Gotta Blast!
I've been a fan of the series since I saw the movie in 2001, and didn't watch the show until two years later once it got into the second season. I kept watching it until around the time the show ended and Nick just stopped playing reruns. Then I heard about this DVD set Shout Factory released for the 20th anniversary of the movie and decide to buy it as a Christmas gift for my siblings.
The DVD contains all of the the episodes from the show, including the three Jimmy/Timmy specials when the show crossover with Fairly OddParents between 2004 to 2006. However, the set doesn't include the 2001 movie as it's published directly from Viacom, but it's not a big deal as this is only for the show.
Despite having all the episodes, there are a few gripes I have with the set. The first thing is the episode listing. Because this is one of the few shows Nick had that relies on continuity, the episodes are scrambled thanks to a few characters; Libby and the League of Villains. Libby gets her makeover in a episode where Jimmy and his friends go to Egypt, and the DVD places it as the start of Season 2, rather than the finale of the first according to the Wikia. And the League of Villains is actually meant to be placed at the end of the show rather than early of Season 3, as it features some characters that haven't show up yet (eg,Grandma Taters and Baby Eddie) or episodes that the viewers haven't watched. I know this was an issue Nick had as they air the episodes out of order when it aired. It's not a big deal if you only want to watch certain episodes, but for someone that rather binge watch it with plots being connected, this is really painful to get through.
The second thing is some of the audio issues with the music, as some tracks either a replacement track or no music at all. Big example is the Christmas episode, as during the one scene where Jimmy's parents were singing the Pule song where the music is missing. It's an interesting way to hear what the song is like without the music, don't get me wrong, but it feels like it's a misstep Shout took and the episode isn't on any other DVD. I read somewhere that it has to do with rights issues, and as I heard that some episodes had some edited music due to rights issues, and I kinda wish Shout sorted them out beforehand. So some people would have to hold onto the recordings they had when the show aired if they rather have those versions instead. Speaking of which, another issue is the framerate on the second Jimmy/Timmy Power Hour special, as the scenes that either focus on Jimmy's side or any elements that use CGI/3D is rendered much slower. This is very hard to watch as the framerate is a huge issue compare to the rest of the show. I'm not sure if this is an issue when it was on the original DVD or this is another hiccup Shout did.
The last gripes I have with the set are mainly the features, as I read from the Wikia that it's mainly the features from the previous DVDs. I'm glad they know about them if you don't want to keep the older DVDs, but I wish they also contain new features on how the series was made, as there's some leaks about the series' bible during the time the show was off the air. I also wish the DVD box set is more creative as I felt like it's a bit bland inside and would like it to be more special.
Still, it' a great show Nick had in the 2000s before they overused SpongeBob later on, and if you grew up with the show and if you have kids, this is a great set!Read full review
Verified purchase: No
