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If you are a fan of Superman or comic books in general, get this DVD. The shorts in this DVD are good old-fashioned serial movies, animated brilliantly by the Fleischer brothers. Yes, the material is dated, and sometimes unintentionally hilarious.
In one episode, Clark Kent ducks into the broom closet of the Daily Planet, turns on the light so everyone can see him, and changes into Superman. (We see him taking off his pants.) Then he apparently walks out of the broom closet, presumably leaving his clothes behind, gets into the elevator in his Superman costume and takes it down to the lobby, where he then flies out the front door on his way to fight crime. Great stuff.
But it is interesting to see the movie studio's first treatment of Superman. He is more of a "man", or in other words, more mortal. His super powers are flying, being bulletproof or superstrength. That's it. He uses X-ray vision in exactly one of the episodes. He is more easily knocked unconscious, or magically loses his power to fly after being knocked from a perch. Lifting a plane or dragging a giant train is a real chore for him, but nonetheless a truly "superhuman" accomplishment.
Also, in these cartoons there is no heat vision, no Fortress of Solitude, no Kryptonite. No Lex Luthor or Bizarro, either. The villains here are nameless mad scientists who have constructed wires that cause earthquakes in Manhattan, or mechanical monsters who are bank robbers, or evil men who wear hoods and drive around in a "bullet car" that destroys civic buildings.
And finally, Lois Lane! She is a piece of work. She works to sabotage Clark Kent's journalism career at every turn while hogging all the scoops and glory for herself. Not only that, she is shooting machine guns while driving an out-of-control train, tailing bad guys by jumping into their motorboat or evil mechanical monster in order to gain access to their secret lairs. It's terrific.
Finally, the colors and shadow work in these movies is nothing short of masterful. This is a must for any fan of Superman and particularly of animation.
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it is worth noting here that a few of these episodes fall prey to the lame bigotry of mid-century america. i love the style and execution of these cartoons, especially considering they're over 60 years old now. however, racism rears its ugly head in "japotuers" (bucktoothed, bespectacled, evil japanese villain), "electric earthquake" (maniacal, vengeful native american), and "jungle drums" (bone-in-nose african savages, controlled by... klansmen?!). like i said, these are historically and aesthetically important and enjoyable shorts, but know now that some episodes are offensive.
Rating:  -
The big selling point of this compilation is the enhanced AC3-5.1 Dolby digital surround sountrack. It's impressive but ultimately a gimmick that doesn't add to the cartoons. (I eventually turned the sound down, but that could be an indication of my age more than anything else.) The main detraction of this set, though, is that it only includes nine out of the seventeen cartoons. Bosko's DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY EDITION: THE COMPLETE SUPERMAN COLLECTION is the one to get. It doesn't have the enhanced sound; but its prints are from the best available negatives well mastered onto DVD, and the sound is no less than what you'd expect.
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Look up the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane, it's SUPERMAN was the legendary call in these classic cartoons of the amazing stranger from the planet Krypton between 1941 and 1943. 3 years after he debuted and became immediate sensation in Action Comics # 1 in 1938. Although the Man of Steel has conquered, TV,movies and serials as he became the most popular superhero of all time and a pop culture icon, these cartoon's are timeless. Action packed heroic battles for truth,justice and the American Way. From monsters to villians, to earthly disasters, Superman gets his man,saves Lois and saves the day. They're must have super adventures for any Man of Steel fan. Featuring Daily Planet reporter and Superman's love Lois Lane, Editor and Cheif Perry White and of course milled mannered reporter Clark Kent and the protector of Metropolis. "This looks like a job for SUPERMAN" "Thanks to SUPERMAN"
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Plain and simple, this disc is the classic Max and Dave Flescher rending of Superman. Forget the Fortress of Solitude, the Phantom Zone, Brainiac, and Bizzaro. This is rough and tumble, rough cut, and "unplugged" Superman. The plots are simple, the violence is limited, and the moral fiber is all there. Thank goodness these shorts have been preserved for posterity.
The most refreshing thing about these cartoons is that they are not anime. The odd angles, weird facial features, and mysterious blue and green hair are missing. The edges are rounded, the lines curved and the colors subdues. Personally, it is easier on my eye to look at this. And the 1940's backdrops make me laugh--just compare the curved and lumbering Studebakers and De Sotos to the harsh and razor-edges lines of the more recent super-autos, and you see my point.
These classic toons not only retain the early moral fiber, but the charm of the a far more innocent day. I wonder if, in the intervening half-century we have gotten any better.
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