DVD Review: Talespin – Volume Two

Writer: Steve Roberts, Mark Edens, Chuck Tately, Libby Hinson, and others
Director: Larry Latham, Robert Taylor, Jamie Mitchell, Ed Ghertner
Cast: Sally Struthers, Jim Cummings, Ed Gilbert, R.J. Williams, Pat Fraley, Tony Jay
Rating: Y7
Studio: Buena Vista and Disney
Release Date: November 13, 2007

Talespin follows the adventures of everyone’s favorite Disney bear as he flies through the air and tries to stay out of (or get into) too much trouble. Of course, Baloo has lots of help from his young buddy, Kit Cloudkicker, and his other friends that are always there to lend a bear a helping hand.

I remember fondly when Talespin came to the Disney Channel back in the 90s. The network aired a pilot to the show to drum up some interest. I just happened to be watching that day and I ended up watching the other episodes as a result. Disney rarely disappoints in the area of cartoons. Talespin – Volume Two is not only worth watching, it’s a must have for lovers of The Jungle Book and Disney Cartoons.

Release Information:
Talespin – Volume Two was released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Disney on November 13, 2007. The show originally aired on television in the 90s and during its 65 episode reign, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Animated program. This set offers three DVDs and plenty of episodes to keep a Talespinfan happy. While some may be disappointed in the lack of extras, Disney makes up for this by providing a quality show that shines in every other way possible. Talespin – Volume Two is available on Amazon for $24.99

The Plot
Talespin offers viewers a taste of Baloo’s life now that he has become a master pilot. Living in Cape Suzzete is surely an interesting experience. Baloo lives and works in this interesting lakeside town. During working hours (which are just about any time) Baloo mans a plane known as The Flying Duck. He handles this beauty for a cargo delivery company called Higher for Hire and the owner, a feisty female named Rebecca Cunningham.

As you might remember from The Jungle Book, Baloo is your typical, lazy, carefree, and completely loyal bear. In Talespin he has taken on the care of an adorable orphan named Kit. As the show goes on Baloo and Kit must make various deliveries. The catch here is that each delivery is a new, high flying adventure that leads to a little bit of trouble and a lot of fun. Even though these deliveries should be simple, Baloo always manages to find some trouble whether it’s due to a get rich quick scheme or something more problematic.

While the episodes in Talespin – Volume Two are well written and quite comical it is the talents of the voice actors and the characters that really make a person fall in love with the show. The characters are the most entertaining part as they really seem to come to life in this highly animated (in more ways than one) cartoon. I love how Kit often becomes the role model for Baloo, trying to teach his Papa Bear lessons that he should already know, and that he should be teaching Kit. When comparing this to The Jungle Book, Kit is your Mowgli, in the fact that he is Baloo’s side kick through everything.

Another favorite character is Rebecca. Voiced by Sally Struthers, Rebecca is your standard adult in the eyes of a child. She is no fun, demands responsible behavior, and is incredibly hyper and neurotic.

Even though the main characters are Baloo and Kit, this set focuses quite a bit on these less important characters that sometimes make you laugh even harder than the main characters. You will see plenty of screen time for Wild Cat, Rebecca’s daughter Molly, King Louie, and others. Meanwhile, when it comes to the bad guys Shere Khan is still your big bad villain as well as the air pirates and your occasional new character that you may not expect.

One of my favorite parts of the Talespin series for me is that unlike other shows, the episodes are not really intertwined. Being that each one stands on its own, if you are new to the show you can choose any episodes and just get started watching. Otherwise, if you have some specific favorites, you can skip around freely without really missing a thing. Of course, being true to Disney, each episode sneaks in some values about truth, friendship, loyalty, hard work, and things that are important to teach the young viewers of the show.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
Presented in full frame, Talespin – Volume Two, looks significantly better in quality than I remember it on television. This is not to say that it ever looked bad. However, the original came out in the 90s and video quality has changed significantly in the last 10 years. The aspect ratio is 1.33:1 and the quality is near perfect. There is minimal grain, no color bleeding, and a pleasing picture all around. When it comes to audio it sounds to be Dolby Digital of some kind. The quality here is excellent, as well.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
Unfortunately, some box sets put out by Disney have to float on their own. The good news is that this set stands on its own and doesn’t really need any bonuses to sell the set. People who love bonus features may be disappointed, but anyone who buys Disney cartoons fairly regularly should be used to this.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Talespin – Volume Two is definitely one of the better new cartoon releases put out by Disney. As The Jungle Book is such a timeless classic, putting Baloo in his own series was truly a stroke of genius. The show was fabulous and the box set shows off some of the best episodes in the shows short run. If you have kids this is a must have. Of course, if you are just a big kid yourself, you will still want to grab this next time you’re in the store.

Overall Rating: Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Talespin, Volume Two, Baloo, Kit Cloudkicker, Disney, Buena Vista, Cartoon, DVD Review, Box Set, Children’s Show

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Being a stay at home mom to three kids and a freelance writer keeps Lisa quite busy. Lisa is the wife of Patrick and the mother of Tim (17), Jaden (9), and Kayla (3). Having a toddler in the house makes things quite interesting. Lisa is an aspiring writer. She loves working for LI Kids because she can get the whole family involved in the reviewing process and write, which is her passion. In her free time she loves sewing and scrapbooking.

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