Adored by young and old alike, Gumby is the instantly recognisable little clay boy (that's right, a claymation hero that isn't Wallace OR Gromit)
whose wild adventures his friends Pokey, Prickly and Goo, Gumby spread
a message of friendship and compassion that continues to be relevant
today.
For the first time ever, this box collects all
available Gumby episodes from the 50s and 60s (and believe me, there are
A LOT) in a beautifully packaged four-disc set. And what a joy it
is to. According to... well... fact, a good number of these episodes
were re voiced & re scored in the late 1980s when Gumby-mania
reared it's head again. So while for many, it may all seem quite
familiar, there is something not quite right about the voice.
For
mine, it comes down to the music. It's that sort of jazzy, scratchy
stuff which can often be found in numerous 60s cartoons and animations
(think Wacky Races or The Pink Panther)
which will make or break this as a viewing experience for you. Because
it will either reek of familiarity, or simply reek (isn't that odd how
such subtle generational changes can effect your enjoyment).
Either
way, it's still pretty cool. The series loses it's way about halfway
into Disc 3 in which Gumby and Pokey don't actually appear in favour of
a pair of B-Characters (who the producers were most likely trying to
spin-off into their own show).
Well worth checking out, but if you're under the age of 25 - you might want to wait until the 1980s series gets a showing.
EXTRAS
Not
much by way of extras here, although, you would have to assume the
process of retrieving this many archived episodes would be a hefty task
in itself.
What is impressive is the awesome packaging (regular
readers will be aware of my weakness for presentation), and in that
regard, Gumby : 50s and 60s passes with flying colours.
Also included is an extremely handy fully detailed episode guide booklet
with foreword written by Art Clokey's (the creator of little ol' Gumby) son Joe - making it an essential
addition to the collection for anyone who has been touched by the
little green man with the great big heart. A great collectors item. Conclusion:
Movie 65% Extras: 65%
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