Storyboard:

A group of ensigns on the aging star ship USS Cerritos bond together as they assist the crew on their many missions.

The Sweatbox Review:

I have always loved Star Trek, ever since watching reruns of it on Saturday mornings back in the 1970s, starting when I was about seven years old. I thrilled to the adventure, the characterizations, and the explorations of both themes and alien worlds. But I have to admit, there has always been an aspect of camp to the franchise, which has been embraced to varying degrees through the years. So, while the idea of turning it into a situation comedy may seem weird or antithetical on the surface, it may actually be viewed as a natural and even inevitable evolution. So, for those that found Deep Space Nine too serious (which is crazy, since that show could be hilarious, too), Lower Decks may tickle your neglected funny bone.

It is also a tremendously fun show for anyone who has loved Star Trek in its many forms. Sure, it pokes fun, but it does so lovingly, with deep cuts that reference everything that fans love and treasure. The idea is not to berate Star Trek in any way, but to instead find the humour in Star Trek situations. The dialogue comes fast and hard, but if you pay attention, you may get a few extra laughs. Those who still adore mighty Chief Miles O’Brien, or who can wistfully reminisce at how Wesley Crusher was almost executed (so close!) on a planet of half-naked beautiful people just for stepping on the grass, will enjoy all the many refences to past shows. Not that it’s necessary to know all those things, but the show’s writing certainly rewards old-time fans.

Creator Mike McMahan (Rick And Morty) and his writers know their Trek lore, making Lower Decks an honestly in-canon experience, seen through a comedy lens. The last time that Star Trek was animated, it was the 1973 Filmation TV show, which served as basically a fourth season of the original series, complete with voice work by the original cast and generally serious stories. This time around, executive producer Alex Kurtzman gave CBS All Access a new premise, though one based somewhat off of a beloved episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation (also called Lower Decks), which took a look at the lives of crew members that were outside the command structure.

The USS Cerritos (named after a small, humble California city) is a starship that – while it still serves an important purpose within Starfleet – it has admittedly already seen its best days. Its equipment is getting old, breakdowns are becoming more common, and the missions are not as A-list as they once were. Captain Carol Freeman, though quite capable, has been relegated to taking on more minor missions, often in support of larger ones. Aiding her is second-in-command Commander Ransom, a somewhat narcissistic, rule-loving pretty boy of an officer. The tactical officer is a tough Bajoran named Shaxs, and the doctor is T’Ana, a cat-like humanoid that is a nod to bridge officer M’Ress from Star Trek: The Animated Series.

But, while the command officers play an important role on the show, they are not the main characters. No, that honor goes to the ensigns of the lower decks, the ones who actually make the ship run, the ones who do all the menial but vitally important stuff, similar to the ship they serve.

Brad Boimler is an uptight, huffy rule-follower who delights in acting according to regulations and is aiming to be a Captain someday. His opposite is Beckett Mariner, a female ensign who actively eschews protocol, rejects authority, and generally just tries to enjoy herself. Fortunately, she is also eminently capable and resourceful when she wants to be, which makes her worthwhile keeping around. Boimler, on the other hand, turns out to be next to useless in a crisis. The relationship between Boimler and Mariner is at the heart of the show, and provides its most comic moments. Though they are initially repelled by each other’s natural tendencies towards order and chaos respectively, they inevitably become the best of friends. They both love Starfleet in their own way; and ultimately, they believe in the mission, even if they have drastically different takes on how to accomplish it.

Joining them are a female Orion named D’Vana Tendi, a typical eager young space cadet who serves in the medical bay and largely concerns herself with being liked; and keen engineering ensign Sam Rutherford, who is adjusting to new cybernetic implants.

The show takes place one year after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis. Design elements therefore reference the Next Generation era, with unique takes. Uniforms belong distinctly to Lower Decks, with additional color piping elements. The Cerritos itself is very nacelle-heavy, reflecting that it is one of the more utilitarian Starfleet ships. There are also cameos by such characters as Q, and Will Riker and Deanna Troi, creating a further link to Next Gen..

The premise basically flips the A and B stories that one would normally find on a dramatic program. So, while there are major battles, alien conflicts, and supreme threats, the viewer is mostly following character stories and what goes on behind the scenes. And behind the scenes, things are not always going well! And sometimes, those behind-the-scenes folk sneak up and become heroes, too.

Over ten episodes, the series quickly sets up the premise and then engages in a number of supposedly routine (yet ultimately dangerous) away missions, beginning with a “second contact” situation. Mundane tasks amplify into dire situations, like transporting a Klingon general then losing him; delivering diplomatic trinkets but creating a diplomatic incident instead; towing a ship somehow becomes a deadly business; and ship salvage turns into conflict. There is also the matter of a trial, holodeck hijinks, and of course transporter malfunctions.

So, it’s just like any other Star Trek show, but with more laughs!

Is This Thing Loaded?

Disc One opens with an ad for Picard on disc. After that, the extras are all shown from the menu of each episode, with the exception of the final two. The first episode gets a full episode animatic, and some animatics for deleted scenes are also available on a few episodes.

Featurettes include:

Lower Decktionary: Joining Starfleet (6:22) Executive Producer Kurtzman, creator McMahan, and others discuss the conception of the show. I appreciate how McMahan wanted to write a comedy, but still have it be “a real Star Trek.”

Lower Decktionary: Aliens Among Us (7:31) Directors and artists talk about adapting old aliens to the Lower Decks series, and creating new ones.

Lower Decktionary: The Animation Process (8:09) Here, they examine the process of bringing together the right group of writers, and then move into general production of episodes.

Lower Decktionary: The Main Titles (7:15) The titles are examined, in terms of conception and intent, and also the show’s theme.

Lower Decktionary: Art Direction (4:59) The idea of designing the characters as “prime time sitcom” characters while still allowing for drama and action is explored.

Lower Decktionary: The Holodeck (6:32) Obviously, the writers love the holodeck more than I ever did. Good for them.

Lower Decktionary: Division 14 (4:05) The “medical specialists” who deal with such things as transporter accident victims is touched upon.

Lower Decktionary: Deck Dynamics (5:06) The creators discuss how the crew interacts, and how even the command crew is flawed in the most human ways.

Lower Decktionary: The Music of Lower Decks (6:19) McMahan and composer Chris Westlake describe the effect that the show’s earnest score has on making the comedy even better. The wonder of Starfleet’s mission comes out in the music, and is totally evocative of Trek.

Crisis Point: The Rise Of Vindicta Trailer (1:28) This is an in-episode joke.

Lower Decktionary: All In The Family (6:31) Here, star Tawny Newsome (Beckett Mariner) describes how natural it is to explore humour on Star Trek, given how comedy has always been a part of the franchise. McMahan also talks about how the show fits into the legacy of Trek, and we hear about the use of classic characters and how their appearances had to be earned.

Faces Of The Fleet (24:42) examines the talented cast, with numerous cast interviews.

Hiding In Plain Sight (7:39) reveals numerous “Easter eggs” placed into the show.

Case Study:

Paramount sent us the DVD version, which comes with a swing tray for one of the discs, a slip that duplicates the cover, and a small insert advertising Trek and Paramount+, the new name for CBS All Access. A Blu-ray and a Blu-ray Steelbook edition were also released.

Ink And Paint:

While it would have been great to see how the show looks on high-def disc, the DVD itself looks pretty good. The 16:9 picture is quite solid, aside from very occasional aliasing when a ship or other object is moving through space, but that might even be inherent to the original animation.

Scratch Tracks:

Though the show was largely recorded in the actors’ homes, due to pandemic restrictions, the dialogue comes across well, never sounding difficult to understand, though there is often a mild echoey quality if you listen for it. The sound design utilizes classic sounds from the franchise, particularly the Next Generation era. The music is also done straight, reflecting that these are real missions with serious consequences, even if we are seeing the funny side of things. The contrast works perfectly, keeping the stakes real, the drama potent, and the laughs sincere.

The surrounds and rear speakers get a modest workout, and there is light use of bass. The English track is available in 5.1 or 2.0. There are English captions, and no other language options.

Final Cut:

Before watching the show, I was feeling pretty ambivalent about it. But then you hear that theme, which is honestly one of the best Trek themes ever done, not giving any hint of the show’s comedic intent, but matched with visuals that betray the show’s true nature. Having now watched the first season, I am really quite enthusiastic. Someone should have told me that it was kind of like Futurama, another favourite show of mine, but taking place in the Star Trek universe, using only Star Trek references. How could I not love that? Even then, though, it could have gone badly, but thankfully that is not the case. Genuinely funny writing, stories that are authentically Trek, a slick animated style, and wonderful voice work – that sells both the humour and the drama – make for a very entertaining show. Really, it’s the Star Trek show I never knew I wanted.

Storyboard:

Everyone’s favorite stone-age family — no, not that one! — are back for more of the same.

The Sweatbox Review:

I must admit that, if it hasn’t been Disney-branded (and I include Pixar in that designation), then I haven’t been the best in keeping up with the recent rush of animated films in the past five years or so. Not only is time a continuing pressure in picking what to watch and when, but a lack of really striking new concepts and titles that truly jump out amongst the increasingly homogeneous offerings doesn’t help. Indeed, even given the extra amount of screentime that the current pandemic has not entirely benevolently bestowed upon us, I’ve been looking back over a hundred years of cinema to catch up on many older — and better — flms that offer just as much, if not more, entertainment value than whatever CG blaze of color and shouting du jour.

And so, when DreamWorks’ latest plopped on the Animated Views review desk, I needed to turn back the clock, if not to prehistoric times then at least to 2013 (although in the current climate, it’s almost the same thing) and check out the original filmas a catch-up! The original Croods actually stands up well, even if I found the tone to be a little all over the place and the kooky “camera work” slightly erratic. And I could never make Nicholas Cage’s voice fit daddy caveman Grug: as much as I love the guy, his rather raspy it light delivery never quite landed the character with the weight that, say, a Vin Diesel or someone gruffer would have brought to it, although it turned out to mostly be Emma Stone’s movie anyway, as part of an otherwise fantastic ensemble cast.

The result of the breakup between DreamWorks’ and its deal with Aardman Animation, where the two companies had been developing the project, then named Crood Awakening, together, DreamWorks got to keep the overall property whereas Aardman parlayed whatever concepts they had been nurturing into the slightly similar inventor-caveman stop-motion feature Early Man (with Aardman’s Peter Lord and David Sproxton still receiving thanks in The Croods‘ credits). But whatever its fractured genesis, and despite this number of fine actors and people involved (Chris Sanders! Comedy legend John Cleese! An Alan Silvestri score!), The Croods‘ parts didn’t quite add up to the promise of the whole, as entertaining but forgettable as the film was.

