Customer Reviews

Wonder Years: The Best of

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

I got this DVD in the hope that I could replace one or two VHS tapes from my collection. After seeing it, I'll certainly keep the tapes around. The picture is grainy as if it had been taped from a station with poor reception.

As for the DVD contents, I wouldn't call this 'the best'. I have watched every episode from the wonder years, and while I admit it has one of the best finales from the history of TV (in my opinion, obviously), there were other episodes that deserved to make the best.

Also, the DVD only has 71 minutes. They could at least fill it up. The pilot would have been nice to have, maybe a few minutes with the scenes of the now famous guest stars, or a small 'where are they now' of the cast...something that makes a difference with a home made collection.

In short: If you have the episodes on tapes, don't buy this DVD. If you are going to buy a new DVD player and want to check its picture quality, don't buy this DVD. Of course if you like good TV and don't care much about anything else, well, the wonder years was a great show.

I would have started out this review by saying that "LaserLight" should be ashamed for putting something like this out, but then I realized I have never heard of "LaserLight" and DVDs of this quality may very well explain why. I am a closet Wonder Years fan, and I was eagerly anticipating this "Best of" compilation. Unfortunately, all the reviews before mine accurately sum up every one of the faults of this DVD. The disc only has one episode on it, with a "Highlights" section preceding this lonely episode to round out the paltry 71 minutes of material. Admittedly, I found that the editing done during the "Highlights" portion was accomplished reasonably well, with no harsh jumps or obvious transition flaws. The section does not, however, lay any type of background down about the show or its characters before sending the viewer off to the Series Finale. Tech. wise my biggest complaint was the audio, it was atrocious. A TV show of this caliber deserves so much more and I can only hope that at some point (in the near future?) a company goes back and does it justice, for this DVD surely doesn't.

I am not necessarily referring to the content, although this DVD hardly rates as a "Best of" this wonderful series. Certainly, the finale episode was one of the best, but there were so many episodes (or parts thereof) that were ignored. Do not waste your money or your time. The quality of this DVD is horrid; I agree with another reviewer who said it looks like it was transferred from a tape. Actually, the qualify is not even that good. This series deserves a first-class DVD tratment, produced by someone who appreciates the series and really understands what "best of" this series was all about. This is a very rank attempt by Laser Light to cash in on the fact that the series was being featured on Nick at Nite. If you recorded the series on videotape, as I and many others did, PLEASE save your tapes. (Thank God I did!) Avoid this DVD, even (and maybe especially) if you are a TWY fan; if you buy this DVD, you are only encouraging companies like Laser Light to continue to rip us and other off. Let us hope that TWY will one day be produced on DVD in a manner befitting of one of the best series on TV ever.

I advise no one to buy this dvd there is only 1 lonely episode. Wonder years was a great show I always watched it on Network Tv then on Tv land and Tnn and Nick at night. I know Season 1 is in the works somewhere in the future so If I were you I would wait for that. All these other no name shows are on dvd there are some great tv shows on dvd but alot more crappy ones then good. We all ask where is the Wonder years come on FOXr who now owns rights to Wonder Years needs to put Wonder Years on dvd come on Fox you put more shows then anyone on dvd why not this one. I was on a site and there is a petition to sign for what shows you would like to see come to dvd and Wonder Years has got over 3500 votes the site is tvshowsondvd.com if you want to sign it you can also sign up on Amazons so the more people who sign these up the better chance we have of seeing Wonder Years finally come to dvd. Here is an excerpt from Fox " This issue of Entertainment Weekly quotes Fox Home Entertainment's Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Mr. Steve Feldstein, as saying "We've got it on the schedule, but there are hurdles to clear prior to a firm release date."

"On the schedule" sounds pretty good to us, how about you? In all likelihood, the "hurdles" would start with all the music licensing that would have to occur in order to present the show on DVD the same way it was originally broadcast. According to the EW story, that is precisely the way the people who were behind the production of The Wonder Years wants to see these episodes brought home. Us too, and we're sure we speak for most of you as well. It will be worth waiting a little bit longer (and even paying a little bit more, like with Freaks and Geeks) to get this the way it *should* be seen.

Fox, do us proud!"

