Search - X-Men - Sanctuary Parts 1 & 2 / Weapon X, Lies and Videotape / Proteus Parts 1 & 2 on DVD

Original X-Men Rules!

Mark Twang | Lebanon, Pa | 11/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This X-Men Animated Series DVD is a collection of five animated episodes from the X-Men TV show from the early nineties. The episodes included are Parts 1 & 2 of Sanctuary, Parts 1 & 2 of Proteus, and Weapon X, Lies & Videotape.

"Sanctuary"
Magneto has built a peaceful haven for mutants - an asteroid in space, titled Asteroid M - and has decided to relocate any and every mutant willing to go. His plan is entirely peaceful, but the governments of the world see only hostile intent when they learn that Magneto has 250 missiles at his disposal, something he claims is only for defense. Professor X, Gambit, and Beast all volunteer to accompany Magneto to Asteroid M in order to prove his peaceful intentions to the world. But one of Magneto's followers, Fabien Cortez, has a different plan, a plan of destroying humankind with the missiles, and unless the X-Men can stop him, the world will declare war on Asteroid M.

"Proteus"
Moira MacTaggert's son Kevin is Proteus, a fact that she's hid very well from Professor X. Her ex-husband left both Moira and Kevin when he was born to avoid the stigma of having a mutant for a son. Kevin has lived in isolation from the world for 17 years, and when he busts out, he wants nothing more than to find his father, and discover why he was abandoned. His father, who is now running for political re-election, wants nothing to do with Kevin. The X-Men are contacted and brought in to find and capture Proteus before anyone is hurt, but in the process, can Professor X help Kevin overcome his rage and anger, before it consumes him?

"Weapon X, Lies & Videotape"
Wolverine, who is suffering from painful memories of his past, sets off to the Weapon X lab in Canada to try and uncover the truth behind them. Upon his arrival, he is greeted by his other Weapon X companions - Silver Fox, Maverick, and Sabretooth - and the four of them discover that some of their memories are false. In their quest for the truth, they activate Tallos, a failsafe program whose mission is their destruction.

I loved the X-Men series as a kid and seeing the Phoenix Saga on DVD last year really brought back some memories. I really enjoyed seeing Weapon X, Lies and Videotape again; it's a great episode that is partly based on Wolverine #50 and X-Men #'s 4&5 (all great comics too!). The box art, however, has nothing to do with any of the episodes included, as it has a picture of the Hulk fighting the Juggernaut. Why it was chosen, and why it looks so cheesy is anyone's guess.

Picture:
The X-Men episodes are presented in 1.33:1 full frame, as it appeared on TV. The animation is quite good for a mid-nineties American cartoon with vibrant colors and solid blacks. The picture does have a few specks, some grain, and some visible edge enhancement, but it looks terrific compared to what I remember seeing on TV.

Sound:
The X-Men episodes are presented in Dolby 2.0 Stereo Surround in English. Dialogue is crisp and clear throughout the five episodes with active surrounds as well. Optional English Captions and French or Spanish subtitles are also available.

Extras:
No extras.

Summary:
Both this and the other X-Men Animated Series DVD come recommended for fans of the X-Men comics and especially for fans of the series. Recommended.



"

Cool Series, but bad representation

Spineshank155 | Waukegan, IL United States | 02/29/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The only thing i could possibly complain about this & other xmen dvds is the fact that first of all most tv series that end up on dvd, they get an entire album of episodes, unlike this where first of all its all out of order & the fact they only have 1 episode from the first season on dvd so far, second they havnt even bothered putting anything out for about 3 years with the original xmen series if i had the chance i would rather just copy each episode off the tv, but since i dont think they even bother showing the original series on tv. Anyways if u never seen the original xmen series, buy this dvd its pretty good."

Buy the Phoenix Saga as well......

D. Staffieri | Boston, MA | 11/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"X-Men: The Phoenix Saga is a collection of five animated episodes from the X-Men TV show from the early nineties. The episodes included are parts I-V of the Phoenix Saga, originally titled: Sacrifice, Dark Shroud, Cry of the Banshee, Starjammers, and Child of Light.
Professor Xavier mentally receives a cry for help from the stars and a vision that something terrible will happen on the Eagle One Space Station to both the crew and Dr. Corbeau. He asks his X-Men to secretly board the space shuttle Star Core in order to prevent a disaster. Wolverine, Cyclops, Gambit, Beast, and Jean Grey all manage to get aboard with the help of Storm and Jubilee, who remain on Earth. At the Eagle One, Jean senses it is a trap, but too late, as Erik the Red, a Shi'ar emissary, knocks them out using gas. Erik reveals that the Shi'ar Emperor, D'Ken, has ordered him to capture his sister, Lilandra, and that using a wormhole, her path will cross in front of the space station. Lilandra has the M'Kraan crystal, a source of the greatest power in the universe, and is fleeing with it to keep it safe from D'Ken. The X-Men come to their senses, and manage to stop Erik. But because of the battle, the Eagle One is about to explode. The X-Men retreat back to their shuttle, which was damaged, and learn that their path home takes them through the energy trail of Lilandra's ship. Beast suggests that they will be safe from the radiation in the solar probe on board, but one of them must stay behind the try and pilot the ship. Jean volunteers, as her psychic shielding should protect her from most of the radiation. It proves too much for her, however, and the mysterious Phoenix Force overtakes her as she passes through the energy trail. The ship crash lands back on Earth, where Professor Xavier tells them of another vision of the crystal and Lilandra. The X-Men must then find Lilandra and the crystal first, prevent them both from being captured by D'Ken, unravel the mystery behind Jean and the Phoenix, and ultimately, save the galaxy.

X-Men: The Animated Series was one of my favorite cartoons as a younger teen, as I read comics and was familiar with all the characters. While I only vaguely remember seeing the Phoenix Saga originally on TV, this DVD collection gave me a chance to refresh my memory. The Phoenix Saga is quite the animated epic as it is interesting and portrays the X-Men in one of their most helpless and confused times. The series could've condensed everything a bit more though. Tons of guest stars from the Marvel universe make cameo appearances as well, which was neat. After seeing this, I can only hope that more episodes make their way to DVD. And as a side note, I'm not sure why Universal picked out the cover they did for this collection, as neither Magneto nor the Sentinels make any appearance in the episodes.

Picture:
X-Men: The Phoenix Saga is presented in 1.33:1 full frame, as it appeared on TV. The animation is quite good for a mid-nineties American cartoon with vibrant colors and solid blacks. The picture does have a few marks, but it looks terrific compared to what I remember seeing on TV.

Sound:
X-Men: The Phoenix Saga is presented in Dolby 2.0 Surround in English and Dolby 2.0 Mono in French. The dialogue is crisp and clear throughout the five episodes with active surrounds as well. Optional English Captions are also available.

"

A1 show!

Smell the coffee | 10/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think it's really great how the original X-Men Animated Series is making its way onto DVD. This disc includes a bundle of high-quality episodes and is definitely worth the cash. If sales go well, hopefully more episodes will be released as well. :-)
"