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Gatchaman Collection
Urban Vision // Unrated // July 17, 2001
List Price: $29.95 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The world is in peril! Just as many of the world nations combine their efforts and prepare to stamp out pollution and energy concerns altogether, the agents of the alien force Galactor toss a monkeywrench into the recently greased gears of peace. Galactor isn't just interested in total global domination -- they want to cleanse the earth of the disease of mankind entirely. The pompous U.N. forces isn't making much headway, so Dr. Nambu calls in his specially assembled squad of super agents -- Science Ninja Team Gatchaman! Various incarnations of Gatchaman have made their way stateside under a variety of names -- "The Battle of the Planets", "G-Force", and "Eagle Riders". This DVD from Urban Vision compiles three volumes of the 1994 incarnation of the series, and unlike the Sandy Frank-icized versions of days past, these episodes are presented uncut and can even be viewed with its original Japanese audio intact.
I'd probably be more enthusiastic about "Gatchaman" if the emphasis were more on action instead of a seemingly endless barrage of dialogue. The battle sequences are choreographed rather nicely, and the fluid, dynamic style of animation really got my blood pumping. The Science Ninja Team doesn't pull any punches, and although this isn't an extremely gory series along the lines of "Nightmare Campus", their attack methods are swift, brutal, and often bloody. "Gatchaman" has the same sort of pacing problems as your average Godzilla movie, though. The memorable action sequences are buried in conversations and exposition. I don't want to hear the supporting cast chat at length about the aliens' plans. There's enough action throughout its 135 minute runtime to keep me from fighting the 'play at 30X speed' temptation, but in a series with one-dimensional characters and an unoriginal premise, just a few more battles could've done some good. "Gatchaman" isn't a revelation or anything, but it's a fun little series, and running well over 2 hours, this collection offers more for your buck than a number of similar releases from other companies.
Video: The full-frame video seems to be culled from a couple of different sources. Even within an individual scene, some shots are noticeably less sharp than others, often sporting murkier colors. Assorted specks on the prints used are rare, and there's very little in the way of other flaws. The sharper, more vibrant portions of these episodes look fantastic, but the inconsistency gives "Gatchaman" the appearance of a cable broadcast, not a shiny new DVD. I don't want to give the impression that "Gatchaman" looks bad or anything, but I couldn't help but think that just a little more in the way of consistency would've led to a much more impressive end result.
Audio: "Gatchaman" can be viewed in English or Japanese stereo surround. I listened to the dub briefly, and from what little I heard, the re-recorded dialogue doesn't sound half-bad. I spent the majority of my time with "Gatchaman" in Japanese. The disc doesn't make any mention of Urban Vision spiffing up the audio in "Gatchaman", but this Japanese track is exceptionally well done. The emphasis in the stereo surround audio is 'surround', and that mono audio pumping out of the rears makes the Godphoenix flight sequences and the handful of battles feel far more enveloping and engaging than they would've otherwise. The dialogue comes through crisply and clearly, and the music sounds rich and full. The score tends to sound like a blend of outtakes from Hanna-Barbara's "Birdman" and the tinny Casio music playing in the background of an informercial on quick-turn real-estate, but it's reproduced rather well, regardless. There's also a laughably bad song that's apparently from some of the guys from "Earth, Wind, and Fire" called "Try To Try Till You Try" or somesuch, and on the off-chance that you didn't get quite enough of the song during its appearance in the first volume, it resurfaces when the end credits start to roll on volume 3. Keep the 'MUTE' button handy to minimize the torment. This is an excellent effort, and although some of the explosions are a little lacking in resonance, I was pretty impressed.
Supplements: Trailers and weblinks.
Conclusion: "Gatchaman" isn't likely to fully convert any budding anime fans, but this collection still manages to make for a pretty fun ride for those who know and love this style of animation. Quite a few online retailers offering up this set for around $20 shipped, and at that price, "Gatchaman" is worth a purchase. Recommended.
I'd probably be more enthusiastic about "Gatchaman" if the emphasis were more on action instead of a seemingly endless barrage of dialogue. The battle sequences are choreographed rather nicely, and the fluid, dynamic style of animation really got my blood pumping. The Science Ninja Team doesn't pull any punches, and although this isn't an extremely gory series along the lines of "Nightmare Campus", their attack methods are swift, brutal, and often bloody. "Gatchaman" has the same sort of pacing problems as your average Godzilla movie, though. The memorable action sequences are buried in conversations and exposition. I don't want to hear the supporting cast chat at length about the aliens' plans. There's enough action throughout its 135 minute runtime to keep me from fighting the 'play at 30X speed' temptation, but in a series with one-dimensional characters and an unoriginal premise, just a few more battles could've done some good. "Gatchaman" isn't a revelation or anything, but it's a fun little series, and running well over 2 hours, this collection offers more for your buck than a number of similar releases from other companies.
Video: The full-frame video seems to be culled from a couple of different sources. Even within an individual scene, some shots are noticeably less sharp than others, often sporting murkier colors. Assorted specks on the prints used are rare, and there's very little in the way of other flaws. The sharper, more vibrant portions of these episodes look fantastic, but the inconsistency gives "Gatchaman" the appearance of a cable broadcast, not a shiny new DVD. I don't want to give the impression that "Gatchaman" looks bad or anything, but I couldn't help but think that just a little more in the way of consistency would've led to a much more impressive end result.
Audio: "Gatchaman" can be viewed in English or Japanese stereo surround. I listened to the dub briefly, and from what little I heard, the re-recorded dialogue doesn't sound half-bad. I spent the majority of my time with "Gatchaman" in Japanese. The disc doesn't make any mention of Urban Vision spiffing up the audio in "Gatchaman", but this Japanese track is exceptionally well done. The emphasis in the stereo surround audio is 'surround', and that mono audio pumping out of the rears makes the Godphoenix flight sequences and the handful of battles feel far more enveloping and engaging than they would've otherwise. The dialogue comes through crisply and clearly, and the music sounds rich and full. The score tends to sound like a blend of outtakes from Hanna-Barbara's "Birdman" and the tinny Casio music playing in the background of an informercial on quick-turn real-estate, but it's reproduced rather well, regardless. There's also a laughably bad song that's apparently from some of the guys from "Earth, Wind, and Fire" called "Try To Try Till You Try" or somesuch, and on the off-chance that you didn't get quite enough of the song during its appearance in the first volume, it resurfaces when the end credits start to roll on volume 3. Keep the 'MUTE' button handy to minimize the torment. This is an excellent effort, and although some of the explosions are a little lacking in resonance, I was pretty impressed.
Supplements: Trailers and weblinks.
Conclusion: "Gatchaman" isn't likely to fully convert any budding anime fans, but this collection still manages to make for a pretty fun ride for those who know and love this style of animation. Quite a few online retailers offering up this set for around $20 shipped, and at that price, "Gatchaman" is worth a purchase. Recommended.
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