From Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of Star Wars: Clone Wars, comes the Emmy Award winning Samurai Jack Season 2 on DVD. The series follows the tales of a young samurai cast far into the future by the evil shape-shifting ... more »wizard Aku. Join Samurai Jack on his quest to return to the past and undo the destruction that Aku has wrought upon the land. With award-winning artwork and intricate, action-packed plots, the many journeys of Samurai Jack are a must for any fan's collection. Episodes include: (14) Jack Learns to Jump (15) Jack vs the Worm, The Metal-Eaters, & The Fairy (16) Jack and the Smackback (17) Jack and the Scotsman II (18) Jack and the Ultra-Robots (19) Jack Remembers the Past (20) Jack and the Monks (21) Jack and the Dragon (22) Jack vs the Five Hunters (23) Jack vs Demango (24) Jack Is Naked (25) Jack and the Spartans (26) Jack's Shoes« less
"It has been much too long between the DVD releases of Samurai Jack Season 1 and Season 2 (due out May 24, 2005). Season 2 has some of the very best Samurai Jack episodes, including:
* Episode 14 - Jack learns to "jump good" thanks to the help of an ape-man and a tribe of his fellow apes. This has some great scenes of Jack in training and as Jack in turn teaches his new friends to defend themselves.
* Episode 18 - Jack has to battle a posse of assasin robots. Once again, Jack must prove - to himself, more than anyone - that his heart is greater than any enemy Aku can throw at him.
* Episode 19 - Jack stumbles upon his ancestral land, now in ruins. This has some heartwarming flashbacks of Jack's life as a little boy.
* Episode 20 - Jack and the Mountain. Jack joins three monks in a death-defying climb up a mystical mountain. Are these the spirits of the monks who created Jack's samurai sword? : )
* Episode 22 - Jack battles three lion-men...the greatest wild-game hunter team in the galaxy. The stalker-prey chase gives Jack his toughest challenge of skill to date.
So why the 4 stars? There are a few other episodes that fall too short of Samurai Jack at his best. In one episode in this series Jack encounters a village cursed with a vile smell. The episode is strange, gross, and just a little offensive. In another episode, Jack takes part in three so-so fairy tales amongst his many journeys. This episode just lacks the umph you come to expect from Samurai Jack.
However, just the episodes listed above (especially Episodes 18 & 19) make this DVD worth the price. I've been waiting for these episodes since the release of Season 1. Finally, it's almost here."
Samurai wha? Who knew it'd be this awesome!
sinisterLemon | Edmonton, AB Canada | 03/22/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Well, this is the volume that tens of thousands of die-hard fans have been waiting for, and judging from the excellent quality of the first set this one is a no-brainer for any aficionado of animation; asian or north american.
Continuing his quest to return to his home in the past and vanquish the evil that exile him, Samurai Jack treks the world over, encountering the strange and powerful alike.
Held together with an unlikely combination of highly stylized directing and geometric visuals, Samurai Jack offers a brand of animation literally not found in any other series. While the analogies have been made before, they bear repating: if you like old spaghetti westerns, bizarre sci-fi, episodic storytelling or just plain frenetic action this is certainly the series for you."
The Emmy Award Winning Series Continues
Keith Doyle | Panama City, FL United States | 06/22/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The tale of Samurai Jack is a deep one, permeated with a sharp visual style that doesn't rely solely on it's animation to entertain. The first season was fantastic and in terms of quality, this 2nd season is no different.
The character of Samurai Jack will amaze you with his perseverance, courage and skill. He's quite the heroic character...inspirational for people in real life to never give up no matter what the odds.
The special features include a fairly amusing creator scrapbook of Genndy Tartakovsky. It gives an informative look at the life and career of Samurai Jack's creator and is worth watching.
With all that being said, I found the 'wow' factor in this season to be marginally lower than that of the first season. Perhaps it's because I didn't love ALL the episodes like I did the first season. Episodes XXI and XXIV here failed to impress me, although XXIV's ending had a decent twist.
Samurai Jack is still one of my personal favorite shows of all time. It has qualities rarely seen out of the finest motion pictures; genuinely exciting action, emotional drama and a healthy dose of lighthearted humor. All this in a simple cartoon series."
More Samurai Jack...Definetely Worth It
sinisterLemon | 05/19/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Samurai Jack in my opinion has to be one of the best animated series ever created. It combines humor and non-stop action into one neatly rolled package...and the second season is definetely better than the first.
Samurai Jack follows a Japanese warrior who is transported thousands of years into the future by the evil sorcerror and tyrant, Aku. Apparently, Aku has now taken over the world and the majority of (If not all) lives under his rule. Jack now is struggling to find a method of transporting him back to the past where he can undo Aku's tyranny. The first season was summed up in one word: Great. But the second season is summed up in another word: Awesome. The DVD set includes 13 episodes in total, each one magnificent works of artwork and animation.
Some of the best episodes of the set includes one where a gang destroys Jack's sandals and he goes after them for revenge, while trying to find the right footwear. It's wittingly humorous as Jack emerges to battle the gang and ends up being laughed at for his ridiouculous footwear.
Another nice episode is one which explores Jack's past when he comes to the ruins of his own village, ravaged thousands of years ago. Its touching as Jack remembers his past. Another nice episode is where Jack is forced into battle against a group of samurai robots, each wielding different weapons and abilities, such as flamethrowers and shruikens. Jack is eventually outfitted with a robotic arm and the battle is undeniably gritty and intense.
Well, anyway, I seriously reccomend purchasing the second season, however, also keep your eyes out for the third season, which in my opinion is much better (It includes an episode where Jack battles a trio of Egyptian shadow-warriors and must call on the god Ra in order to rescue himself and a two-part battle between Jack's father and Aku which is also awesome).
"
Even more creative than the first season
C. Boustead | 10/11/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I was hooked with Season 1 and Season 2 does not disappoint. Each Wed evening after the kids were in bed, my friends and I would get "kitchen passes" from our respective wives and gather to watch two episodes. Amazing animation (perspectives, contrast, etc.), superb direction, excellent music, and great storytelling (and best seen in the "appropriate" frame of mind). I withdrew the fifth star only because the manufcturers chinced on the high sound quality the original offered. Hopefully, they'll do better with Season 3. Hey, anyone know when that's coming out?"