Customer Reviews

Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs: Complete Series

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

VCI Entertainment presents "SABER RIDER & THE STAR SHERIFFS:COMPLETE SERIES" (14 September 1987) (30 min - 52 episodes on Six DVD's) ) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- In the late 21st Century (or early 22nd Century), humankind has reached the stars --- Many outposts and settlements have been made for several planets, and the modern space-age has merged with the legacy of Old West --- There are villans, outlaws, bounty hunters...and sheriffs --- The Star Sheriffs are the special operatives of Cavalry Command, Earth's law enforcement and defense patrol out in space, and along the New Frontier --- They are also ambassadors of good will to other planets in space --- But the main assignment of the Star Sheriffs is to protect the Galaxy from the growing threat of the Outriders.

This is the long awaited classic Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs was an animated TV series, aired from 1986 to 1989 --- During it's 52 episodes, it introduced us to another possible future for mankind --- Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs explore the new frontier, the wide-open ranges of outer space, where the legendary honor and virtue of the Wild West combine with vibrant extraterrestrial adventure --- Saber Rider is the dashing leader of the Star Sheriffs --- Their mission is to establish peace and unity against the Outriders, mysterious vapor beings led by the powerful Nemesis --- Joined by assorted rustlers and desperadoes, the Outriders challenge the Star Sheriffs to action-packed attacks --- Independently, the Star Sheriffs' efforts to maintain justice are admirable -- but when united, they are invincible.

The cast of characters include Saber Rider, Colt, Fireball, Jesse Blue, April, Nemesis, Vanquo, Gattler, Commander Eagle, General Whitehawk, Steed, Nova, Outriders, Outrider Spies, Cavalry Command Troop.

SABER RIDER DVD EPISODES:
DISC ONE (1)
1. Star Sheriff Round Up
2. Cavalry Command
3. Jesse's Revenge
4. Iguana Get to Know You
5. Little Hombre
6. Greatest Show on the New Frontier
7. Little Pardner
8. Brawlin' Is My Callin'

SPECIAL FEATURES ON DISC ONE (1)
1. Photo Gallery
2. Saber Rider Commercials

DISC TWO (2)
9. Wild Horse's Couldn't Drag Me Away
10.The Castle of the Mountain Haze
11. Oh Boy! Dinosaurs!
12 Four Leaf Clover
13 Highlanders
14 What Did You Do on Your Summer Vacation?
15 Jessie Blue
16 Show Down at Cimarron Pass
17 The Saber and the Tomahawk

SPECIAL FEATURES ON DISC TWO (2)
1. Cowboy Chase (Ramrod's Theme)
2. Saber's Battle Cue
3. Colt's Action Cue
4. Fireball
5. April

DISC THREE (3) Disc #3
18 All That Glitters
19 Sole Survivor
20 Legends of the Santa Express
21 Snakes Eyes
22 Famous Last Words
23 Sharpshooter
24 The Monarch Supreme
25 Gattler's Last Stand
26 Dooley

DISC FOUR (4)
27 The Hole in the Wall Gang
28 The All Galaxy Grand Prix
29 Snowblind
30 Tranquility
31 Bad Day at Dry Gulch
32 Snowcone
33 Sneaky Spies
34 Stampede

SPECIAL FEATURES ON DISC FOUR (4)
1. Sei Jushi Bismarck Clips
2. Dale Schaker Audio Interview

DISC FIVE (5)
35 The Challenge
36 The Challenge II
37 Born on the Bayou
38 April Rides
39 The Walls of Red Wing
40 Jesse's Girl
41 The Amazing Lazardo
42 I Forgot!
43 Lend Me Your Ears

DISC SIX (6)
44 Born to Run
45 The Legend of the Lost World
46 The Rescue
47 Eagle Has Landed
48 Cease Fire!
49 Alamo Moon
50 The Nth Degree
51 Who Is Nemisis?
52 Happy Trails

SPECIAL BONUS FEATURES (Check out the proper disc for features)
1. Photo Gallery
2. Saber Rider Commercials
3. Character Bios & Theme Songs
4. Sei Jushi Bismarck Clips
5. Interview with Musical Composer Dale Schacker (audio only)

This collection has a clean, crisp and bright video in clarity, plus the sound quality is outstanding. The behind the scenes and interview is of collectible status, sure to please the avid collector in all of us.

