Customer Reviews

Gumby's Greatest Adventures

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

GOODTIMES had to use 16mm prints BUT it doesn't matter...the original SOUNDTRACK is intact. The GOODTIMES DVDs are the ones to buy over the altered RHINO discs. Don't let the price fool you! This is the GUMBY and POKEY you grew up with!

I've always liked Gumby. I'm not sure I can really explain the curious appeal of a walking, talking piece of green clay. Still, that hasn't stopped me from purchasing Gumby dolls, a Gumby tie, and, most recently, this Gumby DVD. Yes, our old-school "claymation" friend has entered the high-tech digital age... Gumby now shares DVD shelf space with state-of-the-art computer animation spectaculars such as "Shrek" and "Finding Nemo." So how well does he hold up in the new millenium?

First, some basic info: this is a single disc which runs approximately 55 minutes, containing a total of ten episodes. The menu is simple (no animations) yet effective: you can choose each episode separately, or just simply play them all in order. Bonus features? Uh, well, there are none. Considering that many DVDs ship with a second disc of bonus material, this may seem cheap. But keep in mind, this Gumby disc IS cheap. The price is kept low simply because it is a no-frills presentation. Also, considering the repetitive, self-congratulatory, and commercial-filled fluff that constitutes the bonus features on 90% of full-priced DVDs, this may not be such a bad thing (although, it would have been nice to see some behind-the scenes footage; however, since Gumby's creators weren't involved with this release, it wasn't meant to be.) Picture quality is shaky: forget pristine clarity, or meticulously restored prints here, or, for that matter, THX certified 5.1 surround. You're getting scratchy old films, with basic mono audio.
However, in an interesting way, this actually adds to the charm. Gumby is about nostalgia... slickness and Gumby simply do not go together well (this is why the "updated" synthesized music added to recent televised broadcasts of classic Gumby episodes are so despised by purists.)
I'm not sure how older kids and teens, who have been raised on Pixar movies and edgy animated shows like "South Park," will react to Gumby (although, since each episode on this disc is only around five minutes long, it will appeal to the short attention spans common today.) Younger children will, I bet, still have a lot of fun watching Gumby, and parents won't have to worry about violence or double entendres. Older viewers like myself who are long-time Gumby fans will enjoy this disc as well; the price is right, and the sad fact is that Gumby has been increasingly hard to find these days. Hardcore Gumby fans, or those who can't tolerate lower production values, may want to hold out for deluxe, restored, bonus-filled Gumby collections. But the price of "Gumby's Great Adventures" is low enough that it's worth it just to get your Gumby fix, even if you plan to "upgrade" at some point in the future. After all, it's Gumby! And although we're into the new millenium, Gumby's appeal truly remains timeless.

This is the Gumby with the music you remember. The Rhino versions are painfull to watch. It is a shame that Art Clokey is not making any dough on this DVD (see previous review) but my kid won't be a kid forever and he can't really wait for the legal battles fot the music rights to pan out. My apologies to Mr. Clokey for buying this disc.
The quality is quite good...some episodes better than others...and all of them certainly show better than they did on the old black and white television sets we grew up watching them on.
If you have smaller children you might want to be aware that a few of the episodes feature guns, and the episode titled "Gold Rush Gumby" shows Native Americans in a manner which would be unacceptable by today's standards.
If in the near future an "authorized" package with more episodes and the original music comes out, I would certainly love to have it, but for now this really is good Gumby.

This DVD has several fun and interesting Gumby episodes, and runs about 55 minutes. I love the old traditional claymation look, and it was obviously an eye-opener to my children who are used to computer generated cartoons. They could observe how the clay was made and modeled, bent, and twisted to make the movements, and I explained how a series of still pictures are taken, and then moved at a fast rate to make it seem like it is moving. My favorite episode is the one where Gumby is telling Pokey on the radio that George Washington is in the middle of the Delaware river, not realizing that Pokey has been captured and the Hessians are listening in. Fortunately for the Americans, the Hessians don't believe it, "A talking box and a talking horse." and laugh it off. Gumby thinks he took the Hessians by surprise. Pokey says, "they might not be so lucky next time."

Goodtimes is in clear copyright violation by selling this. They copied it off an old broadcast(s) and then made another generation or two after that. Art Clokey holds all of the rights to the old and new Gumby series and has spent much of his money keeping the copyrights current through the years. By supporting Goodtimes, fans will be funnelling money away from Art, who is saving his money to restore his original masterpieces. The only legal videos out there are the Famlily Home Entertainment releases from the 80's which contain the 50's and 60's episodes with their original music, and the Rhino Entertainment dvd's of today. We hold the rights for the original music, but were challenged by the original music library on the fhe versions. They say that we have the rights for broadcasting and theatrical, but must re-pay for video sales. The next time we get Gumby on TV we will use original everything, and when we have enough money we will re-purchase the music rights for dvd's. For now, Goodtimes is in violation of our rights and the music companies. Please support us through Rhino, and check at gumby.com where we will give all of you all we can. Gumby loves you.

This and the Christmas with Gumby DVD both include the very original audio Soundtrack including string based music (later replaced by a Synthesizer for the 80's reruns) and the original voice recordings (Gumby's voice is significantly higher pitched). This and the Christmas DVD are the only DVDs out right now with the original Soundtrack and perfectly compliment the "Kid Rhino"-released mega-pack.

There are several downsides however...

1. The picture quality is not as good as the "Kid Rhino" release
2. There is a "GT" watermark in the bottom right corner of the screen all throughout the video. (invisible on white backgrounds)
3. It's only 30 minutes long (but I guess that's why it's so cheap)
4. This DVD includes the title sequences, but the Christmas DVD does not.

I was moved to buy this for it's low price and loved Gumby and Pokey as a kid. I was curious about the quality of the DVD. These are the cartoons that I grew up with and look and sound great. There are 10 episodes on the disk which make for about an hour of Gumby and Pokey. My little one loves these and I still get a kick of of em. Can't say my older kids like them too much but the little one begs to watch. The only thing missing is the Theme Song. It just does not seem the same without "If you got a heart then Gumby's a part of you". All and all worth my money for a little Gumby.

I don't have this DVD, but a decade ago, I bought the exact same program on VHS. I assume that this is identical to my VHS version. There are a few things that one should be aware of.

Yes, this compilation does use shorts with their original audio intact. But, I question just how legal this compilation really is. Since the back cover says, "Not authorized with Clokey Productions or any other entity" should indicate that GoodTimes illegally released this program.

Aside from that, is anyone aware of the fact that a few of these shorts are edited. Knowing that this was originally a VHS release, it makes sense that there is a certain time-frame that couldn't be exceeded. To be more specific, "Gumby Crosses the Delaware" is edited quite a bit. The uncut version runs a couple minutes longer than most Gumby shorts, so this episode was shortened quite a bit, but at least keeps in enough so the story makes sense. Aside from that, in the short "Baker's Tour" the scene in the rolling pin room has been shortened.

Lastly, I know for a fact that GoodTimes got these prints from 1980's Gumby VHS releases from Family Home Entertainment. As a matter of fact, I own an FHE Gumby release that contains 7 of the 10 shorts on this compilation.

My suggestion to all Gumby fans out there. Don't wast $6 on this edited collection of shorts illegally put together. Instead, hunt down those old VHS releases by FHE. But, if you must have Gumby on DVD, pay a visit to the Dollar Store. There are a few Gumby shorts that have fallen into the public domain, and I have seen a few Gumby collections show up at Dollar Stores.

G and P are here in their early years, long before the nostalgia/retro phase hit. The claymation isn't as flawless, but I actually like that better...these old episodes feel more artistic than the newer 'slick' style Gumby shows. After all, the claymation is everything!

Shipped fast and safe, an exceptional deal. Also, these episodes are quieter and more intelligent than many kid shows-less flashy and noisy too! Gumby is just mellow and these shows are great....

Great Gumby video. Done really well. I searched all the Gumby DVD's and this one looked the best and it is! Old Gumby shorts preserved and presented perfectly.