Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39703 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-01-08
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: English, Portuguese, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 125 minutes

Amazon.com
The early anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972-74) aired in the U.S. in two very different versions: much of the violence was excised and the comic Artoo-Detoo-esque robot 7-Zark-7 added to Battle of the Planets (syndication, 1978); the darker G-Force (Turner Broadcasting, 1986) was closer in tone to the original Gatchaman. All three series depict the adventures of five teenagers incongruously clad in bird suits. Gatchaman is set on Earth; Planets supposedly takes place in outer space, but the geography, animals, and cities are still Earth's. The stories diverge significantly: in episode 5 of Gatchaman, the main characters are saved from enemy flying saucers by the mysterious "Red Impulse," who announces, "We will meet again." In Battle, they're saved by "fighters from Mir," but they still get credit for defeating the "renegade aliens." Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up: Violence in Gatchaman and G-Force; profanity in Gatchaman. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

BOTP a good effort ... GATCHAMAN a modern-day classic!
I grew up with Sandy Franks' BATTLE OF THE PLANETS in the late '70s and have not missed a chance to catch the show whenever a station aired it. Thanks to Rhino, I've not only had the chance to see my fave flying defenders of earth again, but I get to see the original GATCHAMAN episodes in all their glory.

When I watched "Ghost Ship of Planet Mir" recently, I was reminded of the question that I had when I first saw the episode many years ago: why do those "Mir fighters" look like the ships that Colonel Cronus and his buddies fly? Well, the original Japanese episode, "The Ghost Fleet From Hell", answered that question. (Buy the DVD to find out ... you won't regret it!)

"Big Robot Gold Grab" doesn't differ as much from its Japanese counterpart, "The Grand Mini Robot", but the climax is more intense and the mood is much darker in the original.

Rhino's decision to include both BOTP and GATCHAMAN on a single disc was nothing short of brilliant -- both the sub and dub crowds can spend their money on the same product! At the same time, fans who only know BOTP will have a chance to see what they were missing from the original series (i.e., slightly darker stories, strong character development) while hardcore followers of GATCHAMAN get to see the lighter touches Sandy Frank Productions introduced (namely, 7-Zark-7).

My sincere hope is that Rhino will not just put out the 85 BOTP episodes but all 105 GATCHAMAN episodes. Amongst the ones left untranslated were crucial stories in the overreaching arc of the series (e.g., the reason for Joe/Jason's dizzy spells, the revelation of Berg Kastse/Zoltar's origin, the epic showdown with Sosai X/the Luminous One). These "lost" episodes proved that animated stories didn't have to be dumbed down to be entertaining. The final story arc features some of the best animation and most intelligent writing to appear on TV. And since people love a good story, there's no reason they wouldn't want these missing episodes in their collection.

So Rhino Video, don't tease your customers -- give them all 105 episodes. They'll love you for it! (Read: more DVD sales.) :)

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be...
I had great memories of this show from childhood, and years ago I swore I'd buy it if I ever got the chance. So I did, and now I know why most folks regard this as a terrible adaptation of the original Japanese series. My 3-year-old self apparently liked it; my 3-year-old son liked it; my adult self thought it was awful. My nostalgia fix is sated, but I wish I'd saved my time/money for something that wasn't crap.

Battle Of The Planets on DVD Rocks!
It sure is nice to finally get to see this series again after 23 years. Way to go Rhino Video!

Image quality on this volume isnt as good as on the previous 2 volumes, this time there seems to bee more digital artifacts apparent due to the grain & noise. Still, considering the age of the material, I guess its better than nothing!

Lets just hope Rhino Video have the balls to release the ENTIRE 85 episodes!! I'll buy them!! :]