Hats off and thanks to Robert Blair and his staff at VCI Entertainment --- VCI was named in Variety and Hollywood Reporter as the first company to produce and release motion pictures directly to the home marketplace --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- VCI are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector -- looking forward to more Nostalgic Collections.

Total Time: 1200 min on DVD ~ VCI Entertainment ~ (10/20/2009)

The Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs Complete Collection is a six-disc DVD box set that contains all fifty-two episodes of the series. In addition to this, special features appear on discs one, two, and four of the set.

The first disc contains two special features. The first is labeled as "Commercials." This contains four commercials for a Saber Rider fan club and each commercial runs for about thirty seconds each. Also, the only two characters featured in these commercials are Saber Rider and Colt. All four commercials play back-to-back in one feature. The other extra is labeled as "Photo Gallery." This feature runs for seven minutes and ten seconds, and it features line art, production art, books, and promotional materials for Saber Rider. This is done as a slideshow; however, the viewer has no control over when the pictures change. The song "I Computer" by RadioRadio is used as the background music; however, this song has no direct connection to the Saber Rider property. The slideshow opens and closes with an ad for the song.

On the second disc, it lists that the special features are theme songs and bios. What you get are bios for Ramrod, Saber Rider, Colt, Fireball, and April; the bios have one of the character's themes playing in the background as you read the bio text. Ramrod's bio is one minute in length, Saber Rider's bio is fifty-six seconds in length, Colt's bio is one minute and two seconds in length, Fireball's bio is forty-one seconds in length, and April's bio is one minute and six seconds in length.

The fourth disc contains two extras. The first is labeled as "Sei Juishi Bismarck Clips." I was expecting this extra to feature some clips from the original series. However, what you actually get is the original opening from Bismarck, one short scene of Bismarck's transformation sequence and a battle, and then the original ending from Bismarck. There are no subtitles provided on this feature. The other extra is an audio interview with Dale Schacker, the man who composed the music for Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. The interview itself is audio only, and is accompanied by stills from the show, production art, and pictures of promotional materials. The interview runs for almost thirteen minutes in length.

I have a couple of complaints when it comes to the set as a whole. First, the volume levels are not consistent across each disc. The opening bump at the beginning of each disc is mastered really loud, then the volume gets very soft when the menu comes up, and then the audio level changes again when an episode actually starts. Fortunately, the audio levels do remain consistent within the episodes themselves. I had to constantly change the volume levels whenever I put one of these discs into my player, and this became annoying rather quickly.

Also, the first two discs were authored very differently from the remaining four in the set. On the first two discs, you can't skip over the logos at the beginning of the disc, there are no chapter marks within episodes (which means you either have to watch the beginning and the ending credits in addition to the entire episode, or you have to fast forward through them), and the commercial break bumps are not included. However, on discs three through six, you can skip over the opening logos, there are chapter marks within each episode on those discs, and the commercial break bumps are included. It really gives the impression that the first two discs of the set were authored by different people than the remaining four.

Between the audio mastering issues, the inconsitsent DVD authoring, and the relative lack of special features, it would be very hard for me to recommend this set to casual fans or to people who are unfamiliar with Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs. However, since this is the only DVD pressing that exists for the property, I have to recommend it to Saber Rider fans who want to own the series on DVD.

I wrote this review after watching a copy of this DVD set that I purchased.

Yes I grew up Saber Rider, loved it from day one when the first volume one collection came i bought and watch and waited for the rest to come and its here (except now I must give away my volume one cause there is only the complete availible).

I would have given the collection 5 stars and i realy want too but it seems the audio sync problem from the first volume one collection on episode "What did you do on your summer vacation" was however not fixed on the complete collection. I have not yet watch all of them but this is for me a small disapointment.

As a true supporter of the series i will overlook this and hope that there are no other issued on the rest of the episodes so.

Like so many other kids of the early 1980s, my very introduction to anime took place (without me even realizing it) thanks to the nation's obsession with robots. You may remember that period in time when Transformers (the first time), GoBots, and Turbo Teen but it turns out many of the "other" robot shows of the era were actually Japanese anime series that were spliced up, dubbed into English and packaged under a whole new name. Among these: Robotech, the Voltrons, Macron One and Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs.

I remember noting even at the time that there was something very different about the Japanese originated shows though it would be years before I would learn the true stories behind the shows and for that matter, come to appreciate these so much over the American trite I cherished at the time.

Anyway, these shows were actually hybrids, not simply anime dubbed into English as changes were made to the characters and material to "Americanize"/ remove all of the more adult-friendly aspects of the source material. To purests, these hybrids are worthless- calling them American productions isn't accurate but at the same time nor do they do the Japanese source material credit either.

Of course being a kid at the time, I was astonished at the increased character depth, the ongoing story thread idea, and the realism these shows contained when compared to our American Transformers & GoBots cartoons. By the time Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs came on the scene in 1987 (based on Japan's 1984 series Star Musketeer Bismarck) by World Event Productions (same guys who brought us the two Voltron shows a few years earlier), I had bailed out on robots altogether. In fact I only learned of this show much later when it was released to DVD and decided to give it a go based on how much I enjoyed some of the other hybrids.

The story goes something like this: In the distant future, we lowly humans have finally colonized planets across the galaxy, in essence recreating the American pilgrimage westward on a much grander scale; a New Frontier of mankind.

In order to protect these intergalactic settlers and maintain law and order in this New Frontier, Earth's Cavalry Command was created; a police force bordering on a military operation with one very large jurisdiction!

With both an army and fleet of ships to protect the New Frontier at their disposal, the show follows a unit of special operatives known as the Star Sheriffs- enforcers/ field agents who get called in when traditional methods of upholding the peace fail.

The main obstruction to said peace happens to come in the form of a race of non-human creatures known as Vapor Beings (or Outriders) that jumped into our dimension with plans of conquest. As such they frequently attack the settlers, destroy settlements and kidnap hapless humans with a legion of gigantic robots called Renegade Units.

To attempt to level the playing field, Cavalry Command develops a prototype weapon known as the "Ramrod Equalizer Unit" (or simply Ramrod) that has the ability to transform from a massive spacecraft into a bipedal, heavily armed (and armored) robot.

Piloting Ramrod is a quartet of interesting specimens including dignified English/ Scottish title character Saber Rider, Japanese racecar driver Fireball, American cowboy Colt, and Ramrod's designer, former pro tennis player April Eagle.

By the time Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs came on the scene in 87, World Event Productions (WEP) had the formula of editing/ splicing and dubbing down to a well-oiled machine and were actually able to develop entire episodes of Saber Rider that didn't even exist in the original Japanese source material (6 of them to be exact).

Marc Handler, who had worked on the Voltrons for WEP, brings his unique ADR/ writing style to Saber Rider and considering the fact that many of the same vocal cast returned (including Peter "Optimus Prime" Cullen), one really does get the feeling Saber Rider is merely a continuation of the Voltron legacy.

Since the western idea was all the rage in the States at the time (think BraveStarr and Galaxy Rangers), the slight western angle present in the original material was pushed into the forefront. Characters like the American Colt are given full western accent/ slang and even Ramrod itself says things like "Head em up, move em out" during transformation sequences.

Of course present here is the typical "Americanization" process of muting the material down for the sake of conservative network standards and practices. Here we are explained to and continually enforced that when shot, Vapor Beings are simply sent back to their own dimension to fight another day. Massive spacecraft are brought down in an inferno/ explosion/ fireball of doom then one of the characters will be sure to add something to the effect of, "It's a good thing all on board escaped to the Vapor Zone before the ship was destroyed." Oy.

Also it's quite clear there was a lot more going in the original concerning the Outriders and their creepy leader Nemesis. The visuals, tones and themes seem to mimic what we've witnessed before with the Zentraedi in Macross and Hazaar and the Drule Empire of Vehicle Voltron. However we get some dubs to explain that the reason for the Outrider invasions is that nobody knows how to have fun in the Vapor Dimension and that Nemesis' officers are "boring". Why is it I suspect these threads have been dumbed down in transition?

It's also interesting to note that in the translation, the title character (Saber Rider) was not the lead. In fact his name is Richard Lancelot in the original show and he simply represents England as one of the massive robot's pilots. Colt, the wily American, is called Bill Wilcox in the original show and April (who is really never given national heritage in the American show) is French tennis star Marian Louvre. Appropriately (for a show in Japan), Japanese representative Fireball (or Shinji Hikari) is the leader of the crew.

So who the heck is Bismarck you wonder? Ah that would be Ramrod believe it or not. And in case you're wondering, a ramrod is the device used with firearms of the era to push the projectile up against the gunpowder.

In all if you are a fan of the hybrid style of anime popular in the early 1980s, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is a perfect fit. Anime purists will rightfully scoff at the changes made to the material. However, fans of domestic 1980s animation, as campy as was, will surely attest that even with its toned down treatment, those few shows that we got from Japan were light years beyond what American studios were churning out at the time. This DVD set is worth the price of admission for that fact alone!

I grew up on Saber Rider, and loved it as much as the Generation 1 Transformers, but its amazing how much of it I'd Forgotten. If you have a taste for good anime, you'll love it, and if you like good adventure, you're going to get it. Saber Rider rules the skies when it comes to space westerns, and there's as muc humor as there is fun in the series. Everyone should have it in thier collection, if you ask me.

Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is a show I used to watch when I was 8 years old and having watched the boxset 22 years later, I appreciate it more now than I did then. Granted I can see through the holes in the story caused by re-ordering episodes but this show is so enjoyable it's unreal. I love the music in it, Colt's theme brings a smile to my face every time I hear it and Peter (G1 Optimus Prime) Cullen voicing the commander of the star sheriffs and the commander of the Outriders as well as a number of other people (and the big giant robot) throughout just has me LOL'ing.

The Star Sheriff's themselves are the real stars of this show, a really great collection of characters that work well on their own but even better when mocking their colleagues and then coming to the rescue of each other. Ramrod, their Spaceship/super robot is a superb design and while his fights are usually short, I never get bored of seeing a giant robotic cowboy blasting an opponent into pieces.

This is boxset is amazing value and if you haven't seen it, this show is more fun than a lot of newer shows out there. You don't need character development if they are awesome to begin with, you just need more stories with your favourites in and while there is plenty here, I still wish I had just a couple more stories - that is the mark of a great series

Not sure if the quality of the video was from compression of the DVD or from the original footage. It appeared quite grainy in several episodes.

The DVD is packaged in a slim 6 DVD case, which was great, but the plastic used was brittle causing the spokes to break off. Three DVDs arrived unhubbed; boucing around in the case during transit. One DVD was scratched and would not play.

One DVD, although not scratched, had flaws in cueing. In the middle of an episode it would jump to the next episode. At first I thought it was me bumping the 'next' button, but the same thing happened whenever it approached that point in the episode.

Anyone looking for the original Bismarck series won't find it here. This was released by the same folks who released Voltron, so most of the original concepts of death, alcohol use, sex and gambling have been eliminated, rewritten and remixed into a lighter version of the story. Even though I hated the country bumpkin style voice overs, I DID like the new music.

Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs is a 1987 animated Space Western anime series that was, originally, known as Star Musketeer Bismarck in Japan(in 1984). Following a familiar theme found in other animated programs of the time, such as Bravestarr, it met with moderately successful success. These days, however, it's looked at as an anime classic and loved by many(as it was brought here by those responsible for Voltron) and with good cause as this is a great show. The story tells how a group of inhumans known as Ouriders jump into our dimension in order to conquer it for mining the soil for various metals and crystals. A legendary sheriff known as Saber Rider and his band of Star Sheriffs patrol the galaxy looking for them in order to stop them. You see, in the near future, humans will colonize space and make it the new frontier. Like in the wild west of yesterday, it has its' share of villains and outlaws that need to be brought to justice. Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs will see to it that justice is done.

I've got Voltron.com to thank for introducing me to this classic. I love westerns and I love robots, and this way I get both in one tidy package. This DVD collection has all 52 episodes of the original program on six discs as well as bonus features that fans of the show will definitely appreciate. I have absolutely no gripes with this collection. It was very entertaining. I'd love to see them modernize this series(as they have with Voltron Force).

I hope, in the future, that older classics(from Japan) such as this show are released for us fans to enjoy.

Nice space-western. Brings back many childhood memories, especially for those of us who were watching anime long before Pokemon.

Good Quality. The cartoon is good in action,series and triller.I give two thumbs up. Bring back my childhood day