Customer Reviews

Super Powers Collection - Superman [VHS]

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

 

 

This tape contains seven Superman cartoons created by the now-defunct Filmation animation studio. The cartoons were part of the studio's debut into TV animation, The New Adventures Of Superman, first broadcast in September 1966 on CBS.

The cartoons do not, of course, have the lavish flowing animation of Max Fleischer's 1940s Superman cartoons (even today, with greater animation budgets for such cartoons as Warner Brothers' immortal Batman series, TV animation never quite reaches the level of Fleischer's work), but they nonetheless have very attractive graphics and good character designs - no surprise given that the show's associate producer was Anatole Kirsanoff, one of the key animators for Hanna-Barbera's Jonny Quest series.

Also present are the magnificent voice performances of Clayton "Bud" Collyer as Clark Kent/Superman, the original radio voice of The Man Of Steel. No voice artist can ever surpass him or his fellow radio voice, narrator Jackson Beck. For Lois Lane, Filmation alternated between original Lois Lane voice Joan Alexander and actress Julie Bennett; Bennett is present in the three cartoons in which Ms. Lane appears on this tape, and does the voice very well. Jack Grimes - aka Sparky on Speed Racer - is brilliant as Jimmy Olsen, while Cliff Owens shines as Lex Luthor.

Holding it all together are the superb scores of John Marion and Gordon Zahler. If it weren't for John Williams and his 1978 movie score, Marion and Zahler's 1966 TV work would rank as the finest music possible for Superman or any superhero. Using a large orchestra, Marion and Zahler give the cartoons a sweep and majesty not to be found in any Hanna-Barbera creation or any cartoon before Warners' 1990s Batmans.

The show's writing, primarily by DC Comics writers George Kashdan and Dennis Marks, varied in quality, but stories were generally good. At times the writing was downright brilliant, as in the controversial classic The Pernicious Parasite, featuring a villian with the ability to drain physical power from anyone - even Superman. How The Man Of Steel defeats the Parasite remains an ending sure to shock - indeed it is a wonder how this cartoon made it past Standards & Practices at CBS.

The Superman series by Filmation and the studio's other superhero series, Aquaman, remain classics deserving of greater contemporary exposure.

For fans of Batman this is a must have. It is a classic cartoon version of the Adam West Burt Ward TV show. Although the animation is dated it is non-violent and great to share with your children. Our 3 year old loves to watch this "cartoon Batman". Enjoy.

If you're tired of the violence and darkness of today's Batman then get your kids this classic! My son loves it! As soon as it's over he wants to watch it again! I strongly reccomend this video for parents of small batman fans!

This is exactly what it looks like: Superman stories from the 1960s televison series "The New Adventures of Superman". Yes, the animation looks very choppy. Yes, the stories can be very childish and corny, but, hey, so was the original Superman television series starring George Reeves. And look how long THAT has been on the air! Anyway, this video is for people who enjoy a nostalgaic journey through Superman's past. If you are looking for the past stories of Superman but also with great animation, look for the Fleischer cartoons from the 1940s. They were theatrical shorts that look fantastic, although the stories are mainly gangster related rather than stories dealing with super criminals which today's audience seems to want to see. But if you are simply interested in a fun look at some of Superman's older telestories, this video is for you.

This video brought back alot of fond memories when I was a kid. I loved it then, and I love it now. The music, simple plots, and the good clean fun these cartoons provide can't be found in any of today's cartoon shows. I also bought SUPER BOY and AQUAMAN. These two also rate high on my list. I would love to see many more of these cartoons released---I would buy them all!!

Sufficiently dramatic with good animation for the time, and it's acceptable for the kids to watch, too -- although some parents may have a problem with the surprise ending of the episode with The Parasite. I agree with another reviewer that it's a wonder it made it past the Comics Code Authority, or whatever that organization is. I thought the ending was great, myself!

I noticed that the musical score is also fairly intricate, considering this was a cartoon primarily intended for children. The only one that is more sophisticated is the music that accompanies "Battle of the Planets," early Americanized anime. Superman's score always enhances, never detracts; and it's hard to imagine this cartoon without it. Even the theme is catchy and intense, in the mid-60s surf-rock vein.

This cartoon captures the spirit of what Supe had become by the time the 60's rolled around, with the Filmation animation beating anything by Hanna-Barbera up to that point...or even 10 years after. Enjoy!

This great sixty minute video features 5 stories revolving around the Batman and Robin. The style of the animation is from the old 60's and 70's tv cartoons, with lots of colour. It has all of your favorite villians including: The Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, Riddler, and Mr. Freeze. If you want to have lots of fun, I would recomend ordering this video.

These cartoons are taken from "The Adventures of Batman" and "The Adventures of Batman & Robin" television series which originally aired in the late 1960s. The 5 episodes included here are the only ones available on home video from these classic series. The episodes are:

How Many Herring in a Wheelbarrow? - The Joker may be stealing goldfish and wheelbarrows, but Batman knows he is up to something bigger.

A Bird Out of Hand - The Penguin has seemingly gone "straight" and has started fighting crime, but Batman is sure something "coo coo" is going on.

From Catwoman with Love - It's almost Valentine's Day and Batman & Robin receive a Cat and a truce from Catwoman. With the help of Batgirl, the caped crusaders find out what Catwoman is really up to.

1001 Faces of the Riddler - Things are not always as they seem when the Riddler disguises himself as well known people in Gotham, but Batman has a clue how to unmask him.

The Cool Cruel Mr. Freeze - There's an iceberg in Gotham Harbor and only Mr. Freeze can be responsible. Will Batman & Robin thaw him out before he puts all of Gotham on ice?

This video is an essential part of the other 3 Super Powers Collection videos: Superman, Superboy, and Aquaman. These cartoons are very entertaining, non violent, and often humorous. I have two complaints when it comes to these 4 videos. First, there are a little over 30 episodes that these were pulled from. Why is there only 5 here? That goes for the other Super Powers videos as well. I think that if a cartoon, especially a classic, is going to be brought out on video, it should be the whole series. Most of the time a cartoon is brought out as a sampler or best of collection video. Second, how about releasing the Super Powers collection on DVD? These VHS tapes have been around for awhile. In fact, don't bother with releasing these sets, just release the entire classic series on DVD. If you want to see what Batman was like before he had a different colored costume every day, I recommend it!

This is much better for my son to watch instead of the newer "Batman Beyond", which I thought too graphic. And since I took the "Beyond" videos away, he's happy to be watching any Batman. He seems just as happy with this Batman as he did the other, and now mom and dad are happy too.

The animation on these cartoons -- which predate the "Super Powers" toy line by about a decade, despite the package branding -- is godawful. But the tape is noteworthy for its voice casting: Aside from Batman and Robin, Ted Knight (of The "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Too Close for Comfort") provides all the voices and the narration. He had to work HARD to do all that characterization, and his take on Joker, Penguin et al. is a hoot.