Fantastic Four: The Complete 1994-95 Animated Television Series Show & DVD Details Executive Producers: Avi Arad, Stan Lee, Rick Ungar (Season 2 only) Writers: Ron Friedman, Elwin Ransom, Glenn Leopold, Steve Granat, Cydne Clark, Jan Strnad, David Ehrman Voice Cast: Beau Weaver (Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Warden Butler, Trapster), Lori Alan (Sue Richards/The Invisible Woman, Prudence Hocker), Chuck McCann (Ben Grimm/The Thing), Brian Austin Green (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch - Season 1), Quinton Flynn (Johnny Storm/The Human Torch - Season 2), Pauline Arthur Lomas (Alicia Masters), Joan Lee (Miss Forbes), Tony Jay (Galactus, Terrax), John Vernon (Dr. Doom - S1), Simon Templeman (Dr. Doom - S2), Neil Ross (The Puppet Master, Super Skrull, General Krang, Hauptmann), Robin Sachs (Silver Surfer), Iona Morris (Madam Medusa), Kathy Ireland (Crystal), Mark Hamill (Maximus, Triton, Sentry), Clyde Kusatsu (Annihilus, The Wizard, Karnak), Keith David (Black Panther/T'challa), Ron Perlman (The Wizard, The Hulk), Bill Smitrovich (Matt Murdock/Daredevil), Brad Garrett (Hydroman), Michael Dorn (Gorgon), James Warwick (Prince Namor, Sam Jaggers), Stan Lee (Himself), Richard Grieco (Ghost Rider), Katherine Moffatt (Commander Lyja), Bob Ridgely (Skrull Emperor), Jim Cummings (President Clinton, Votan), Gregg Burger (Mole Man), Ron Friedman (Blastaar), Rocky Carroll (Triton), Kerrigan Mahan (The Seeker), Jamie Horton (Psycho-man), Kay Kuter (Ego the Living Planet), John Rhys-Davies (Thor), Ron Feinberg (Terrax), Charles Howarton (Ulysses Klaw), Leeza Miller (Frankie Raye), Jess Harnell (Impossible Man), Dick Clark (Himself), Gary Owens (Himself) Running Time: 570 Minutes (26 episodes) / Rating: TV-Y7 1.33:1 Fullscreen (Original Broadcast Ratio), Dolby Surround 2.0 (English) Subtitles: English; Closed Captioned DVD Release Date: July 5, 2005 Series Airdates: September 24, 1994 - February 24, 1996 Four single-sided discs (3 DVD-9, 1 DVD-5); Suggested Retail Price: $49.99 Six-sided fold-out Digipak with cardboard slipcover

Buy from Amazon.com

As they do on nearly every Monday, the weekend box office numbers came in yesterday and the clear winner with summer theatergoers in the United States was Fox's big budget feature film adaptation Fantastic Four. It makes sense in every way that the same week the new Fantastic Four movie hit the big screen, Buena Vista Home Entertainment released "Fantastic Four": The Complete 1994-95 Animated Television Series. What better time to release a decade-old cartoon show than when the group of four superheroes are most on the mind? Buena Vista has utilized such opportunistic scheduling in the past, such as issuing episode compilations of the '90s "Spider-Man" series within days of Columbia Pictures' high-profile Spider-Man films. This time, the studio has opted for a pricier but more satisfying route, with a box set holding all twenty-six episodes from both seasons of this Saturday morning staple. If the Fox film's solid opening weekend performance is any indication, then plenty of people are ready to again embrace this superhero team. But if you're like I was not long ago, you may be wondering, "Just what is this 'Fantastic Four'?", in which case, you are invited to read on for all there is to know about this four-disc DVD debut, the show that is presented, and its characters' origins in Marvel comic books. The Fantastic Four were created in 1961 by legendary comic book writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Just years before, DC Comics had revived the genre of superhero literature with their well-received series Justice League of America. Upon a request from his superior, Lee devised his own team of heroes who would fight evil together and never lose sight of their group dynamic. With the collaboration of Kirby and other artists, Lee would go on to give birth to such enduring comic book icons as Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil, and the X-Men. But it was the Fantastic Four who first won over the public, announcing Lee as a unique genius in his field and ensuring that Marvel Comics would produce new works for years to come. Disney's highest-grossing and most critically-acclaimed film of last year was The Incredibles, Pixar Animation Studios' wonderfully imaginative tale about a family of superheroes. Some viewers drew parallels to the Fantastic Four and indeed the four central characters of Pixar's film and their respective superpowers do lend themselves to inevitable comparisons with the somewhat familial titular team of Lee and Kirby's brainstorming. Before they were the Fantastic Four, they were ordinary human beings. Well, "ordinary" to a degree; the four protagonists were a part of an outer space adventure which exposed them to cosmic rays and blessed/cursed them with their spectacular abilities. The clear leader of the pack is Reed Richards, an extremely intelligent scientist who has inherited the gift of elasticity and the name "Mr. Fantastic." His wife, Sue Richards, is the lone female in the group and the accident renders her with the powers of