Max Fleischer’s
Superman: 1941 - 1942 (Warner DVD)
Picture: B-
Sound: C Extras: C+ Animated shorts: B+
After endless bad releases on VHS, Beta, LaserDisc and
DVD, with very little good or memorable to speak of, but Warner Bros. and DC
Comics finally has issued their set of the landmark animated Max Fleischer
Superman shorts and they have not
looked this good for about as long as anyone can remember. You can read details about the shorts in one
of the more ambitious DVD versions at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3830/Superman+–+The+Ultimate+Max+Fle
The titles again are:
1)
The Man Scientist
2)
The Mechanical Monsters
3)
Billion
Dollar Limited
4)
The Arctic Giant
5)
The Bulleteers
6)
The Magnetic Telescope
7)
Electric Earthquake
8)
Volcano
9)
Terror On The Midway
10) The Japoteurs
11) Showdown
12) Eleventh Hour
13) Destruction, Inc.
14) The Mummy Strikes
15) Jungle Drums
16) The Underground World
17) Secret Agent
The first nine are on DVD 1 with the Fleischers at the
helm, then DVD 2 has the rest, which are the eight WWII propaganda shorts. More noticeable than ever, the color is more
complex and better overall than the WWII shorts when Paramount took the studio
over as the Fleischers had a falling out that took the studio with it. After so many versions with usually bad,
faded, scratched and even tampered-with (recolored!) prints, this is the first
timer you can not only seethe color on the screen. Now, you can also see the money on the
screen.
What cost $700,000 per short then would be millions now
and the work is often stunning and a peak of the studio at its best. Max Fleischer did not want to do it, so he
told Paramount how expensive it would be and the studio (#2 in that era) agreed
to foot the sky high bills. Glad they
did.
The 1.33 X 1 image is very consistent throughout. You will see spots of damage and other slight
problems here and there, while slivers on all four sides seem to be missing in
some cases. With all that, the color
(especially on DVD 1) is incredible for animation and the DVD format, as all
the shorts were made in three-strip dye-transfer Technicolor, some of the
qualities which are pleasantly on surprise here. You can use DVD 1 in particular as demo material
despite the flaws. The Dolby Digital 1.0
Mono is not always as clean or clear and can be compressed and limited, making
one wish for 2.0 Mono instead. Still,
even the sound design on these were impressive for their time.
Extras include a sneak peak at the animated Green Lantern, trailers and two
featurettes: First Flight: The Fleischer
Superman Series and The Man, The
Myth, Superman.
- Nicholas Sheffo