But, as much as I found the first film frankly bizarre in parts, I hadn’t actually disliked it, and so it was with a fair amount of anticipation that we returned to the well the next night for more Croodity with A New Age, the second film in a franchise that also includes an intervening television spin-off series. Unlike that Netflix show, it’s nice that The Croods: A New Age manages to pull back the entire vocal cast, not only for consistency but because the actors now know the characters more and can perhaps inhibit them to a greater degree. Unfortunately, this also either seems to have given them all free reign just to play faster and looser with their personalities, or new director Joel Crawford isn’t as strong as Sanders in keeping everything under control.

Again I found Cage miscast, and if that’s perhaps not as much as first time around then it’s probably because I knew what was coming. But these aren’t really Grug’s films anyway, and again Stone’s Eep takes the nominal lead, although here the filmmakers seem to have become enamored by Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool act and turn the film into a two-hander, and little else, that just eventually becomes an Emma and Ryan show by the midway point. And it’s all just so random! The first third is possibly funnier, and certainly faster, than the first film, but this is mostly down to the bonkers nature of the cast and relentless gags, not least a slightly hyper Cage (yes, even more so than usual) who just seems to be playing to the idea of what we have come to expect from him rather than imbuing Grug with any real sensitivity or groundedness that we got first time out.

Indeed, as a sequel, A New Age goes the traditional and predictable route of both following on from a first film and resetting things so that the characters can again go on their story arc journeys. So, despite settling all differences and becoming a whole family of understanding at the end of part one, here Grug is again at odds with Reynolds’ Guy, and struggles with his role as head of the family, while everyone else does more of what they did in the first one. And the filmmakers know there isn’t much story in all this, because they resort to papering over the cracks with the barrage of thick and fast gags and reliance on nutty performances.

So it isn’t much of a surprise when they make it to their supposed paradise — actually quite quickly, as there isn’t much else to do with these characters — only to find it isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be, just settling in when they discover their new home is actually already occupied by another, predictably annoying (I’m with Grug here) family, the Bettermans (geddit!?), and their daughter, voiced by Kelly Marie Tran on her way to being promoted to lead vocalist in Disney’s Raya And The Last Dragon, and a very good job she does too, being slightly more dialled down from everyone else and playing off Stone and Reynolds well as the triangle that engulfs them all takes over the story.

But there are way too many safe and predictable beats that call back from scores of previous movies, from the annoying new family to the battles between fathers and daughters alike, and boring old gags that, yes, includes a “giant” threat that turns out to actually be a tiny little creature…only to then prove to be lethal anyway. This is studio filmmaking by the numbers, with all the 21st century beats hit, sometimes to overwhelming effect and so played for laughs all the time that stakes are never placed high enough to ever have any consequence or engage one in any investment, emotionally or otherwise.

Once again, the visually inventiveness of the many prehistoric creatures the Croods come across are the whimsical highlights of the film, and when the film is funny it can genuinely raise a few chuckles, even if a teased story point about bananas makes absolutely zip sense (if Better-Dad has been feeding them to the evil monkeys for safety, then why are there still so many bananas? Why doesn’t anyone notice them going missing when they are told not to eat them? What does it matter if Grug has one or two? Was any of this actually thought out or was it a late addition to give some kind of big ending to a film in which little actually happens other than running and talking?).

Of course, little of this will matter to the young kids who power these films and haven’t seen the mountains of movies that this rips…uh, takes inspiration from, and anyone who just leaves their brain at the door will find a few laughs, even if they are few and far between amongst the lazily formulaic filmmaking (which seems even moreso than usual). There are likewise very few bones thrown out to older audiences who might sit through this with their kids, and who will probably find that often the best gags are actually the least “whatever, just throw it all in” moments.

But it’s great to hear Cloris Leachman make a final career mark as Gran, and there’s no real faulting the overall vocal cast’s intentions, however one may feel it would be nicer if they had better to work with and a script (which, thankfully, at least doesn’t resort to fart jokes or other crood measures) that contained just a smidge of sophistication or substance to carry the humor and therefore make those moments of levity work more and feel better earned.

Is This Thing Loaded?

Hands down the best thing on this 4K disc is the additional short To: Gerard, another under-promoted gem from the DreamWorks short film program and a likely contender for Best Animated Short this year. It’s impossible to shake off the Pixar comparisons when modern CG shorts go the “silent” route with a gentle, heartfelt story told in a cosy manner, albeit with bright and flashy flourishes, and To: Gerard stands shoulder to shoulder with some of that studio’s best. Indeed, if the main feature had contained even an ounce of the warmth this wonderful short has in spades then it might have made more of an impact: as it is, this lovely little film, about how good mentorship can inspire and eventually fulfill even the mentor themselves, was a breath of calm air after all the boisterousness of the feature.

Two more Crood shorts get more attention on the box, though they’re both much more of the fairly standard DVD-extra fare. Dear Diary: World’s First Pranks has more of the hand-drawn style featured in sequences from both Croods films and, as far as I have seen, the television series, and Family Movie Night: Little Red Broanna Bread is an intentionally cheesy silhouette animation of a bedtime story told by Dawn by firelight. A Gag Reel is an unfunny couple of minutes of vocal recording session goof-offs by the cast, though a copious amount of Deleted Scenes expands upon a number of alternate and longer moments in the movie and reveals that even the filmmakers had a hunch that at least some of their ideas stretched even this world’s logic!

The Croods‘ Family Album is this disc’s voice cast featurette, with more vocal booth footage mixed with in-studio crew talk and inserted videocall contributions from the cast members, sans Leachman, obviously, although it’s something of a shame that they only briefly mention her character and miss the opportunity to pay tribute. Evolution Of The Croods is more of the same style but focuses more on the approach to the sequel and how director Crawford didn’t want to particularly go the traditional sequel route by going bigger and broader, but then seems to have made a bigger and broader film anyway.

This is more interesting, though, delving if briefly into some of the thought behind the choices in the film, although I was surprised to hear Crawford’s “piss off Grug”, before he corrects himself to “frustrate Grug”, stay in the final edit, especially for a kids’ disc that plays the extras through right after the film.

How To Draw: Caveman Style is your typical artist running through how to draw what seems to be practically every character from A New Age, while Famileaf Album and Stone Age Snack Attack> are other activities taking their leads from the film and its setting, while suggesting they be carried out under supervision. Lastly, a Feature Commentary track again includes Crawford, along with producer Mark Swift, story head Januel Mercado and editor Jim Ryan. While it does its job of providing some production context, background information and exploring various aspects of the show, there’s a slight lack of pizazz among the participants, considering how many there are and the supposed chemistry they boast of at the top of the chat.

Those who really enjoy the movie may find interest here, and there are some sparks that provide their own entertainment, though it’s not the most engrossing or enlightening of such tracks. That said, it’s great that Universal have still managed to pull together a decent extras package given the obvious pandemic issues in bringing everyone together, albeit virtually, and fill the disc out with all the usual kind of features that support the typical DreamWorks disc release, and fans of the film will be pleased with the insights.

Case Study:

An embossed slip replicates the sleeve art, and contains a Blu-ray edition of all the same content, as well as a Digital HD code.

Ink And Paint:

I didn’t find the colors particularly popped significantly more than the included Blu-ray, but the UHD image is vibrant and detailed, with the HDR predicably dialling down the brightness a tad in order to provide more contrast. Nighttime scenes, of which there are many, look nice, and there’s a depth to the picture, but I also appreciated the brighter and at times more color-popping look of the Blu-ray. Both discs offer up the best presentation of the digitally produced film as could be hoped for.

Scratch Tracks:

As with the image, The Croods: A New Age provides a first-rate 21st century home video experience aurally, with a Dolby Atmos track — on both discs — that makes full use of dialogue, score, source tracks and sound effects, and pounds away throughout for the over the top nature of the movie. Replacing Silvestri on composing duties is Mark Mothersbaugh, reprising some themes, or at least bringing the feel of them back, and supporting everything up with the glue that just about holds the movie together.

Final Cut:

Fans of The Croods will find more of the same here, and likely be content to lap up what’s been provided for a second serving. Watching both films in close proximity, I must confess to enjoying the first one more, mainly for being more focused on its titular family. Second time out, that focus is understandably expanded to fulfill the needs of a typical sequel, but any inventiveness or originality is forsaken for safe, simple storytelling and predictability, where the references can be seen a mile away and may provide a groan from some for just being so obvious and rehashed, even from previous DreamWorks films: often I kept being reminded of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, for whatever that’s worth, and may give you some kind of indication of how much mileage you’ll get from A New Age. Word is it’s already being worked on, but I’m not sure we really need a potential Third Age, especially when the first film is already so easily available to see again.

Storyboard:

This compilation grants us a second volume of amazing stop-motion shorts from Hollywood legend George Pal, including some rarities representing his earlier European works.

The Sweatbox Review:

The Blu-ray release of The Puppetoon Movie was Animated Views’ Best Release Of The Year back in 2013. With so many studios frustratingly sitting on their classic animation output, it was wonderful to see not only the 1987 compilation film, but also many additional amazing shorts (plus extras) being made available for viewing after years of – to be frank – unfair obscurity. Now, just as with that 2013 disc, we can give thanks to producer Arnold Leibovit for bringing to us many more of the stop-motion masterpieces in stunning high definition.

When Leibovit first announced the Volume 2 project a couple of years ago, I was personally extremely excited, and I began a correspondence with Arnie that led to me helping him in a small way behind the scenes on the release. Naturally, I am inclined to gush over the disc he has produced, but I am confident that the praise is all well-earned regardless. For some background on this release, and Arnie’s history with George Pal, I refer you to the interview we did in the summer of 2019.

Filmmaker George Pal would eventually produce or direct such film classics as The Time Machine, The War Of The Words, Destination Moon, and The Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm; but the first time that he imbued many childhoods with wondrous images of fantasy, it was in the 1930s and 1940s with the beloved Puppetoons – produced first in his native Europe, and then in the United States for Paramount. He also did a number of advertising films for clients such as Philips and Horlicks. His shorts utilized the puppet replacement technique of stop-motion animation, using hundreds of little carved wooden puppets in a single film. The extraordinary result is still thrilling to see, even now, with the wooden characters dancing, swinging, and otherwise cavorting… not to mention fighting, celebrating, and falling in love. Like the best stop-motion masters, Pal and his technicians also utilized music, color, lighting, and special visual effects in pleasurable ways to enhance each story. Contemporaries such as new-found friends Walt Disney and Walter Lantz were captivated, as were audiences the world over.