invisibility and force fields. Sue's younger brother Johnny Storm can now fly and self-combust at will, earning him the nickname "The Human Torch." Rounding out the group is Benjamin Grimm, a gravelly-voiced, robust orange rock creature aptly named "The Thing." This series covers the Fantastic Four's life in New York City, which, as in other comics, is a gateway to countless heroes and villains whom the ordinary public follow ardently. The '90s animated series featured here was actually the third "Fantastic Four" cartoon to grace television's airwaves. The first was a short-lived but fondly remembered Hanna-Barbera production, which made its debut in 1967. Next was the even shorter-lived "The New Fantastic Four" in 1978 which controversially employed a "cute" robot called H.E.R.B.I.E. as the fourth member, replacing the Human Torch, who was being developed for a film which never panned out. In the fall of 1994, this "Fantastic Four" took to the air when other superheroes (Marvel's Spider-Man and the X-Men, DC's Batman) were dominating Saturday morning television. It aired alongside "Iron Man" as part of Fox Kids' "The Marvel Action Hour" programming block. Most would agree that the first season of this "Fantastic Four" was pretty cheesy stuff. From the catchy but silly theme song to the abundant puns, the initial impression the show makes is that it is tailored for kids and is rather light in comparison to other comic book-adapted cartoons. The running gag is that the Four keep raising the wrath of Miss Forbes, their helpless landlord at the only apartment complex to take them in, the Baxter Building in midtown Manhattan. Each episode of the series reinforces the central characters without much interest in developing them. A typical show proceeds like this: something strange happens, naturally the doings of some bisyllabic villain. Reed will matter-of-factly explain everything going on. His explanations will frustrate the rugged comic relief (The Thing). The Four will eventually triumph over their imposing foe(s), but not before Sue can call Reed "sweetheart", Johnny can make use of his flammable nature while proclaiming his catchphrase "Flame on!", and The Thing can inform someone at some point about how he likes to clobber. The series wears its formulas on its sleeve and while not failing to entertain on occasion, it quickly feels repetitive. Things changed considerably for the second season, which begins here with the last episode on Disc 2. Out were the simplistic screenplays of Ron Friedman (who wrote almost everything in Season 1) and Baxter Building setting, in were a new instrumental theme song and a new home called Four Freedoms Plaza. "Beverly Hills, 90210" star Brian Austin Green was replaced as the voice of Johnny Storm. More Fantastic 4 Posters, Photos and Memorabilia The animation became more polished, entailing among the changes that the Four's suits were no longer a bright blue, but a dark blue outlined in a lighter color. That echoed the series' changes in tone; it too became darker, easing up on the puns and striving for drama, thanks to new writers and never-ending storylines. The new opening sequence would now often follow an opening scene, and while three of the Four starring voices stayed aboard, it was clear the show had been substantially tweaked. Unfortunately, even with a more serious approach, "Fantastic Four" does not fare so well. Though critics should affirm the higher production values of Season Two as more aesthetically pleasing, the year's episodes are not noticeably more entertaining than Season One's and several are less interesting, leaving you to yearn the semi-charming cheesiness of the debut batch. Part of the disappointment stems from the excessively repetitive nature. Another shortcoming is that so many characters (mainly villains, though some have their redeeming qualities) are juggled about that it's hard to keep track of them and stay involved without prior knowledge of the comics. Furthermore, few of the characters are fleshed out, at least to the degree that they warrant our sympathy, and that includes our heroes. Nonetheless, there is something interesting about a group of humans with unique abilities living together. The Incredibles tread similar ground and positively dazzled with its exploration of the concept. From time-to-time, this "Fantastic Four" series offers inspired plot twists or inspiring moments that are easy to appreciate. Generally, these don't come in the standard action showdowns that comprise the bulk and climax of each episode. They come from quieter moments, like the blue-eyed musclehead Ben Grimm longing to be normal again in order to please his understanding blind girlfriend, the recurring character Alicia Masters. Other times, the show excels with a clever resolution posed by the stretchy brains of the operation Mr. Fantastic. While I didn't find it too captivating, some will sympathize with the hot-headed Johnny's lovelorn blues. Even in the most underwhelming of adaptations (and I can't say this series fits that definition although it's far from the best), the surefire thrills of comic book