Plot: What’s it about?
The X-Men have faced many challenges in the past and fought some tough villains, but this time they might be up against something even they can’t overcome. When D’Ken steals the powerful M’kraan crystal, it is up to the X-Men to track it down and return it to where it belongs. The stone was protected by Phoenix, a powerful force that few can reckon with and even fewer would want to even try to. As the mission unfolds, it seems as though Jean is being absorbed by Phoenix, which means Jean is no longer just herself. This is odd indeed, but then again, the X-Men have dealt with some strange stuff in their time. In the mean time, it is revealed that D’Ken doesn’t even have the stone, as it was taken from him and hidden. Lilandra was the one who took the stone from him and soon enough, she is forced by his minions to hand it back over to him. So now D’Ken holds the power to become the supreme ruler of the universe…unless the X-Men can stop him. But even if they do recover the stone, what will happen with Jean?
I hadn’t seen this series before this review, but I was looking forward to checking out this disc. I had heard some terrific reviews of the show and as such, I figured I was in for a real treat of animation. Well, those expectation were way off base in the end. I knew the animation was basic in premise, but this is substandard even by Saturday morning cartoon levels. I knew it would be simple and such, but I expected a much more refined and detailed visual style. But I thought it might get better if I stuck it out and once again, I was wrong. As if the poor animation wasn’t enough, the voice acting is downright lethargic and the overall progression isn’t even close to being as powerful as it should be. I think the basic storyline is excellent, but in this medium and with the talents involved, it never stood a chance of being that good. But it does seem like it has gathered a nice audience for some reason and for those people, this DVD will be worth a look. But as for me, I will stick with the comic books and the live action version of X-Men.
Video: How does it look?
X-Men: The Phoenix Saga is presented full frame, which is the intended aspect ratio of the series. We’ve all come to know Universal for their impressive visual work on this format, but with this title, they have dropped the ball and issued a bad overall image. This is animation and colorful animation at that, so we expect the colors to be well replicated and such, right? In this transfer though, the colors bleed & smear and not just a little either, but quite a lot. The black levels do seem in order though, which is a small condolence for the miserable colors. I also saw more than a few instances of compression flaws, which is uncharacteristic from Universal. I’d imagine this looked better on television, though less sharp I assume.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio fares better than the video, but still leaves a lot to be desired in the end. This disc includes a stereo mix, which stacks up about on the same level as the series on television, but lacks the range I would have liked. But since this is a television show, I won’t raise too much of a stink over the lack of surround sound and such. The music and sound effects sound as good as a stereo mix can, which seems to be adequate, though unimpressive. The vocals also sound better than average, which means no harshness or distortion at all. This disc also includes a French mono track and English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
