Mill Creek Entertainment/ Released May 18, 2010Unrated/ Running Time 1380 Minutes
The Pitch
Tyrant Ming the Merciless and his vast army of evil accomplices are working overtime to eliminate the human race. But the Defenders of the Earth led by legendary crime-fighters The Phantom, Flash Gordon, Mandrake and his trusted confidant and bodyguard Lothar join forces with their uniquely talented teenage children to challenge Ming and his evil followers in a series of great adventures.
The dazzling quartet of heroes is joined by their young offspring: handsome and headstrong Rick Gordon; Jedda Walker and her panther sidekick; tough and smart Lothar "L.J." Jr.; and orphaned Kshin with his outer-space pet Zuffy. Together, the team of heroes must battle against evildoers from their pasts and future, including Ming and his underlings, as well as super villains, marauding aliens, destructive demons and sultry enchantresses! United as a team, they protect mankind as the Defenders of the Earth.
Both sides employ powerful computers and space age technology in their arsenals of weapons. They are our last best hope. For a frightened but determined planet they are the Defenders of the Earth.
The Review
Geeks everywhere can rejoice with the release of this amazingly comprehensive DVD set, comprised of 65 episodes of this "League of Extraordinary Single Parent Comic Strip Characters With A Feisty Teenager ".
A must have for pulp/comic afficianados and Wold Newtonian fans, Defenders of the Earth suffers from occassionally clunky execution, but it's heart is in the right place. The scripts are extremely creative, with the set including a few 5-part story arcs that definitely set it apart from most other series. Fans of the genre will really dig the interplay among the characters, as well as appearances of other members of their supporting casts including Flash Gordon's Prince Barin, the Phantom's evil older brother, Kurt Walker aka N'Dama the Weather Demon, Mandrake's nemesis, Doctor Damian Dark, and fellow comic strip hero, Prince Valiant.
Keep in mind, some of the episodes suffer from a little "too much message" (don't do drugs, don't drink and drive and be nice to handicapped people), but it is a cartoon aimed at a younger audience. Nevertheless, the series is imaginative and exciting and thoroughly captivating for both younger viewers and non-jaded older ones as well.
Defenders of The Earth is one DVD set that will bring a smile to any self-respecting geek's face.
And who doesn't want to smile?
The Extras
Presenting 65 episodes for under 25 dollars? Who has room for extras?
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