interview with Joe Harris!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Its good to bring back memories of youth
Review: I thought that the disc was great, considering that Cartoon Network rarely shows this anymore. It is somewhat incomplete with title cards missing, but it is still good fun. Not anywhere near racist or anti-semitic as cat-in-a-former-life said in her poor excuse for a review. She clearly has deep issues that need resolving. Its Underdog, not Fritz the Cat or South Park. She needs to remember waaaaay back to her own youth and not be so uptight.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Its good to bring back memories of youth
Review: I thought that the disc was great, considering that Cartoon Network rarely shows this anymore. It is somewhat incomplete with title cards missing, but it is still good fun. Not anywhere near racist or anti-semitic as cat-in-a-former-life said in her poor excuse for a review. She clearly has deep issues that need resolving. Its Underdog, not Fritz the Cat or South Park. She needs to remember waaaaay back to her own youth and not be so uptight.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...UNDERDOG!
Review: It's a bird, it's a plane, it's...UNDERDOG!

Wow, I had forgotton about this cartoon (except for those special appearnces at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade), so imagine my delight when it was anounced that UNDERDOG would be released on DVD. This disc features a compilation of Underdog episodes including rarely-seen episodes thought to be long lost. And, for those dedicated UNDERDOG fans only, I heard a rumor that a $49.95 edition limited to just 1,000 copies will include a lithograph created by Joe Harris, the original illustrator, especially created for the DVD. For the rest of us not willing to spend the cash, this regular edition will do just fine.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good Nostalgic Entertainment!
Review: Like most Collector Editions, this DVD does a hack/slash job to blend 4-part stories into one piece. This makes the storylines easier to view in one setting, which is nice for anyone who's never seen it. For original fans, however, it means these are not "as broadcast" episodes. The DVD is pure UNDERDOG, with no segments (only a quick review) of the sideline stories that also ran on the show, like Tennesee Tuxedo.

The quality is mostly very sharp with clear sound, but I noticed the themesongs in the Cavalcade of Characters were not the versions used on the show---they sounded like alternative takes. It could be that no clear copies of the originals exist any more, or the sound team just didn't know which one to use.

The interview with the show's co-creator and the UNDERDOG quiz are great extras, as are the sing-along songs with bouncing ball and lyrics!!

Overall, the slip-ups are minor compared to the fantastic adventure and comedy of the shows! In many ways, UNDERDOG was similar to ROCKY and BULLWINKLE---overbearing narration, character name puns, cheesy animation done in Mexico, wacky side stories galore, multi-part storylines that ran for weeks. The UNDERDOG show was less witty and sarcastic, but more action-packed!! Show it to your kids and let them see how cartoons warped YOUR brain!!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: There IS need to fear when Golden Books is here
Review: Oh my god, what have they done?!?!? They've messed with the great Underdog and ditched the very things that made the cartoon great. No cliffhangers, no opening/ending credits, no Go Go Gophers!?!?

What were they thinking?

To top it all off, they try to pass it off as a good thing. The Golden Books website says: "For the first time ever, Underdog segments have been seamlessly edited together into full-length episodes." This is DVD, folks; you CAN have your cake and eat it too. Get with it.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS! We have to let Golden Books know how disgusted we are with this pathetic attempt. This DVD is a travesty; an insult to the memory of Jay Ward and Underdog. Will there ever be an Underdog like the one we used to know?

To quote Sweet Polly Purebred: "Where oh where has my Underdog gone?"

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not what people want
Review: The One Law of Marketing is "Give people what they want." As should be obvious from the other reviews, this release is definitely NOT what people want. The cartoons themselves are, frankly, not very good, but the show has a certain gentle charm and strong nostalgic appeal to Boomer pocketbooks.

The archival releases of Looney Tunes, the Simpsons, Jonny Quest, Top Cat and other classic animation has certainly raised the bar, but that doesn't mean that cartoons of lesser quality can't compete and sell well. But to do so, they have to (repeat after me) "Give people what they want." And what people want is to recreate the feelings they remember: Saturday mornings, plopped in front of the TV, slurping the flavored milk from the bottom of the cereal bowl. Bits and pieces won't do any more. If Golden don't get that, then they should hire someone who does. Then they can sit back, congratulate themselves on their extreme cleverness, and count their money.

One last note: I'm all in favor of minority opinions; sometimes important things can be learned from them. But the idea that there is racist, religionist or anything-ist sentiment in Underdog is just plain wrong. Like beauty, ugliness is in the mind of the beholder.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good, but could have been better
Review: The quality of picture and sound are excellent, but because the cliffhanger episodes are chopped up and are not matched up with their theme songs, it is very cumbersome to navigate. It would have been much better had they kept the episodes in tact as they were origionally seen. Also, no person in their right mind should find Underdog offensive. The cartoon series is gentle and fun and being a teacher of small children, I wish children today had shows like this to watch on television!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Uncut? My foot. Don't waste your money.
Review: This DVD disapponinted me on so many levels, it isn't even funny.

The episodes aren't uncut - they have new title screens superimposed over the beginning, and the ending credits aren't complete. Why couldn't they put the episodal versions on here, instead of cut-together versions? This is supposedly a "Collector's Edition" and they don't show the complete opening and closing credits for each episode. Why?

The "Underdog Show's Family of Characters" were a big disappointment - little snippets of the theme song (or in some cases, some other (?) song) combined with random scenes from the shows. What's up with this? Why not give us the complete opening sequences from shows like Go-Go Gophers and Tennesee Tuxedo? It made no sense. There was absolutely nothing archival about this.

The "Archival Underdog Introductions" are a joke too - for those of us who remember the show, it is a mystery why they would "enhance" some of these intros by adding music. I have a tape recorded off of TV from a long time ago, which shows one of these openings, and there was no music. (The one that goes "Stay tuned for another exciting Underdog Adventure - Here it comes now! (as he ducks into the phone booth)") The people who put this DVD together are knuckleheads, who have no respect for keeping things original.

Take a pass - maybe someday they'll release it again and get it right. Otherwise you'll just get mad that you bought it when you see it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Whole Lotta Fun!
Review: This first Underdog DVD is right on time, arriving during my birthday month. I had not seen an episode in many years, yet I would sometimes find myself singing that catchy Underdog theme song. I happened across the only copy in a music store and believe me I snapped that sucker right up!

I am quite pleased with the pristine video and sound quality. Featuring a well designed menu, the disc is also loaded with extras.

While the cartoon material is aimed primarily at youngsters, I found plenty of reasons to crack up with laughter. It made me feel like a kid again as I remembered that this was one of my favorite 'toons.

You can choose to get bent out of shape fussing over some rather miniscule details as one reviewer did. But why ruin your own day when you can choose to simply enjoy what you get, and this DVD delivers plenty. I hope they release more episodes soon!


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