Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise Blu-ray Movie Review

Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise brings together the complete saga of the beloved animated classic. The animated cartoon was a staple of the 90s and ran for six seasons with both an original run and a legacy continuation – the sequel entitled The New Adventures of Captain Planet. The cartoon is a superhero epic with plenty of action-adventure elements.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers is also an educational program aimed at educating youth about the importance of protecting the planet – and the importance of working together to resolve climate issues. Created by Ted Turner and Barbara Pyle, Captain Planet and the Planeteers was developed by Nicholas Boxer, Thom Beers, Andy Heyward, Robby London, Barbara Pyle, Bob Forward, and Cassandra Schafhausen. Executive produced by Andy Heyward, Robby London, Barbara Pyle, Nicholas Boxer, Belinda Devreemtoes, and Ted Turner, Captain Planet and the Planeteers is an important staple of animation.

Produced by Cos Anzilotti, Cassandra Schafhausen, Larry Houston, Jim Duffy, and Stan Phillips, Captain Planet and the Planeteers was produced by DIC Enterprises (Captain Planet and the Planeteers) and Hanna-Barbera (The New Adventures of Captain Planet). Captain Planet and the Planeteers aired on the popular TBS station in syndication. Originally broadcast between September 15, 1990 and May 11, 1996.

The planet needs protection and it is up to some incredible teenagers to help save the entire world. With the help of Gaia (Whoopi Goldberg/Margot Kidder), five remarkable teenagers join forces in order to fight for the future of planet Earth. Combining their unique skills and abilities, these five teens are each granted a special ring with an incredible power. The five magic rings are given to Kwame (LeVar Burton), James Wheeler (Joey Dedio), Linka (Kath Soucie), Gi (Janice Kawaye), and Ma-Ti (Scott Menville).

A diverse group of teenagers, the teens are determined to help the spirit of the Earth and team up with the help of Captain Planet (David Coburn) – a blue avatar who units the Planeteers and brings out the best in their ring magic. Kwame is given Earth power, James controls fire, Linka controls wind, Gi utilizes water, and Ma-Ti brings heart. These elements make up the magic to help heal the planet and fight for the future of us all – a greener ecosystem and a better tomorrow.

The animation is so much of the joy of the production. There is a tenderness to the animation style. The classic hand drawn animation is beautiful and it provides a sense of whimsy that is sometimes missing in modern CG animation. The hand drawn art is beautiful and the animators brought something special to the table. The background animation is often breathtaking and the line art is well detailed. There is an abundance of creativity on display and it brings wonder and charm to the entire production. This is where the heart of the series is – the animation – and its essence.

The score for Captain Planet and the Planeteers is composed by Tom Worrall (seasons 1–3), Thomas Chase Jones (seasons 4–6), and Steve Rucker (seasons 4–6). The music plays a big role in the series. Outstanding music for the beloved animated classic. The score provides good whimsy and energy throughout the production. The score has a fun style and imbues a lot of wonder into the series.

Written by Doug Molitor, Sean Catherine Derek, Laren Bright, Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise contains the entire run of the series. The writing is one of the most charming & enjoyable aspects of the production. The writers have plenty of fun with the series and the cast of characters. The characters bring a lot of heart and pathos to the production.

The wonder of it all is something that makes the series all the more special for audiences. The core group of Planeteers are spirited adventurers with a determination to help the planet and the entire ecosystem. Captain Planet and the Planeteers arguably raised awareness of climate issues in a more fun and direct way than some news even does by providing education to audiences about the need to protect the planet.

Directed by Will Meugniot, Jim Duffy, Stan Phillips, and Vincent Davis, Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise is a collection that fans of the series won’t want to miss out on. Collecting the entire run of episodes across both installments of the beloved cartoon, Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise shows what eco-oriented, climate change, and environment awareness programming can do – especially in the cartoon arena. The directors provide lots of whimsy, action, and adventure. Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise is delightful and it is something that holds up as a beloved animated classic – an educational cartoon with plenty of charm.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Warner Bros., Captain Planet and the Planeteers is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full-frame. The high-definition presentation looks remarkable. The animation is beautifully reproduced with these native high-definition transfers. The art style is impressive and there is much to appreciate about the encoding. The encoding capably provides the series with crisp line art and background animation.

The animation is robust on the release. The filmic transfers retain a natural quality with some occasional specks of dirt and slight imperfections but it all adds to the charm of the presentation. Despite some occasional imperfections, the transfers are wonderful and provide a lot of engaging visuals for the animation to shine.

The opening and ending credits are the one exception to the native high-definition visuals. The source for the opening and ending credits appears to be tape based and shows traditional wear and fuzziness from the soft source quality. The credits and titles are low-resolution and this is true across both of the series - Captain Planet and the Planeteers and The New Adventures of Captain Planet.

Physical media can provide a more robust presentation at times when compared to streaming. Streaming bit-rates can fluctuate due to unforeseen variables such as data speeds and user connectivity. By comparison, physical media can provide a consistent encoding quality that is sometimes superior to the streaming options.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo. The lossless audio quality is excellent on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced. The audio mastering is well-done and adds to the high-fidelity presentation. The music is also well reproduced, too. There is plenty to appreciate about the sound-staging and the clarity the presentation brings to the release. It is also nice to see both mono and stereo options are provided on the release.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a selection of audio options: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo. The lossless audio quality is excellent on the release. Dialogue is well reproduced. The audio mastering is well-done and adds to the high-fidelity presentation. The music is also well reproduced, too. There is plenty to appreciate about the sound-staging and the clarity the presentation brings to the release. It is also nice to see both mono and stereo options are provided on the release.

One of the best qualities of physical media is the lossless audio encoding. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio quality. For home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles, the lossless encoding provides a more immersive soundstage. The encoding provides higher bit-rates and better bit-depth. The result is a more enveloping and immersive soundstage. There is something comforting in having the best option available on the physical media format.

Captain Planet and the Planeteers: The Complete Franchise Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Captain Planet and the Planeteers is an amazing animated classic. Fans of hand-drawn animation will appreciate the arrival of the gem on the Blu-ray format. The series offers fantastic characters and wonderful creativity. The Blu-ray release provides a robust native high-definition presentation and lossless audio. Unfortunately, the release doesn't include any on-disc supplements but on the bright side the set includes both Captain Planet and the Planeteers and The New Adventures of Captain Planet. The inclusion of both the original series and the sequel series is a nice touch for the box-set and fans will be thrilled to get a comprehensive collection. Captain Planet and the Planeteers is well worth revisiting for the nostalgia and the environmentally-conscious storytelling.