Danger Mouse – The Complete Seasons 1 & 2
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Episodes: B-
To add to the spoofs and satires of comic book superheroes
and detectives, the British came up with Danger Mouse in 1981. With a combination of the wit of the great
Jay Ward animated series and British humor, the series was aimed at younger
children, but it turns out it has a following beyond that now. This consists of not only the original fans,
but also animation fans and those who find its comedy works better than
intended. Wearing his eyepatch and
joined by amusing and mild-mannered sidekick Penfold, they battle against evil
villains out to end the career of the world’s greatest spy mouse.
A&E already had success with the terrific Courageous
Cat & Minute Mouse set, which we recommend highly, so they can look
forward to repeat fun and performance with The Complete Seasons 1 & 2. The episodes are as follows:
1) Rogue
Robots
2) Who
Stole The Bagpipes
3) Trouble
With Ghosts
4) Chicken
Run
5) The
Martian Misfit
6) The Dream
Machine
7) Lord Of
The Bungle
8) Die
Laughing
9) The
World Of Machines
10) Ice Station Camel
11) A Plague Of Pyramids
12) Custard
13) Close Encounters Of The Absurd Kind
14) The Duel
15) The Day Of The Suds
16) The Bad Luck Eye Of The Little Yellow Gold
17) The Four Tasks Of Danger Mouse
Besides being smart, this is also high quality
entertainment that is perfect for young children, who will embrace and enjoy
the characters. That is even if they do
not get British humor. This is from the
same company who produced the charming Wind In The Willows (reviewed
elsewhere on this site) that was also very respectful and considerate of a
young audience. We do not see that kind
of show much anymore, making this a really great children’s title. The show was also the result of the Spy
revival made possible initially by the success of comeback James Bond film The
Spy Who Loved Me in 1977, and Danger Mouse offered its own amusing
gadgets. It is one of the few products
of that particular cycle and its nice for it to be on DVD.
The full frame 1.33 X 1 image is pretty good, with only
graininess on some of the prints making a difference in presentation. The Color is not bad, and is consistent, if
not as rich as some shows. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 sound is stereo, boosted from the original TV monophonic sound, a
good combination that bests the old TV broadcasts easily. Extras include character profiles, though
brief, and the never-aired pilot episode The Lost Chord. It is one of the best looking prints here
and fans will get a kick out of it, as it is one of the better shows.
- Nicholas Sheffo
