Review Of The Ninja Tribunal DVD

[Spitfire]

Alright so I had a chance to watch most of this DVD. I got up to "Fathers And Sons" before I had to leave for class.

For one I'd like to note the episodes are better then I remember them being. Course I haven't watched them since they were leaked online back when the DVD came out in Australia. Now their not great by any means but entertaining. The only thing is they lack some replay value for me as I can't see myself watching this again in the foreseeable future. Which means maybe in a year I might pop it back in. The whole series has that feel to me actually so that seems to be a big problem with the show as a whole for me.

On to the episodes themselves. The continuity does flow quite well and the story is interesting if you ignore the obvious "Dragon Ball Z" factor. They tried to add a bit more of the Japanese element into it and I give them props for that. I just highly dislike the fact the turtles choose to fight with energy beams instead of their weapons or fists. They yell their weapon names to much and fire techno-color beams all over the place way too often. This argument has been run into the ground though so I'll leave that behind.

The animation has been vastly improved on this transfer. I haven't gotten to see the last few episodes yet but what of it I have seen it looks way better then the Australian release I had. The backgrounds looked horrible and pixelated on almost every episode. This was in the later episodes though, the last three of which I have yet to watch and that's where it got the worst. The last two episodes especially looked really bad. I'm hoping the DVD stays consistent.

Now that I have that out of the way I'd like to mention my major issue with this season. I don't feel like I'm watching turtles. I don't feel like I'm watching some weird anime knock off either though but it doesn't feel like turtles to me. What's missing I can't say but the subject matter is a full 360 away from everything I think about when I think of turtles. I guess it's the dragon transformations, weapon laser beams, and zombies popping up all over. I like the Demon Shredder personally. I know some people think he's lame but I think they handled him well. I liked his rebirth scene rather gruesome for a kids show I thought. All the death and destruction that goes on in the season is what really sets it apart I guess. Though it's all undone basically at the end so it makes zero difference.

I almost felt like this was more of a turtles movie, or mini-series of it's own. It has an ending of it's own, like here's the end of the 2K3 style. It could have been the end to the series. FF was the same way in it's last episode. They finished it off with and ending that could serve as an ending to an entire series if they wanted, though I'm glad they didn't.

I don't know if this really counts as a review but I wanted to toss my opinions out on it and recommend the disk to anyone who hasn't picked it up yet. The DVD is worlds better in quality which personally helps me enjoy it more when every frame of animation doesn't look like a zoomed in drawing in Photoshop. You can still tell the season was low budget with all the use of stock footage but they still did a good job at keeping it consistent with the rest of the series.

Anyone else have any reviews or opinions they'd like to share about the DVD?

[Ra]

I really do think we were left out in the extras part. For me, I love looking at design concepts, character sheets, interviews with the people behind the scenes and so forth (like we had with Larid in the first few 2k3 DVDs). Then again, we've been pretty deprived of extras for quite some time now, so I shouldn't really make that big of a fuss about it.

Otherwise, no complaints. I love my DVD Box set and like to watch the odd episode on occasion.

[odupianist]

I agree with Ra. I got kind of disappointed in the DVD's when they started giving us instructions on how to play their card game instead of cool interviews with PL. And going out of order, but that's a whole nother issue.

[X]

I saw this DVD at Target (mine are on the way,) and must say I am dissapointed about one thing.

I mentioned awhile back how I wish they'd add the black line and comic panel up top, to match the season 1 and 2 DVD's. I see that they did not.

Now when I have season 1-4 on DVD with the black spine and strip, with comic panel, and Ninja Tribunal sitting between seasons 1-4, and season 6 (which I assume will be re-released with the look of seasons 1-4,) it will look odd.

That is unless, for some reason, they are going to be re-releasing SEASON 5, after they get done with 4, then in that case, I will be double dipping, just for the sake of making my DVD collection, look nice while bookshelfed.

-X-

[Jon]

I rather doubt they'll re-release Fast Forward (since it's already done in the 2-Disc routine Funimation is using); and also doubt Ninja Tribunal would be either.

[veemonjosh]

Originally Posted by Jon

I rather doubt they'll re-release Fast Forward (since it's already done in the 2-Disc routine Funimation is using); and also doubt Ninja Tribunal would be either.

Like I've said before, by the time they get done with rereleasing season 4, the Ninja Tribunal and Fast Forward disks will be LONG out of print.

4Kids would most likely put seasons 5 and 6 back out into circulation using the new format.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by veemonjosh

Like I've said before, by the time they get done with rereleasing season 4, the Ninja Tribunal and Fast Forward disks will be LONG out of print.

4Kids would most likely put seasons 5 and 6 back out into circulation using the new format.

They might be out-of-print, but who knows.

The "new format", as-in what they already did with them.....

[Tinuvielsdreams]

I think the only thing that annoyed me after awhile was the need to yell out their mystic abilities when used. The didn't yell out what kind of kicks or punches they did, or talk to their weapons on most occasions. That was the part for me that showed they were under the anime influence.
The dragon avatars felt that way too, but it's just where they were going with this whole Japanese legend plot.