The first Puppetoon Movie used bridging sequences to introduce the audience to Pal and his creations, while this second volume is strictly a shorts compilation. While I would have enjoyed seeing Gumby come back with Arnie the Dinosaur for this go-around, just having another collection of the shorts themselves seems miracle enough. Leibovit was granted access to numerous sources, including Paramount’s own three-strip Technicolor successive negatives, and – most astoundingly – newly-found material from Europe. The British Film Institute also pitched in. Leibovit was also thrilled to be contacted by a collector just before the Volume 2 project launched, only to be informed that the collector had a nitrate print of the once-thought lost film Wilbur The Lion.

Previous restoration work of some of the Paramount elements had been done at UCLA, and new work was commissioned to other helpers such as Steve Stanchfield and his crew at Thunderbean Animation, who performed an immense amount of much-appreciated work for the project. Additionally, ASIFA paid to restore A Hatful Of Dreams and Jasper Goes Hunting, two of this set’s most anticipated films.

The resulting disc has no fewer than eighteen high-definition short films, plus surprising extras. The eighteen films include mostly Paramount subjects, under the Madcap Models banner, with a few rare European films inserted into the program. The disc opens with a disclaimer about the nature of the Jasper cartoons, featuring as they do the depiction of a caricatured little black boy. Hopefully, viewers will realize that there was never any intent to offend anyone in the audience. Such depictions, while now viewed as wrong, were commonplace at the time that these films were produced. And, as such things go, the depiction of Jasper is otherwise quite positive, with Jasper being a delightful, honest, and adventurous boy.

For reasons unclear to me, the main menu offers selections of Puppetoons “A” and “B”; the cartoon selection for each menu seems random. Each subgroup gets its own “Play All” choice. One is unable to “chapter skip” to the next cartoon on the Blu-ray, unless going back out to a menu. (The DVD, however, still allows chapter skipping.) Scanning ahead at increased speed is no problem.

Puppetoons A
Dipsy Gipsy (1940, 8:48) (Note: “Gipsy” is the spelling on the title card, but it is spelled with the alternate “Gypsy” in the menu, as well as in most listings of the short in the public record.) – The happy-go-lucky recurring character Jim Dandy is singing in the forest, as he is prone to doing. He spots a gipsy girl and instantly falls in love, and he decides to propose. She is smitten as well, but before they can get together, Jim must sneak into the gipsy village and convince her father that he is gipsy material. He manages to do so, primarily through some fancy fiddling. This is a very fun, energizing short with great music and a large group of background players.

Radio Valve Revolution (1934, 4:21) – This is a real prize on the set, being a rare Philips advertising short done in hand-drawn animation. Despite the absence of wooden puppets, it has the same Pal charm. Treats like this make the disc all the more special. Worn out radio tubes celebrate the arrival of newer ones to take over their jobs so that they can retire.

Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves (1935, 11:09) – The booklet that comes with this set proclaims this short as “an amazing archival find,” and indeed fans should be thrilled to see this rare film. The French print has the French language titles and credits subtitled, but the film plays out in English. Here, the short is presented as one of “George Pal’s Dolly Follies.” The puppets are a little more primitive in this early effort, but there is still a surprising amount of sensuality and action.

A Hatful Of Dreams (1944, 9:43) – Most will find this cartoon particularly notable because it features a character turning into Superman, under authorized use from DC Publications. (Superman’s own cartoons, of course, were being distributed by Paramount until 1943.) It was also the first Puppetoon to feature Pal characters Punchy and Judy. (Character design here was by Fred Moore; fans of the Disney artist will recognize Judy as an obvious example of a “Freddie Moore girl,” also visualized as the “centaurettes” in the “Pastoral Symphony” section of Fantasia.)

Punchy falls in love with lovely Judy, and tries to impress her through the use of a magic hat – a hat that allows him to turn into Superman! However, his antics bring him afoul of the law, and he ends up in court. Not to worry, though – he still wins the girl! While the appearance of Superman is certainly notable, I was most amazed by Judy’s animation, which sees her chest heaving while breathing in and out near the beginning of the cartoon. It is attention to detail like this that makes these cartoons so amazing.

Rescue Brigade (1937, 5:48) – This Dutch advertising film (given English subtitles) presents numerous episodes of life, showing the virtues of owning a telephone in order to make life more convenient. Housewives, parents, and store owners all agree that having a phone is peachy! The short ends with a closing message that says, “Neem Telefoon” – or, “Get Phone!”

In Lamp Light Land (1935, 3:33) – While this is another Philips advertisement, this time for light bulbs, it is quite delightful. It begins with a cel-animated sequence, and ends with Puppetoons.

Jasper And The Choo Choo (1942, 7:27) – Jasper’s friendly nemesis, Professor Scarecrow, tempts him to gamble. This brilliantly surreal adventure sees giant dice form trains, and Jasper finds himself in a pinball machine. The fantasy sequence in this short is one of the top joys on the set.

Love On The Range (1938, 6:20) – Cowboy Bill gets the cold shoulder from Susie, who soon finds herself victimized by a much less savory fellow in this musical adventure. It turns out that what Bill needs to save her and win her heart is to drink that wonder tonic, Horlicks! Yes, it’s another ad, but it comes nicely disguised as a tremendously fun and energetic story, inspired by classic silent film melodramas – complete with mustachioed villain.

The Gay Knighties (1941, 9:26) – Jim Dandy tells the tale of his ancestor, who saved a kingdom from a goofy music-loving giant, and thereby won the heart of a princess. To me, the giant here is a clear ancestor to the Abominable Snowman in Rankin-Bass’s Rudolph Christmas special – further evidence of Pal’s influence on future animators.

Puppetoons B
Two Gun Rusty (1944, 8:27) – Little red-haired Rusty imagines being a cowboy. Charmingly, everyone in his fantasy looks like him. The Rusty cartoons are simpler in some respects, but capture a certain lovely innocence.

How An Advertising Poster Came About (1938, (4:52) – This print is from the Netherlands Film Museum. The black and white film is a real novelty, combining live action, hand-drawn animation (with a nod to Fleischer’s Out Of The Inkwell cartoons), and stop-motion puppets to tell what could otherwise be a dull tale of the making of an ad poster.

Jasper Goes Hunting (1944, 7:19) – Jasper once again gets into shenanigans with Professor Scarecrow. Cartoon buffs will be thrilled to see Bugs Bunny here, voiced by Mel Blanc and courtesy of Leon Schlesinger Productions, though the appearance is brief. Fortunately, this short has much more going for it, telling another fanciful tale with particularly colorful African jungle sets.

Sky Pirates (1938, 6:47) – This is a British print (in Technicolor), of what turns out to be another Horlicks commercial. As usual, though, Pal’s focus is on an engaging and entertaining story, here about an air squadron that must find the energy to win an aerial battle. The astounding anthropomorphizing of the planes (as they gallop down the airfield and dodge bullets in the sky) has to be seen in action to really appreciate the brilliance of the animation. The planes actually squash and stretch, accomplished through the crafting of numerous wooden figures. This is one of the coolest cartoons Pal ever produced, in a very long list of cool cartoons.

Jasper’s Close Shave (1945, 7:15) – Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker were not the only ones to use the music of The Barber Of Seville to excellent effect in a cartoon! Jasper gets another delightfully surreal outing, as Professor Scarecrow attempts to get Jasper’s coins in exchange for a shave and a haircut.

The Ship Of The Ether (1934, 7:23) – This is the sole short on this set that originally appeared on the first Puppetoon Movie Blu-ray, but that time it was only in the bonus section of the disc, and shown then in standard definition. Here, the Dutch film is a fully restored HD version. A glass ship’s fanciful journey through the airwaves is set to music. Philips gets subtle on-screen plugs, and finally a larger notice about their radio sets.

Good Night Rusty (1943, 7:29) – Rusty decides to snatch his dad’s cigars, but in return gets a fever dream of a lesson in why not to smoke. This short has generally simple sets, but brilliant use of color and special effects.

Wilbur The Lion (194, 9:13) – As mentioned earlier, this film had been thought lost for decades, until a collector contacted Leibovit and told him that he had a nitrate print. A circus lion retires to the jungle, but finds he misses the comforts of the circus. It is a bittersweet story of how one’s life takes one into new worlds, and how difficult it can be to return to one’s roots.

Jasper Tell (1944, 8:09) – It’s likely no surprise that this film’s music features Rossini’s William Tell Overture, and that Jasper stars as the son who stands in front of his father with an apple on his head. The tale is told in the context of Professor Scarecrow trying to get Jasper’s apple, but he’s in for a surprise.

Wow, what a wonderful selection of animated shorts. The ingenuity, skill, and precision evidenced in these films is really quite extraordinary. There is really nothing else quite like the Puppetoons, brimming as they are with colour, music, and genius.

Is This Thing Loaded?

This Is Oil, No. 1: Prospecting For Petroleum (21:59) was filmed in Technicolor by producer Pal in collaboration with the Shell Oil Company. It uses miniatures and puppet animation to convincingly make the case for how important oil is to our lives, and teaches us where oil comes from. This film appears here in standard definition only.

I have viewed Trailers From Hell: Arnold Leibovit On The Puppetoon Movie (4:48) and Trailers From Hell: Arnold Leibovit On The Fantasy Film Worlds Of George Pal (4:58) on YouTube already, but it is nice to see them archived here.

The Puppetoon Movie Speedy Alka-Selzer (4:47) is a nifty behind-the-scenes look at how Speedy was animated for the bridging sequences in the first Puppetoon feature. (Standard definition.)

The Puppetoon Movie Montage (10:51) is actually a montage of fascinating rare photos of George Pal, spotlighting the creaton of his films, along with assorted clips from shorts that are found in both Puppetoon movies.

Full Production And Donor Credits (5:41).

Case Study:

Standard Blu-ray case, with the DVD sitting opposite the Blu-ray. An informative fold-out booklet helpfully provides information on George Pal and all the films from the set.

Ink And Paint:

All of the films in the main program were transferred from 35mm materials. The Paramount and Horlicks films were shot in Technicolor, while the older European films were in the less vibrant Gasparcolor (obviously, the exception is the black and white Advertising Poster short). I have taken some of my screen captures off of the DVD for convenience, while Leibovit also provided me with high definition images to use. So, if any of the images here look less sharp or detailed, they are likely from the DVD.

