Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
79 of 85 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"For the honor of Grayskull!", May 6, 2006
My life is complete.
I have spent MANY, MANY YEARS waiting for "She-Ra" to come out on DVD, and it's FINALLY happening! HOORAY!
The release of the "She-Ra" DVD sets will be similar to that of the "He-Man" DVDs. The first "She-Ra" DVD set will consist of the movie "The Secret of the Sword" (which features He-Man and explains how Adam has a twin sister, how Adora became She-Ra, etc.) as well as five of the most popular episodes from the series, which were voted on by fans at He-Man.org. The five episodes that will be featured on the "Best of She-Ra" DVD are "The Price of Freedom," "The Sword in the Stone," "Horde Prime Takes a Holiday," "Of Shadows and Skulls," and (my personal favorite) "Sweet Bee's Home."
The quality of the "He-Man" DVD sets is incredible, and the "She-Ra" DVDs are expected to be just as good, if not better. In addition to the fully restored episodes, the "Best of She-Ra" DVD set will include a documentary, feature-length audio commentary, a music video, storyboard spreads, DVD-ROM scripts, "She-Ra" trivia, hidden Easter eggs, and two collectible comic book art cards. How cool is that?!
Also, just like the "He-Man" DVDs, the complete "She-Ra: Princess of Power" series will be released on DVD in three separate volumes beginning this fall. Each DVD set will contain a variety of special bonus features.
Words cannot express how excited I am about this DVD set! I grew up obsessed with She-Ra, and I am STILL obsessed with She-Ra! When I was a young girl I owned all the She-Ra action figures, the Crystal Castle...even that awful Crystal Falls playset that had a pump shaped like a seashell and squirted water all over everything! I had She-Ra books, She-Ra clothes, a She-Ra birthday cake...EVERYTHING! For the past 20 years I've had to settle for watching my treasured yet crappy VHS copies of the series that I always feared would fall apart at any moment. Now I'm finally going to have the entire series on DVD to enjoy in all its glory for the rest of my life! I couldn't be happier!
July 18 is already marked on my calendar...I am probably going to take the day off work so I can sit at home and watch "She-Ra" all day! I'll be able to recite the words to every episode, too, since I watched them all about a thousand times! "I am Adora, He-man's twin sister and defender of the Crystal Castle." AHHHH! I get goosebumps just thinking about it!
SHE-RA FOREVER!!!
|
|
|
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
She-Ra Princess Of Power finally on DVD, May 4, 2006
BCI The people responcible for He-Man's DVDS are releasing all 93 episodes of She-Ra in 3 volumes like the He-Man sets.
All 3 sets will contain special features by the makers of the show just like the He-Man ones. first one is due in full, next in about feb 07, last about june 07. The New Adventures of He-Man will be released in 2 volumes at the same time as the last 2 She-Ra volumes. the Final original He-Man volume will be released at the same time as the first She-Ra Volume.
This volume is a 2 disc set to the Best Of She-Ra featuring The Secret Of The Sword Movie Version and 5 Best Episodes on the second disc which are EPI 56. Of Shadows and Skulls/EPI 85. Sweet Bee's Home/EPI 18. Horde Prime Takes A Holiday/EPI 21. The Stone In The Sword/EPI 29. The Price Of Freedom
The Secret Of The Sword was also the first five episodes of She-Ra with a lot of extra scenes on it which will be the first 5 episodes on the first 1 out of 3 She-Ra volumes
She-Ra is one of the best 80's classics. plus it liturally follows on from He-Man as the Secret Of The Sword tells us and now all us fans can finally see what has not been on TV for the past 15 years.
|
|
|
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For the Honor of Love get this classic 80's cartoon today!, July 18, 2006
The `girl' spin off of He-man was always so much more than a thinly disguised vehicle to sell toys to myself and other impressionable young girls. Debuting in the full length 1984 animated movie, He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, the She-Ra series also dared to pose tough questions about ethics and politics--to its predominantly child audience.
Adora is Prince Adam's twin sister however, she was kidnapped at birth and taken to the planet Etheria by a very evil warlord known as Hordak--a partner of Skeletor's, who works for the Horde Prime.
Adora then actually worked for Hordak for a while, conveniently unaware of her true identity and ensuring obligations. However, timely intervention by her brother subsequently sets Adora on the right path---and her horse Spirit can then transform into the Unicorn Swift-Wind.
It's therefore fitting to note that her brother (and his own superhero alter-ego) makes `special guest appearances' throughout several of the episodes which were selected for inclusion on this DVD release. I do want to emphasize though how and why She-Ra is special in its own right, and not just a `girl copy' of an earlier series.
Unlike Adam, Adora is confident, and athletic, this girl readily takes care of herself even when not a `superhero'--and Spirit is also very confident.
It's a good thing too, because "The stone in the sword" shows Adora's adventures to get her sword repaired when the jewel ultimately responsible for transforming her into She-Ra becomes cracked. Apparently this subsequent repair job does such a good job because another need for a jewel replacement never comes up again---which you think it possibly could considering all of the `battles' which this character actually has.