The backgrounds are awesome in the way they have a lot of detail and you just know someone really took their time. I always thought the animation just got better and better so visually it's really great to watch.

It's such a collection of all these new things and no it doesn't always feel like you are watching TMNT but then we have some old comforts added like splinter, Casey, and April and they do eventually take the battle to New York City and Don's inventions like the turtle taxi are thrown in so as far removed as it becomes at times it still maintained the fact we are watching turtles.

I wasn't really expecting extras so I didn't really pop it in to look and it sounds like I was kinda right from what everyone is saying.

And yeah Spit I definitely thought when I ordered it from Australia and saw it for the first time...
"Why wasn't this just a made a direct to DVD movie?" It felt like it really could have been, especially before we knew when and if they were going to air it.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Tinuvielsdreams

And yeah Spit I definitely thought when I ordered it from Australia and saw it for the first time...
"Why wasn't this just a made a direct to DVD movie?" It felt like it really could have been, especially before we knew when and if they were going to air it.

13 episodes x 20ish minute running time = 260 minutes (give or take...) or 4 1/3 hours....one really long movie.

EDIT: The back of the case says 286....which makes it 4.7666666 hours.

Edit x 2: Um...it's kinda similar to the season 1 and 2 releases, slightly different, I guess as a way of saying "LOST SEASON!"

[Spitfire]

Tell that to Lord Of The Rings, seriously some of them are 4+ hours.

Your right made for TV movie is a bit much but more or so mini-series would work. It could be stand alone. I'm sure edited down though it could easily be made into a 2 hour film with all the intros, credits, and recaps removed. There's also some scenes as well as entire episodes that aren't needed to move the story along that could be easily removed. That'd be fun to try and re-edit it, I might try that.

[odupianist]

heh Jester, glad to see how someone else did their DVD's. I did the Season 1 and 2 at the end because once things got out of order, it would have been too hard to put the Seasons where they lay. Don would be split up, etc.

[gobo]

Question to anyone who has this new, Region 1 Ninja Tribunal DVD: are the menu audios the same two they've been using for 2K3 DVDs for the past year (1&2)? Mine won't be ready to ship for awhile...

Spoiler:

For anyone interested, here are the rest of the 2003 version DVD Menu audios:
3
4
5
6
7
(S4)1
FF1
FF2

[ToTheNines]

Spit: Nice review

Jester: Could you post pics of the the back and inside of this release please?

Gobo: Nice find!

[Tinuvielsdreams]

Originally Posted by Spitfire666xXxXx

Tell that to Lord Of The Rings, seriously some of them are 4+ hours.

Your right made for TV movie is a bit much but more or so mini-series would work. It could be stand alone. I'm sure edited down though it could easily be made into a 2 hour film with all the intros, credits, and recaps removed. There's also some scenes as well as entire episodes that aren't needed to move the story along that could be easily removed. That'd be fun to try and re-edit it, I might try that.

Yeah I meant more potentially it felt like it could have been a film, it would have definitely needed some tweaking to have done it that way. Pretty much every Spit said would have to be done.
It would be fun to attempt

[Jester]

Originally Posted by ToTheNines

Jester: Could you post pics of the the back and inside of this release please?

I don't have a scanner, so this is the best i can do.

[AquaParade]

Just picked my dvd up. I saw some of the episodes here and there, but saved a little to be surprised with. I'm glad to say the rack at target has only two copies left on a rack that looked like it was holding 10-15. Good news to me.

[ToTheNines]

Originally Posted by Jester

I don't have a scanner, so this is the best i can do.

Good enough for me, thanks bud.

[Machias Banshee]

*adds stuff to birthday wish list*

I have to say, I LOVE the artwork in the scans there.

*wish Splinter would be drawn/dressed like that more often*

I'm of the same thought that the season was a little two anime-ish for my taste. If the Ninja Tribunal was a little less spiky-haired and floaty, I may have been able to tolerate them a little more.

Originally Posted by Tinuvielsdreams

I think the only thing that annoyed me after awhile was the need to yell out their mystic abilities when used. The didn't yell out what kind of kicks or punches they did, or talk to their weapons on most occasions. That was the part for me that showed they were under the anime influence.

I totally agree...








Super Gembu Mango Power!!

*vanishes*

[veemonjosh]

Originally Posted by Jon

They might be out-of-print, but who knows.

The "new format", as-in what they already did with them.....

No, I mean "new format" as in the way that the pre-FF half-season sets are currently going.

And yes, I expect them to be out-of-print by then, since most 4Kids DVDs don't stay in print for more than two years.

[Jon]

Originally Posted by veemonjosh

No, I mean "new format" as in the way that the pre-FF half-season sets are currently going.

That is how the Fast Forward DVDs are (two 2-Disc, dozen-or-so episodes). So no real difference for FF vs. the re-releasing of 2k3. And Ninja Tribunal does the routine too (just with one 2-Disc release).