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Rating:  -
What a nice DVD. A rememberebce of a simpler more quaint time. My kids won't watch it... how could it possibly stack up to todays cartoons?
But that isn't the point. It doesn't have to.
That's like asking how The Andy Grifith Show stacks up to House.
If you're my age, there's something just so nice seeing these cartoons that represent a different era.
I will get my kids to watch it, just like they watch F-Troop, Beverly Hilbillies and others. And I'm sure they'll enjoy them.
Rating:  -
I write reviews for parents of young boys. My 5-year old and 4-year old boys are big superhero fans, so I'm always on the lookout for age-appropriate entertainment.
These Filmation Adventures were produced in the late 1960s. Obviously, the artwork reflects that.
The reason for the 3-star rating is that these stories are very dated. The heroes battle against aliens and monster bugs and monster alien bugs. You won't find any of the classic villians here: Lex Luthor, Brainiac, the Riddler, Black Manta, Sinestro and Captain Cold. I prefer a clear hero-villian storyline, which I use to reinforce good behavior to my sons (superheroes help people).
If you are looking for superhero DVDs, I recommend Challenge of the Super Friends instead.
Rating: -
For those of us who are DC cartoon freaks, this release is wonderful. Before Hanna-Barbara's put forth the Justice League in the seventies Super-Friends, Filmation beat them to it (for the most part) with the Aquaman/Superman Power Hour.
While Batman was tied up elsewhere (the Adam West series), Filmation was able to animate Superman, Aquaman, Atom, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkman, and the Teen Titans (minus Robin).
Probably one of the greatest strengths of the DVD, is Andy Mangels fifty minute documentary on the Filmation studios. Outside of Hanna/Barbara one of of the animation power houses of the sixties/seventies. That alone recommends this purchase.
Compared to today's animated adventures, the stories may seem awfully tame. Basically, evil villain has plan to conquer America and/ or the world. Hero hears about plot and goes to stop it. After losing a preliminary battle or two, the hero eventually succeeds. That's the basic plot. These stories also lack today's angst or emotional dilemnas' for the hero.
Maybe there's something to be said for that.
I do have one minor quibble with this set. It is missing the original opening Aquaman Superman Power of Adventure Opening theme, which was a fun element all to itself. One can track it down on youtube.com if interested. According to various sources, the Batman 69 animated program might be next for digital release. If so, the DC cartoon classic will be one step further closer to completion.
JThree
carolyn@dia.net
Rating: -
DC Comics Super Heroes - The Filmation Adventures
(Released August 12, 2008 by Warner Home Video) DVD Review by Joe Torcivia
Riddle me this, Batman... When is a show not a show?
When it is merely PART OF ANOTHER SHOW!
And, that's exactly what you're getting in DC Comics Super Heroes - The Filmation Adventures! In this case, the filler segments from 1967's THE SUPERMAN / AQUAMAN HOUR OF ADVENTURE, which was the sequel / successor to Filmation's trend setting THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN from 1966.
Placed within each hour-long episode of THE SUPERMAN / AQUAMAN HOUR OF ADVENTURE were short cartoons of various Silver Age DC Super Heroes. Those being: The Atom, The Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Justice League, and Teen Titans.
We'll break the review into CONS and PROS.
The CONS:
Filmation's animation. There, I said it, okay? Let's move on...
With seven minute running times, the stories are often too brief and many of them are hokey, even by Silver Age comic book standards, but others are good - even when formulaic. Besides, some very good DC comic book stories were done in eight pages or so, in the Silver Age comic books of legendary editors Julius Schwartz and Mort Weisinger.
Though generally true to the source material, there are just a few too many divergences from the `60s comic books they represent. None, however, are total deal-breakers, as were more common in Hanna-Barbera's later SUPER FRIENDS.
* Kid Flash has BLACK HAIR, instead of his usual RED. It looks as if Filmation recycled their Aqualad model for this role.
* Green Lantern's Eskimo sidekick "Pieface" is absent (that could be a "Pro"), but he is replaced with a blue-skinned, Spock-eared alien pal named Kyro.
* Green Lantern's masters, The Guardians of the Universe, are FLESH COLORED instead of blue-skinned! I can only guess that they didn't want to link the powerful Guardians to the already blue-skinned Kyro. But, why not just make Kyro another color and keep the blue-hued image of the Guardians "as-is"?
* Hal Jordan appears to be the ONLY Green Lantern in this series. One of the best things about the Green Lantern concept is that Hal was (and is) just one of a vast galactic peacekeeping force. Probably done just for space / running time.
* In place of Hawkgirl (...who will be excellently portrayed in the 2000's WB JUSTICE LEAGUE series), Hawkman has a pet hawk named "Screel"! Now, maybe there was a "Screel" in the Silver Age comics, and maybe there wasn't. But, if I were Hawkman - and "was given the bird" instead of a woman, I'd call it a raw deal!
Given this was the first time these characters were ever adapted to another media, not to mention one with the budgetary and time limitations this series had, there's nothing here that a typical fan can't deal with, if he or she puts things in the proper perspective.
