Rating: Summary: Finally! Review: I was so happy to see these cartoon classics finally on DVD, I preordered 2 copies! Though I would agree with the Amazon reviewer on all counts, this is a must-have for all Looney Tunes fans. BUY IT!! BUY IT NOW!! They are still hysterical! I laughed out loud so many times! I could wish for a more complete, more archival-minded collection, instead of the mish-mash of periods grouped by character, not era, but its worth having to see them in good condition and uncut! Some of my favorite are missing, but with 2000 cartoons, you have to leave out some, so I'm hoping for a second and third volume. The extras and documentary are good, too!
Rating: Summary: Wonderful memories revisited. Review: Watching this collection of Warner's cartoons brought up deep feelings of nostalgia and happiness. Not since I had discovered Mame and the ability to play Donkey Kong on my computer had I been so pleasantly transported back in time. Here they are in the first of hopefully numerous volumes, including the one cartoon that still causes me to tear up a bit, 'Feed Kitty' when Marc Anthony cries and wails as he imagines the kitten getting made into cookies. The adult-centric brilliance of these gems from the 40's and 50's golden age of American cartoon continue to delight and astound with their subtleties as the viewing audience grows and matures. Breaking the fourth wall, with the characters talking to, and acknowledging the audience was unheard of in their time and unique. The picture quality is sharp, you can though still see some of the hair and specks etc. from the masters, but on widescreen HDTV the colors are gorgeous. The extras are very informative and give numerous insights into the men and women who toiled away in the dismal locale of Termite Terrace but made it a wacky, fun place to be. A lot of the interviews are with the children of the original creators now, and even then the children appear to be past their 50's. It's an interesting commentary that these beloved characters have endured multi-generations, appealing always at different levels the older you got. I find myself continually amused and delighted at Daffy's wincing expression and sour puss facial ticks as his beak is blown off into a bewildering variety of positions by Elmer in the Wabbitt/Duck Season trilogy. This is an excellent compilation, it is all over the board as far as what they included, it will be interesting if future volumes try to adhere to some sort of chronology. For a first effort this is definitely a highly recommended keeper.
Rating: Summary: All that Glitters... Review: Of course I am happy any time ANY WB cartoons are made available, but where are the I. Freleng works? And, couldn't they come up with any more Bob Clampett cartoons? Really... has this great history of animation become the "Chuck Jones" show???
Rating: Summary: Truly one great way to start your WB cartoon collection!!! Review: Jerry Beck has done a fantastic job (so far, at least) on bringing the classic WB cartoons to DVD.I have to say it was not easy choosing from the 1,000 cartoons made between 1930 and 1990 to be on this initial DVD set, but what was chosen represents animation history at its finest, rivaling only Disney. I can still tell some visual difference between the pre-1948 shorts (which WB sister company Turner still owns) and the post-1948s (still owned by WB outright) in terms of graininess, but the transfer on DVD is better than what I have ever seen on TV, video, or LaserDisc. And all of them with their original credits (no altered "dubbed versions" or "credit-less Blue Ribbons" here, thank God). Even the print of "Fast And Furry-ous" (the debut of Road Runner) looks as though it was made yesterday instead of 1949 (when compared to the murky time-compressed PAL transfer we've all seen on Cartoon Network). And I don't care what anyone else may complain about, Bosko IS represented in this set, in the form of the very first WB cartoon, "Bosko The Talknik Kid" (shown in abbreviated form on the "Toonheads: Lost Cartoons" special on disc three [which itself includes some rare stuff you'll have to see for yourself] and in its entirety at the very end of the box set). The supplements are just as valuable...the trailers for the compilation films (though out of focus for the final 30 seconds of the second one, but considering this came off of a recently discovered reel, we are fortunate that they exist at all), the Camera One "Termite Terrace" special, storyboards, interviews (including the final appearance of Chuck Jones introducing the box set, made just before he passed on), and the aforementioned "Toonheads" special. I do wish other landmark cartoons such as "What's Opera, Doc", "The Wild Hare", and other important shorts were included. Still, whatever is missing is made up for in other content. Please get this DVD...you will not regret it. Th-th-th-th-th-that's all folks!!!!
