REVIEW: Jackson 5- The Complete Animated Series DVD Boxset
When I heard that the Jackson 5 Animated series was finally coming to DVD, I just knew I had to have it.
Michael Jackson fans far and wide have had this collection in the "bootleg" form for ages (don't tell me I'm the only one who grabbed a copy or two up outside of the Apollo Theatre...) The quality was honestly just never that good so, this is like a dream come true for anyone that's been wishing to see this series in high definition. You guys won't believe how much I went through to get this darn DVD. I went to stores far and wide and when I finally found it (on sale -eep!) I got so excited that I bought two!
My dad actually recorded about 7 or 8 episodes of this show for me as a child, when it re-aired on BET in the 90s. I feel so blessed to have been introduced to Michael at such a young age. I remember taking that VHS tape with me everywhere I went. The fun thing about the Jackson 5 cartoons was that I was introduced to some of their music during every episode. Each one features 2 songs *which have been remastered on the DVD*.
This is a great collection on 2 discs. The DVD set features 46 remastered Jackson 5 songs and both seasons of the show, 23 full-length episodes in total. The colors are bright and bold and the music is crisp and clear. In retrospect, I wish that the boys had done the voice work on this but, for those of you who will be sharing with little ones, it won't make a true difference either way. (When I was young I always thought that Michael's voice on the cartoon was really him...)
The set comes with a booklet inside, which shows the order and titles of each of the episodes. It would have been helpful to have this list on the back of the DVD cover, as taking that little booklet out can be cumbersome. Here's the episode list:
Disc 1
It All Started With...
Pinestock, U.S.A.
Drafted
Mistaken Identity
Bongo, Baby, bongo
The Winner's Circle
Cinderjackson
The Wizard of Soul
The Tiny Five
The Groovatron
Ray and Charles: Superstars
Farmer Jacksons
Disc 2
Jackson Island
The Michael Look
Jackson Street, U.S.A.
Rasho Jackson
A Rare Pearl
Who's Hoozis
Michael White
Groove to the Chief
Michael in Wonderland
Jackson and the Beanstalk
The Opening Act
You can either skip through chapters or press play and watch the entire season in one shot. I tend to just press play and when I did the same with Season 1 of this, the DVD played through seamlessly. Most of these episodes are based on following the Jackson 5 around on tour and seeing what kooky and fun adventures they get into. Each of the brothers has their own distinct set of characteristics, the songs are truly a blast from the past, and the episodes are all unique and easy for both children and adults to understand.
Whether you are a Jackson 5 fan or not, this is a nostalgic and fun family-oriented animated series.
The cheapest I've seen this on the web is at
. I'd say this is quite a good price for what we are getting. Particularly if you get the DVD instead of the Blu-Ray, try and catch this on sale. I promise you won't be disappointed!
