Search - The Legend of Bravestarr - Season 1, Volume 2 on DVD

Satisfying End to A Memorable Series

S. R. | USA | 07/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD set contains the final 32 episodes of Filmation's last cartoon series before the American based animation studio closed its doors for good. Bravestarr represents the culmination of years of artistic, technical, and storytelling knowledge for Filmation. The animation is easily the most fluid and polished the studio has ever produced, relying very little on stock footage. The stories offer a level of maturity that acts as a bridge from the kid friendly cartoons of the 80s to the animated series phenomena of the 90s. A particularly dramatic episode entitled 'the Price' tells the story of a boy who abuses drugs and suffers a fate that no other cartoons at the time would dare to depict.

Of course, no western, even a futuristic sci-fi western, would be complete without the no-nonsense, tough as nails sheriff. But Bravestarr embodies a depth of character that differentiates him from all of the previous western heroes. Bravestarr is actually a person of color, a rare attribute for a lead heroic character on the Saturday morning landscape, even today. Unlike most other heroes, he doesn't always have the answers and occasionally relies on the sage advice of his mentor, the Shaman. In Bravestarr, Filmation created a memorable hero who is well aware of his shortcomings but is determined to rise above them in order to bring peace to a hostile land.

Unfortunately, the absence of bonus features for this final volume can be directly attributed to the lackluster sales of Bravestarr Volume 1. But instead of chastising BCI/ Navarre for this oversight, this reviewer applauds their dedication to finish the series' run so that fans can own all of the episodes from this underrated cartoon. This gesture separates BCI from the scores of entertainment studios that refuse to release additional DVD sets unless the prior sales are an overwhelming success. See the product pages for Superboy or Gargoyles for a taste of the lamentation this type of studio abandonment can cause fans. In closing, the Bravestarr series represents the final endeavor of a magnificent studio that prided itself on keeping the animation work in America. Their collective efforts live on through these great DVD releases for old and new fans to enjoy. At a time when even heroes walk a morally ambiguous line, it is refreshing to follow the exploits of a hero worth believing in."

Minimal effort for the final Filmation release

R. Hedges | Coast Guard Island, CA | 07/12/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is the second half of the series (one season only), Bravestarr by Filmation associates. The 32 shows do not have plots that are anything really to get excited about-in other words, bland. In addition, this is a minimal effort as for the packaging-there are no commentary tracks, no stereo tracks, and nothing extra at all. Andy Mangels was no longer working with Entertainment Rights/BCI Eclipse with this release, and it shows. The booklet has a handful of comments along with an overview of each story, but that is the only "extra" in this boxed set, save a few cell shots on the box, and artwork on the DVD's themselves.

If you are a Filmation or Bravestarr fan, it will finish your collection. I should close by saying I paid $23 (new) for this, and I don't think it's worth much more than that. The first Bravestarr boxed set was a better effort by a long shot.

I mostly wanted to see the other episodes for the sake of curiosity, not because I thought the show was great. If I divide $23 by 32, I'm paying roughly $.71 per episode for a trip back down memory lane, and that seems fair to me. If only I could do that with other TV shows I saw as a child that I have hazy memories about...

After Bravestarr, Filmation studios was shut down. There are still a few Filmation properties that have not been brought to DVD, such as Tarzan Lord Of The Jungle, but those properties are intertwined with multiple rights holders, who have not agreed to a re-release as of this date (July 2008).

FYI-to see Tarzan in low quality video, use your favorite search engine and type an episode name, such as "Tarzan and the drought" and go from there."