Battle of the Planets Volume 1 (Mollin Video) £12.99, Out Now

So let's have a look at Battle of the Planets, is it as cool as I remember it? Does it look too dated? Is it any good? Well I took a step back in time by watching at Battle of the Planets: Attack of the Space Terrapin.

It starts, as all great cartoon shows, do with great title music (orchestral and funky) and a booming voice reciting the following statement of intention: 

"Battle of the Planets! G-Force, 5 incredible young people with superpowers. And watching over them from Center Neptune, 7-Zark-7. Watching, warning against surprise attacks by alien galaxy from beyond space. G-Force, fearless young orphans, protecting Earth's entire galaxy, always by acting as one. Dedicated, inseparable, invincible!"

We have all the characters that are essential for the make-up of  a great cartoon in place. There's the hansome and cool hero, the strong fighter with an attitude problem, the foxy woman(who's usually some form of roylaty), the annoying kid, the fat and stupid gadget guy and a robot that's half smart, half stupid. Not only that but the costumes are cool and the vehicles are ones that when you were young you wished you could drive when you were older, then you found out that unfortunately they didn't exist (and still half-wish they existed).

The four episodes that are offer on the video are very typical of the whole series and will give you an insight into the series if you never seen it before and will wet your appetite for more. Those of you who've caught the recent re-runs or were around when it was first shown and repeated will be left thinking that those early years were not that wasted in front of the TV set as it's cracking entertainment. The vids have all the classic characters, action, vehicles and more from the series and will take yu right back or offer you something that you might not have enjoyed before.

With the sophistication of animation that has develped in the twenty years, which have passed since Battle of the Planets first hit our screens, it would be easy to see Battle of the Planets as tremendously outdated but really it's not. Some things look well passed ther 'sell by date' but this looks good, a little dated but still it keeps in with the cracking releases that have come from Japan in the last 20 years or so.  It doesn't have the depth and the complexity of say soemthing like Akira (classic Manga anime film) but it's definitely worth a watch.

Animation has stayed with most people through their early years and into their teens and tweneties, even you won't admit you're into anmiation or cartoon in one way or another. If you think it's just for geeks then you're a liar as I bet you watch the Simpsons, South Park or  Ren & Stimpy. It can be complex, cinematic, emotional and thrill and entertain as much as real action film and TV or it can be just really good fun like Battle of the Planets. So....check this video...it's cool and you will enjoy it.

Want to know about Battle of the Planets...Click here

Related Links:

Battle of the Planets Universe- All the info you want plus more on BOTP.

TV Cream- Great retro site for BOTP and any other cool TV programmes.

Kids TV- Cool info on BOTP and other TV progarmmes form the 70's and 80's

by ChrisM