On DVD: Animaniacs Volume 3

Produced By Steven Spielberg

I've loved going back and checking out these box sets so.  Animaniacs ran on Kids WB but it was definitely one of those series that all ages could find something to enjoy in it.

The Volume

So, in case you don't know the story of the Animaniacs and you haven't read our reviews of the previous box sets I'll take a few words to share the concept of the show.  Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are the black sheep of Warner Brothers animation.  When they were originally created they were deemed just too wild for Warner so they were locked up in the water tower on the lot.  but these guys couldn't be caged, so they escape and cause plenty of chaos in these episodes.

Throughout this set there are plenty of great gags and things seem to get more adult in nature than in previous sets.  I think the creators finally started to realize that the audience for the show ended up being a good bit older than they originally expected.  This transition into more adult themes makes some of the obviously educational episodes still directed at young viewers stand out as being a bit boring.  So if you sit through big blocks of this volume it may feel unbalanced here and there because of the transition to more adult themed episode to after school special episode.  Now, with that said the after school special episodes are still well done and they offer some laughs.

The other issue with this series is that it's very topical and the creators liked to use the series to comment on Hollywood from the inside out.  There's even an episode about Variety magazine!  The topical nature of many of the episodes make them feel out of date, you know sort of like watching the first Shrek movie now.

The above complaints are minor when you consider just how cleverly written this series is overall.  Also, the Pinky and the Brain segments are consistently outstanding and represent why these characters deserved a spin off.  I love the classic Looney Tunes feel of the series mixed with modern production and writing.  Animation fans should own all of these volumes.  There aren't any animated series on television today with such complex and silly characters.  Yes there will be a few episodes that feel to dated or to Hollywood obsessed but for each of these episodes there are many more that will have your stomach sore from laughing.

8.5/10

The Video

The full screen transfers here definitely show their age.  There's plenty of dirt and grain on the prints and the opening and closing credits look pretty bad.  Within the episodes look pretty solid and black levels are decent considering the age of the show.

6/10

The Audio

The Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes here are pretty basic but they offer strong and crisp dialogue and clean music.  It's not mind blowing but it's good enough considering the age of the series.

7/10

Packaging and Bonus Features

There are 24 episodes on 5 discs all inside a cardboard case matching the previous releases.  The cardboard boxes are thick and sturdy and should last through many viewings.  The artwork feels a bit standard but again it does match the previous releases.

"The Can't Help it If They're Cute, They're Just Drawn That Way" is a featurette focusing on the art design of the series.  There are interviews with the crew including many of the animators.  There are also many great animation extras including looks at the backgrounds and early versions of some of the characters.

"They're Totally Insane-y: In Cadence With Richard Stone" is a featurette covering the music of the show along with a tribute to the passed away composer of the series.  There are interviews with writers, voice actors,  and composers along with scenes featuring the music of the show.

Both of these near half hour long featurettes surprised me with their quality and the level of information they shared.  Typically with animated series we get nothing or fluff for features but here you'll get some great information.  Along with the two featurettes listed above there are some trailers.  If they pulled these folks together for the featurettes why couldn't they have had then do a couple of commentaries?

7/10

Easily one of the best animated series on television continues to be great in this third volume.  Fans of animation should definitely pick this one up.

Overall (Not an Average) 8/10

The Movie 8.5/10

The Video 6/10

The Audio 7/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 7/10

Overall (Not an Average) 8/10

-Stephen Lackey