superheroes still emerge. It could be in a line (perhaps one of The Thing's wide selection of banter), or an image (the Four taking off in their cool flying vehicle, maybe), but there's a unique spark to the original creation which cannot be fully hidden even in the coldest and shoddiest of scripts. A star () denotes my six favorite episodes from the series. DISC 1 1. "The Origin of the Fantastic Four (Part 1)" (Originally aired September 24, 1994) On Dick Clark's Scholarship Telethon program, the Fan 4 reveal their story, recounting the discovery of their superpowers and their first encounter with The Puppet Master, a shady bald man who can manipulate anyone he builds a little clay sculpture of. 2. "The Origin of the Fantastic Four (Part 2)" (Originally aired October 1, 1994) Chaos rules when The Puppet Master concocts a massive jail break by manipulating the warden. The Master's plan to rule the world collides with the Four's determined efforts to save the city. 3. "Now Comes the Sub-Mariner" (Originally aired October 8, 1994) Namor, the pointed-ears, winged-ankles prince of Atlantis comes to the surface to warn against pollution. He kidnaps and tries to woo Sue in order to further his radical plans against mankind. 4. "Incursion of the Skrull" (Originally aired October 15, 1994) The Skrulls, a group of shape-shifting aliens, impersonate the Fantastic Four to have them imprisoned and out of their way to wreak havoc. Not only does this episode boast a clever plot that's a cut above the previous three episodes, but it also shows a sense of humor, including appearances by Stan Lee (who is voiced by himself) and President Clinton (who is not). 5. "The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus (Part 1)" (Originally aired October 22, 1994) The Four get a visit from The Watcher, a member of an ancient race, who warns of Galactus, a being who thrives on devouring worlds where life is abundant. 6. "The Silver Surfer and the Coming of Galactus (Part 2)" (Originally aired October 29, 1994) Galactus and his henchmen commence in his plan to devour the planet, but the Silver Surfer discovers Alicia and decides Earth might be worth saving. The Four must battle both potential apocalypse and the threat of eviction. 7. "Super Skrull" (Originally aired November 5, 1994) The Skrulls create Super Skrull, a potent alien which can emulate the powers of each of the Fantastic Four. He drops by on New York City to wreak havoc as the Four try to record a music video to solve the damage fees they own their landlord. DISC 2 8. "The Mask of Doom (Part 1)" (Originally aired November 12, 1994) Dr. Doom lures in and kidnaps Sue, and when Reed, Ben, and Johnny race to her rescue, they too get captured. They plot their escape from Doom's castle while for her part, Sue agrees to dine with the Doc and keep him occupied. 9. "The Mask of Doom (Part 2)" (Originally aired November 19, 1994) As Reed, Ben, and Johnny plow on in their escape efforts, Sue hears Dr. Doom's life story, from his father's actions to his gradual descent towards evil genius. 10. "The Mask of Doom (Part 3)" (Originally aired November 26, 1994) Dr. Doom sends Reed, Ben, and Johnny back in time to an age when the Persians and Greeks are fighting. The three Fantastics must find and retrieve a mysterious artifact to Doom within 48 hours or else Sue will be squashed. 11. "Mole Man" (Originally aired December 3, 1994) The Fantastic Four's night out at a Rockerfeller Center social function gets interupted by Mole Man, a shady character plotting to rob the Earth of its important landmarks. 12. "Behold the Negative Zone" (Originally aired December 10, 1994) The Fantastic Four inadvertently open up a timewarp which lets Annihilius and Blastaar, two individuals set upon destroying the Earth, into New York City. When the portal closes, they must recreate a phenomenon to recreate the opening in the fabric of time in order to save the world. 13. "The Silver Surfer and the Return of Galactus" (Originally aired December 17, 1994) When images on the Four's television begin materializing in their apartment, they track down the energy source to Dr. Doom, whose latest evil plan seems to be too much for the Four, even with the help of the Silver Surfer. As the title implies, Galactus returns as well for one wild intergalactic showdown. 14. "And a Blind Man Shall Lead Them" (Originally aired September 23, 1995) Dr. Doom renders the Fantastic Four powerless, a fact which they struggle to come to terms with, except for Ben who revels in turning from "chunk to hunk." Helping the four overcome their foe is the blind superhero Daredevil. DISC 3 15. "Inhumans Saga Part 1: And the Wind Cries Medusa" (Originally aired September 30, 1995) Trapster, Hydroman, Madam Medusa, and The Wizard come together as a fearsome opposition to the Fantastic Four. They lure Ben into a dark alley and soon have him programmed to hate Reed Richards. The numbers and odds are against Reed, Sue, and Johnny as they must do battle with the evil foursome and their own friend. 