In ancient Japan, a samurai warrior embarks on a mission to defeat the evil wizard Aku. Before completing his task, he is jetisoned thousands of years into the future. Suddenly, he discovers he is in a world where Aku now ... more »enjoys complete power over every living thing. Taking on the name Jack, he sets out on a quest to free the future from Aku's grasp and to find a way back to his own time so he can destroy the evil for good.« less
This isn't just Episodes 1-3 + 11 like others are saying. The special features include a movie (set to nice music) of a lot of the original sketches and iirc some storyboards as they tried to figure the proper look of the characters. It's very cool to watch the progression and growth of Jack, Aku and the Drones as we know them now. This feature alone is worth having the DVD imo, as it's a peice of the history of the show. If this is available on any of the other dvds, I missed it.
Movie Reviews
Ignore this and get the Season 1 dvd instead
Daniel Simon | Greenwood, IN United States | 01/23/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This dvd isn't so bad; but it's just the first 3 episodes of Season 1. The 'never seen before episode' is the 11th episode (the one with the Scottsman on the bridge), which is also on the Season 1 dvd. It's disappointing that they don't tell you that on the description anywhere, so for any of you who planned on getting both this and the Season 1 set - just get the Season 1 set by itself.
Otherwise, this is a fine intro to Samurai Jack and is worth watching. I would rate the disc 4.5 out of 5 on its own."
Avoid if you buy season one as well
Jacques Goudreau | Montreal, Quebec Canada | 06/03/2004
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Yes this DVD is nice, but all material also is included in Season one. So don't make the same mistake I did and avoid it if you are getting the first season. The movie is basically the first 3 episodes of season 1. As a standalone product I have no complaints if you have no interest in purchasing the series. Very stylized and entertaining. I just hate companies that rip you off by issuing the same thing as different titles."
You Need To Know Jack!!!!
Scott Bright | Grayslake, IL USA | 01/22/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Movie Summary: One young man leaves his village and goes on a quest to become a samurai warrior. He has many adventures each one helping him to grow in strength, honor, humility, and courage. Finally the young samurai reaches a level of enlightenment and is able to obtain the use of a powerful magical sword. With sword in hand he returns home. There he finds that an evil shape-shifting wizard named Aku has enslaved the land. His family and friends suffer under Aku's evil rule. Enraged, he confronts the evil Aku. They battle and at the moment of the samurai's victory, Aku is able to cast a spell that flings the samurai far into the future. There in a strange land far from home, the people call the young samurai "Jack". Now Jack must find a way to get home to save his village. It won't be easy as Aku has a long reach and dogs Jack's every move. But Jack is pure of heart and clear of mind and he will prevail.My Opinion: Samurai Jack is a Cartoon Network original. It has a very cool and original style that includes excellent animation, rocking music, awesome action, minimal dialog, and innovative split screen scenes. I was very surprised to find something this cool on TV. I thought that it must be an old show that I somehow was unaware of. I was even more surprised to find out that it is new! Samurai Jack is an ongoing series on Cartoon Network. This DVD contains the premiere episodes. Jack is an extremely cool character. He is tough, smart, and kind. The show has a lot of science fiction elements blended in with the historical samurai elements. It mixes in old myths with its new ones. It also blends intelligent storylines with intense action. It does all of this seamlessly. The stories are creative and interesting. The visuals are very cool. At face value, Samurai Jack is very exciting and extremely entertaining. The action is amazing and Jack is a great hero. Samurai Jack is destined to become a classic.What You Should Do: You should buy this DVD and tune into Samurai Jack on Cartoon Network. This is an awesome and extremely entertaining show. If you like action movies, animae, or both, you are sure to find Samurai Jack to your liking.Related Movies To Check Out: Blood The Last Vampire, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Thunder Cats, Thundarr the Barbarian, A Chinese Ghost Story, Quantum Leap, FarScape"
Cartoon Evolution in Action
Zack Davisson | Seattle, WA, USA | 11/25/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Samurai Jack" is the best of both worlds. Like "Rocky and Bullwinkle," "Samurai Jack" has no problem treading the gap between kids cartoons and more mature animation. The story is straight adventure, easy to grasp and fun to watch. The dialog is funny, clever and insightful. The animation is an excellent amalgamation of Japanese and American styles. It makes use of every innovation, every benefit of telling a graphic story in a fluid medium and combines that with an exciting and fun story. There is no pretension here, no obvious aspiration to art, just a good time.This DVD has both the original "Samurai Jack" movie and an extra episode. Both are inspired storytelling with lots of laughs and adventure. I'm glad that the cartoon network took the bold step to make "Samurai Jack." It can be thought of as a boy's version of "The Powerpuff Girls." There are some things that can be done with a cartoon, that just can't be done with live action. In short, "Samurai Jack" is the very reason why we have animation."
Chock full of samurai goodness
Michael Lindsey | Seattle, WA United States | 01/03/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Samurai Jack is pure, cartoon action goodness. Very much an experimental work, it blends elements from Hollywood cinema, Japanese sword films, and classic animation into a seamless whole. There is literally nothing else quite like it out there. As another reviewer commented, Samurai Jack is the very reason why we have animation. The DVD format really shows the quality in this program. Many times, one is struck by the simple beauty of the animation used in this series, especially the backround images. And the sound design on the program is some the best two-channel sound design I have heard. The fantastic music and directional sound effects really underline the ambiance of this program. If you have a Pro-Logic or Pro-Logic II receiver, you are in for a real aureal treat with this disc. In addition to the premiere movie on this disc, you also get one of the best episodes of the ongoing series, Jack and the Scottsman! In short, if you enjoy the art of animation, this is a must-have DVD."