Plot: What’s it about?
Sugar. Spice. And everything nice. These were the ingredients chosen to create the perfect little girl. But Professor Utonium accidentally added an extra ingredient to the concoction..Chemical X! Thus, The Powerpuff Girls were born! Using their ultra super powers, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup have dedicated their lives to fighting crime and the forces of evil! This how each episode of The Powerpuff Girls begins and it tells the origins of these pint sized crime fighters. These girls might be small and colorful, but they pack a powerful punch and if they work together, few monsters can stand up to them. No matter how massive and powerful the various bad characters are, these mini marvels always emerge on top. In Townsville, the girls live with Professor Utonium and attend kindergarten, where they protect the class hamster and maintain classroom order. But they don’t get to color pretty pictures and giggle all the time, as they have to fight crime and in this town, it seems a new monster tries to overtake the place each & every day. No one has beaten them yet, but can The Powerpuff Girls manage to keep their record flawless?
The whole premise might sound goopy or lame, but trust me on this one, The Powerpuff Girls is one hilarious television show. The show uses some of the most pastel and colorful visuals I’ve ever seen, which fit the three girls to sheer perfection. I admit the colors can be so rich and bright at times, it almost hurts your eyes, but it is all in good fun, right? Lots of pinks and blues are in play with this series, especially those adorable pink hues. The characters range from the bumbling Professor to the charming and fun Powerpuffs to the villains, who aren’t too bad themselves. The girls are awesome designs and in the end, their sugar coated exteriors match up well with their strange personalities. The villains are varied to be sure, from a super smart monkey to a whiny classmate and each offers a unique challenge for the girls. Some of the storylines are out there to be sure, but in a series like this one, I think the more varied the storylines, the better. I think this is one of the best shows on television at this time and as such, I am very pleased to own some episodes on our beloved format. This disc contains ten episodes of the show, as well as some select bonus material. That is more than enough content in my mind, so I give Powerpuffs and their DVDs a very high recommendation. Below is a list of the episodes you’ll find on this installment.
1. Birthday Bash
2. Beat Your Greens
3. School House Rocked
4. Los Dos Mojos
5. Stuck Up, Up And Away
6. Dream Scheme
7. Just Another Manic Mojo
8. Down ‘n’ Dirty
9. Mo Job
10. Major Competition
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are shown in full frame, which is the intended aspect ratio of the show. The show’s juiced colors and deep blacks look fantastic here, no real problems seem to surface in the least. This show is reliant on color to be sure, so I am pleased the hues are rich and display no bleeds or smears. The black also look good and while this style of animation doesn’t use much shading, the darker tones still come off very well. I also saw no signs of compression errors, this is as good as the girls have ever looked.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is also up to the task and though the mix isn’t real powerful, it is just as impressive as the television editions of the episodes. I love the musical selections used in this series and in this mix, they sound rich and better than ever. The wacky sound effects also come across well in this track, with a distinct and powerful sound. I do wish this track allowed the sound effects to have more punch, but they still sound terrific nonetheless. No problems in terms of dialogue either, as this mix sports clean and crisp vocals at all times. From the squeaky Powerpuffs to Mojo’s deep and unusual pipes, all the voices sound excellent.
Supplements: What are the extras?
You will find biographies for Professor Utonium and Mojo Jojo, as well as a Powerpuffs trivia game. A non Powerpuffs bonus cartoon is also found on the disc and proves to be worth a look.