The restorations overall are quite stunning. Some of the films do show their age, naturally, being over 70 years old; but everyone should be immensely satisfied, all things considered. The prize ASIFA-funded restorations look particularly sharp. The image, on all the Paramount shorts especially, is extremely clean, practically free from dirt or scratches, except in a rare instance or two. The Technicolor shorts naturally are also the most brilliant, and – by virtue of being primarily from original negatives – they look the sharpest as well. The age of the materials, and perhaps the filming techniques, means that some shots look a wee bit soft; and sometimes details get lost in the blacks, which is most true in Wilbur, which was transferred from a nitrate print. The European shorts do look more worn, generally (and even Ship Of The Ether is still quite soft, despite the new HD transfer), but their rarity makes one able to forgive that easily enough.

Caveats aside, the general impression is certainly that of a triumph of film preservation and restoration.

Scratch Tracks:

The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono sounds just about perfect, free from hiss or distortion. Lossy tracks were used in an effort to maximize the bit rate for the video, and I approve of the choice. Again, slight imperfections can show up on the older European shorts, but there are no strong complaints to be had at all.

The menu offers subtitles, but there are actually none to be had for the majority of the films. The only films that get English subtitles are the foreign-language films.

Final Cut:

This Blu-ray + DVD set has been years in the making, and it was worth the wait. The Puppetoon shorts are an absolute joy, and being able to see them looking so beautifully restored is a privilege. You really cannot fully judge these films by the screen captures shown in the review; the real magic is in the animation, and it is incredible. Arnie Leibovit has once again honored the memory of his friend and idol, George Pal. We look forward with great anticipation to a third volume!

The Movie

It may take a special type of science fiction fan to appreciate the wonders of Tokusatsu movies, the term for Japanese fantasy cinema – of which Warning From Spaceis an early example. Tokusatsu films may entail horror, monsters, and/or science fiction, but generally involve the use of special visual effects. Western viewers more accustomed to linear, rational storytelling can sometimes be a little confounded by the dreamlike logic and bizarre twists that these films can have, often made worse by bad attempts at dubbing them into English. Most of the general public is familiar with Godzilla as a character, though most people in the West probably don’t fully realize just what the creation of the monster brought about. Not only has Godzilla starred in over thirty Japanese films (including the recent anime seen on Netflix), his success resulted in a whole new film industry in Japan, unleashing a large number of movies and television shows about monsters and aliens. While many of these productions look pretty interesting, there is no doubt that they can also be confusing and strange.

In David Kalat’s excellent book A Critical History And Filmography Of Toho’s Godzilla Series, he explains some of the differences between Japanese and western culture, and how they relate to storytelling in film. While creators in the West favour logic, Japanese filmmakers may emphasize feelings and ideas, often dispelling with logic. Of course, American sci-fi films aren’t always totally adherent to logic either, whether one looks at the 1950s heyday of atomic, Cold War paranoia monster movies, or the effects-laden superhero blockbusters of today – but those Japanese movies can really be something else! Plots take off in different directions, sometimes without any real sense of cause-and-effect, odd happenings go unexplained, and one can tell that there are frequently aspects of Japanese myth and legend that enter into things, making it all somewhat impenetrable to the western viewer. Personally, though, I find these films incredibly fascinating and fun.

Prior to Arrow putting out their new Blu-ray of Warning From Space, I was familiar with the film only from seeing images of its preposterous starfish-like aliens, which I found more than a little reminiscent of the Justice League villain Starro The Conqueror, whom they fought in their first adventure in 1960 – which was actually a few years later! Seeing the frankly lame star-shaped costumes immediately puts one into a “camp” frame of mind. How can anyone take a film like that seriously, right? However, I had also read Stuart Galbraith’s Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo!, which seemed to indicate that Warning From Space was a much more earnest effort than what one might expect. I was intrigued. When I heard that the film had been prepared for an authorized Blu-ray, I was pretty excited to check it out.

From the opening moments, when we meet two friends at an eating bar, Warning From Space evokes thoughts of George Pal’s 1953 classic The War Of The Worlds. Lights are seen in the sky, meteorites appear to fall to earth, and eventually strange creatures emerge and terrify the populous. Rather than the superbly intimidating aliens in The War Of The Worlds, however, we get the rather silly star-shaped creatures previously mentioned. That’s okay, though, because the serious tone of the film keeps one quite involved, and one can forgive some bad costuming.

We come to know three great scientists and their families, though any attempts at characterization or personal growth are short-lived and ultimately quite subservient to the alien plot. For example, the daughter of one scientist has her choice of staying single questioned by her parents, but that storyline goes nowhere. Much more important is that the aliens turn out to be friendly, a message that is easier to take once they assume the forms of humans, including that of a famous, beautiful actress. At this point, my thoughts drifted more towards this movie being inspired a little by Invasion Of The Body Snatchers, also from 1956, though with more benevolent aliens. (Also, I recalled the later 1964 Godzilla movie Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster, where an alien entity appears as an Earth princess.)

The aliens offer a sincere message of warning: mankind much change its destructive ways or risk the consequences. Naturally, the film then reminded me of 1951’s The Day The Earth Stood Still. But hang on! There is also a rogue planet headed towards earth, ready to smash it to smithereens. Ah, so now the movie has become When Worlds Collide (also produced by George Pal, from 1951)! Mankind will undoubtedly perish, unless the aliens can work with an Earth scientist, who has a secret formula which can potentially destroy the hurtling planet.

If it sounds like a real hodgepodge of plots and ideas, it is. But it’s also good fun, though all taken quite seriously. Those starfish aliens don’t really appear too much, which helps. The constantly evolving plot actually keeps things moving. If you get bored, don’t worry – the story is about to head into another direction!

And I need to also mention one more instance of one film possibly inspiring another: Remember those spinning hoops seen on Krypton in Superman: The Movie? They appeared here first, on the alien star ship!

The Disc

Arrow’s Blu-ray has a reversible cover, so one may switch it to showing an English-language film poster, though the new art on the standard cover is also quite nice.

The disc contains both the Japanese version and the English-language version that was done for the American market. This US version was distributed by American International Television, and runs a little over a minute longer, perhaps mostly due to changes in the opening credits. The dubbing is okay, but there are the usual small differences in details or nuances that happen, making for an interesting comparison. I usually go for the original language version, but the dub is adequate.

Public domain DVDs have in the past used pretty crummy prints for this film, so word of a Blu-ray presentation was quite exciting. Well, temper your expectations. This is still an old film, shot on what I would guess to be lesser film stock. The Blu-ray image is quite clean, at least, with barely any dust or print damage evident. Sharpness, however, comes and goes, depending on the shot, with a few shots bordering on blurry. There is also some faint flicker. Color values also vary, becoming faded at times. Mostly, though, it’s a more pleasing presentation than one might expect, given the circumstances, and some scenes really look quite good. The mono sound is actually quite clear, with no discernible hiss in either version.

Looking at the extras, the aforementioned Stuart Galbraith IV provides a prepared, informative commentary that runs for a little over an hour, stopping just short of the complete film. No one knows Japanese cinema (especially Tokusatsu) like Galbraith, so it’s great that he could contribute. A teaser and theatrical trailer are here as well. The disc also contains a stills gallery, including many neat poster and lobby card images.

Cinematic Classic or Faded Print?

As the first true Japanese science fiction film to be filmed in color, Warning From Space does hold a certain place in film history. It’s not a great film, but it is a good one, and not at all campy once you get past the starfish pyjama suits. Lovers of Tokusatsu movies will find it a must-see, while fans of American ‘50s sci-fi will also find it engaging, if a bit derivative. Arrow’s disc does what it can with the faded elements, and gives the film by far its best representation in many years. With an informative commentary, the US version, a nice image gallery, and trailers, this is a satisfying disc for anyone inclined to check out this somewhat landmark film.

The crew of the Ghost wrap up their mission on Mandalore before returning once again to Lothal to face off against Grand Admiral Thrawn, Governor Pryce, and their lackeys. The fate of Lothal is determined, and destinies are realized as the Rebel Alliance matures into a true threat to the Empire.

The Sweatbox Review:

The conclusion of Season Three found some of our heroes assisting Sabine on her home world of Mandalore, that place with all the cool warriors wearing jetpacks. If the Clone Wars TV show taught us anything, it is that Boba Fett was not the only great character to come from Mandalore, and Rebels has explored this even further. Here, Sabine is trying to recue her father from Imperial imprisonment in the two-part Heroes of Mandalore, but then the Rebels also face the need to destroy a terrifying Mandalorian-targeting weapon that was designed by Sabine in her Imperial academy days.

While the first two episodes provide great Star Wars fun and excitement, they are just prelude to the real story of the season – the Rebels’ attempt to liberate Ezra’s home planet of Lothal. First, though, in the two-part In The Name Of The Rebellion, the influence of another character comes to bear on the thoughts and motivations of our Rebel crew. After a stop at the new Rebel base on Yavin 4, where Ezra, Kanan and Sabine re-join Hera and Zeb, we find out that Mon Mothma and her colleagues are not willing to commit to a Lothal mission due to the strength of the Imperial blockade there. A communication by Saw Gerrera mocks the Rebels for their lack of willingness to take risks in order to see their goals achieved. The crew of the Ghost is frustrated, but soon have their next mission: tapping signals from an Imperial communication relay. As things often do for our heroes, things go awry, and the entire mission goes wrong, requiring Ezra and Sabine to be rescued by Gerrera, a rebel extremist practically seen as an outlaw by the Alliance. Gerrera then convinces Ezra and Sabine to join him on a mission to find further evidence of a rumoured Imperial super-weapon. Depending on how one looks at it, things then either go very well or very badly once again, ending in massive explosions.

With the success of that mission, Ezra feels emboldened to plea once again for assistance for Lothal. While Mothma still cannot support a major campaign, a few of the Ghost crew do get themselves smuggled back to the planet by their ally Vizago in The Occupation, where they reunite with the freedom fighter Ryder Azadi. Ryder is not happy about the Alliance’s lack of support, but his report of a new TIE Defender manufacturing project gives the local Rebels a new mission. The next couple of episodes deal with the Rebels’ efforts to work against the manufacturing effort, beginning with Flight Of The Defender, where they try to obtain a Defender flight data recorder. Once again, failure somehow leads to success as Sabine ends up stealing a whole fighter, before crashing in the desert.

Two major developments occur during this part of the story. With the Rebels becoming ever more a nuisance for the Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn sends out his assassin Rukh (who also first appeared in the original Thrawn novels by Timothy Zahn). Meanwhile, Ezra begins seeing legendary Loth-Wolves, which haven’t been spotted on Lothal in generations. Rukh continues to be a menace to the Rebels for the rest of the season, and the Loth-Wolves take on greater and greater prominence, as the series veers more towards telling tales involving Force mysticism.

And that is where Season Four began to lose me a bit. Once we get magical wolves mystically transporting people through “Force wormholes” (in Kindred) it stopped feeling like Star Wars for me. My son, however, loves the mysticism in these episodes, so maybe it’s just me.

And, despite my reservations about Loth-Wolves, there is still a lot I enjoyed about the next few episodes. The Rebels have to take over a Mining Guild ore crawler (whose driver is voiced by Seth Green) in Crawler Commanders, and Hera comes to Lothal to join the others in Rebel Assault, where an attack on the TIE factory is attempted. It does not exactly go well, so Hera must be rescued in Jedi Knight. The rescue ends in massive tragedy as well as massive victory for the Rebels, and they will never be the same again.

In Dume, Governor Pryce seeks to shield herself from the disastrous events of the previous episode by holding a parade to celebrate the one part that went well for her. Thrawn is not fooled, and makes plans to come to Lothal. Meanwhile, the Rebels deal with their last mission’s tragedy, as Ezra makes further contact with the Loth-Wolves, spending time with a particularly regal one named Dume. The result of that meeting is a new imperative for the Rebels to return to the Jedi temple in order to keep its secrets form the Imperials. Wolves And A Door sees the Rebels’ attempt at disrupting the Imperials’ plans at the temple, and A World Between Worlds sees Ezra enter a sort of Force time portal to rescue someone from death, even as he sees the folly of saving someone else. In the end, the Empire’s temple plans have been dealt with decisively.

Again, the “Force time portal” threatened to lose me for good, as another new concept failed to feel like it belonged in a Star Wars story. However, the conclusion of the series still managed to stick the landing, beginning with A Fool’s Hope, where Ezra’s friends and allies (including my favorite character, Hondo, who shows a sincere affection for Ezra) decide to ignore the odds and liberate Lothal. Ezra hatches a crazy plan that actually seems to work.

This leads to the double-sized series conclusion, Family Reunion And Farewell. The entire series has kept reminding us of the need to save Ezra’s beloved Lothal, and the finale does not disappoint. A wild plan that cannot (and does not) work out, swiftly-changing strategy, and moving heroism all figure into a wrap-up that manages to bring the story to a close while acknowledging there are more stories to come for not only the crew of the Ghost, but the Rebellion as well.

Though the newer story elements introduced in the latter half of the season threatened to dampen my enthusiasm for the storyline, I still found this season to be satisfying and engaging. These characters that we have come to love see their destinies realized, cementing their importance to the broader Star Wars story. With the latest “Episode” films failing to connect with fans as much as we might have hoped, the TV team at Lucasfilm shows that they can still capture our interest and provide us with stories that (overall) flesh out the franchise in a way that is true to our childhood memories.

Is This Thing Loaded?

As usual, we get a lovely set of Rebels Recon segments, with host Andi Gutierrez. Though there are only eight segments, this is reflective of the many two-parters and two-airings-per-week episodes from this season, so everything is still covered. These seven-minute segments give all the background on each story that a fan could ask for, including interviews with cast and crew, and behind-the-scenes looks at the magic behind the making of the show. Plus, Chopper Cam!

Numerous featurettes are provided, discussing not only this season, but the entire series. Altogether, they provide a comprehensive overview of Rebels. First is a section called Ghosts of Legend (27:48), which serves as a wonderful retrospective for the whole series, from inception to examining how each character developed over the course of the show. It is broken into eight segments, or you may select Play All.

Force Of Rebellion (15:22) has four segments to it, examining various aspects of the Force in the Star Wars universe, largely from the perspective of executive producer Dave Filoni. Kevin Kiner: The Rebel Symphony (9:38) gives a proper spotlight to the series’ music composer.

Finally, executive producer Dave Filoni appears in six audio commentaries, along with a few other production members. By the time you have gone over all the featurettes and commentaries, there may not be much left to find out about the show. All that is missing, possibly, would be galleries of production art or animatics, but such things appear in the featurettes anyway.

Case Study:

The packaging stays consistent, with a matching embossed cover slip, and an insert with a Disney Movie rewards code. There are just two discs with this set, so each one can be found on the front and back interior of the case.

Ink And Paint:

As a digital-to-digital disc release, there is not much that can go wrong. The image is perfection, given the limitations of the TV budget animation. And when we get space battles, they are pretty indeed.

Scratch Tracks:

Disney sticks with lossy Dolby Digital 5.1, but for a TV show, it’s “good enough,” I suppose. We still hear lots of great effects, though your subwoofer won’t have to worry about an over-emphasis on bass. Sound design is always a Star Wars strength, and that continues to be the case in Rebels, with a grand assortment of bonks, bleeps and whooshes. Lossless tracks are always preferred for maximum fidelity, but there’s nothing really wrong with what we get, either. There are also French and German Dolby Digital 5.1 track, and a Spanish 2.0 track.

Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, and French, and there are a separate English captions.

Final Cut:

Star Wars Rebels has proven itself to be a treasured addition to the Star Wars mythos. I can recall that fans worried initially that the tone would be too juvenile, but the show ended up exploring and adding to the canon is very satisfying ways, while still providing plenty of action, characterization, and adventure. It has been a pleasure to watch the formation of a fledgling Rebel Alliance, with so many call-backs to characters and situations that we have been familiar with, while all still being fresh and informative. Dave Filoni and his crew crafted a number of great new characters, and expanded our understanding of that faraway galaxy from a long time ago. This season’s emphasis on Force mysticism was not always my cup of tea, but that is a minor quibble when one steps back to appreciate all the season had to offer— Manalorean battles, Ezra’s facing the Emperor, and the liberation of Lothal. The rich and plentiful bonus features then make this set all the more valuable to Star Wars fans. The show didn’t quite come up and meet Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in the timeline, but it came very close, solidly bridging a big chunk of the gap between Episodes III and IV in a delightful way.

Storyboard:

A young British girl happens upon a flower with mystical properties. Suddenly, she finds herself flying on a broom and is taken to a world of witches in training. Mary tries her best to cope up, but finds herself entangled in a devious plot involving the mysterious flower.

The Sweatbox Review:

When we all learned that Studio Ghibli was shutting down, or going on hiatus, or whatever they have done, there was a shared sense of loss. Aging director Hayao Miyazaki was retiring, rightfully taking time to spend with family, attend to his health, and hopefully generally enjoy life; but what of the young guys left behind? The studio had built up such a fantastic assortment of talent, that it would be a shame to see them scattered to the wind, many likely being forced to accept employment doing lesser work.

Fortunately, producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, whose filmography includes The Tale Of Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There, decided to address this issue by founding Studio Ponoc in 2015. Ponoc is taken from a Croatian word meaning “midnight,” the signifier of a new day. He recruited a number of Ghibli staffers, with the objective of following in the esteemed studio’s footsteps. Their first project is Mary And The Witch’s Flower, based on a story by Mary Stewart, 1971’s The Little Broomstick. He chose Hiromasa Yonebayashi to be his director. Yonebayashi had previously directed the well-received The Secret World Of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There.

Given this, the viewer might expect Mary And The Witch’s Flower to be reminiscent of the Studio Ghibli output, and the viewer would be correct. Even if one did not know of the film’s pedigree, its influences are obvious. The plot, though naturally inspired by the book, seems lifted from a combination of Kiki’s Delivery Service (a young witch), Spirited Away (a young girl meets fantastical creatures), Castle In The Sky (because of the… castles in the sky), and more than a little of another famed franchise, Harry Potter. The comparison to other Ghibli films may not have been so obvious if not for the visual style, which is tied strongly into the Ghibli aesthetic. That’s not a bad thing, of course, and few Ghibli fans will resent the fact that this looks and feels like the latest in a long line of Studio Ghibli successes.

The film begins with an exciting prologue, perhaps the best part of the story, in which a young witch escapes an elaborate treehouse via broomstick, while being chased by bizarre creatures. A satchel comes loose, spilling out some blue, glowing seeds that give rise to quickly-growing trees. The broomstick becomes encased by the suddenly large trees, seemingly lost forever.

Years later, we meet Mary, a young lady living in rural England, staying with her kindly aunt while her parents are off doing some undisclosed work. She tries to make the most of her situation, though it looks like a potentially boring summer. Only her clumsiness seems likely to keep things lively for her aunt and the help at the house. Mary meets a boy named Peter, and though their relationship is initially somewhat antagonistic, they immediately share a type of bond. Mary dislikes Peter, who teases her about her wild red hair and lack of coordination, but she does like his cats, Tib and Gib.

It is the cats who lead Mary to find some strange flowers, whom the gardener identifies as “fly-by-night” plants, apparently cherished by witches for their magical properties. Mary returns to the forest the next day, and discovers the small, old broomstick ensnared by the roots of a tree. While handling the broomstick, she accidentally breaks open a fly-by-night bud, releasing its gooey contents onto her hands and the broomstick. The broomstick seems to comes to life, and carries Mary up into the clouds, where she is taken to a city that contains the witching school of Endor. A fox named Flanagan reports that he is caretaker of the students’ broomsticks, and he scolds Mary for her rough handling of her broom, while insisting that she get back to school.

Mary soon finds herself at the school, meeting the headmistress Madam Mumblechook, who spots the black cat she is keeping company with, and assumes it is her “familiar.” Mary is shown around the school, and thanks to the fly-by-night juice absorbed by her hands, she demonstrates magical abilities that delight the headmistress and the students. The whirlwind day also sees her meeting chemistry teacher Doctor Dee, who likewise becomes convinced of her witching potential.

Their attitude changes, however, once they become aware of Mary’s possession of the fly-by-night flowers. Peter is soon kidnapped, and Mary must mount a perilous rescue. Along the way, she becomes privy to a mad plot, the mystery of the fly-by-night’s initial disappearance, and the true story of the young witch who took it away from Endor in the first place. With Peter’s life and the fate of humanity in peril, Mary must find her own magic in order to save everyone.

It’s a nice story for kids especially, and the visuals are certainly impressive and enjoyable. I appreciated the great design work and the imagination that went into the creation of this world and its inhabitants. The story itself feels derivative of several other sources, perhaps due to the age of the source material (though even in 1971, the book came out a long time after C.S. Lewis was writing his tales of English schoolchildren entering a magical land). The book may have been printed decades before Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, but in this day such a tale cannot help but seem overly familiar. Enlarging the cast could have helped, as there are not too many characters on which to hang the straight-forward plot, making our attention focus on the “little girl finds outs she’s a witch” angle. The other students are literally faceless and stay in the background, not intruding on events in the least. Even Peter really has very little interaction with Mary, despite the importance of their relationship. As big as the story is, it still feels small in scope. Not every story needs to be an epic, of course, but as a film it feels more like an exceptionally well-produced and lengthy TV special.

