Customer Reviews

The Real Ghostbusters: Complete Collection

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I was a huge Ghostbusters fan growing up in the 80s, and still am to this day. This cartoon left such an indelible impression on me that throughout the past 20 years different quotes or musical cues from the series often sprang into my head for no reason at all.

I purchased the individual discs that Sony put out a few a few years back but was just left pining for more. I was ecstatic when I heard the entire series was being released. I purchased the entire box set from Time Life a couple months back. I considered waiting until volume 1 was released on it's own but once I saw the firehouse packaging and the bonus disc that was included, I had to get it. Besides, I'm not very patient.

The extras are plentiful and the menus are nicely done. Some episodes have introductions, some have isolated score and sound effects tracks, and some have commentary.

Each volume comes in a beautifully decorated solid steel book case and contains five discs per volume, aside from volume 5 which has only four discs.

The episodes all look and sound great and are each shown in their entirety, including the talking logo that was used when going to and coming back from commercial breaks. In fact, if I were to have one complaint about the set, it's that the talking logo grows a bit tiresome. With six or seven episodes per disc, and the talking logo showing up about five or six times per episode, you're looking at having to see it around thirty to forty times if you select the `play all' option. I think it should have been featured as a bonus gallery. However, that complaint is so minor that it doesn't take anything away from this release.

This set truly sets a standard that other `complete series' sets should strive to achieve. With the release of the entire animated series and the upcoming releases of both the original film on Blu-ray and the video game in June, this is shaping up to be a very big year for us Ghostbusters fans.

I've owned this Real Ghostbusters set now since November 2008 and watched all 25 discs in the spring of 2009. I would like to preface my review by saying that I am a huge 80s cartoon collector and this set is by far the nicest in its overall design that I own. The set is a compact collection and fits ever so nicely on a bookshelf - it's about five regular dvd cases wide. If you own the Shout! Factory G.I. Joe and Transformers Complete Sets it is nothing near the size of those beasts. Some may actually look at the RGB set and exclaim how small it is. As soon as I opened it in November 2008 I know I did, because back then I had paid over a $180 for it - "I paid $180 for this little thing!" At first glance it didn't seem worth the coin but as I started to view the collection, and upon finishing it in May of 2009, I can tell you it was worth every penny. And now here you can get it for $113, free shipping, and no tax in some states! This price almost temps me to buy another to keep sealed and have place in a bank deposit!

What you get:
The set includes all 147 episodes of The Real Ghostbusters (which include all episodes from Slimer! And The Real Ghostbusters) on 24 dvds - 5 dvds each in cases 1-4 and 4 dvds in case 5 and then there is the bonus 25th dvd in a cardboard cd-type sleeve w/ artwork. Each "case" is a very nice steelbook case with clear dvd tray inserts so you can see the artwork on the inner-back-side of the steelbook. Steelbooks are very strong and I believe are made from some sort of aluminum but with plastic dvd tray inserts. The disc art is basically the same for each case - the four Ghostbusters on the first 4 dvds per case and then Slimer or Janine (or both) on the 5th dvd, and this is repeated but with different background colors for each case.
The episodes are supposed to be restored and uncut. I've seen nothing to dispute the latter, but the former is suspect. These Real Ghostbusters episodes, picture-wise, are some of the worst I own, except maybe Transformers. Each episode has a lot of snap, crackle and pop, grain and some times the colors are wonky. If you've ever watched BCI's He-Man or Shout's GI Joe set and are expecting that type of picture....I'm sorry. But, truly, I don't mind. The look really brings you back to the 80s and gives off that 80s feel. And just to throw this out - I run my cartoons via a 360, over HDMI, into a Samsung 46" 1080p LCD - this may factor into what I'm seeing. I guess I just feel that Time-LIFE was misleading when they marketed the set as "restored". However, maybe they looked much worse and they were truly restored. Also, some of the episodes have audio that either runs slightly too fast or slightly too slow and this may drive some fans nuts. And I didn't find one episode that had glitches either.

MISC:
Over 12 hours of bonus features are peppered throughout the set but the actual bonus disc is a treat. The bonus dvd has the original promotional pilot for The Real Ghostbusters - this thing is about 4-5 minutes long and was used to sell the show in a boardroom. I believe the disc has all of the interviews (found throughout the set) uncut here as well - J. Michael Straczynski (creator - Babylon 5) is probably the most well known and most entertaining to watch.
In the set there are 21 on-camera commentary tracks with producers, voice actors, writers, animators and production personnel, 5 exclusive documentaries, 86 episode introductions (that are down-right goofy - Straczynski's are the best though), and the set comes with, depending on how you count pages, a 48-page booklet that includes episode synopses, trivia and art for every episode. There is some minor fluff too but it's not a worth mention.

Pros:
You get every episode of The Real Ghostbusters and Slimer! And The Real Ghostbusters, uncut, in one sturdy, compact box-set that takes up little room in your dvd collection but adds great value. The bonus material is more than a fan could ever want and then some, and can be downright overwhelming at times, especially if you watched the video commentary too.