16. "Inhumans Saga Part 2: Inhumans Among Us" (Originally aired October 7, 1995) Johnny, who has been getting flak from Reed and Ben about letting Medusa go, takes off on a ride and soon Medusa's pointing a blaster at him and calling the shots. From Medusa and later a woman named Crystal, Johnny and company begin to put together the pieces about the inhuman race. 17. "Inhumans Saga Part 3: Beware the Hidden Land" (Originally aired October 14, 1995) Johnny tries to follow his love interest Crystal and winds up at the Great Refuse, a secret headquarters of the inhuman race. This arc conclusion's throws a high number of characters into the mix, which makes it tough to follow, and a power struggle between Black Bolt and Maximus. Nonetheless, it proceeds in a fairly predictable manner, though it leaves things open-ended. 18. "Worlds Within Worlds" (Originally aired October 21, 1995) Reed discovers an element which is immediately sought by the evil Psycho-man. He is able to clone and manipulate the Four, and soon Sue has become Malice with a fiery personality to match her name. It's up to the other three Fantastics to overcome one of their own. 19. "To Battle the Living Planet" (Originally aired November 4, 1995) With an earthquake, Thor summons the Fantastic Four to his aid in outer space. They must grapple with Ego, the living planet, as well as Galactus. 20. "Prey of the Black Panther" (Originally aired November 11, 1995) The Fantastic Four travel to Africa and square off against the cat-like foe Black Panther. Once he's been beat, he tells them his life story and reveals that he's a tribal leader. He then joins forces with the Four to battle the threatening Claw. 21. "When Calls Galactus" (Originally aired November 18, 1995) Johnny, still gloomy over the loss of Crystal, gets a new flame when he meets Frankie Raye, a redheaded woman who acquires his power to combust. But their love may not be, as apprentice destructor Terrax, his master Galactus and others provide the usual world doom element. 22. "Nightmare in Green" (Originally aired November 25, 1995) The Thing does battle with The Hulk in the park and winds up in all the newspapers. Interestingly, Reed has brought in Dr. Bruce Banner (The Hulk's alter ego) to help him perfect gamma rays to concoct a solution to turn The Thing back to his old human self. Dr. Doom capitalizes on The Hulk's explosive nature to turn him against the Fantastic Four. DISC 4 23. "Behold, A Distant Star" (Originally aired February 3, 1996) Sue gets some shrapnel in her head and the only doctor who can save her is her father, who has been missing for years. Coincidentally, he performs the delicate surgery needed, but soon the authorities come to arrest him for murder. Has Mr. Storm lost it or is he simply a pawn in the Skrulls' efforts to eliminate the Fantastic Four? 24. "Hopelessly Impossible" (Originally aired February 10, 1996) Impossible Man, a fast-talking green creature, reads about the Four's adventure in what amounts to more or less a Season 2 highlight show. 25. "The Sentry Sinister" (Originally aired February 17, 1996) The Fantastic Four go on a vacation to a South Pacific island, where they come across a large robot called Sentry. Johnny stays home and gets reunited with Crystal when Black Bolt frees all the inhumans. 26. "Doomsday" (Originally aired February 24, 1996) Doctor Doom preys upon Silver Surfer and takes his powers to live up to his name. As usual, he provides a formidable foe for the Fantastic Four to face off. VIDEO and AUDIO Naturally, this DVD set presents the series in its native 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Video is mostly what you'd expect from a decade-old television cartoon. The animation lacks the polish of its theatrical kin and picture quality likewise doesn't reach the most satisfying heights. Some of the visual effects attempted are not ideally achieved; typically, the shaky camera method to depict chaos looks poorly here. The print occasionally has some dirt on it, but it's usually not bad at all. Episodes run a surprisingly wide gamut, with some looking rather fine and others showing some wear and tear. At times, there's a bit of ringing around edges and minor moiré effect. Overall, the set's video neither provides some dazzling revelation nor a major disappointment; the limited animation is conveyed satisfactorily. As far as audio goes, the series is offered only in Dolby Stereo Surround. It too meets expectations but does not surpass them. The soundtrack is basically all from the front speakers, with the surrounds offering a bit of echoing on effects and a little more on music. Dialogue is always intelligible, though lipsynch isn't always perfect (probably attributable to the original animation, not the DVD). Both the sound design and transfer seem capable but unremarkable in comparison to what today's theatrical cartoons deliver. BONUS FEATURES, MENUS and DESIGN On all four discs, the twenty-six included episodes are offered with introductions from co-creator Stan Lee. On average, these run 25 to 30 seconds long, and feature the fervent Lee hyping each and every one of the episodes. When selecting individual episodes from the menu, you need to select whether or