Still, one cannot deny that the film is a beautiful delight and a worthy if minor successor to the Studio Ghibli films, full of whimsy and wonder. Studio Ponoc may not have yet made its classic; but just one film in, it seems that they are well on their way.

Is This Thing Loaded?

The Blu-ray has several great bonus features. The first two are exclusive to the Blu-ray, while the others may also be found on the DVD. NTV Special: Creating Mary And The Witch’s Flower (38:50) is a thorough examination of the filmmaking process, beginning with the founding of Studio Ponoc, and striking out past the shadow of Studio Ghibli, before examining details of the production. I have a feeling that this will be even more fascinating years from now, once the studio has fully achieved its potential.

A Special Conversation: Sekai No Owari, Hiromasa Yonebayashi, and Yoshiaki Nishimura (31:34) discusses the film’s Japanese music, and how its theme song was created and the changes it went through.

The Film Completion Press Conference (14:18) also proves to be interesting, featuring a wide variety of talent associated with the film, and the Theatrical Promotional Movie (10:46) is further evidence of how marketing is handled today in Japan.

Interview with the Filmmakers (13:49) begins with describing the meaning of “ponoc” and what the studio hopes to achieve with this film and future ones.

The disc also has Trailers (10:43) for both the US and Japanese releases, as well as English-subtitled Japanese TV Spots (4:44), including advertising tie-ins with Morinaga Milk products.

More from GKids leads to ads for Only Yesterday, Song Of The Sea, The Tale Of Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There.

Case Study:

A standard Blu-ray case holds a Blu-ray and a DVD on each side. There is an insert for the Movies Anywhere digital code. If you hurry, you will be able to find this release with a cover slip. The packaging comes with the usual GKids trade dress.

Ink And Paint:

The best part of this film is its visuals, and the Blu-ray transfer conveys all the best qualities of the film’s outstanding design and color work. This is a beautiful traditionally-animated film, using today’s modern tools to their best advantage. I saw no flaws in the presentation.

Scratch Tracks:

Audio is here in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 in either English or the original Japanese. Either way, the soundtracks are strong, delivering a variety of effects. The English voice cast, headlined by actors Kate Winslet and Jim Broadbent, does fine work, making either track suitable for even choosy viewers.

Subtitles are available in two brands of English – one for captioning of the English dub, and one translating the Japanese track. There are also French subtitles.

Final Cut:

While the basic plot may seem familiar, things get more interesting from there, and this is still a very impressive debut for Studio Ponoc. They are doing the Studio Ghibli legacy proud, and we should all be looking forward to what they produce next. Their first film is slick and exciting, beautifully animated and stunningly realized. Next time, they could maybe flesh out the script better and perhaps choose a less familiar subject, but the seeds of greatness are definitely there. The video and audio presentation on disc are perfect, and the extras are actually substantial. This is a great purchase for fans of family films, Studio Ghibli, or anime in general.

Storyboard:

A young Afghan girl responds to her father’s imprisonment with a mixture of grief and bravery as she transforms herself in order to support her family.

The Sweatbox Review:

Afghanistan is still a mysterious country for many westerners, probably known best as a centre of conflict, facing a succession of largely unsuccessful invaders and being also torn apart from within. Despite the nation being so prominent in the news for so long, many likely have only a passing familiarity with its history, culture and demographics. Canadian author Deborah Ellis went to Pakistan in 1997 to interview Afghans in a refugee camp and heard many stories of what their lives had been. She focused on learning all she could from women and girls, who had been the main targets of oppression in Afghanistan. Ellis was particularly taken by a small girl whose mother had helped her disguise herself as a boy in the camp. Out of these interviews she was inspired to write The Breadwinner, released in 2000. It has since won many awards and has had a few well-received sequels.

The grim tale of survival may not seem to some like an ideal property to adapt into animation, but the project was taken on by Toronto company Aircraft Pictures, who brought the idea for the film to the acclaimed Irish studio Cartoon Saloon, creators of The Secret Of Kells and Song Of The Sea. Angelina Jolie was brought on as executive producer to help guide the project, which was co-produced by Cartoon Saloon, Aircraft Pictures, and Melusine Productions in Luxembourg. Cartoon Saloon’s Nora Twomey was selected to direct, and she read the source material in an evening, immediately seeing the possibilities for a powerful film. Both the book and the film tell the story of Parvana, an eleven-year old girl from Kabul who watches helplessly as her father is taken off to jail by members of the Taliban. The film omits and changes some of the book’s details from there, but it is largely a faithful adaptation. Parvana struggles with the loss of her father and is absolutely determined to get him back. Her mother and older sister know it may be futile, but Parvana is insistent. Parvana and her mother go in search of her father together, despite the fact that women are not allowed to travel without a male guardian. The result is sadly predicable, with the mother being beaten, leading to a prolonged period of depression and recovery at home.

Of immediate concern is also how the family will survive day-to-day, as food and money run out. Parvana’s older brother has been killed, and her younger brother is still a baby, so there is no male to go out and earn money, or even to go to the market to procure food. The solution is simple: the family must create another boy out of available materials – Parvana. With her hair cut, and with the use of her brother’s clothes, the prepubescent girl can reasonably pass for a boy. She becomes the titular breadwinner for the family, selling small items on the street and assisting the illiterate with reading and writing, just as her father – a crippled former schoolteacher – had. Parvana is soon coached by a former classmate, Shauzia, who is leading a similar life of dangerous deception, and the two become close friends.

Eventually, a plot is hatched to bring back Parvana’s father by use of bribes, but the whole family is overtaken by events in the country. Though the novel was written prior to 9/11, the film leads right up to what appears to be the American invasion in October of 2001. Even as the film’s story moves towards a relatively happy ending, we know that life will never be the same for this family or their country.

Director Nora Twomey somehow manages to make this potentially bleak story a fascinating and even entertaining one. Her protagonist, Parvana, is totally endearing, with a bright spirit and admirable perseverance. She is naïve, but sometimes a little naivete is required to drag along those who feel blocked by difficult realities. While we know that Parvana’s success in life will be limited by her circumstances, it is inspiring to see her make the most of things, almost willing her family to survive their hardships. Mixed in with the main storyline are sections of a more light-hearted story begun by Parvana’s father and continued by Parvana as she soothes her baby brother. The artistry shown in the telling of this folk tale is stunning and stylized, told in CGI but in a style harkening back to cut-out animation, but with amazing sophistication of style and detail. The purpose of including this tale in the narrative becomes clear in the end, adding a further note of heartache, even as we admire the startling beauty of the presentation.

The Breadwinner continues Cartoon Saloon’s record of excellence, giving them three straight Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature. It is an engaging story exquisitely told. Though the subject matter is quite serious, even my mature ten-year old boy, who loves history, declared it a great film. My wife, recognizing the sad undertones, was bothered by it for the rest of the evening, even though she loved the film. The story stays with you for a while, because it is based on truth, and the truth is not always pretty. However, even in the darkest times, there is still room for joy, laughter, and the enduring spark provided by love. That is the tale of Parvana and her family.

Is This Thing Loaded?

The disc offers a brief Introduction by director Nora Twomey and executive producer Angelica Jolie (0:35). There is also an Audio Commentary with the filmmakers, including Twomey and other key art and directing personnel, to provide further insight into the production. From there, we also get a few well-constructed featurettes that go even further into the making of the film:

Behind The Scenes With The Cast (9:36) actually begins with further comments from Twomey and Cartoon Saloon producer Paul Young before capturing the thoughts and insights of several audio cast members, as well as Aircraft Pictures producer Anthony Leo.

Animating The Film (6:16) is largely narrated by Twomey and others, as we view artists at work and see a generous amount production and pre-production art.

Creating The Music And Sound (4:48) features a chat with composers Jeff and Mychael Danna, as they talk about the music and instrumentation. Then, sound designer JR Fountain discusses matching the sounds to the mood of each scene.

In Telling The Story (7:49), Twomey addresses tailoring the story to both younger and older audiences. Additionally, some of the voice actors – a few with Afghan backgrounds – speak about what the film means to them and could mean for others.

GKids disc previews that load automatically at disc start-up include those for Song Of The Sea, Miss Hokusai, and My Life As A Zucchini. The menu also offers the Breadwinner Trailer and one for Boy & The World.

The DVD included in this set has all of the same bonus content.

Case Study:

I really like how GKids packages stay consistent, whether they are released by Universal (as in this case), Shout! Factory, or other partners. That means the same trade dress on the cover and spine. Also as usual, early copies have cover slips. The standard Blu-ray case has a DVD and Blu-ray on each side of the case, and there is an insert for a US-only digital copy. At present, Universal’s Blu-ray is only being distributed in the US, though Canadian buyers can still find their DVD, or imported copies of the Blu-ray at Amazon.ca.

Ink And Paint:

The Blu-ray image is essentially flawless. Maybe I’m too lazy to look for problems, but I saw no issues with this encode. This is certainly a beautiful animated film, with the most outstanding parts coming from the CGI “folk tale” sequences, and the Blu-ray provides a beauty of a hi-def image.

Note that the screen captures have been taken from the DVD version.

Scratch Tracks:

The DTS-HD Master Audio is robust and strong. Music is crisp, and the effects range from the ambient sounds of the market to forceful rumbling bass when called for. Most of the film does not lend itself to fancy sound design, but the audio track shines when it needs to.

There are no alternative audio tracks. The only subtitles are English captions for the hearing impaired.

Final Cut:

It is always a pleasure to see an animated film reaching beyond the usual genres. The Breadwinner is a wonderful film that tells a difficult story. Its importance lies in how it puts a human face on a part of the world that we normally associate with conflict and war. Here we see how such events affect a family, and how a child can bring hope to her family in the midst of so much difficulty. Those who want to know Parvana better would be advised to read the books, but the film is a terrific adaptation, full of beautiful design, a compelling narrative, and heart. Though I really enjoyed Coco, I would not argue with anyone who said that it’s The Breadwinner that was the best animated film of 2017.

Storyboard:

Members of the Justice League battle supervillains, monsters, and invading aliens in kid-friendly adventures.

The Sweatbox Review:

We all loved Justice League, the show that ran from 2001 until 2004, and continues to live on in our DVD collections. It had all the characters from the comics, the stories were epic, and the tales had uncommon depth to them, with most of the series containing two-parters. It was everything a superhero or comics fan could want. I tremendously enjoyed re-watching the show again with my little boy when he was old enough to enjoy it, and he likewise was thrilled with the adventures of the World’s Greatest Superheroes. However, television network people apparently thought that smaller kids needed a show they could enjoy too, telling simple stories of short length. Maybe they’re right. I had Super Friends growing up, so maybe today’s wee ones need a gentler superhero show, too. I was actually able to enjoy Marvel Superhero Squad, so why not give a DC kiddie show a chance?

