Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Animated TV Was Better In The 90's, February 13, 2009
Finally, fans of this show can own the classic episodes we grew up on and enjoyed. It's amazing to me how much more realisticly they tried to ground television series back then. This show imparticular went out of it's way to stick true to the comics it was based on, several major storylines were told in multi-part episodes too which is something I don't see as much anymore. I'm sure any fan will love this second volume as it contains the amazing Pheonix storyline. They tried to pull it off in 'X3: The Last Stand', and though I enjoyed it, for me they didn't manage to top the five parter that told the saga in this animated series. Episodes on this 2 disc volume include:
Red Dawn
Repo Man
X-Ternally Yours
Time Fugitives (Part 1)
Time Fugitives (Part 2)
A Rogue's Tale
Beauty & The Beast
Mojo Vision
Reunion (Part 1)
Reunion (Part 2)
Out of the Past (Part 1)
Out of the Past (Part 2)
The Phoenix Saga (Part 1): Sacrifice
The Phoenix Saga (Part 2): The Dark Shroud
The Phoenix Saga (Part 3): Cry of the Banshee
The Phoenix Saga (Part 4): The Starjammers
The Phoenix Saga (Part 5): Child of Light
There are no special features on this set and though I'd obviously love special features I'm willing to be happy with just the episodes if that's all they'll give us for now. I'm one of the people who hopes that good sales on these volumes will lead to the release of the others and possible special features in the future. I also hope that good sales on these sets could lead to the release of Marvel's 90's Spider-man series in sets like this.
Having now found the time to watch the DVD I want to say for those wondering that the video quality is near the same as I remember the original broadcast being. Any transfer issues are near unnoticeable to me and I am fairly particular about not being distracted by technical issues while watching my DVD. Obviously the animation quality is from the early nineties but really I find it surprisingly fairly on par with the new Wolverine and the X-men series. I found watching the episodes very nostalgic and find myself enjoying them in a whole new way now than I did when I was younger. I'm happy to see that the "Previously on X-men" openings are kept on the episodes and that the opening sequence and classic theme play before every episode unlike some other sets.
I also want to add that the box art is even better looking on the actual set than it is online. It comes with a cardboard slipcover over the DVD with an elevated foil colored version of the artwork on the DVD. At least Disney really made these look professional in the packaging department.
For those still wondering whether these sets are worth it I say buy them or at least the first volume to test it out, it's really only costing you a little more than a dollar an episode for these. Anyways, I'm just glad they're releasing this series and hope they finish releasing the entire 76 episodes this way (hopefully later on with some special features included). After all this time X-Men finally rises from the ashes and is reborn on an official DVD, I can't wait to rewatch the Dark Phoenix episodes that will be on the hopeful 3rd volume. Thanks For Your Time.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Series - now let's finish it!, April 28, 2009
At last, one of the finest series ever to hit animation has come home to us. Marvel's X Men the Animated Series Vols 1 & 2 bring to life the comic book as few other series did. These volumes, especially the second, display the depth of these characters and the fine animation quality that made this series a hit. I am delighted to add these to my library.
But let us be clear, here. The first volume finishes into the second season. The second volume takes us through the rest of season two and into season three. But the second volume does NOT complete the third season.
And that leaves us with and unfinished season three, PLUS season four and five! Granted, after the Dark Phoenix Saga the episodes were shown more randomly and few were in order. However now we should benefit with further DVDS that allow us to see the remaining shows in order.
So I encourage everyone to buy Vol 1&2 but realize there must be more to come. PLEASE RELEASE THE REMAINING EPISODES. For us, the X-Men true followers, if you release it, we will buy and thank you.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Conclusion of Season 2 Plus Phoenix!, May 9, 2009
For most of my thoughts on the release of this show please see my review of the first set. My score takes into account the DVD's lack of special features and visual quality, but the rest of this written review is for the episodes contained herein.
The first set concluded with the third episode of season 2 ("Whatever it Takes") and volume 2 picks up from there. Season 2, like season 1, had episodes that all ran together though here the gap in time between episodes is not always clear. Connecting them all together is the absence of Professor Xavier and clips of he and Magneto's trials in The Savage Land are found in each episode before the storyline comes to a conclusion in the two-part "Reunion." The villain Mr. Sinister also appears throughout as it becomes clear he has a heavy influence on the happenings of season 2.
Sinister was a relatively new villain at the time of this show's creation and season 2 is pretty topical in that regard. Omega Red is featured here and he was almost brand new at the time of the episode's creation. If that displeased some longtime fans, they were rewarded with the five part Phoenix Saga that concludes the set. The Phoenix Saga here obviously needed to be reworked (after all, a completely different team of X-Men existed at the time in the comics) but it is mostly faithful. Some other comic book plots are carried over such as The Plague and Wolverine's past dealings with Department H but altered to better fit the animated series continuity.
An interesting trend was also started where a new character each week got his or her own episode. For characters like Rogue and Gambit, an origin story was presented where their past caught up to them (as opposed to having a flashback episode). For a character like Beast, the episode "Beauty and the Beast" merely serves to give us a better understanding of that character's relationship with the world and his teammates. They're all nicely done and are effectively dramatic (especially the Rogue and Beast ones). Wolverine is featured quite heavily ( as always) with him playing a significant role in just about every episode. For someone who likes Wolverine, even I can get a bit annoyed but at the same time no character feels too neglected save for maybe Jean and Cyclops, but both end up being huge players in The Phoenix Saga so all is forgiven. And while I enjoy some episodes more than others, there really isn't a bad one here. If I had to pick a least favorite it would be "Mojovision" as I've never cared for the Mojo character, but that episode is a bit slapstick and is a nice break from the heavy serious tone of the other episodes. My favorite is probably "Beauty and the Beast" as it's an easy episode to relate to and puts the show's civil right's issues on stage in a tasteful way.
It should also be noted, the show sees a change in visual quality with the "Out of the Past" episodes. The colors are richer and more black outlines are used giving the show a more "toon" quality. Whether you like the style is a matter of opinion, but the animation itself is of higher quality. This may have been due to the fact that these two episodes originally aired in prime time and were used to hype the upcoming Phoenix Saga. The Phoenix Saga episodes seemed to tone down this new look, but the animation remained improved over the first two seasons.
Needless to say, if you bought volume 1 it makes no sense to not get volume 2. The quality of the episodes is just as good and if you can get past the lack of any kind of bells and whistles with these releases this volume is a good buy. If you haven't purchased volume 1 yet, I recommend getting them both at the same time through Amazon as you end up paying less than a dollar per episode (if you go with super saver shipping). This show is still the best animated series from Marvel and deserves a spot in any comic book fan's library. Now, please Disney, give us the rest of the episodes!
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