Plot: What’s it about?
At one time, The Cisco Kid was as popular as a western legend could be, but as time has passed, Cisco and Pancho have faded into the sunset. But now The Cisco Kid is back, as MPI has issued these four disc collections, each home to twenty classic episodes. The episodes aren’t in seasonal order, so each collection is made up of episodes from various seasons. As the show is self contained however, the order is of little consequence. I’m sure some fans would prefer complete seasons, but as MPI is set to launch all the episodes, it shouldn’t matter too much in this case. The show follows The Cisco Kid and his sidekick Pancho, two guys who seek out justice for those who have been wronged. The show has action, humor, and yes, even romance at times, not the deepest show out there, but a fun one. In this second collection of episodes, Cisco does battle with his evil twin, the duo uncover a deadly gun smuggling syndicate, and they find help in an unexpected place, from a canine.
Video: How does it look?
episodes are presented in full frame, as intended. This was one of the first television shows to be filmed in color, which is quite cool, but time has taken a toll on the elements. The prints show a lot of wear and tear, from debris to grain to marks, you can tell this is a 50s television show. The colors look washed out and are unstable at times, but since this was a pioneering show in terms of use of color, the technology could be partially to blame in this instance. Problems also arise with contrast, as black levels waver and sometimes have a greenish tint. So the episodes do show their age here, but while those flaws are substantial, the show is still more than watchable.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original mono track is used for audio, and it sounds as good as I expected. The audio has a limited scope to begin with, due to the mono format, but the basics still sound decent enough. The music sounds good and undistorted, as do the effects, which never become too loud or overbearing in the mix. The dialogue comes across in a wonderful manner also, with no volume issues to contend with whatsoever. This release also includes a Spanish language option.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release includes no bonus materials.
