I’m a big fan of “Josie and the Pussycats.” I think the theme song one of the most raucously entertaining themes ever made, while the cartoon is one of the better byproducts of the “Scooby Doo” influence. Hoping to continue the series, Hanna Barbera took their franchise to the more obvious setting: Space! And they branched out in to orbit with Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space: The Complete Series, now on Blu-Ray.
Rock stars Josie and the Pussycats are blasted out of Earth when the bumbling Alexandra accidentally launches Josie and the gang into outer space. They travel through the galaxy searching for a path back to Earth, and along the way, they meet cat people, robot monsters, evil dictators, space pirates and plenty of strange creatures.
This also includes their new companion Bleep. Because in the eighties every super team needed their own cute pet monster or something… right? “Josie in Outer Space” is not my favorite follow up to the series. In fact, whenever it would air here in America on Cartoon Network, I’d change the channel or look for something else.
There’s just something less enthusiastic about the series, and feels like they’re stretching and already paper thin premise. The follow up is basically just the original series, except with aliens, and evil overlords, and assorted monsters.
Even for fans of the original series and comic strip, this might feel stale.
The Warner Archive Blu-Ray comes with zero extras, sadly.
Thundarr the Barbarian: The Complete Series is the second release from Warner Archive. While I’m always going to be a fan of He-Man, I have to say that I love “Thundarr” so much more. Maybe it’s the fact that it feels like Hanna Barbera by way of Ralph Bakshi. Or maybe it’s the whole post-apocalyptic setting that dodges the typical fantasy tropes that were too well worn by the time “He-Man” came out much later.
In the year 1994, a comet from Outer Space hurtles between the Earth and the Moon unleashing destruction. The moon is destroyed and the Earth is left in ruins by natural disasters and civilization collapses as the Earth’s O-Zone layer is gone and The Earth is left as a wasteland. 2000 years later, in the the post-apocalyptic world, a new world is born, a world of “Savagery, super-science and Sorcery”.
Living in the new world, Thundarr, a mighty warrior (armed with his magic sword “The Sun Sword”) and his two companions, Princess Ariel, a beautiful sorceress the lion-like Ookla the Mok, do battle with evil forces of wizards and creatures as they travel across the new world.
“Thundarr” is so much more entertaining and original, despite almost always being compared to He-Man. The series has a better thought out mythology and taps in to the whole post apocalyptic “Heavy Metal” vibe that really would work as a modern re-imagining. The series has sadly fallen in to obscurity over the years, but it still feels so fresh to this day, enlisting a grimmer set landscape, and larger stakes that add some urgency to Thundarr’s quest.
I wish the series was much more celebrated like He-Man is, as it watches well, even in 2021.
Disc Two for “The Complete Series” from Warner Archive includes Lords of Light! The Story of Thundarr The Barbarian, a great eighteen minutes retrospective that gives you a good idea on not only the production of the show, but explaining what was going on at the time and what would happen in pop culture entertainment after Thundarr‘s premature cancellation.
Remember: Purchasing through our links helps to support Cinema Crazed!