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The Movie: One of the finest examples of Saturday morning cartoons (in my opinion) in the past 25 years, "Ducktales" was consistently clever, energetic, and incredibly fun. Seeing these episodes again brought a big smile to my face, as I can clearly remember watching both as a kid. It's disappointing that children's programming today just doesn't provide this kind of fun or adventure anymore. "Ducktales" tells the story of how Donald Duck's nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie went to live with their uncle Scrooge McDuck when Donald decided to go off an join the navy. The incredibly wealthy Scrooge takes care of the boys, who join him for adventures that lead the group to various locations around the globe. Assisted by nanny Mrs. Beakley and pilot Launchpad McQuack, the group are often the target of schemes from villian Magica DeSpell and her not-terribly-bright assistants, the Beagle boys. Overall, the show definitely had an engaging, fast-paced, "Indiana Jones" quality to it. Lessons were worked into each story, but in a way that was certainly not heavy-handed. The series operated on such a high level of quality that it gained a fairly strong adult following, as well. It's impressive to see the series again today, as the scripts are superb enough to still stand up well nearly 20 years later, offering great, well-developed characters and stories that often mixed mystery and sci-fi. Amazingly, the episodes also nearly never become repetitive, with each adventure standing out as an imaginative original. "Superdoo", where dorky friend Doofus gains superpowers, is a highlight. "Back to the Klondike", where Scrooge has to battle for fortune and the heart of old flame Glittering Goldie, is also entertaining. Other highlights include: "Double-O-Duck" (Launchpad looks like a foreign spy and agrees to help catch a counterfeiting ring), "The Golden Fleecing" (Scrooge searches for the golden fleece) and "Raiders of the Lost Harp" (When Scrooge takes a legendary ancient harp from a tomb, he reawakens a monster who wants the harp back.) Overall, the show remains - in my humble opinion - a classic and the best of Disney's terrific run of animated shows in the '80's and '90's. The fact that I clearly remembered watching nearly all of these episodes (despite not having seen them since around the first time they aired) as I was watching them says a lot about how wonderful they are. Note: fans of the series who were disappointed to find that the 5-part pilot episode, "Treasure of the Golden Suns", wasn't on the first volume will be pleased to find that it has been included here. Disc 1 Treasure of the Golden Suns (1) - Don't Give Up the Ship Treasure of the Golden Suns (2) - Wrong Way in Ronguay Treasure of the Golden Suns (3) - Three Ducks of the Condor Treasure of the Golden Suns (4) - Cold Duck Treasure of the Golden Suns (5) - Too Much of a Gold Thing Back to the Klondike Horse Scents Scrooge's Pet Disc 2 Catch as Cash Can (1) - A Drain in the Economy Catch as Cash Can (2) - A Whale of a Bad Time Catch as Cash Can (3) - Aqua Ducks Catch as Cash Can (4) - Working for Scales Merit-Time Adventure The Golden Fleecing Ducks of the West The Time Teasers Disc 3 Back Out in the Outback Raiders of the Lost Harp The Right Duck Scroogerello Double-O-Duck Luck o' the Ducks Duckworth's Revolt Magica's Magic Mirror / Take Me Out of the Ballgame The DVD VIDEO: "Duck Tales" episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 full-frame aspect ratio. The picture quality is excellent in some regards, as the animation appears crisp and well-defined and colors look bright and well-saturated. No edge enhancement or pixelation was visible, either. Unfortunately, the show is slightly starting to show its age, as there were times when minor specks, marks and dirt were spotted on the elements used. These issues were not major, but they were noticable. Still, fans will likely be pleased with the overall quality of the presentation here. SOUND: The show is presented in stereo, with clear dialogue and music. EXTRAS: Nothing. Final Thoughts: The second volume of "Duck Tales" should delight fans, as not only does it include the 5-part pilot, but 19 other terrific episodes from the show's run. While no extras are offered, audio/video quality is fine. Highly recommended, both to those who grew up with the show and families looking for fun programs to watch together. |