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| Special Features: |
Full frame format
Episode and chapter selection
4 disk boxed set
All 26 episodes
4 "Dear Bullwinkle" segments
Classic commercials and promos
"Rocky & Bullwinkle Savings Stamp Club" special episode
The Many Faces of Boris Badenov
Sneak peek at "Complete Season 2"
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| Video Format: |
Full Frame (1.33:1)
[SS-DL]
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| Languages: |
English (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
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| Subtitles: |
None.
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| Captions: |
Yes
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| Casing: |
4-Disc Keep Case
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Jay Ward and Bill Scott's "Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends" was one of the most inventive cartoons ever to grace the small screen. "Bullwinkle" featured simple animation and complex scripts. The series was filled with puns, double entendres and political satire. The series premiered during the cold war. Villians Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale were used to poke fun at our enemies behind the Iron Curtain. Another highlight of the "Rocky and Bullwinkle" cartoons was the educational level. People read books back then. Ward and Scott gave their audience credit for some intelligence as they parodied great works of literature. My first exposure to many poets and authors came from Bullwinkle's recitation of famous poems (accompanied by an animated skewering of the work being read!).
The typical episode of "Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends" consisted of two "R&B" segments separated by a "Fractured Fairy Tales" or "Aesop & Son" plus a segment with "Mr. Peabody" or "Dudley Do-Right." The "Fractured Fairy Tales" and "Aesop & Son" segments took famous stories and added a sarcastic twist to them. "Mr. Peabody" is a genius dog who adopted a boy named Sherman. In these segments, Peabody and Sherman travel through time to get mixed up in numerous historical events. Even the uninformed know who "Dudley Do-Right" was.
This DVD collection brings you the origins of all of these characters. On thing that was unusual about the "Bullwinkle" cartoons was the long storylines. The entire first season is taken up by just two plots! "Jet Fuel Formula" introduces Rocky and Bullwinkle and lasts 40 episodes! That’s two episodes per show. In "Jet Fuel Formula" Rocky and Bullwinkle stumble across a formula for rocket fuel while trying to bake a cake. The recipe was destroyed during the initial explosion. The pair are hired by the US government to try and recreate the formula. Boris and Natasha set their sites on capturing the formula.
"Box Top Robbery" is the second, 12 episode plot line for season one. In this story it turns out that the world economy is really based on Cereal Box Tops. (Back in those days you would save the seals off of cereal boxes to trade in for cool toys. Boris Badenov is flooding the world with counterfeit box tops. Rocky and Bullwinkle must save the day.
A great piece of nostalgia for baby boomers everywhere! The humor still holds up. Great picture, sound and extras.
Picture Quality: 10/10
The original cartoons were remastered. The original music tracks were also restored. The animation was very low-key. The booklet which came with the DVD set said that the animation was farmed out to a studio in Mexico. The transfer is great. The cartoons have been restored. There is no pixilation or artifacts. The colors are a bit muted, but that is how they were to begin with.
Sound Quality: 10/10
Nice balance between the ranges. No loss of dialogue. You will not miss one funny line unless you are laughing to hard to catch it.
Easter Eggs:
No Easter Eggs found during review.
Extra Features: 10/10
"Dear Bullwinkle" includes four segments filmed but not aired. The segments are a mixture of live action and animation. Bullwinkle appears as a puppet. He answers letters from reader such as 'Cuddly,' the 435 pound girl who wants to know what she should where to the school costume ball so she won't attract attention. Bullwinkle's answer: A Volkswagon.
The "Classic Commercials and Promos" is a montage of footage used to promote the show. Very funny stuff. The "Rocky and Bullwinkle Stamp Club" is a promo for a savings bond promotion. Rocky and Bullwinkle actually share screen time with Mr. Peabody and Sherman.
There is also a montage of the "Many Faces of Boris Badenov," which shows the many disguises the evil spy used to try and defeat our heroes. The DVD also includes a sneak peek at Season 2.
The Final Word:
This is a cartoon worth rediscovering. It combines great humor with interesting facts and subtle sarcasm. A must have DVD for folks who grew up in the late 50s and early 60s. It’s not just for them though. My five-year old loves this set. I'm glad.
Rusty White
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