Review: 'Adventure Time' on Blu-ray is good for the soul
Posted Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at 2:58 PM Central
Last updated Wednesday, June 5, 2013 at 3:03 PM Central
by Tim Briscoe
It's not very often that a television show designed for kids reaches a broader appeal. That's exactly what has happened with the Cartoon Network show Adventure Time. It's not only a hit with teens and pre-teens but it's also a favorite of older generations. The show has spawned toys, video games, comic books, and a spin-off show. It's also earned three Primetime Emmy nominations.
Adventure Time is the animated story of Finn, a teenage boy, and his best friend Jake the shape-shifting dog. They reside in a fantasy world inhabited by strange monsters but also cute creatures. The series was created by Pen Ward and is currently running in its fifth season. Seasons one and two were released on Blu-ray this week in jam-packed sets. (Season 1 was previously released on DVD but this is its Blu-ray debut along with a simultaneous DVD premiere for Season 2.)
Even though I'm a fan of animation, I was reluctant to dive into Adventure Time when it first began airing in 2010. Its bizarre storylines seemed a little too far-fetched for my tastes. My pre-teen kids took to it instantly. After having devoured the show on Blu-ray, I can see now how they became hooked. Adventure Time is a fresh departure from stale, unimaginative shows that are common with American-made cartoons.
When getting into fantasy worlds, you often have to suspend your disbelief. With Adventure Time, you have to take your disbelief and lock it away inside a hermetically-sealed box. It's just that "out there".
Hopefully you can check your own sensibilities for a second to digest more of the show's concept. Finn and Jake live in the Land of Ooo, a post-apocalyptic continent dominated by the mystical. This place also holds many unusual characters both good and bad: Princess Bubblegum, the Ice King, Marceline the Vampire Queen, the cloud-shaped Lumpy Space Princess, the sentient game console BMO (pronounced Beemo), the tiny elephant Tree Trunks, Jake's girlfriend Lady Rainicorn -- just to name a few. I think the show owes a lot to the most imaginative aspects of live-action Pee-Wee's Playhouse. It also reminds me of the 1988 animated film Felix The Cat: The Movie. It's fantasy adventure but it's also darkly comedic and very musical.
These new Blu-rays give you the best way to experience the show. It's not said often enough, well-produced animation looks amazing on Blu-ray. I believe it looks (and sounds) even more remarkable than it does on high-definition cable TV. Each Blu-ray contains the 26 episodes from each season.
In addition to final production, Season 1 offers a sampling of episodes with the original, roughly animated storyboards. These animated include commentary from the show's creators and Ward himself. That same disc also has other episodes with commentary from the show's voice actors. Both are great ways to learn more about the making of the show and hear some funny stories. Season 2 offers commentaries for all 26 episodes with Ward and other members of the show's artists and writers.
Not to be missed are the small, live-action featurettes that share more about the crew. The behind-the-scenes and behind-the-behind-the-scenes videos from Season 1 are my favorites. They are just as trippy as the show itself.
Adventure Time is one of those shows that feels strangely comforting. It's like a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup when you have cold. You can't pinpoint why but it just makes you feel better. And really, that's the greatest value of these discs: the replay value is extremely high. These episodes will get repeated watchings, either when the weather outside is bad or you just need to smile.
