Since the early 1940's Chip and Dale have been major players in the Disney universe. Granted they have spent most of their time tormenting Pluto and Donald but in the late 80's they got a spotlight of their own.

Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers joined the already successful Ducktales in the Disney Afternoon lineup. That timeslot was what kids lived for. There was nothing better than getting your school work done and sitting down to watch Scrooge search for treasure or the chipmunks stop the bad guys. In the years that followed more shows like TaleSpin and Darkwing Duck joined the lineup to make the block even more powerful.

I personally hadn't seen any of those shows since they aired but thanks to Disney DVD all of these have been hitting the marketplace. As is the case with most things, revisiting anything from childhood means that nostalgia is typically the driving force of a viewer's interest. If you're anything like me then you've gone back to watch a show or a movie that was a favorite of yours from when you were a kid. The results often vary and unfortunately that is the case with some of the shows from the Disney Afternoon.

I was 12 at the time that Rescue Rangers aired and back then I absolutely loved it. Now, 17 years later, the series has lost some of its appeal for me. While Ducktales has proven to be just as entertaining as it was when I was younger, the stories of Chip and Dale's adventures just don't feel as timeless. That doesn't mean Rescue Rangers isn't decent; it's just something that will be appreciated by younger viewers instead of a more diverse age group.

The difference between this show and others from the Disney Afternoon was the fact that there were humans in Rescue Rangers. This made the actions of our heroes seem childish compared to a world such as Ducktales' where everybody is an animal. You really had to use your imagination and leave your brain at the door in order to believe what was going on. This made Rescue Rangers decidedly more childish I guess you could say.

In case you have never seen Rescue Rangers the show featured Chip and Dale going out in the world to fight crime. They are joined by a few other characters along the way to help round out the cast and add some diversity. Gadget, a cute mousey inventor, was the smarty pants of the group. Monterey Jack was a lumbering lummox who went gaga for cheese and was buddies with a fly named Zipper. In each episode they would go out into the world to right some wrong and it didn't matter how big the case was. From finding a lost kitten to stopping Fat Cat's nefarious plots the Rescue Rangers were always out on the prowl.

The first volume featured a good supply of episodes that were more or less decent in quality. There was no continuity between episodes and no pilot to set everything up. Even so Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers Volume One was an attractive release for fans such as myself who wanted to check the show out again and also proved to be something that a new generation of kids could get into.

The second volume of Rescue Rangers comes along with 24 episodes of acorn adoring goodness. Included here is the pilot that was sorely missed from the first release. Due to the nature of production and airing the pilot's presentation here is broken down into five episodes (much like Ducktales' "Treasure of the Golden Suns") and is included on the first disc of the set. "Rescue Rangers to the Rescue" tells a tale about how Chip and Dale formed the Rescue Rangers and met Monterey, Gadget and Zipper. It also introduces Fat Cat and Nimnul with a plot involving a stolen ruby and a flying block of ice. I remembered much of the pilot from when it originally aired and seeing it again proved to be nearly as entertaining.

After the pilot the second volume slips into the pattern of one episodic adventure after another. That's fine and dandy because this is a children's show but I found that a series like Ducktales was far more entertaining with storylines that spread across multiple episodes. Even so there are some gems to be found in this set that were a lot of fun despite the age factor. "Seer No Evil", "Double 'O' Chipmunks", "Gadget Goes Hawaiian", and "It's a Bird, It's Insane, It's Dale!" were just a few of my favorites.

Despite the fact that Rescue Rangers proves itself to be more entertaining for the kiddies and less-so for the adults, this is a good collection of episodes. Having the pilot is a definite plus and most of these episodes are very successful with what they intend to do. If you were a fan of the show in your younger years I'd say it's worth checking the DVDs out for those times when you just want to leave your brain at the door and sit through a nostalgic cartoon. Chances are also very good that many fans of the show have children of their own by now; if that's the case then it's definitely worth picking this show up for some family viewing.

Just like the first volume of Rescue Rangers on DVD the video quality in the second release leaves something to be desired. The image here is pretty poor with issues such as softness, grain, speckle, and washed out colors. It looks sparsely better than a VHS tape by comparison and really dates the material to a point beyond its production. It doesn't take away from the quality of the story or anything but from a technical point of view the DVD does leave one wanting.

Once again Rescue Rangers gets a Dolby Digital mono track that does little to impress the senses. The show probably sounds about as good as it did when it was first aired but that doesn't quite help matters in this day and age. Much of the audio is muffled and the volume pitches drastically at times. The clarity is fine but the lack of diversity in the soundstage does nothing for the atmosphere. It's still a better alternative to watching taped episodes on VHS but nowhere near as nice as it could have been.

Nothing is included in this set that could be construed as bonus content. If there was some commentary or even a documentary or two it would have definitely added more weight for older fans.

Seventeen years ago I was a fan of Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers and to this day I have retained fond memories of the program. Unfortunately many things from our youth don't entertain as well later in life; such is the plight of nostalgia. While Rescue Rangers is a cute program and has remained endearing over the years the simplicity of each plot and the silly nature of the concept leave it geared towards a decidedly younger audience. That doesn't mean that the second volume isn't successful though.

The fact that the pilot is included and that the set has several great episodes helps cushion the adorable blow. Older fans will still want to add it to their collection for occasional viewing but it's those of us with children that will get the most out of the set. Since Chip and Dale are commonly known amongst the Disney crowd getting the kiddies to watch Rescue Rangers will be an easy task. It's a fun and irreverent animated adventure that children of all ages can enjoy.

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