I'm a huge fan of the Wonder Years, and have most of them on tape recorded from Nik at night. Some are very depressing, but still great to watch. This DVD contains a clip show and the series finale. The finale is a great double episode, but horrible quality and awful changes ruin it. To my astonishment the theme from 'The Natural' has been cut out of the final scene. A similar generic flute solo replaces it. This completely takes away from emotion and importance of the ending. Also, when Kevin drives to meet Winnie at the country club, CCR's 'Up Around the Bend' is replaced by some generic sound-alike song. Did they lose the rights to these songs or something? Plus the sound needs to be turned way up to hear the dialog, thus static is heard throughout. It's even hard to recognize 'With a Little Help From My Friends' during the intro because of extreme mono. To tell you how bad the picture is, during Kevin and Winnie's first kiss, the color flashes between twilight and nighttime. And during a scene in the school hallway, everyone turns kind of blue for a split second. I hope no one sees the finale for the first time in this version, because you wouldn't even think it's that good. The reviewer from Canada must have a black and white TV with one speaker not to recognize this horrible quality. It's like someone took the original version, put it through a trash compactor, eliminated the best songs, and then put it on a DVD to fully expose its distortion. I recommend watching recorded VHS versions (even extended play) because they sound better, look better, and haven't been tampered with.

I bought this and was really disappointed. Most of it is just the final episode (one of my least favorite), and only a small portion contained "best of" scenes.

I grew up watching The Wonder Years even if they were a little bit before my years, so when one day I was sitting around thinking about all the new boxed DVD sets coming out and it just hit me like a bomb..."Where is the Wonder Years?" I'll tell you where it is at...forgotten. I mean they don't even have them on Nick at Night anymore! I mean what is going on?!?! How can we as a nation forget one of the most historical shows of the last two generations. I mean come on! I want my boxed set. For heavens sake they have put everything on DVD sets. Shows that are not even finished with their season have came out in DVD sets, and we can't put the amazing Wonder Years out there. What is going on?!?! I believe some people have just gotten stupid!

First off, I will say that I didnt spend a dime on this movie. I got it for free when I was doing a trade with a movie company. They said I had about $4 credit, and I asked them what I could get for $4 and they pointed at this. I picked it up, and the memories came rushing back. I grew up watching the Wonder Years. I hold a very special place for this show, and when I asked him if that would do, he said " sure.. its not worth $4, so you can just have it, and we'll keep your $4 credit anyway. So I went home, got few sandwhiches ready, and popped in the DVD. I can't say anything more then pretty much what everyone else has already said. I just dont see how people can sit there and sell this DVD brand new in a wrapper for $150! Even used for $93! Its not even worth $4 to me! It is a terribly atrocity that has happened to this series. As mentioned in other reviews. I have seen much worse shows produced on DVD by now. Punky Brewster, Full House, Alf for crying out loud got produced. They need to seriously look into releasing a season by season box set for Wonder Years. I suggest NOONE buy this crappy best of DVD. I threw it away, and it was FREE to me! - I am ashamed, and they should be too. I only gave it one star because you can't give it negative stars!

Don't waste your money! This DVD is simply awful. The picture and sound quality are both very poor, worse than any VHS that I have (Some of those are 15 years old!). The DVD only has 2 complete episodes and some clips from some of the others. I bought this as a gift, but ended up throwing it away because it was so poor.

OK, I am just furious that this is STILL the only Wonder Years DVD available. Not only is it poor in every sense of the word (length, episode selection, audio and visual quality, extras, and packaging are all sub par even for 1999), it's out of print and thus very, very expensive!

In a world where you can buy the complete He-Man and Knight Rider anthologies at Target, there isn't a season-based DVD set for one of the most memorable and quality shows of the last 30 years? I mean, we have Thundercats seasons on DVD now, but no Wonder Years? It's almost like they're doing it to spite me, personally...except I know from my time in college that basically anyone born between 1970 and 1985 connected to that show in such a deep and primal way that if I went up to a random 20-something on the street and said "Winnie Cooper," their eyes would light up and they'd get chills.

I don't even watch much TV. But man, would I sit around and re-watch the Wonder Years if I had quality DVD versions...What gives? Is there a protest somewhere that I can sign?