Search - Popeye the Sailor: When Popeye Ruled the Seven Seas on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 8/29/2023...

I'm Popeye the Sailor man! A must for everyone!

Popeye cartoons in desperate need of proper restoration.

Zack Davisson | 07/22/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Collects three of the most memorable Popeye cartoons on a single DVD. Unfortunately, the transfer is not very good; Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamps appears to have been lifted from video. The sound effects have been updated and are very intrusive, frequently overwhelming the dialog. Popeye Meets Sinbad the Sailor fares better and has an acceptable soundtrack. The real gem on the disc (and perhaps of interest to only budding animators) is a newsreel about the Fleischers' studio and an insider's look at their production process, from storyboard to editing. The scenes from Aladdin contained in the newsreel are spectacular and demonstrate the vital need to have these early animation classics properly restored and archived."

When Lawyers Ruled Cartoons

John Robinson | Michigan | 11/15/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's true. The majority of those great 30's Popeye cartoons are being held up for release because King Features and Turner can't come to terms. Yeah? Well here's your terms: YOU AIN'T GONNA MAKE NO MONEY TIL YA RELEASE 'EM! Now, on with this DVD. Some of the reviewers don't give it enough stars in my opinion. The only reason I don't give it a full 5 stars is because of the lousy color on the first three cartoons, there ain't ENOUGH cartoons and the cover art could've been better. But, with all the flaws, flawed vintage Popeye is better than NO Popeye. The two black-and-white cartoons ("Li'l Swee'Pea" and "Customers Wanted") actually look better than the color films (Sindbad, Forty Thieves, and Aladdin). I bought this DVD while lying in wait for the entire Fleischer collection. It'll have to do...you ain't gonna find a better one til then!"

GREAT Cartoons . . . TERRIBLE DVD!!

J. T. Holtz | Maine, United States | 08/13/2002

(1 out of 5 stars)

"First, let's be clear that this review is for this DVD only, and not the cartoons themselves. Among animation fans, few would dispute the fact that the Fleischer brothers were creative geniuses whose innovative techniques are admired to this day.But the sound on this DVD does these great works a terrible injustice. The sound on Aladdin has been reworked with "improved" sound effects, to the detriment of the original dialog and music. I had to shut off surround and turn the treble down to minus 12db on my receiver just to make the added sound bearable! At one point, after Popeye (Aladdin) has been transformed into a prince, he's riding into the city on his great, white steed, and singing a song. But all through the song all I could hear was a loud "clop, clop, clop" that was, I presume, supposed to be the sound of horses hooves on pavement, but sounded like nothing less than Monty Python and the Holy Grail's "banging two coconuts together." The added or "enhanced" sound effects on Aladdin were more than distracting, they were overwhelming!The rest of the cartoon shorts are a bit better, and the newsreel is an interesting bit of history.I don't know. All in all I suppose I am happy to have these in some form, but I'd pay several times as much for decently restored (and properly respected) disk of these same cartoons. Hopefully, someone will come along in the not too distant future with a definitive restored collection of the classic Fleischer Studios Popeye cartoons and put them on DVD.This is NOT that DVD. Buy it if you must, but be prepared to tear your hair out all through Aladdin (at least) as you strain to hear the wonderful dialog . . . because it's THAT BAD."