And hence we have Justice League Action, a series whose stories run only a quarter-hour, keeping the conflicts as basic as possible, while emphasizing action and uncomplicated morality. The good guys are perfect, and the bad guys are truly despicable. There’s no time for shades of grey when the story needs to wrap up before the first commercial break. (Note that the choice of the screen capture above is a bit of a gag. The Leaguers aren’t really that young when they’re not magically de-aged, like in this one episode.)

The series begins with an atypical 4-part story, pitting members of the League against the Brothers Djinn, magical creatures who want the Earth to revert to an earlier geological state, wiping out mankind and leaving the Djinn to be rulers of the planet. The villain who allows their escape in the first place is Black Adam, whom Batman meets after following the Wizard (who we all know is named Shazam) to the Rock of Eternity. (Actually, Bats ends up giving the Wizard a tow on the bat-rope!) Naturally, this portends the involvement of the hero Shazam, previously known as Captain Marvel. Other heroes involved in this story range from Hawkman to Swamp Thing, the former wearing a bizarre costume like nothing seen in the comics, and the latter sounding oddly young and human. For the most part, the show sticks with classic representations of the characters, but we do get the occasional odd choice.

The next story further shows off the wide-ranging scope of the show, which is perhaps its greatest asset. The mix of characters is often inspired and beyond fun. Even in the comics, we have never seen a team-up between Superman, Hawkman and Space Cabbie, squaring off against Lobo, who challenges them for the right to bring in and the worm villain Mister Mind. I mean, that’s really a pretty incredible plot right there. Even John Constantine, one of the least kid-friendly characters in the mainstream DC Universe, is a member of the Justice League here, teaming up routinely with Zatanna and Batman to fight such threats as Solomon Grundy and Klarion the Witch Boy. Batman gets to travel to Apokolips with Big Barda, The Demon helps Batman while driving around in a mystically-enhanced hellish ice cream truck, Lex Luthor invades Themyscira, Plastic Man sneaks onto Brainiac’s ship, and Blue Beetle, Firestorm, and Stargirl help out against the Phantom Zone villains. The plots may be paper-thin, but you can’t beat them for awesome character combinations. Perhaps more than any previous DC animated show, Justice League Action really revels in the terrific depth of possibilities inherent in the DC Universe. The final episode on the set even brings back Space Cabbie for an adventure with Batman, Cyborg, and Jonah Hex, as they face off against Kanjar Ro! That’s crazy!

And of course, we get a couple of appearances by current fan-favorite Harley Quinn, including an episode with her besty Poison Ivy, facing off against Leaguers including Swamp Thing. That’s actually pretty awesome.

I suppose there’s nothing wrong with allowing small kids to enjoy a superhero show aimed at their level. On the other hand, the original Justice League show managed to be enjoyable by kids and adults alike, though perhaps those kids were not under six or so. My son is now 10 years old, and he found Justice League Action to be unbearably simplistic, much preferring the older program, so Action’s audience would seem to be rather narrow. Still, an old DC fan like myself can still glean some enjoyment with seeing his favorites interact in bite-size adventures, just as I can nostalgically enjoy an episode of Super Friends on occasion. At least the animation in Justice League Action is first-rate, and Batman’s chest emblem doesn’t get miscolored in every other scene like it was on the 1970s program.

Speaking of visuals, I always find it interesting to see how these characters are adapted for each show or movie. Here, the designs are reminiscent of the Bruce Timm-era versions, with a few tweaks here and there. I’m not crazy about the huge bat-emblem on Batman’s chest, but Action’s Superman is a nice improvement, more in line with the Fleischer Superman than the enormous-chinned Timm version. Wonder Woman gets nicely tousled hair in keeping with her fighting spirit. As I said, I barely recognized Hawkman, so I don’t know what the deal is there. Others like Firestorm and Green Arrow hew closer to their classic looks. In terms of continuity, the show takes its cues from various eras of the comics and cartoons. One episode sees Batman and Blue Beetle travel back in time to what appears to be pre-Batman: The Animated Series; and in a nod to the New 52 comics, Clark Kent and Diana Prince go on a date. The League’s headquarters, meanwhile, starts in the Hall of Justice before they gain a new Earth-bound Watchtower.

This two-disc set contains the first 26 (quarter-hour) episodes of Justice League Action, which comprises half of the initial season. It may not be absolutely fantastic television, but it is a fun show, and it does make a cool introduction to these characters for kids, before they are ready for the dramatics of more mature superhero series.

Is This Thing Loaded?

The only extras here are really just advertising. On Disc One, from the menu system we get Trailers for DC Super Hero Girls: Hero Of The Year and the Wonder Woman film. Disc Two begins automatically with a trailer for The Lego Ninjago Movie and the direct-to-video Lego Scooby-Doo: Blowout Beach Bash.

Case Study:

The DVD eco-case comes with a tray for one of the discs, with no inserts.

Ink And Paint:

The picture is as good as standard definition allows, and in motion looks quite good. Pausing the frames reveals some jagged edges, but during normal viewing this is not noticed. Most often, I felt this was as good as the series could look, though occasionally there is a softness noticed that underlines the fact that a high definition release would look even better.

Scratch Tracks:

I have no complaints about the sound quality, presented here in surprisingly nice Dolby Digital 5.1. Dialog is clear, and directional effects are modest but have good power. Other language tracks include Spanish, Portuguese, and Thai. Subtitles are available in English, French, Chinese, and Thai.

There is some interesting voice casting going on in this show. Kevin Conroy comes back as Batman, which is always welcome. Likewise for Mark Hamill, who plays The Joker again, and also gets to revisit The Trickster, but he makes a certainly… unconventional… Swamp Thing. Former Batman Diedrich Bader is Booster Gold this time. Sean Astin plays both Billy Batson and his alter ego Shazam. And Khary Payton plays Cyborg in yet another incarnation.

Final Cut:

It is impossible to avoid comparing this to previous animated versions of the League, particularly the classic 2001-2004 show. Justice League Action does what it sets out to do. A negative comment could state that it presents action-packed stories of little nuance, easily understood by small children. On the other hand, it is also certainly fun, bright, and positive, and it brings to life an assortment of characters never quite seen before. Old favorites like Firestorm, Swamp Thing, Plastic Man, and even Space Cabbie are given a chance to shine, making this in some ways the ultimate DC Universe cartoon. I would love it if the stories were more sophisticated, but after all these are really children’s’ characters, and it is nice for the younger generation to have their own Super Friends-style show, only with better graphics. Certainly, it’s more appropriate for them than the PG-13 animated and theatrical movies. We’ll list this one as recommended for kids, or kids at heart.

Storyboard:

The crew of The Ghost help to develop the burgeoning Rebel Alliance, while facing off against the suave and calculating menace of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

The Sweatbox Review:

Star Wars – Rebels has continued to be a deserving hit for Disney XD, often drawing a million viewers per episode. (Well, that’s pretty good in today’s fractured TV viewing landscape.) After ramping up the action and intrigue in Season Two, there was no doubt that the intrepid crew of The Ghost has become a vital part of the Rebel movement. Unfortunately, the growing strength of the Rebels has garnered the notice of the Empire. No longer does the Empire view the rebels as pests; there is a growing awareness that they present at least a small threat, and need to be dealt with.

Dave Filoni, who did such a terrific job overseeing Clone Wars and the first two seasons of Rebels, left his supervising director duties behind in the third season in order to accept a promotion, so he named Justin Ridge to be his successor. The show is in good hands, as Season Three quite credibly continues the saga of the Rebels over 22 episodes, portraying the rise of the Alliance while revisiting beloved Star Wars characters and creating a whole range of interesting new characters. As I’ve said before, the best compliment that can be given is that this show feels like the Star Wars that I grew up with. And, even more than previous seasons, this one sets up the eventual link to Episode IV: A New Hope. Still, there are plenty of call-backs to the prequels and the Clone Wars TV show, so this season feels very much like a bridge between eras.

The second season had left the crew of the Ghost rather scarred, both physically and emotionally. The Jedi Kanan was blinded, with his padawan Ezra blaming himself. Ezra was toying with the Sith holocron, and finally opened it, against all common sense and the warnings of Kanan. Meanwhile, Ahsoka Tano’s fate was unclear. Six months later, as season three opens, the Ghost crew is still adjusting to the new status quo, and life at their new rebel base. The first episode, Steps Into Shadow addresses the issues of the holocron and Kanan’s blindness, while introducing an ancient neutral Force-wielder named Bendu (voiced by Tom Baker), and also showing a mission to rescue the pirate Hondo (a favorite from the Clone Wars show) and ultimately steal a number of ships. It is a packed episode, full of action, drama, and humor, ably re-setting the show for what will be an exciting third season.

Both the Jedi and Sith holocrons figure into The Holocrons Of Fate, which also features the re-appearance of Darth Maul. After a hostage incident and an uneasy alliance is formed, there are visions shared, leading to Darth Maul voicing that he intends to find a certain man who is living on a desert world with twin suns. Another character from the films appears in the next episode, The Antilles Extraction, when Sabine infiltrates an Empire training base in order to find pilots who wish to join the Rebels.

A big part of Season Three is the introduction to the show of Grand Admiral Thrawn, a popular villain from the Timothy Zahn novels of the 1990s. Originally depicted as a leading light in the Empire who gained prominence after the Battle of Endor (in the old chronology, before The Force Awakens rebooted everything), we now see Thrawn in his earlier days, a capable and calculating agent of the Empire, who makes it his mission to track down the Rebels and destroy the threat they represent. Thrawn comes face-to-face with the Ghost’s captain Hela, when she returns to her now-occupied home world in Hera’s Heroes. As with all the best stories, there’s the plot, about Hera retrieving a family heirloom, and then there’s the theme: “home” and “family” are not made up of things, but of those one is closest to.

From there, the viewing audience is treated to reappearances of the Separatist battle droids, several episodes involving Sabine and her home planet of Mandalore, more of the entertaining rascal Hondo, a return to Ezra’s planet of Lothal (where a big revelation awaits regarding one of their biggest foes), a journey to Maul’s home world where we also revisit the Night Sisters, and a two-parter where the Ghost crew investigate the mystery of Geonosis. Ghosts Of Geonosis also introduces Saw Gerrera to the show, giving us an earlier look at the key figure from Rogue One. Though his physical appearance does not quite match up with the film version (even given that this takes place a few years earlier), Saw is voiced by his actor, Forrest Whitaker. Saw is portrayed as somewhat unhinged, though understandably so, given what the Empire did to his family. His rage is juxtaposed against the right of the Geonosians to avoid extinction.