not you want Lee's introduction to play. While the optional nature of the bonus feature is appreciated, surely there was a better way to design this. After the episode concludes, the DVD returns to the intro selection screen. Alternatively, any and all of Lee's hype-heavy introductions on each disc can be viewed from a separate menu under that disc's Bonus Features. The only other bonus feature is "Stan Lee's Soapbox" (7:44) on Disc 1, which is not a surprising inclusion since it's a staple of Buena Vista's cartoon "Spider-Man" DVD compilations. Like the other incarnations, this interview featurette allows the enthusiastic octogenarian to reflect on a variety of topics pertaining to his superhero creations. It's a bit more focused than some of his other pieces I've seen and is pretty tightly-edited, but it achieves the same kind of entertaining ramble. Lee recalls the Fantastic Four's origins, what appealed to him about the familial group camarederie, and some of his favorite villains. He even shares what he thinks about The Incredibles (without actually seeing it). There seems to be no shortage of things for Lee to say, which makes this montage go by quickly. It's certainly the highlight bonus feature of the set, as Lee fares quite better in earnest retrospection than in his promotional introductions. While Lee's comments here don't specifically apply to the animated series being presented, his flair for candid extemporaneity make this a wise and obvious supplement which certainly does its part to sweeten the set. The 16x9 menu screens are not animated at all but each is accompanied by looped dance groove instrumentals which aren't from the show. In fact, the music may be a bit much, but otherwise, the menus (except for the introduction option snafu) are serviceable and easy to navigate. Sneak peeks play at the start of Disc One for Chicken Little, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (the unrevealing title-only teaser), and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Additional promos are available from the Sneak Peeks menu for Spider-Man: The '67 Collection, Spider-Man: The Venom Saga, Scrubs: Season One, The Pacifier, and "Power Rangers S.P.D." on Toon Disney. The box set is packaged the same way Disney has been doing most of their season sets for television sitcoms, in a six-sided fold-out Digipak. The four discs overlap on two sides of the case, and as you'd expect, each disc's art features one of the Fantastic Four members. The Digipak contains listings of the provided episodes and the Four character names, plus some general artwork. This Digipak is housed in a cardboard slipcover which replicates only one side of the inner case and adds a neat holographic effect. Inside the case, you'll also find an entry form to win a Buena Vista TV-on-DVD library, plus a catalogue of Buena Vista's crowdpleasing television season sets. Each Season 1 episode runs 21 minutes and 48 seconds long including the one-minute opening credits sequence which culls most of its material from the first episode and one-minute closing credits. Most of Season 2's shows clock in at 21 minutes and 54 seconds, though some run a bit longer, up to 22 minutes and 31 seconds. There are no chapter stops within episodes, aside from the optional Stan Lee introductions, which if activated, can be easily skipped. There's a few minor annoyances as far as the presentation goes. At the beginning of some episodes, TV-Y7 and CC logos are on the picture for 20 and 10 seconds respectively. There is seemingly no pattern to which episodes they're included on and which they're not; the former graphic would definitely not have been on the original broadcast (which predated the television ratings system) and it's odd to see the closed captioned logos too. Equally unusual is that some episodes apparently feature the wrong batch of end credits, particularly noticeable on a few shows near the end of the run where the guest voice cast clearly does not pertain to the show that just wrapped. Season 1's end credits also mention "live action footage", but there is none of this to be found and I'm not sure just what it is referring to. CLOSING THOUGHTS Fans of this '90s incarnation of "Fantastic Four" should be fairly pleased with Buena Vista's box set presentation of the entire animated series, but an interest in comic superheroes or Fox's new feature film adaptation is pretty much a prerequisite for anyone else to enjoy this set. While the set's audio/video quality, design, and bonus features all leave some room for improvement, the complete series route taken is undoubtedly preferred to the episode compilations the studio has opted for with fellow '90s Marvel adaptation "Spider-Man." Though those who recall enjoying this series should take pleasure in revisiting it a decade later, the unacquainted with high expectations will likely be turned off by the unwelcoming nature of the scripts and the subpar animation. As such, it's recommended for comic book enthusiasts and known followers, but should be sampled before buying for those with only passing interest. More on the DVD / Buy from Amazon.com