Rating: Not Rated
Featuring:
Mister T
Thundarr the Barbarian
Dragon’s Lair
Galtar and the Golden Lance
The Kwicky Koala Show
The Flintstone Kids
The Biskitts
Monchhchis
Special Features:
Lord Of Light! Thundarr The Barbarian – Explore The Animated Origins
Other Info:
Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish Language
French Subtitles
Running Time: 265 Minutes
The Details:
The following is the official description of the film:
“Action. Intrigue. Celebrity stars. Adorable critters. Dude, Saturday mornings were awesome! Be a couch potato and relive the trippendicular ‘toons of the way cool ’80s! Go mental with Martin Short’s immortal Ed Grimley, kick butt with Chuck Norris and save the day with Mister T. Take it medieval with Dragon’s Lair and Galtar And The Golden Lance, then travel to an Earth reborn from cosmic destruction in Thundarr The Barbarian. For laughs, Tex Avery lends his genius to The Kwicky Koala Show (Avery’s final work), and The Flintstone Kids will crack you up. Need to chill? Cuddle up to The Biskitts and Monchhchis for mega-cute action. No kidding: this wicked 2-disc collection it totally boss!”
“Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1980s – Volume One” is not rated.
Mini-Review:
This DVD collection is a real treat for animation fans. While many of these cartoons don’t warrant an entire DVD set on their own, you get a chance to sample them in this 2 disc set. I actually haven’t seen a number of these cartoons since they first aired nearly 30 years ago. Some are certainly better than others, but they’re still fun to share with kids today. My 11-year-old daughter was appalled by them, but I found it fun to check out just once. It was fun to annoy her, too.
Most notable on the DVD is “Mister T.” With the upcoming remake of “The A-Team,” “Mister T” is having a renaissance of sorts. I remembered the cartoon, but I had forgotten that he actually was chaperone or coach for a gymnastics team. I suppose the excitement of Mary Lou Retton and the 1984 Olympics inspired this choice, but it certainly seems weird now. You don’t look at Mister T and think ‘gymnastics.’ Even odder is the dog with a mohawk and the little white kid who imitates Mister T.
Also notable is “Dragon’s Lair,” a cartoon based on the landmark video game. Unfortunately the animation isn’t near the quality of the Don Bluth animation from the arcade game itself, but it is a decent effort.
Then there’s “Thundarr The Barbarian.” You didn’t see many post-apocalyptic cartoons on Saturday morning, but this series undertook the challenge. Take “Star Wars” and cross it with “Mad Max” and “Conan the Barbarian” and you get an idea of what they were going for.
The Ed Grimley cartoon was also an interesting choice. He’s exactly what you’d expect from a cartoon character, but you have to wonder how many kiddies ever saw him on Saturday Night Live.
Rounding out this offering are the less notable “Biskitts,” “The Flintstone Kids,” “Kwicky Koala Show,” “Monchhchis,” and “Galtar and the Golden Lance.”
If you’re an animation nut or if you have kids that like cartoons, then this is a bit of nostalgia you’ll want to add to your collection. If the previous two categories don’t describe you then you’ll probably want to look elsewhere for your animation fix.
This DVD set does have one bonus feature. It’s a documentary on the creation of “Thundarr The Barbarian.” It’s actually quite interesting and a unique look into the creation of an 80’s saturday morning cartoon.
