Kung Fu - The Complete Series Collection

Kung Fu - The Complete Series Collection
by Gordon Hessler, Robert Totten, Alex Beaton, Lee Philips, Walter Doniger

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DVD details

Director: Alex Beaton, Gordon Hessler, Lee Philips, Robert Totten, Walter Doniger
Brand: Warner Brothers
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 3168 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-11-06
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Reviews of Kung Fu - The Complete Series Collection

DVD Review: Review KF
Summary: 4 Stars

The series is complete and all inclusive. This is good and this is bad. Many episodes begin with the same 3-5 minuete introduction and this can become boring to the max. I wish that this redundancy could be edited out without destroying the originality of the collection.

DVD Review: Everyone Must Have A Copy In Their Home.
Summary: 5 Stars

Growing up in the 70's I watched the Kung Fu series every week. It was the high light of my week. I ordered the series and could not believe the series was better than I remembered it from childhood.

DVD Review: Kung Fu the complete series collection
Summary: 2 Stars

The quality of the DVD's is mediocre, specially Season One. Perhaps the series were too old to put into DVD's, it is so frustrating to have interruptions while watching a show (those that can be watch. I will pursue some reimbursement or exchange for the money. It is great to watch
those shows that made it okay into DVD's.

DVD Review: A Series That Everyone Should Watch
Summary: 5 Stars

Kung Fu drastically challenged the conservative, militaristic, and philosophically naive outlook I held as a 20 year old college student and "gung-ho" ROTC cadet in 1972. Now, 36 years later, I have had the opportunity to watch Kung Fu once more, and the impact has been nearly as powerful. I have been disabled for severe depression and anxiety for over 15 years, including close to two years of hospitalization. In all of that time I have barely moved forward--until re-watching Kung Fu. The show has visually reminded me of many things, repeatedly told me by therapists, in such a way that I am once again able to reflect--especially while watching the show--a little more positively on my life.

That is the beauty and mastery of Kung Fu, one of the most intriguing shows ever made: it invokes one to THINK, discuss, and contemplate. The only other show I have seen have such an effect on so many people (nearly 90% of my ROTC class of 207 cadets watched Kung Fu as well as me), is the original two years of Star Trek. BUT, the level and intensity invoked by Kung Fu was immeasurably greater than that of Star Trek. The commentaries and features often mention how teacher "required" students to watch Kung Fu, and then discussed the episodes in class. In deed, it is the philosophical nature of the show that most appeals to me and many who watch it.

Conversely, I will not deny that the show led me to sign up for Judo classes too (over 50% of my friends signed up for some form of martial arts), but the Karate nature of the show was never that appealing to me. Kung Fu is frequently accredited for "introducing" thousands of people to the martial arts. Unfortunately, many who watch the show or have watched the show have followed the path of what I consider "aggressive" martial arts, forgetting the retrospective nature of true Kung Fu. But, I must believe that if parents watch the show with their children, they can have an opportunity to talk with their children about both aspects of Kung Fu.

Another fabulous feature of the show is that viewers are presented with the reality of bigotry and hate--something that never ends, and is completely pertinent to today's world. Again, parents could easily use episodes to discuss and help their children--be they victims, violators, or naive--deal with bigotry and hate.

PLEASE NOTE: Warner Brothers has apparently advertised, and thus Amazon has listed, this set to contain wide-screen formate. All episodes and features are in fact full screen. The release date states 2007, but season boxes are 2005, so I don't think there is any difference between the Complete Series Box Set and the single season box sets. On an even sadder note, Warner Brothers either did nothing or very little to restore the negatives, so the episodes are littered with white specs, scratches, and so on. But this is what I have now come to expect from Warner Brothers: misinformation and little or no care for their consumers; they don't even reply to mail I send them.

UPDATE--OCTOBER 24, 2008: My copy of this collection was recently returned to me, and I started watching them again. To my surprise, Season One was playing in "Widescreen" format, so I read the information on the box more closely, and realized that I needed to update this error in my review. First off, it states that the episodes for this set (Season One) are in "All-New Digital Transfers." Closely observing the episodes and watching episodes from the other seasons one can see the difference, as the digital transfer has reduced the negative mars and makes for much cleaner viewing. Neither Season Two or Three has any indication that they have been digitally transfered, and, as such, my original comments that the "the episodes are littered with white specs, scratches, and so on," are still appropriate to the Season Two and Three episodes. However, please note that these mars are inherent to the original negatives, and DO NOT distract from enjoying the episodes. Second, it clearly states on the box that Season One is a: "WIDESCREEN VERSION Presented In A "Matted" Widescreen Format Preserving A THEATRICAL Exhibition Aspect Ratio. Enhanced For Widescreen TVs." Conversely, the information on the Season Two and Three boxes state: "STANDARD VERSION Presented In A Format Preserving The Aspect Ratio Of Its Original TELEVISION Exhibition;" that is, full screen. I sincerely apologize for any confusion my original comments may have caused.

All that said and done: Please consider renting (if available) or buying the Kung Fu series, and watch it with family and friends if you have them.

Update--1 July 2008: If this review was not helpful to you, I would appreciate learning the reason(s) so I can improve my reviews. My goal is to provide help to potential buyers, not get into any arguments. So, if you only disagree with my opinion, could you please say so in the comments and not indicate that the review was not helpful. Thanks.

Description of Kung Fu - The Complete Series Collection

Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 11/13/2007

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