review: THE SMURFS (Season 1, Vol. 1)

Warner Bros.  //  Buy from Amazon.com The long wait is over...the Smurfs are on DVD for the first time ever! They're finally here! Handy, Hefty, Grouchy, Brainy, Lazy, Smurfette, Papa Smurf and more favorites bring you the greatest show of Smurf - on DVD for the first time ever. It's Season One, Vol. 1 of Smurfs' Adventures, the Emmy-winning animated series that delighted Saturday morning cartoon fans for nearly a decade. Of course, where Smurfs are, you'll also find evil wizard Gargamel and his cat Azrael - plus monsters, dragons and trolls - keeping our three-apple-high heroes on their tiny blue toes throughout 19 cartoon escapades. Ready for adventure, laughs and enchantment? Abso-Smurfly! I find it hard to believe that The Smurfs first debuted on TV 27 years ago - 1981?!? Darn. They are firmly cemented in my childhood memories, just as much as He-Man, G.I.Joe, Garbage Pail Kids and tears on the playground... err, forget the last bit (repeat after me: I'm a good person, people like me!) I was a huge Smurfs fan, and truth be told, this TV show has long been on my wish list for titles I'm eagerly awaiting for release onto DVD (alongside such luminaries as "Howard the Duck" and "It Came From Hollywood.") Thankfully, the fine folks @ Warner have seen fit to start releasing this classic series onto the format, and here's the first release! 19 episodes and an avalanche of memories come pouring back: Clumsy, Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Gargamal, Azrael, and all the others - what a pure, innocent show, fully of merriment and mirth. Of course, watching it through thirtysomething eyes now, it is a little odd that they all live in mushrooms, that there's only one female in the entire village (yet there is an entire village....?) and Gargamal is unable to catch even one of these tasty blue creatures... ah, but if he did, what would we watch for the remainder of the several year series run? Can't wait to watch my shelf film up with releases from this series - it's a treat to behold after all these years! Video Presented in their original fullscreen aspect ratios, each episode looks absosmurfly fantastic, with bright colors, crisp detail and an overall beautiful trip down memory lane! Audio While only a Dolby mono mix, Warner does a solid jobof ensuring each cackle from Gargamal's cat and every giggle from Smurfette is clean & clear. Extras The Smurfs Springtime Special music video (montage set to theme song) trailers Closing Thoughts Finally, the magic of the Smurfs on shiny DVD for us to saunter down innocent childhood memories - color me smurf!