Search - Popeye the Sailor: 1938-1940, Vol. 2 on DVD

Challenging Transfers, but Another High Quality Release

Xander McDonald | New York, NY | 06/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These cartoons were notoriously difficult to restore--where Volume 2 was originally intended to be another four disc set, the restorations on this particular group of films proved to be much more challenging than expected.

With that said, I think the producers did a great job delivering us another high-quality "official" Popeye The Sailor release. There are some instances where the picture jumps during the opening credits or the sound quality swells, but overall the quality and integrity of these cartoons has been restored 99 percent. In other words, the producers of this set did the best they could to fix what were very damaged originals.

If you enjoyed Popeye The Sailor Vol. 1 you will enjoy Vol. 2 as well. You definitely see some changes in the Fleischers' direction, as they uprooted their studio and moved to Miami, in some cases placing Popeye in a suburban setting rather than the gritty city of the cartoons in the first volume. And it's interesting to see all of that off-screen drama manifest itself on-screen. But as the saying goes, you can take the kid out of the city but you can't take the city out of the kid; even though Popeye may find himself in calmer neighborhoods, he is still the same rough and tumble sailor, ready to crack a can of spinich and throw down with anyone.

What I think is so impressive about these sets is that they don't only rekindle your interest in Popeye--they pull you into the Fleischers' history and they boost your overall interest in animation. The extras and "Popumentaries" give you detailed looks at specific characters and voice-actors, and the packaging is really beautiful, perfectly capturing the era that these films represent.

I would recommend this set to any fan of Popeye, any fan of animation, or any fan of DVD collections, for that matter. While you may find a spot where the picture shakes in one or two of the cartoons, that is only because the originals are seventy years old and this specific batch of originals was particularly damaged. The picture isn't perfect, but then again, neither is Popeye--the one-eyed, toothless, middle-aged scrapper--the unlikeliest of heroes. The producers did the best they could to restore the films--and for me, that grittiness actually adds to the set's authenticity. Looking forward to Vol. 3."

Good package - 'toons a little less inspired than Vol. 1

John Emm | New Jersey | 06/19/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I thoroughly enjoyed Volume 1 and thought I'd prefer the episodes on Volume 2, as my favorite period is mainly the WWII years (which vol. 2 does not quite get up to). But I was surprised to find that most of these cartoons didn't do much for me, and in fact I remembered surprisingly few of them compared to the set on Volume 1.

That having been said, the restoration work etc. is perfectly fine and the package as a whole lives up to the standard set by volume 1. I was a little thrown off by what I can only guess are occasional overdubs dropped in to repair soundtrack losses on the originals. You will know them when you hear them - they sound most peculiar and can be a little jarring. You will also notice occasional splices and replacements on the opening credits for some episodes. I had read that the restoration of this volume took longer than projected, and I think I see why. Who would have guessed that the "middle years" would have more technical issues than the earlier years?

I also noticed several instances where sound effects seemed like superimposed, modern additions -- the sound of Swee'pea sniffing in one episode stands out far apart from the rest of the soundtrack. There were about 5 or 6 other instances of this, and I wonder what's up with that.

Overall, a great set and one I'm pleased to own -- just a little peculiar."