He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – Volume One (2002/BCI DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: B Episodes: B-
It may be
darker and more detailed, but it is the same old He-Man. In 2002 Mike Young Productions revived the
slumbering 1980’s He-Man series, but
with a new spin. The new production of
the series set out to breathe more life into a series than ever before; whereas
the original series was much loved and admired in its 1980’s debut, it did lack
much continuity and depth. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe:
Volume One (2002) is the first half (13 episodes) of the First Season. The beginning of the series is composed of a
three part mini-movie series that explores the origins of He-Man and how he
transformed from a spoiled brat named Prince Adam, into one of the most
powerful men in the land of Eternia.
After years of the evils of Eternia being kept at bay by a mystic wall,
Skeletor and The Evil Horde manage to break through and wage battle on the
lands and all its people. Prince Adam’s
Father (the king) is kidnapped by Skeletor and Adam (now He-Man) sets out to
rescue his father and defeat the evils that threaten his people.
The
concept of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has always been captivating
to this reviewer. The fictional world
that the writers have created is interesting and engaging; this reviewer
thought the original series was fun but definitely was not edgy enough. The 2002 revamp of He-Man is not nearly as
interesting and dark as recent series like Justice League, but is definitely
miles ahead of what the 1980’s series was.
Does that mean this new series is better than the 1980’s series? Not necessarily, it is just refreshing and
different; bringing a new light to an old idea.
The 1980’s series never delved into back story or where the heroes or
villains came from; instead it was always just assumed that is a bad guy and
that is a good guy, no questions. The
2002 reimagining of He-Man takes the classic characters and gives them a
stronger level of depth, emotion, and history.
Beyond each individual character having a level of continuity, the new
He-Man series allowed each episode to flow together, which ultimately engages a
viewer and makes them want to see more.
Overall, the series is well presented and ranks up there as one of the
better remakes of a classic series.
The
technical features of this 2002 remake are good, but not above and beyond. Being that this is a newer series the picture
is in good shape in its 1.78 X 1 Anamorphic Widescreen (thank God not Full Screen) and maintains solid
colors throughout with the picture only occasionally looking too dark or
matted. The sound is nice in its Dolby
Digital 2.0 Stereos, but would have like to have heard a more booming surround
presentation as He-Man shouted out his battle cries. The extras are well presented as is always
seen from BCI Eclipse, offering fans ‘End of Episode Morals’ (not seen
previously in the USA broadcasts), a ‘World of He-Man Highlight Show,’ 3 image
galleries, 3 extended video commentaries, 5 audio commentaries, and three full
episode animatics. There are also some
DVD-Rom enabled features to view the 13 original scripts. The set also gives fans a little bonus by
including two Art Cards by well known comic book artists Ben Templesmith and
Dustin Nguyen. There is also a nice
little insert booklet that describes each episode and extra.
The
extras were entertaining but not something this reviewer would watch again and
again.
The
replacement disc for the BCI Eclipse's release of He-Man and the Masters of
the Universe Volume 1 (2002), Disc-1 can be ordered by either
sending an email to HeManDisc@gmail.com or calling 866-641-3472. Please include
your name, your address, a daytime telephone number and the store name and
location where you purchased your DVD.
- Michael P Dougherty II