I think this series readily transcends `children's fare' because it repeatedly touches on themes of seeking redemption for one's past crimes committed against humanity. Whomever she is, Adora knows what she was personally responsible for in the past, and essentially is now trying to make amends--by working with `the rebellion' a grassroots movement of people who are trying to end the reign of terror which is being inflicted upon them by an oppressive regime. This plot device would somewhat foreshadow Xena, another `warrior princess'.
Another ethical issue arose in "The price of freedom". After believing she had saved people from being burnt up in their villages, She-Ra realizes another danger is present. The survivors are now trapped in a mine which could collapse at any second. This episode importantly acknowledges `superheroes' as imperfect beings--Adora is learning that despite her best efforts to do good in the world as She-Ra, she is going to make honest mistakes which inadvertently place innocent people in dangerous situations.
I shudder to think how this still-holds-up series would have been violated (ala He-Man) if a live action movie actually had been made. I'm thinking that the memories of one of my favorite childhood heroines would have been trashed. It ultimately was for the best that we just have the cartoon then.
Women and their powers figure prominently throughout the cartoon, but Bow, the local magic archer is around to provide good advice. Completely egalitarian, he does not assume these women around him are `defenseless', `helpless' or `weak' overthrowing Hordak and his thugs requires everybody's active involvement.
Other pivotal characters include Queen Angela and her daughter princess Glimmer. Again breaking archetypes, this royalty repeatedly demonstrate themselves just as cable of pitching in against the Horde--they are after all deposed monarchs! However, it's important to clarify they had been taken out of power because of the Horde Prime's actions and not because they were personally mean people to their subjects.
The critical dichotomy of good and bad rulers is further reinforced with the characters of Castaspella, Mermista, and Frosta. These rulers actually are in power of their respective domains--but recognize the inherent danger the Horde Prime poses to freedom, justice and fairness for all. They also have really cool super powers of their own--Having grown up in Colorado, I thought Frosta's powers over cold were the most interesting, but that Castaspella had the better outfit--also because I am a brunette. Mermista was okay, but her ability to grow/ungrow legs for land travel just did not do anything for me.
She-ra's main villain in this series actually is not her `old boss' but Catra--the self-described jealous beauty who actually has an ability to transform herself into a cat-and who also works for the Horde. If She-ra/Adora represents the `good' side of powerful women, Catra represents the corrupted and shallow. Catra certainly is capable of holding her own in a fight, but a preoccupation with looks and vanity clarifies her as `evil'. Good women do not only think of themselves.
Magic obviously features more prominently throughout She-Ra's world. It is clarified though that because she is bad, Shadow Weaver's power only comes through Hordak--and the Horde Prime's approval of using her powers for whatever they say (such as making people deceptively `pass' for others so they provide false and even dangerously misleading information in "Sweet Bee's Home"). Unlike Madame Razz (who works with the Rebellion--and is one of the keepers of Adora's secret identity), Shadow Weaver's `independent woman' personality actually is a façade and she can be punished for failure to effectively carry out orders as expected. Furthermore, unlike the women of the Rebellion--who can turn to their colleagues without an ever-lurking fear of betrayal--Shadow Weaver has no true friends.
"Of Shadows and Skulls" is the episode which stands out the most because of how it's `workplace ethics' issues continue being applicable to me and other adults who grew up watching this series. Shadow Weaver enters into a temporary alliance with Skeletor to overthrow Hordak--but then gets trapped by Skeletor himself--who obviously did not want to share power with her even if they had been able to pull off that scenario as was planned.
However, writers aiming for consistency would have then had Shadow Weaver recognize that the Horde Prime is an employer not worth sticking around with---and also had her join the same Rebellion which she formerly had been working to quell. After experiencing such an intra-organization betrayal, this `powerful' sorceress instead stayed on, and the conflict apparently was swept under the rug.
Another power struggle occurs between Skeletor and Hordak in "Horde Prime Takes a Holiday" Hordak is temporarily left in charge of a ship called `The Velvet Glove', making Skeletor jealous largely because he just sees another opportunity for increased power and control over others. Although it involves another cross-over, this episode is comparatively very weak because if Skeletor has become so preoccupied with securing resources on Etheria, how will he successfully then conquer Eternia?---still a `free' planet. Plus, you would figure that Skeletor already has an arsenal of his own and one more battle vehicle really won't make a difference.
Extras include a documentary, feature-length audio commentary, a music video, storyboard spreads, DVD-ROM scripts, "She-Ra" trivia, hidden Easter eggs, and two collectible comic book art cards.
I know this will come off as nitpicking to some people considering that any DVD material of She-Ra is at long last finally released, but we need whole entire seasons available. I understand that somebody probably did put time and care into selecting the released episodes, but it had a 1985-1986 season 93 episode run and the package comes bundled with the aforementioned extras.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
DVD ~ Lana Beeson
DVD ~ Linda Gary
DVD ~ Animated Characters
DVD ~ Linda Gary
on 