Rating: Summary: Better Late Than Never Review: Don't let the publicity art cover put you off - quite a bit of thought has gone into the contents. Okay, so there's no 'One Froggy Evening', 'What's Opera Doc?' or any black and white shorts, but I'm sure that this will be the first of many LT DVD releases. It's a pity that Warner's took so long to bring the LTs to DVD as some commenteries by the late great Chuck Jones would have raised this review to six stars! Instead we get dear old Charles M. reading a dry old intro of LT history. 'Blooper Bunny' and the mini docs are great treats but you do get the impression that the choice of cartoons involved plucking them out of a hat.
Rating: Summary: Why $46 .. Sam's club sells for 34. Review: Well Amazon is the best place to buy from, most of the time .. but not when its Looney Tunes or Monty Python .. I just saw this one on the stands and grabbed it .. You do that too .. As long as one of the Looney toons' around .. every cent you spend on it, is worth it !! hope this helps .
Rating: Summary: Restoration not all it's cracked up to be! Review: Just a "buyer beware" note to potential buyers: the picture quality should have (and could have) been better. Warner Brothers would like you to believe these cartoons have been "restored and remastered to their original...glory." They have not. There's no doubt this set looks far better than what you'll see on TV--the fuzzy, grainy, faded-out picture quality is gone. Everything is sharp, fairly grainless, and highly saturated. So what's the problem? DUST!!!! Some of the scenes and cartoons are so loaded down with dust in the cel layers that the picture literally crawls with it--like being in a dust storm! This problem could have been digitally corrected, but Warner Brothers likes to pick and choose what it gives a true restoration (If the picture quality is not pristine, it has NOT been restored--just fixed up a bit). If you're a fan of these cartoons, by all means buy this set. Just be forwarned that Warner Brothers lied about the picture quality. Movie companies still don't understand the specialness that beloved films have in the hearts of movie goers--it's just "product" to promote and sell. They give just enough lip service to quality to get the stuff off the shelves, and the heck with the customer! Big business, don't ya know.
Rating: Summary: Great but incomplete Review: Is this set worth the money? Every darned dime, Doc... As an adult who remembers them the way they were originally published, the refreshing lack of politically correct censorship overwhelms any discouragement I may have over many of my favorites not being in this collection. I just hope I don't have to wait too long before the next one. I hope they include the debuts of Speedy Gonzales and the one with Marvin the Martian describing how the Earth obstructs his view of Venus in the next set. Put me down as a "pre-order' right now.
Rating: Summary: Simply stated: THE BEST DVD RELEASE OF 2003! Review: It's been almost two weeks since my house was blessed with the LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION, and my life hasn't been the same since. I just keep watching these discs, always laughing, and truly amazed at the wit and artistry of these amazing cartoons. The work of Messrs. Freleng, Jones, Clampett, McKimson and cohorts, is celebrated here with astounding reverence. The new, restored transfers used on the DVDs are magnificent, and frankly, they've spoiled me. There was a LOONEY TUNES marathon on the Cartoon Network's BOOMERANG channel this weekend, and they ran dozens of the cartoons, but I had trouble watching them, because they were the old fuzzy, faded transfers, and I've been so spoiled by these crisp, sharp new restorations with their bold colors and crystal clear sound. Best of all, the cartoons are UNCUT and UNCENSORED! As if 56 animated masterpieces weren't enough, the extra documentaries and featurettes are superb. Fresh and bursting with energy (like the cartoons themselves) each one provides new insights into the making of these cartoons. My favorite bonus is a re-creation of the original ABC BUGS BUNNY SHOW that I remember from my pre-school days! For any fan of classic animation, this is THE must-have release of the year without a doubt.
Rating: Summary: Warners little excuse Review: A quote from Dorinda Marticorena, WHV's director of children's marketing, in a recent CNN article is erroneous. Warner says that the extended releases are due to the long amount of restoration time involved She says "it's as fast as they can clean up the originals." I watch many of these same cartoons on Boomerang or Cartoon network channels and they appear to be restored. At least to the level needed that DVD can support. I counter Warners argument and say that most, if not all, of the popular cartoons have already been restored. It is a classic marketing ploy to string out and gain interest in the disc set that has been proven to work for those wanting to be "collectors". That being said, I am happy they are releasing these. I don't want to count on a broadcast company to see these for years down the road.
|