Cons:
If I were Time-LIFE, and if money and time were not a factor, I would have really tried to have the episodes cleaned up better (has anyone seen the Shout! Factory G.I. Joe Complete Set...WOW!), and have the audio correct on those episodes that have an audio-speed issue. The other thing I would change is the disc's cover art. I know why the disc art is the way it is, because Time-LIFE wants to sell each volume (case) individually, but I think it would have been awesome for the complete set if there was special disc art with a prominent/sub character having their own disc. Here's my list - a Peter Venkman disc, Egon Spengler disc, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, Janine Melnitz, Louis Tully, Slimer, Walter Peck, Stay Puft, Sandman, Samhain, Cathulhu, Boogieman, Grundel, Boogaloo, Ghostmaster, Ghash (Mr. Ugly), Furnace Monster, Precious, Wat, Toy Ghost, Killerwatt, Morganan, Professor Dweeb and the bonus disc would just have the logo.

Overall, this is a must have for Real Ghostbusters fans. Period.

This was my favorite series growing up and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this set. I paid a little more for it rather then wait for Amazon to sell the product. The first three seasons are great but the fourth season it tends to lean to Slimer more but there are still some good episodes. This dvd set comes in tin cases that look pretty good. However, each picture on the dvd has the same picture for every season. The only real problem I had with the set is I noticed a line of color going down the screen for a few shows but not a major problem. The picture quailty is grainy but watchable, it doesnt look like they took too much time to remaster the set. There is plenty of extra features that are mostly interviews with creators of the show and voice actors of the show, now I found too interesting.

Overall, this is an excellent set for Ghostbuster fans or fans of cartoons like Scooby Doo. The tin cases are cool and comes in The Ghostbuster house with a nice book detailing each episode.

I am thrilled that I now own all of the Real Ghostbusters episodes! This DVD set includes 5 steelbook DVD cases that contain all 147 episodes of the series, included the infamous Slimer cartoons. The steelbooks come in a firehouse box resembling the one from the movie and cartoon, the top comes off and the steelbooks sit neatly inside along with a bonus disc and a book giving details about each episode. The firehouse box will fit neatly on a standard size DVD shelf as it's only a little bit taller than a standard DVD case.

My only problem with this set and the reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is Time Life's claim of each episode being "digitally restored". This simply is not true. Most of the episodes have significant grain and some episodes have severe color saturation. I know this cartoon is nearly 25 years old, but I wish Time Life would stop making these claims about their products when they look the same as they did when they aired.

Ahh, this stuff brings back memories. I can't remember much of the TV shows I watched as a kid, but a few of these episodes I could actually remember as I viewed them again. The amount of bonus material is staggering, so then they say this is the complete collection, they aren't telling any lies. As this box set contains the ENTIRE series, you'll need to be prepared to pay the $200 selling price, but anyone whos collected TV series on DVD should be used to the price and be willing to make the sacrifice. I did and couldn't be happier.

My kids grew up watching this cartoon when they were kids; so that puts them close to 30 now. I got this for my son who just happen to be born the month the original Ghostbusters movie was released in the theatres and the theme song was the number one song on the charts. When he was only 4 the second movie came out and I took him and his sisters to see it; they never missed the cartoon on Sat. morning; back in the day before we had cable. I didn't get it for him for xmas last year because I thought the price would come down but it never has and I know this collection will be cherished by it's owners and never end up on eBay for practically nothing. My son is loving his box set and the memories it brings him.

You know it is pretty sad to me it is that all the great cartoons are not on tv anymore. Now saturday mornings have taken a turn for the worst nothing can replace what we grew up too all the classics. Its a shame that the new generation will not be able to see the good things in life but grow up too reality tv.

I grew up watching RGB every Saturday morning. I loved the series. For a cartoon, it is actually fairly intelligent. All episodes are as they were on TV - introduced with the great familiar theme song and episode titles, ending with the credits and song. I loved the included extras like commentary from the episode creators as to what spurred the ideas for each episode. These were always very entertaining and I remember some of them really gave me the creeps when I was younger - The Boogeyman, The Sandman, When Halloween Was Forever, Mrs. Rogers Neighborhood, etc.

The firehouse box is awesome!!! I love seeing Janine chewing her bubble gum on the lower floor while Slimer is upstairs seeking food as usual lol The box includes a nice color episode booklet that tells you a brief synopsis of the episode, title, and which disk it is on.

I was really impressed with the quality of the DVD cases inside the box - the exteriors are actually made out of METAL...almost unheard of these days. I wish all DVD sets came like that. This set will keep for a long time.

You will not be disappointed with this set if you are an RGB fan. I waited 20 years for this set to come out!! SO HAPPY! :) Just BUY IT - you will not regret it. FANTASTIC SET!

What can I say that hasn't already been said? The steelbook cases are very nice, quite thin and with good artwork. The discs have decent artwork, though to be fair it does seem a bit grainy (but getting past that it's quite nice). The set comes in "firehouse" packaging, of which the top slides upward to reveal the contents. It comes with an episode guide booklet. There are plenty of extras toeb had on the discs, including the unaired original pilot episode, apparently. This set is definitely a must-have for completists or fans of the show, or parents who want their kids to see a high quality animated show from the 80's.

Truly an excellent set. Very well put together. If only all TV shows received such reverent treatment!

My husband bought this set for himself. He grew up on watching Ghostbusters as a kid so he said he had to get it. He has watched a few of them already and smiles. Thank you. It was a great buy.