Release Date: 11/13/07

The Show

The late 80’s were the pinnacle of cartoons as far as this reviewer is concerned. With the likes of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Thundercats, I was in cartoon Heaven. However, one line-up stood above the rest, and that line-up was the one and only Disney Afternoon. While TaleSpin wasn’t the strongest of the line-up, it still held its own with other cartoons like Gummi Bears and Rescue Rangers. Now available on DVD, TaleSpin – Volume 2 brings back the memories of the beloved Jungle Book star, Baloo the bear.

Like many other cartoons from the era, the plot of each episode features the good guys having a good time only to have it ruined by the bad guys. The good guys in this case are the crew for Higher for Hire: Baloo, his sidekick protégé Kit Cloudkicker, his boss Rebecca Cunningham, her mischievous daughter Molly, and ace mechanic Wildcat. Trying to ruin the fun is the evil Colonel Spigot, Don Karnage, air pirates, and other random baddies. It’s not exactly brain surgery, but this is a light and fun cartoon that should bring everyone back to a time when cartoons were beautifully animated and most importantly, fun!

The 3-set disc includes 27 episodes from with a Play All option available on each disc.
Disc 1
1. A Baloo Switcheroo
2. Whistlestop Jackson, Legend
3. Double Or Nothing
4. Feminine Air
5. Last Horizons
6. Flight of the Snow Duck
7. Save the Tiger
8. The Old Man and the Sea Duck
9. War of the Weirds
Disc 2
1. Captains Outrageous
2. The Time Bandit
3. For Whom the Bell Klangs Part 1
4. For Whom the Bell Klangs Part 2
5. Citizen Khan
6. Gruel and Unusual Punishment
7. A Jolly Molly Christmas
8. My Fair Baloo
9. Waiders of the Wost Tweasure
Disc 3
1. Flight School Confidential
2. Bringing Down Babyface
3. Jumping the Guns
4. In Search of Ancient Blunders
5. Louie’s Last Stand
6. Sheepskin Deep
7. Pizza Pie in the Sky
8. Baloo Thunder
9. Bullethead Baloo

The DVD

The main menu comes with a static background and the show’s theme playing throughout. Submenus are presented similarly.

The video transfer is offered in 1.33:1 Fullscreen Format. I wasn’t expecting much and was completely blown away by the relatively clean picture presentation found on these discs. Sure there are definite moments of flaws and blooming colors, but overall, this is the opposite of the drab and washed out picture I was expecting from a cartoon series I originally watched on broadcast television in the late 80’s.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital Stereo. The sound holds up very well, much like the picture. Dialogue, music, and sound effects all come through cleanly and crisply. It’s possible that the DVDs sound much better than my memory remembers from its early broadcast days. Subtitles are available in French.

The Extras

The 3-disc set comes in 3 slimline cases enclosed within a glossy cardboard box. It’s nothing special, but the included artwork on each case sure looks nice.

Final Thoughts

While TaleSpin – Volume 2 wasn’t my favorite show from the Disney Afternoon line-up, it still provided me with some nice moments of nostalgia and laughs. This is a rental for those unfamiliar and kids while this is a purchase for those who hold a warm memory for Baloo the bear.

- Morris Tang