The Rangers (as you might guess from the name) are Wild West space cowboys; they even ride robo-steeds.
The series is episodic in nature and one of the nice features of the set is that fans get to watch the episodes in their original order, which was not the case when the series was originally broadcast in 1986. The storyline isn´t nearly as tight as "Star Blazers" and you can easily follow the episodes even if you watch them out of order. The real progress in the series isn´t so much from a single narrative thread, but rather the way in which information about the characters is gradually doled out. Even if the animation is mediocre, and the stories fairly formulaic, the characters in the series are more interesting and complex than in most of its peer programs, though that´s a relative statement, of course.
The four-disc boxed set contains 32 episodes of the 64 episode run. No doubt Volume 2 will shortly follow. Each episode is approximately 22 minutes long.
Video
The episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 broadcast ratio. The transfer is solid all around, and even if it´s not digitally restored, I don´t think fans will have any complaints about the image quality.
Audio
The DVDs are presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. There are no subtitles or close captions.
Extras
All of the extras are located on Disc One.
Fans will most likely be interested in three of the features. The first is a commentary track on the episode "New Frontier" by Robert Mandell, Henry Mandell, and Christopher Rowley. Second is the Pilot/Demo Reel of the show in which the story closely resembles the first episode but with a few minor changes (including a worm-hole.) Third is an interview with creator Robert Mandell (14 min) who discusses his background and inspiration for the show.
The disc also includes a music video for the somewhat painful theme son "No Guts, No Glory" as well as four original music tracks.
Another neat feature is an Audio Slideshow (20 min.) which replicates an audiotape/book combo for the "Tortuna" episode. Kids could listen to the tape and turn the page each time a chime rang; here the DVD automatically "flips" to the next page with each chime.
The boxed sets also comes with a very useful 32-page visual guide to the characters which was certainly of great help to this reviewer.
Series Value
"Galaxy Rangers" isn´t quite my cup of tea, and I have to admit that I only watched about a half dozen to prepare for this review. As a result, I´m going to give it the benefit of the doubt and a mild recommendation. It doesn´t really matter; this set is pitched at fans of the show who already know that they want to pick up this little slice of their youth. It´s cute, it´s fun, and occasionally rather funny.
The series has previously been released on single four-episode discs. It is much more affordable for fans to buy this set of 32 episodes with the added bonus of getting to watch them all in their original chronological order.
The four-disc boxed set contains 32 episodes of the 64 episode run. No doubt Volume 2 will shortly follow. Each episode is approximately 22 minutes long.
Video
The episodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 broadcast ratio. The transfer is solid all around, and even if it´s not digitally restored, I don´t think fans will have any complaints about the image quality.
Audio
The DVDs are presented in Dolby Digital Stereo. There are no subtitles or close captions.
Extras
All of the extras are located on Disc One.
Fans will most likely be interested in three of the features. The first is a commentary track on the episode "New Frontier" by Robert Mandell, Henry Mandell, and Christopher Rowley. Second is the Pilot/Demo Reel of the show in which the story closely resembles the first episode but with a few minor changes (including a worm-hole.) Third is an interview with creator Robert Mandell (14 min) who discusses his background and inspiration for the show.
The disc also includes a music video for the somewhat painful theme son "No Guts, No Glory" as well as four original music tracks.
Another neat feature is an Audio Slideshow (20 min.) which replicates an audiotape/book combo for the "Tortuna" episode. Kids could listen to the tape and turn the page each time a chime rang; here the DVD automatically "flips" to the next page with each chime.
The boxed sets also comes with a very useful 32-page visual guide to the characters which was certainly of great help to this reviewer.
Series Value
"Galaxy Rangers" isn´t quite my cup of tea, and I have to admit that I only watched about a half dozen to prepare for this review. As a result, I´m going to give it the benefit of the doubt and a mild recommendation. It doesn´t really matter; this set is pitched at fans of the show who already know that they want to pick up this little slice of their youth. It´s cute, it´s fun, and occasionally rather funny.
The series has previously been released on single four-episode discs. It is much more affordable for fans to buy this set of 32 episodes with the added bonus of getting to watch them all in their original chronological order.
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[release]23822[/release]