Starring
The Voices Of: Phil Lamarr, Mako, and Rob Paulson
Writers:
Paul Rudish and Genndy Tartakovsky
Director:
Genndy Tartakovsky
Executive
Producer: Genndy Tartakovsky
Feature
length: 66 minutes
Extras:
22-Minute Bonus Episode, Behind-The-Sword Featurette, Archives, Powerpuff Girls
Theatrical Movie Sneak Peek, Screensaver, Game, and Web Link
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 and English and Spanish Stereo
Subtitles:
N/A
Packaging:
Snap Case
Chapter
Stops: 14
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Sound
Year
of DVD Release: 2002
Home
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
The
shape-shifting demon Aku (Mako) has escaped his prison and avenged himself upon
the Emperor of Japan, who defeated him years earlier. The Emperor’s son is
saved and taken around the world where he learns to ride a horse in Arabia,
stick fighting in Africa, educated in Egypt, hand to hand combat in Greece,
takes a voyage with a boat full of Vikings, studies archery under Robin Hood,
learns targeting in Russia, learns how to use a spear to hunt while on horseback
in Mongolia, and finally receives spiritual centering and his father’s magic
sword in a Buddhist monastery, possibly in Tibet. Now a fully trained and more
than well rounded Samurai warrior, he returns as an adult to Japan and enters
into mortal combat with Aku.
Nearly
defeating the demon, our hero is thrown into the distant future by a spell where
Aliens overrun the Earth and Aku rules the planet. Befriending a race of
intelligent dogs enslaved by Aku known as the Canaanites, our hero liberates
these descendents of man’s best friend and takes on the nickname “Samurai
Jack” as his own as he quests for a way to go back into the past and undo
Aku’s evil.
“Samurai
Jack” is a fantastic combination of action, fantasy, and a touch of comedy
that will appeal to kids as well as adults. Warner Home Video presents the pilot
episode of the hit “Cartoon Network” series on DVD-Video with an excellent
transfer and a kick ass English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Soundtrack. The image
is sharp, free of grain and has no defects whatsoever. An English and Spanish
Language Stereo Soundtrack are also included as options, but if you have a Dolby
Digital Receiver, you will definitely want to watch the premiere episode in 5.1
Surround Sound. The running time for the pilot is approximately 66-minutes. A
bonus episode with a running time of 22-minutes is also included. The bonus
episode is number 11, at least according to the end credits, so I am not sure if
this was the eleventh episode that aired on the Cartoon Network or if it is
simply a production number out of context. The bonus episode stands alone anyway
and has our hero battling bounty hunters while gaining a Scottish ally against
Aku. The bonus episode only features an English Stereo Soundtrack. The picture
quality is equal to the premiere episode and both are presented in the (1.33:1)
aspect ratio of their original television broadcasts though action sequences
tend to shift into various letterboxed aspect ratios for a more theatrical
quality.
There
is a ten-minute featurette with interviews with the show’s creator Genndy
Tartakovsky as well as the actors behind the voices like Mako, who reveals that
his character’s name “Aku” is literally the Japanese word for evil. In
addition we are given a glimpse at how the show is developed with more
interviews with people behind-the-scenes. There is an eight-minute
“Archives” section, which shows the viewer various concept sketches and
concludes with a storyboard to completed scene comparison. The DVD-Video extra
features conclude with a sneak peek behind-the-scenes at the making of the
animated “Powerpuff Girls” feature film. Windows based DVD-ROM users will
also have access to a “Samurai Jack” game, screensaver, and a link to the
web site.
If
you are a fan of the series and have a DVD player, you have got to buy this DVD
and if you have never seen an episode, this is great opportunity to see where it
all began in the best home video presentation available. “Samurai Jack: The
Premiere Movie” is available on DVD-Video now from Warner Home Video.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.