Note: This review also concerns the following "Goldrake" feature films - GOLDRAKE L'INVINCIBILE, GOLDRAKE ADDIO! and MAZINGA VS. GOLDRAKE.
I grew up watching the original series and a handful of similar anime on Italian TV; consequently, re-acquainting myself with it on DVD via an Italian 5-Disc Set proved extremely nostalgic...but, at the same time, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it generally held up after all these years!
Admittedly, I'm averse to today's children's programmes from what little crosses my path while TV zapping, the style of animation itself has largely gone to the dogs: even if the "Goldrake" series dates from the mid-1970s, the detail is incredible with beautiful colors, imaginative settings and an action-packed narrative. The four films (compiled expressly for Italian consumption where Goldrake was, at the time, a phenomenon) package together a number of episodes, so that they feature a battle (designating the climax of each programme) every 20 minutes or so. Characterization is not exactly one-note, but certainly clearly-defined (especially the villains); it was also interesting to note the changes made to characters, robots, vehicles and settings throughout the films which in the series was, obviously, done more gradually. The comic relief is the most dated and childish aspect about it, though this is thankfully downplayed in the last 2 films.
The third film is the longest and best with the villains more engrossed in doing in one another, and which includes scenes that never made it into the series as originally broadcast on Italian TV! The fourth, then, was exhibited in the widescreen format: it brings together a plethora of robots/mutants (Devilman, Mazinga Z, Mazinger, Getta Robot) and villains but results in being extremely muddled in development (and disjointed in effect) by trying to cram too much in a mere 75 minutes! Other DVDs of these type of animated series such as Mazinga Z and Mazinger (the latter being a continuation of the former, and both among my personal favorites) are available for rental and I'd love to check them out eventually...
I grew up watching the original series and a handful of similar anime on Italian TV; consequently, re-acquainting myself with it on DVD via an Italian 5-Disc Set proved extremely nostalgic...but, at the same time, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it generally held up after all these years!
Admittedly, I'm averse to today's children's programmes from what little crosses my path while TV zapping, the style of animation itself has largely gone to the dogs: even if the "Goldrake" series dates from the mid-1970s, the detail is incredible with beautiful colors, imaginative settings and an action-packed narrative. The four films (compiled expressly for Italian consumption where Goldrake was, at the time, a phenomenon) package together a number of episodes, so that they feature a battle (designating the climax of each programme) every 20 minutes or so. Characterization is not exactly one-note, but certainly clearly-defined (especially the villains); it was also interesting to note the changes made to characters, robots, vehicles and settings throughout the films which in the series was, obviously, done more gradually. The comic relief is the most dated and childish aspect about it, though this is thankfully downplayed in the last 2 films.
The third film is the longest and best with the villains more engrossed in doing in one another, and which includes scenes that never made it into the series as originally broadcast on Italian TV! The fourth, then, was exhibited in the widescreen format: it brings together a plethora of robots/mutants (Devilman, Mazinga Z, Mazinger, Getta Robot) and villains but results in being extremely muddled in development (and disjointed in effect) by trying to cram too much in a mere 75 minutes! Other DVDs of these type of animated series such as Mazinga Z and Mazinger (the latter being a continuation of the former, and both among my personal favorites) are available for rental and I'd love to check them out eventually...