Release Date: 9/18/07

The Show

I can’t say I’ve ever been a huge fan of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Maybe when I caught on television when I was little, the humor was over my head. Maybe when I watched these episodes in 2007, the humor wasn’t exactly relevant or as timeless as I thought it would be. However, all was not lost, as I did mention to find some entertainment after spending sometime with The Best of Rocky and Bullwinkle – Volume 2 by way of some clever obvious humor.

So the animation is could be considered crude by today’s standards (or even yesterday’s standards) and the plots are anything but groundbreaking. However, the real draw for fans of Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose is the timing of their one-liners. Most of the lines are delivered with that kind of dryness and obviousness that somehow manages to bring out a chuckle or two. So however unintentional it may be, the laughs were there, and that’s all that counts, right?

The DVD includes 3 full stories with their complete episode installments: Wossamotta U, Treasure of Monte Zoom, and Goof Gas Attack.

THE DVD

The menu contains slightly animated backgrounds with music. Submenus include silent static stills.

The video transfer is offered in 1.33:1 Fullscreen Format. The pictures are acceptable given their age, however, it is very apparent that no cleaning of the image took place. The colors are drab, haloing is a problem, and the black lines aren’t exactly well defined. All things considered, this is a serviceable picture, but it’s nothing that will wow you.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital Mono and Spanish Dolby Digital Mono. The sound is decent enough with audible dialogue and sound effects. The pops and hisses are also kept to a minimum. There are no subtitles available.

THE EXTRAS

Bullwinkle Puppet Intro runs about 5-minutes and features a short-lived live intro piece used in 1961 by NBC. The intros would later turn into fully animated pieces instead.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m not sure how you can qualify 3 storylines and a 5-minute bonus option as a best of collection. The Best of Rocky and Bullwinkle – Volume 2 may only entice the most ardent of fans, and even then, those fans will more than likely be disappointed by this less than impressive selection.

- Morris Tang