Warner Home Video presents

Cartoon Network Halloween: 9 Creepy Cartoon Capers (2004)

Velma: Jinkies!
Johnny Bravo: Jinkies! Jinkies, isn't that a breakfast cereal or something?Director: Various

Manufacturer: WAMO
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (mildly crude humor)
Run Time: 01h:47m:09s
Release Date: 2004-09-07
Genre: animation

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B	B	A-	B+	D-

 

DVD Review

When I was a kid, Saturdays were special because Saturdays meant cartoons all morning long. I wasn't a youthful, pudgy couch potato, and that was the one day I committed myself to vegging out with Garfield, the Ninja Turtles, and the flavor of the month. But these days, networks don't really show Saturday morning cartoons anymore. With the rise of VHS and cable, the ritual fell by the wayside, and, I believe, the Cartoon Network put the nail in the coffin. Who needs to wait for Saturday when cartoons are on every day, all day long?

On the plus side, though, the network has, for the past five years or so, created an impressive number of new cartoons to appeal to today's kids and, usually, people my age who still like watching animated shows. Their series are hipper than what I used to like, but they appeal more to me now that something I'll watch for nostalgia's sake, typically because they don't generally exist as promotions to sell toys and merchandise.

At least, not right away. Which brings me to this DVD release, a collection of nine Halloween shorts collected from some of the network's most popular original creations. Ranging in length from 12 to 24 minutes, these segments are all loosely themed around the spooky or supernatural, and some deal directly with the holiday itself. They run the gamut in terms of quality, but which you'll enjoy likely depends on which series you like best.

Included are the following: The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy: Jacked Up Halloween; Johnny Bravo: Bravo-Dooby-Doo, Dexter's Lab: Picture Day; Ed, Edd, and Eddy: Dawn of the Eds; Cow and Chicken: Cow with Four Eyes; Powerpuff Girls: Boogie Frights; Courage the Cowardly Dog: Courage Meets Bigfoot and The Demon in the Mattress; and I.M. Weasel: I.M. Vampire.

My favorite is Bravo-Dooby-Doo, in which studly Johnny Bravo meets the Mystery Machine gang, because it parodies the formula of Scooby-Doo much more effectively than the theatrical feature. If you're over the age of innocence, I wouldn't recommend watching them in one sitting, though—that hyperactive Cartoon Network sensibility is hard to take in large chunks.

Rating for Style: B
Rating for Substance: B

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Cartoon Network's series all use a similar style, with thickly outlined drawings with simple backgrounds and lots of color. Their shows always translate very well to DVD. Here, colors are bright, and the images move without a hint of digital breakup or aliasing. The source material for these shorts looks pristine, save for the Dexter's Lab inclusion, which is obviously a little older.

Image Transfer Grade: A-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English, Spanish	yes

Audio Transfer Review: Audio is presented in a front-heavy DD 2.0 mix. Most of the audio seems to come from the center channel, but sound effects are mixed directionally to the mains. There isn't a lot to say, other than that the dialogue is always clean and the effects sound suitably cartoony and crisp.

Audio Transfer Grade: B+ 

Disc Extras

Static menu with music
Scene Access with 9 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, French, Spanish with remote access
3 Other Trailer(s) featuring Cartoon Network Christmas, Code Name: Kids Next Door, What's New, Scooby Doo? Vol. 3
Packaging: Snapper
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extras Review: There aren't any extras of note, but you will find trailers for other Warner/Cartoon Network releases, including Cartoon Network Christmas, Code Name: Kids Next Door, and What's New, Scooby Doo? Vol. 3

Extras Grade: D-
 

Final Comments

Cartoon Network Halloween is a good deal for fans of the channel's offerings, with a varied selection of shorts and a nice price point.

Joel Cunningham 2004-09-09