DC SUPER HEROES: THE FILMATION ADVENTURES (2008)

DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures (2008)

Format: Animated, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Language: English
Region: 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 2
Studio: Warner Home Video
DVD Release Date: August 12, 2008
Run Time: 126 minutes

Movie: * ½
Disc: * * ½

This two-disc set contains 18 episodes from the 1967 DC Super Heroes TV show by Filmation. How did they manage to fit in 18 episodes on only two discs? Easy. Each “episode” is only about four minutes long. They were basically just standalone bookends sandwiched in-between longer episodes that made up the regular Superman/Aquaman Hour.

These cartoons are clearly aimed at small children and feature comic book characters such as the Atom, Green Lantern and the Flash. They are also more than forty years old by now and despite Warner Bros.’ best efforts, clearly showing their age. The sound is a tinny mono and the image displays occasional specks and other artefacts. We’ve seen 1950s movies that are better preserved, but then again we have also seen public domain dupes that are much much worse. Despite their technical flaws, these episodes are quite watchable though.

The same doesn’t exactly go for the episodes themselves. The stories are simplistic and basic – after all, how much plot can you fit in in four minutes of running time? The animation is crude and static by today’s standards, but scarily enough better than Super Friends, which came about a decade later.

No one except animation buffs with a keen interest in the history of the genre would be interested in these episodes. And of course the regressive Peter Pan-types who grew up watching these episodes and operating on the “if it was good when I was six years old, then it must still be good today” principle award them five stars out of five on Amazon.com. Very small children with low standards may also enjoy them.

However, if you have an interest in DC superhero comics and their characters, there are much better – and newer – shows out there on DVD. You can start right off with the recently released Teen Titans - Complete 5th Season and The Batman - Complete 5th Season. Or any other DC comic cartoon produced over the past decade or so for that matter . . .