Reviews

Animaniacs - New to DVD

Animaniacs (1993 Warner Brothers)

Back in 1930, the creative team at Termite Terrace gave birth to three new
animated characters for the silver screen. A trio of siblings known as
Wakko, Yakko, and Dot. Unfortunately for the Warner Brothers, the trio of
madcap "monkey children" broke lose upon the studio lot. After much chaos
and rabblerousing, the cracked brood was captured by security and locked
away in the studio water tower. Never to be heard from again. Until one day
in 1993.....

Or so the story goes.

The cartoon gods must have been feeling very generous on the day the
Animaniacs were created. No longer satisfied with the doltish toy ads which
were passing themselves off as entertainment during the bulk of the 1990's.
The gods brought forth with their mighty pens and blessed ink an entire cast
of characters to delight both young and old alike. Cartoons were saved if
only for a moment.

With this five disc release we are able to revisit the first season of
Animaniacs and see what animation can and should be. Not bland xeroxed
pitches for the latest line of plastic novelties, but well crafted
characters made possible by pen, ink, paint, and a great deal of human
imagination. The Warner Brothers and Warner Sister owe as much to the
wonderful forerunners of the animated arts, as they do those with the good
sense to bring the series to life. Throughout the entire 99 episode run of
the show homage to those who have left their mark in the entertainment
industry is paid in spades. From Lon Chaney to Mikhail Baryshnikov, the
writers of this show made sure to give tribute to those who have passed
before. And while doing so, they made sure to throw in healthy amounts of
good old fashioned cartoon violence and lunacy.

Aside from the three headliners, the show gave birth to several memorable
characters that would forever earn their spot in the cartoon hall of fame.
And season one has them all: Pinky and the Brain, Mindy with her ever so
loyal Buttons, Slappy Squirrel, the Goodfeathers, Rita and Runt, Chicken
Boo, Colin, Mr. Skullface, and Hip Hippos. All did their part to make this a
cartoon with tuning into on weekday afternoons.

This five disc set contains all twenty-five episodes from the first season.
While every short may not be one of your favorites, there are enough gems to
make this set well worth the price tag. The only thing that disappoints
about this release is the lack of special features, even if there is a
"Special Features" option on every disc. Disc three has the sole special
feature of the set; an interview with three of the lead voice actors from
the show. The interview is conducted by Maurice LaMarche, voice of the
Brain, and has him chatting with Rob Paulsen (Yakko, Pinky), Tress MacNeille
(Dot), and Jess Harnell (Wakko). They spend time reminiscing about their
time spent working on the show and spend some time hamming it up on camera
for good measure. Disc five contains trailers for various other animated
releases from the Warner catalogue.

The cartoons presented in this first collection are well preserved and
remain as enjoyable to watch today as they were back in 1993. Thus, no need
to worry that you have outgrown yet another favorite cartoon from the past.
The Animaniacs were able to do what all cartoons worth their ink are capable
of. And that is to remain timeless.
Highly recommended.
9/10
-J

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