Rating:  -
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.
Rating:  -
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"
Rating: -
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.
Rating: -
Having seen a number of the early Superman cartoons on other "public domain" compilations, I can say with confidence, DON'T BUY THE OTHERS!!! Bosko Video has a reputation for putting out high quality products and this collection is nothing less than fantastic. The images are superbly clear and the audio is nearly flawless (no, there are NO new or altered sound effects added).
As much as I love the continuing modern adventures of super heros like Superman, Batman, and Spiderman, the earlier stories and artwork for each hero have always been my favorites. The Fleischer cartoons capture the early art-deco look and feel of the original Superman / Action Comics era. The artwork is great and the stories are timeless. This is the series that spawned the well know lines: "Faster than a speeding bullet...... More powerful than a locomative....able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.....Superman" These cartoons are the epitome of early American comic book heros.
The only complaints I have (and really, this is nothing) is that each episode starts with an added supscript "Originally Released October 1942" for a few seconds. Having this appear before the cartoon starts at all would have been better instead of inserting over the actual film itself. It would have been better suited to a booklet, which leads to my other complaint. There is no booklet. They do make up for it with a nice video intro regarding Superman and the cartoon series however.
This set is a real steal for the price, and it contains all of the early episodes, complete and fully restored. I would suggest this set for fans who prefer the early look of comic book heros, art deco animation, and Superman in general. Fans of period-look films like The Iron Giant or Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow will also love this (especially when Superman fights robots). Fleisher cartoons have always been great, but all too often the are butchered in the public domain. This is a rare example of Fleisher's work presented in such quality.
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