There are EIGHTEEN CARTOONS on DC Comics Super Heroes - The Filmation Adventures vs. 36 for the earlier Filmation New Adventures of Superman set. List price was 24.99 for DC Heroes vs. 26.99 for Superman. So, we get 18 FEWER CARTOONS for just TWO DOLLARS LESS? ...I'd say this is a "Con" in more ways than one!
The Justice League segment "Target Earth" is CUT - missing its title and writer's credit.
The PROS:
Outside of comic books, this is the first large-scale exposure the general public had to any of the secondary DC Comics heroes. If you liked the Superman set, you'll probably like this... maybe even more so, for the diversity of characters!
Actual Silver Age DC Comics writer and editor George Kashdan was the predominant writer of these cartoons, with a small number going to well-known DC writer Bob Haney and TV animation writer Dennis Marks (both of whom would do fine work on Filmation's upcoming BATMAN series of 1968). Renowned DC Comics editor Mort Weisinger was also a consultant to the series.
Given this, the characters accurately reflect their Silver Age identities and origins. Barry Allen is Flash, Hal Jordan is Green Lantern, Ray Palmer is The Atom, and Carter Hall is Hawkman. Each cartoon has an opening segment that recaps that character's origin and powers - and displays the character's Silver Age LOGO as it appears on the comic book covers.
There's just enough (though not an overabundance, alas) Silver Age Comic Book fun to maintain the interest level of fans of this unique era of fantasy storytelling. The Atom "zapping" alien roaches (Yuck!) by flipping them onto live wires, for instance. And the shot of The Flash encased in green crystal by a mutated ant would have made a perfect cover image during the classic Julius Schwartz / Carmine Infantino / John Broome days of the Speedster's title. Green Lantern recites his Oath, albeit in truncated form to accommodate the seven-minute running times.
There's even painfully authentic Silver Age Teen Titans dialogue:
"Pour it on, Speedy-O! We've got to get to where the action is!" And the unforgettable "Cool it, Wonder Doll, here come the Marines!"
Hmmm... This could be a Pro AND a Con!
Warner made an effort to improve the packaging over the type I complained about in The New Adventures of Superman set review (Elsewhere on Amazon), where one disc of a two-disc set rests upon another. With such packaging, you cannot handle or remove DISC TWO without first removing and handling DISC ONE. There is always potential, however slight, for damage with packaging of this sort. Here, they've put DISC ONE on a hinged holder and DISC TWO rests on the back, inside wall of the package. An improvement, I'd say.
Also, in the packaging's favor - and since this was never an actual show and, therefore, could not be organized as such - the different DC Super Hero segments are arranged and grouped alphabetically. Atom, Flash, and Green Lantern on Disc One and Hawkman, Justice League and Teen Titans on Disc Two.
The last of my props for packaging is for the simulation/recreation of the "Silver Age and Prior" circular DC Comics Logo, which is prominently featured as part of the box cover art. A great way to indicate (for those in the know) what to expect in terms of the characters found therein.
There's only one Extra Feature, but it's a doozy! "Animation Maverick: The Lou Scheimer Story", profiles the co-founder of Filmation Studios. Mr. Scheimer contributes many recollections and anecdotes and is joined by his daughter Erika, his former partner Hal Sutherland, and luminaries who worked at Filmation like animator Darrell Mc Neil, writer/producer Paul Dini of the various Warner Bros. animated series and the TV series LOST, and others.
Filmation is depicted as the last American animation training ground and a great place to have worked, with Scheimer leading the way, as it became (along with Hanna-Barbera) the dominant producer of Saturday Morning network fare - and established the market for new animation in weekday syndication later successfully mined by Disney and Warner Bros.
It was the last American animation studio to do everything "in-house", which helps earn its place in history. Filmation's ending is rather sad, but the general feel of the piece is upbeat and very informative. Personally, I've always been a Filmation Fan, but you can't help but have an entirely new appreciation for both the studio and Mr. Scheimer as a figure of animation history - and as a human being - after viewing this feature.
This documentary is a whopping 40 minutes long, as compared with the 15 minute "Superman in '66" feature on The New Adventures of Superman set. I suppose that helps ease the pain of the price differential between the two sets... just not very much.
Deducting one star for the price point, I'd give DC Comics Super Heroes - The Filmation Adventures a very high recommendation, if you enjoyed the previous Filmation Superman or Aquaman DVD collections released in 2007, or are a fan of Classic Sat AM TV animation, comic books, DC Heroes, or the Silver Age of comic books in general! ...Tell `em Screel and Kyro sent you!
Rating: -
A lot of memories flashed back when watching these cartoons. It's to bad those memories don't stand up as well as I remember but they are still a lot of fun to watch. Can't really say I enjoyed the stand alone hero episodes except for The Flash - To Catch a Blue Bolt. The Justice League and Teen Titans are the better of the episodes with more action and I thought the Teen Titans were the best animated. The funny thing Aquaman is not in any of the Justice League episodes even though he was included in the credits, but as a special bonus on each disc, the end credits to Aquaman were added. The feature on Lou Scheimer is excellant and helps explain the shoe-string budget animation. It's great to say that all filmation was 100% American made. It's unfortunate on how Filamtion had to close though. The Flash and Teen Titans were my favorite comics growing up and it was nice to see them once more in there original animation debuts.
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