There is also family intrigue, with Sabine returning to her parents while wielding the fabled darksaber. There is spy intrigue with Thrawn identifying the Fulcrum agent in his midst. And, quite importantly, there is the Secret Cargo that turns out to be the figure who will actually form the Rebel Alliance out of the various Rebel cells. And, as the season nears its conclusion, the big tease of Twin Suns finally pays off with the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi. These events certainly work towards bringing the show up to speed with A New Hope, but the season is not quite done yet.

The two-parter Zero Hour closes off the season, as Grand Admiral Thrawn makes his move against the Rebels, and his long-planned trap is sprung. Tremendous adversity leads to partnership for the Rebels, with the story ending at a familiar Rebel base. The pieces are almost all in place now for Episode IV, with the rest to follow in the fifteen episodes of season four.

Is This Thing Loaded?

This first disc goes straight to the main menu, after which the viewer has a couple of options. If you really missed seeing a trailer, you may select “Sneak Peeks” to get to the teaser for Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2:10).

Other than that, there is the return of the Rebels Recon segments, a behind-the-scenes report on every episode of the show, featuring a variety of talent. I love these seven-minute featurettes, as they always seem to answer all the questions I had about production, and include factoids I never anticipated.

Disc Two adds Audio Commentaries on Trials Of The Darksaber (with Executive producer Dave Filoni) and Legacy Of Mandalore (Filoni and a few others), in addition to the Rebels Recon segments.

Disc Three is the most packed disc, with more Rebels Recon, three more Audio Commentaries by Filoni and friends, plus a few other featurettes that each delve deeper into important aspects of this season: A Rebel Alliance (6:10), Return to Mandalore (6:59), Thrawn: A Legend Reborn (6:59), Apprentices To Outcasts: Kenobi And Maul (8:47), and The Original Rebel: Saw Gerrera Returns – Extended (3:19). These featurettes each have members of the cast and crew, and multiple looks at the production of the show. It’s all good stuff.

Case Study:

The three discs come in a case with no tray, so two discs must fit onto one oversized hub. My copy had no inserts, though normally there would be one for Disney Movie Rewards. The cover slip is embossed. I have to say, the covers for these Rebels releases have been stunning.

Ink And Paint:

The show, as ever, looks pristine on Blu-ray. The 16:9 image is basically without fault. There is even a little grain to be seen, helping the show avoid looing overly polished, even if the characters still look somewhat like marionettes. Any scenes with space battles or ligthsabers typically look especially awesome.

Scratch Tracks:

Anyone hoping for these releases to finally go for lossless sound will be disappointed… again. Dolby Digital 5.1 is what is available (at least it’s not 2.0, I guess), which can be had in English, French, or German. (Well, actually, Spanish speakers do only get 2.0— sorry about that, amigos.) Still, it’s not all that long ago that Dolby Digital 5.1 is the best we ever had on home video, and it still sounds quite good. The sound mix is not as dynamic or engrossing as in the film series, but for a TV show it’s pretty fun. All of the classic Star Wars “bweeps” and “thweets” are here, so that’s a far cry from the days of Droids and Ewoks, at any rate.

Subtitles are available in English, English for the Hearing impaired, French, and Spanish.

Final Cut:

Star Wars – Rebels continues to impress. These characters have become an established and welcome addition to the canon, with the stories nicely bridging the gap between the original and prequel trilogies (note the symbolism of Ezra Bridger’s name). The Lucasfilm TV shows have satisfied in ways that the prequel trilogy did not, by incorporating what fans love about Star Wars, while not focusing heavily on what fans find boring. The stories contain a great mix of plot and characterization, and lots of action. Even for a kids’ show, there is enough drama to maintain adult interest, as well as great visuals. Fans will also enjoy the bountiful bonus features on this release. One more season to go!

Storyboard:

So, once again, the day…is not quite saved, as Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup return to do very little saving of the world before bedtime.

The Sweatbox Review:

Earlier this year, I gave the first DVD volume of the so-called “reboot” of The Powerpuff Girls a more or less favorable review, saying that it ultimately won me over with its rapid-fire humor even as I had a fair number of issues with it. Alas, with the second home video release, my goodwill towards the series is starting to diminish. The Powerpuff Girls is quickly showing danger signs that it’s eventually going to become the mess that everyone feared it would be when it was first announced. Not only is it still depending on the viewer having seen the original version in order for it to make any sense, but it’s also rejecting almost everything that made that show such a brilliant hit in the first place. If the 90’s Powerpuff Girls was revolutionary for its sophisticated comedy and its portrayal of its female leads, then the new one is essentially fitting into the “throw a bunch of random jokes at the screen and see what sticks” mold that dominates the majority of Cartoon Network’s programming these days.

And, as I’ve said in the past, there’s nothing necessarily “wrong” with that. It’s a formula that’s worked for the cable channel with regards to both their children’s and Adult Swim lineups, so on paper applying it to one of their breakout hits from the past might sound like a good idea. The problem–at least on the majority of the twelve episodes included on this disc–is that the approach proves to be more restricting than liberating here. That’s not to say there aren’t still giggles, because there are, but when you compare it to what came before–which the series is constantly daring you to do, since it continues to apparently exist in “the same world” as the original cartoon despite being a “relaunch”–too often it falls short.

It took me a while to decide what was “off” about these episodes, with the best comparison I can think of being that they play like SpongeBob SquarePants after its fourth season. The gags are there, but many of them don’t land, and while there’s occasionally an episode that works, there are others which become a borderline chore to sit through. It’s an odd feeling when you’re chuckling at something but still not exactly “enjoying” it (Shrek the Third, I’m looking at you!), but that’s the frustrating sensation I got when I was wrapping up this disc. I had laughed, but I wasn’t satisfied, but what makes everything worse is that the people involved don’t even appear to be trying very hard here. In the last disc, I discussed how this reboot might be “too similar” to the original for its own good, but now I’m thinking that it has the exact opposite problem. There is no apparent desire to be like The Powerpuff Girls here. In fact, if Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup weren’t the stars here, then there would be virtually nothing to connect it to that series!

Case in point: the trio do virtually no crime fighting here. Instead, they get involved in one “bizarre” situation after another, whether it’s all of them turning old or Buttercup becoming obsessed with killing a lobster. Sure, they still battle a monster or two, and old faces do show up from time to time (Mojo Jojo, even when he only appears for a cameo, is always good for a smile), but most of the time they are dealing with school life or other matters not involving saving the planet. For better or for worse, this does lead to what is easily the best episode one the disc, one in which Blossom and Princess Mobucks compete to win a class election. Mobucks is one of the few villains from the original series to get a spotlight here (along with “Him”), and the reboot handles her “evil Little Orphan Annie” personality well, but the real highlight here is an overly polite politician boy who is one of the funniest parodies of Barack Obama I’ve ever seen, right down to his vocal mannerisms. It’s amusing stuff, even if it ultimately doesn’t have much to do with The Powerpuff Girls.

Unfortunately, this “no saving the world before bedtime” format also sets up what is by far the worst episode on the disc, Once Upon a Townsville, one which I was surprised by how much I hated, which is something I’ve never had to say about this franchise before now. Basically, a fairy tale princess falls down a wishing well and finds herself in the middle of a modern day city, and…yeah, what they’re doing here is ripping off Enchanted, which is an odd choice since that movie itself was already a parody (albeit a fairly gentle one). Why spoof the spoof? The girls meet the princess, and there are some songs (you know, like in Enchanted), and Buttercup tries to convince her that she should save herself instead of waiting around to be saved (you know, like in Shrek). I’m not even sure who this episode was made for, as the various swipes at Disney–which are almost shockingly unfunny–don’t feel earned since they haven’t had a so-called “damsel in distress” heroine in decades. Basically, this episode includes everything that doesn’t work about the reboot, including feminism which places itself directly in the face of the audience instead of playing out naturally like in the original cartoon.

“The original cartoon” is something I feel I’ve come back to too frequently during this review, but again, the series doesn’t have any interest in “separating” itself from that landmark show, always making the assumption that the audience is familiar with it. This means the viewer is going to be pretty freaking confused when “Him” makes an appearance (which is, to be fair, quite welcome) if they haven’t seen the first Powerpuff Girls, and there are other examples which are far too numerous to mention here. Making things more confusing is that there’s an apparent lack of continuity, as sometimes the girls are still in kindergarten while other times they appear to be in grade school.

There is some fun to be had here, though, including an episode in which the girls face off against a school janitor as well as the aforementioned election escapade. But if the series is going to keep going, it’s going to have to learn how to breathe on its own without also setting aside the very reasons it’s around in the first place. Otherwise, there may be no saving it.

Is This Thing Loaded?

The Powerpuff Girls: The Last Donnycorn arrives on disc with five shorts which were used to promote the series before it aired. In many ways, these are a bit more amusing than some of the episodes on here, with the girls engaging in destructive games of ping-pong and Bubbles attempting to do a beauty vlog. Each runs about three minutes. No trailers are included.

Case Study:

Here we have a standard white plastic case with no slipcover. On my copy, at least, the words “DISC MADE IN MEXICO” were stamped extremely prominently over the tech specs for some reason. Inside an insert promoting the new Ben 10 reboot can be found.

Ink And Paint:

As is the norm, The Powerpuff Girls is a brand new show, so it looks perfectly fine on disc. I didn’t find this quite as sharp as the first Powerpuff Girls DVD I reviewed, but colors are nevertheless very crisp, with nothing major to complain about.

Scratch Tracks:

Again, everything is fine. Nothing overly fancy (this is a children’s DVD), but satisfying all the same. No alternate language tracks are included.

Final Cut:

Unlike the recent (and superior) Ducktales, the new Powerpuff Girls is continuing to play out like a quasi-sequel to the original series rather than a full reboot. There is, despite all of my negativity in this review, some hilarity to be found here (I have to appreciate any cartoon that somehow finds a way to parody student films), and kids should at least be pleased with it. Having said that, the subversive humor of the original is almost nowhere to be found here, and apart from the shorts, the disc has no other extra features. There’s news that the reboot is going to add a fourth Powerpuff Girl to the mix to liven things up (presumably it won’t be the dearly departed “Bunny”), but that’s not going to be enough on its own to keep this series afloat. It’s not a sunken ship yet, but it could be in need of some rescuing.