The Smurfs - Season One, Vol. One
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Movie Reviews of The Smurfs - Season One, Vol. One
Movie Review: Get Them While You Can
Summary: 5 Stars
FINALLY!!!! After Transformers, G.I. Joe, Voltron, Thundercats, Silverhawks and M.A.S.K. The Smurfs are finally coming to dvd, I have been wating years for this to come out and now thankfully, it is here and it will be mine forever.Movie Review: I smell Greed!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been waiting forever for this set and was just about to hit the pre-order button when I noticed "Season 1, Vol. 1"Movie Review: Finally!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been hooked on the Smurfs since I was in the Navy, in 1983! Back then, it was the only thing on TV on Saturday mornings. I love this series, and can't wait. I dont know why it took so long!Movie Review: Uncut and remastered.
Summary: 4 Stars
The 80's gave us a golden age of Saturday morning cartoons. I can't think of any other era that had such a wide variety of different themes and approaches. These days most shows fall into the Japanese anime/card game genre. Back then you had several genres. One of them was the child friendly, parent approved, sugary sweet cutesy cartoons. The Smurfs has to be the top of the heap of those shows. The reason being was good production values and solid pacing of their stories which makes even a sedate and "safe" show fun to watch.
My first experience with the Smurfs wasn't this television. In fact my first exposure to the little blue creatures were in the form of little plastic figurines sold at the local Hallmark card store. I only knew of them as different little blue guys who wore different clothes that apparently denoted their profession or interest (I personally had the Karate Smurf and the Police Smurf) and they were created by somebody named Peyo (according to box that held the Smurfs). The television translation of the only thing I know about Smurfs was different, but appropriate.
You see every Smurt in the cartoon has some characteristic, trade, or skill that sets them apart from the rest. In this colony of 100 Smurfs you would have a baker, poet, carpenter and other useful trades along with Smurfs who were lazy, clumsy, vain (and were named as such). Each episode was about their interacting with each other and their surroundings based on who they were. Top it all off with a Papa Smurf to keep them all in line and a human wizard named Gargamel who wants (of all things) to eat the Smurfs and get the gist of show.
This simplistic premise was all you needed to make a fun, if overly cutesy, series that would evolve each season with new characters and themes. One of the most memorable things about the show was the use of classical music played in it's full brilliance. Not toned down or "lightened up" for the kids. It helped give me a good appreciation of the genre of music at a young age. The animation was solid and the style of the show actually lended itself to the limited frames per second that Saturday morning cartoons were stuck with to keep their budget low.
Some might overly analyze the show and see things like how the Smurf commune and soceity promote communism. To be honest that's what they were. Communists. Everybody helped out in the betterment of their society as a whole and apparently everything was shared. The theory of communism would actually work in such a small community if done right, and the Smurfs didn't have such hangups over greed and power that normally keeps any utopian ideal from happening... or at least Pappa Smurf was always there to keep his Smurfs from taking it too far.
What you are getting in this DVD set is the first half of the first season. The original plan was to put all 28 episodes onto one set, but apparently the studio changed their mind and now you get 19 episodes. Still that's six hours of content. On top of the standard eps you also get two bonus features: The Smurfs Springtime Special (an Easter holiday special) and Smurfs: The Music Video (which is not much more than the title theme with clip highlights of the show set to the music). Not much else on the extras category.
The good news is this DVD set has been remastered and Warner Home Video announced that the episodes are uncut. For purists that's really the only important thing. Don't expect Dolby Digital or anything like that. This is strictly a monophonic affair just like the show was back in the 80's. If you have kids and don't want them to see anything too violent or socially disruptive then this is a good show for you. For those of you who remembered the Smurf from when you were kids and long for their return here you go.
Movie Review: 2 Box Sets???
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been waiting for eons for the Smurfs to come out on DVD! In my research, I found that this cartoon was in Dutch. Imaging my surprise when it came out in box set in September! Yes September! I purchased the box set on Amazon that is now showing unavailable........and it had six full discs of numerous episodes....so what's the difference between that one and this one with 2 disks?....Well I'm Smurfing all I can get before it disappears again! BUY BUY BUY!!! :)