GARGOYLES: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON - SPECIAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Gargoyles: The Complete First Season - Special 10th Anniversary Edition Home Video Release
Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: December 7, 2004
Program Description:
Enter the mythical world of "Gargoyles" with the Gargoyles Season 1 DVD Collection. This special 10th anniversary, two-disc DVD set features the complete first season of the action-packed show. Fans will discover a bonus audio commentary from the filmmakers on the pilot episode, an original network affiliate pitch with creator introduction, and "Gathering of the Gargoyles," a behind-the-scenes special program.
Synopsis:
"Gargoyles" is the story of the fantastic, ancient creatures that once guarded a medieval Scottish fortress, and who now come to life at night to protect the city of Manhattan from evil. Legions of loyal fans continue to follow "Gargoyles," and the series features star voice talents including "Star Trek: The Next Generation" stars Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner, and "Star Trek Voyager" star Kate Mulgrew. Available only on DVD December 7 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
DVD Special Features:
-Audio commentary on the first five episodes by creator and producer Greg Weisman, co-producer Frank Paur, and actor David
-The Gathering of the Gargoyles Featurette
-Original show pitch
Click the images above for a closer look!
Gargoyles: The Complete First Season - Special 10th Anniversary Edition Review
by Zach Demeter
Back in the day, Gargoyles was one of the few cartoons on the air that attempted to break its genre's formula. With Batman: The Animated Series, Gargolyes helped free television action animation from the repetitive, vanilla pit into which it had sunk to new heights of story telling, voice acting, animation, and music. These cartoons gave viewers something else to think about besides the villain of the week. With drama, witty and smart dialogue, and character designs that could portray every emotion, Gargoyles was, and still is, one of the most highly applauded animated series to come out of the 90s, and it's finally on DVD with Gargoyles: The Complete First Season - Special 10th Anniversary Edition.
Beginning in the days of Vikings, we're first introduced to the Gargoyles in the five-part opening episode "Awakening," which showcases the excellent animation and music that the show's known for and provides some great moments of character development. A few sub-par episodes litter the disc ("Enter MacBeth" and "The Long Way to Morning") but most of the first season is strong and it ends with the stellar "Reawakening" finale, in which Michael Dorn and Keith David provide two of the greatest voices in animation. And for those wondering, yes, "Deadly Force" is unedited here on DVD!
With that in mind, let's get right to the DVD! There is so much more that can be said about Gargoyles, and rightfully so, but the focus has got to be the DVD. After years of waiting, Disney has finally kicked off the long-awaited DVD release and, well, they did a pretty good job with Gargoyles: The Complete First Season - Special 10th Anniversary Edition (boy that's a long name, though).
Supporting such a critically acclaimed and intensely-adored show, the DVD had to meet some lofty standards as well as Disney's high marketing bar. All thirteen episodes from Season 1 are remastered, giving the show detail that was previously unseen and an even richer look in terms of colors and animation. A few video problems did present themselves in this set. There was minor interlacing in the opening text on each episode, but that problem appears only rarely outside of the episode "The Long Way to Morning," where it's seen every time the lightning flashes.
Moving to audio, there appear to be an issue or two. The track seems to have a lot of fading going on, lowering and raising the audio occasionally during scenes. This may be due to the audio track trying to throw itself to other channels to heighten the surround sound. However, if it causes such problems on basic stereo the studio seriously needs to fix it as it can get very annoying.
When it comes to the bonus features the DVD makes a good showing, with what's here (full commentary on all five parts of "Awakening," Original Show Pitch, and footage from the annual fan-convention) providing with solid entertainment. Commentaries are informative but seem to be more aimed at the hardcore fans. However, they pick up after the first part of season and end up letting us in on a lot of cool little tidbits along the way. The same goes for "The Gathering" convention footage. Fans of the show are completely devoted to it and you can definitely see their dedication.
Maybe the coolest extra for long-time fans, the original show pitch is here and presented in expectedly sub-par quality, with obvious wear and tear over the years but that can actually add to the enjoyment. It made me feel like I was watching something that only a few were supposed to see. The pitch is loaded with concept art and characters that were eventually (and sometimes drastically) changed and, yeah, it's pretty cool. The DVDs were definitely made with the fans in mind and I have to respect them for doing it, even if I sometimes felt lost along the way.
The only minor things on the discs I could find fault with were the repeated disc art, with only a color change distinguishing disc one and two. The menus are nicely animated, but icons that accompany the options on the menu look like completely generic clip art, with a play icon for "Play All" and a treasure chest for "Special Features" just to name a few. The lack of chapter stops were sorely missed by the seventh episode, proving once again that no matter how good an intro is, it still gets tiresome. It seems most of the effort in the release went into the episodes themselves and, admittedly, that is as it should be.
After such a wait, it's a thrill to see Season 1 finally here! Gargoyles: The Complete First Season - Special 10th Anniversary Edition may not be a home run, but it's a gargoyle's hair away. A little extra polish wouldn't have hurt the release, but I'm sure if Disney continues to release them, we'll see an amp up in quality. Highly Recommended!
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