Cobra/Daybreak/He-Man & The Masters Of The Universe (2002)/Ultraman – The Complete Series (Mill Creek DVD)

 

Picture: C-/C/C+/C     Sound: C/C+/C+/C     Extras: D/C/C+/D     Episodes: C-/C/C/B

 

 

In an effort to keep titles in print from the now-defunct home video company BCI Eclipse, Mill Creek has reissued three series they originally issued and one we can see why it took so long to issue.  The dud is Cobra, a show (1993 – 94) that followed the Right-of-Center Stephen J. Cannell formula to a fault when it was dead by then.  Michael Dudikoff (Tron, American Ninja) was cast as Robert “Scandal” Jackson, but the real scandal over the 22 failed hour-long wastes of time is that the 1967 AC Cobra used for the show had more personality and better lighting than any of the cast.

 

Cannell had lost his touch and the tired 1980s style of his shows were more than played out by this time.  Everyone seems bored (except the car) and the creators fared better later with The Pretender, reviewed elsewhere on this site.  So bad it’s bad, it’s a shame the car was used so much for nothing.

 

As for the rest of the shows, here is our previous coverage in links to our original reviews for the content:

 

Daybreak

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6844/Day+Break+%E2%80%93+The+Compl

 

I liked the show much less than my fellow writer and this set does not look as good as the older set, but has the same extras.  Unless you are fanatic or need to get the show, skip both editions.

 

 

He-Man & The Masters Of the Universe (2002)

V.1

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/6690/He-Man+&+The+Masters+Of+The+Uni

V.2

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7158/He-Man+&+The+Masters+Of+The+Uni

V.3

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7506/He-Man+&+The+Masters+Of+The+Uni

 

I was not as big a fan of this series either, though it gained the franchise new fans and some of the action figures connected to it were a big collector’s hit.  Contrary to what was being reported, the extras from the original sets are here (as produced by Andy Mangels) and though I liked the transfers on the BCI editions better, this is a nice compact way to own the show.  At least until the inevitable Blu-ray set.

 

Ultraman

Volume One

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4131/Ultraman

Volume Two

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4753/Ultraman

Complete Series with similar shows also out of print

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/7725/Iron+King/Super+Robot:+Red+Baron/

 

 

Though the transfers are not top rate, the BCI discs looked a little better than the Mill Creek edition, yet the Mill Creek are on less DVDs so they take up less room.  I hope the show is upgraded for Blu-ray and we see it soon, but you have three choices to have the whole original 1967 series to fit your needs, but only the Mill Creek set is new and easy to find unopened.  The Mill Creek also has some extras from the original sets.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo