SilverHawks: Volume Two Review (Spoilers)
Jun. 7th, 2012 07:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matt_zimmerAlso reviews for DC Nation, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and Young Justice Invasion.
DC Nation
Green Lantern: The Animated Series "Invasion"
Fabulous. Super exciting with an awesome cliffhanger. Aia being forced to help the Red Lanterns broke my heart. SUCH a killer ending. And Saint Walker and Mogo! I cannot say enough good things about this episode. *****.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series "Homecoming"
Even better than the previous episode. I think the scenes on Earth were a little slow but this episode more than made up for it with Kilowog, Saint Walker and Mogo taking on an entire army of Red Lanterns by themselves. Aia's single tear down her face had me bawling as did the revelation that Razer had fallen in love with her. They had better develope that relationship the second the show comes back. I want my 'ship NOW! I'm stunned they wrapped up the Red Lantern plot so early in the show's run but it looks like Bruce Timm is looking towards the Jossverse in having season long story arcs rather than series long ones. Take notes, Young Justice. This is how it's done. *****.
Young Justice: Invasion "Salvage"
Poor Roy. Interesting to learn that he's been a clone the entire time Wally and Dick have known him. Cool twist. Loved the reveal at the end that he and Cheshire have an out of wedlock kid. Is that a first for a kids cartoon?
Loved seeing Artemis and Wally hooked up. Great stuff.
Loved Blue Beetle's Scarab being scary and possibly insanely evil. He was cute on Batman: The Brave and the Bold and this personality is MUCH more interesting.
Not a ton happened this episode besides the intervention but it was pretty good. ***1/2.
Young Justice: Invasion "Beneath"
I'm guessing the unknown partner is Darkseid, or at the very least Steppenwolf or Kanto WORKING for Darkseid. The bad guy being in shadows last episode was kind of a cartoon cliche but it's used so often because it's effective.
I liked Wonder Girl and the plot with the rest of the female team-members. The communication with Nightwing had a VERY adult joke there, perhaps the most mature I've seen on a superhero kids show. It was when Batgirl commented that Nightwing wouldn't have used the "male teammates" qualifier had all of the team been male. That made Nightwing pause for a second and I appreciated what a insightful and intelligent comment that was. It didn't talk down to the audience at all and people who were old enough to understand exactly what Batgirl meant could appreciate it in a way the kids watching the series could not. And when I mean "adult" I mean smart, not vulgar. A lot of superhero cartoons and comics these days can't make the distinction but this show does and it's appreciated.
The only thing I wasn't digging was Jaime searching for Apache Chief but to be completely fair to the episode it looks like that plotline is setting something up. It was a great idea for the show to give us a second action oriented plot to keep our attention in the meantime.
Very good episode. ****.
Young Justice: Invasion "Bloodlines"
The reveal at the end of the decimated planet was a nice twist but this show is covering ground already done by Wolverine and the X-Men, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Fringe, Smallville, and yes, Heroes. I was kind of hoping we wouldn't do that on this series.
Impulse was a blast. Jason Marsden was well-cast for once because Impulse is SUPPOSED to be sunny and annoying. They finally found a good cartoon role for him.
I loved everybody groaning at Barry's puns. That tells us all we need to know about the character and his relationship to his family.
Interesting episode. ***1/2.
Character Profile: Animal Man: Sort of surprising we got one for this D list hero before we did for say, Green Lantern, but whatever. ***1/2.
Vibe #1: Embrace the cheese. It's gooey and delicious. ****.
Vibe #2: Fantastic ending. Not exactly a great cartoon but it was a nice diversion. ****.
Atom #1 "Sword Of The Atom: Chapter One": This was awesome. If the rest of the run of these serialized shorts lives up to the potential of the first two episodes I'll be VERY happy. *****.
Super Best Friends Forever "Name Game": Cute and funny. I love how all of the characters seem to have distinct personalities. Hilarious. ****1/2.
Character Profile: The Flash: Just in time for his big Young Justice episode. I had no idea Barry Allen was a slow character before he got his superpowers. Huh. ****.
Atom #2 "Sword Of The Atom: Chapter Two: A Choice Of Dooms": Even better than the first episode. I can't wait to see what comes next. *****.
New Teen Titans #6 "Cyborg The Lifeguard"
The first of the New Teen Titans shorts I didn't enjoy. Oh, well. I guess they can't all be winners. **1/2.
SilverHawks: Volume Two
SilverHawks is one of those awful shows from the 80's that you are scared to death to rewatch. I was SO afraid that the show would be SO bad I would start to wonder what the heck I saw in it as a kid and wonder if I used to be a bad person (I call this Transformers syndrome). But no, I can see why I liked it so much. It's just as colorful and crazy as I remember it. Yes, it sucks, but if all terrible TV shows were this entertaining I wouldn't have the problem with bad television that I do now.
Two things struck me while watching the second volume:
1. The fortress on the planet Brimstar reminded me of the structures in the Mutant wastelands of Scorch in the Ralph Bakshi animated film "Wizards".
2. Mon*Star's form before he transforms into the giant robot is much scarier and more bada** than the robot. They should have transformed him the other way around.
My favorite SilverHawk is Hotwing. He lost some of his appeal when Adolph Ceasar, who originally voiced him, was replaced for unknown reasons but his magic powers and funny demeaner make him a fave.
Best episodes on the set are Hotwing saving the day (Eye of Infinity), the bleak future that only Flashback can save (Flashback), the one where Hotwing kicks butt and chews bubblegum (The Illusionist), the fun Flashback spotlight (Moon*Star), the Stargazer spotlight with the clever twist ending (Stargazer's Refit), and the series finale which featured all ten SilverHawks and all of the Mob except for Timestopper and Zero (Airshow). Worst episodes are the forgettable "Undercover", the silly "Super Birds", the lame "Switch", the second part of "Gangwar" (Gangwar Part II), the most disappointing episode of all time (Battlecruiser), and the boring "The Invisible Destroyer". Set Overall: **1/2. Series Overall: **1/2.
Smiley: That robot was funny. But I think it made the villains look bad that a robot that goofy looking was able to take them all out. **1/2.
Gotbucks: That way to get the bank combination was needlessly complicated. So much so it was unintentially funny. **1/2.
Melodia's Siren Song: Melodia is annoying as usual. But Hotwing is ALWAYS welcome. ***.
Tally-Hawk Returns: Evil Tally-Hawk! I gotta say Quicksilver seemed kind of dumb this episode. But Stargazer's reactions were amusing. **1/2.
Undercover: This episode title made no sense. It was actually about Mon*Star trying to take control of the Artificial Sun. **.
Eye of Infinity: Hotwing had to have been one of the most refreshingly positive role models in cartoons for African American kids in the 80's. He's the most powerful SilverHawk who never really needed to be rescued that much and in fact did most of the "saving the day" himself. He also is quite charming and is one of the only SilverHawks with a personality. ****.
A Piece of the Action: This is easily Timestopper's most memorable outing because he was actually the unsung hero of the piece. Wish he had been given a little credit for it though. ***1/2.
Flashback: One of the best episodes of the series. The future in which all the SilverHawks were dead was compelling and Flashback is a cool SilverHawk. Funniest moment was accidental: when Quicksilver was riding that phallic looking missile Flashback yells "Yes! Go Quicksilver! Ride it! Ride that thing!" while pumping his fist in the air. The unintentional homoerotic subtext was amusing. ****1/2.
Super Birds: Dumb episode. But it was nice to see Professor Power get a hero moment. *1/2.
The Blue Door: Episodes like this make me wish SilverHawks was a better show. The concept is fantastic: Stargazer is stalked in Hawk Haven by Mon*Star and Hardware and must play a game of cat-and-mouse and defeat them by himself even though he is clearly outmatched. Die Hard In Space is an awesome concept (see Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Starship Mine" for proof of this) and I can't help feeling the producers of the new ThunderCats reboot would have been able to take this concept and do it proper justice while this show botched it. Still, the concept is so great it's still getting a relatively high grade from me. ***1/2.
The Star of Bedlama: I like how for once Seymour was the one to catch the villains where the SilverHawks failed. Usually when Seymour screws up the SilverHawks are the ones who have to clean up his mess and I like that ultimately he corrected his mistake himself. ***.
The Illusionist: Normally I'd complain that making Hotwing a villain for an episode sends a poor message but I'm just impressed he managed to take down all of the SilverHawks by himself. Twice. True, the first time he cheated by catching them off-guard (dirty pool, man) but the second time he owned them all with an owning stick. He would have killed them all too had Mon*Star not been foolish enough to release his mind control over him to try to kill him. Best (and most ironic) line goes to Hotwing when he calls Stargazer "Baldy". Pot, meet Kettle. ****1/2.
The Bounty Hunter Returns: The Bounty Hunter's design is absolutely hilarious. He has the most magnificent man-boobs. Bigger than Power Girl's. Yikes. **1/2.
The Chase: Not a fan of Steelwill but this episode proves that Mo-Lec-U-Lar's powers are quite formidable. ***.
Switch: Interesting concept, mediocre execution. It doesn't help that everything was so frelling unlikely. *1/2.
Junkyard Dog: I got serious "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" from Saturday Night Live vibes from Flashback when he wrapped his arms around Hotwing's waist on that space cycle. I make jokes but it would be really cool if Flashback were the first gay SilverHawk in the same way Lexington was the first gay Gargoyle, i.e. something that was set up subtley that only the producers were able to confirm or deny. Gear from Static Shock is another example. ***.
Window in Time: One of those ultra-rare episodes to "visit" Earth but it spent the entire time at SilverHawks' headquarters so that was a bit of disappointment. It would have also have been cooler if the Window in Time had taken Hardware back to the point BEFORE the team all became SilverHawks. It would have been a better episode, allowed us to see Earth more, and actually made some sense from a villain standpoint. ***.
Gangwar Part I: Stargazer was being a buttmunch this episode. It's hard to believe someone who believes not everyone deserves police protection would rise to that level of authority. Well, maybe it's actually NOT that hard to believe but this is a cartoon and not real life. **1/2.
Gangwar Part II: So Melodia and Pokerface were set up as the instigators of the Gangwar in Part I and they didn't even appear in the conclusion? Whatever, man. **.
Sneak Attack Part I: I don't like Hotwing's new voice. And I'm bummed they are starting to repeat the Bluegrass / Copper Kidd Epilogue Test Segments too. **1/2.
Sneak Attack Part II: Why wasn't Hotwing in this episode? You'd figure Mon*Star would want to get revenge on him too. ***
Moon*Star: The episode where Mon*Star gets superpowers but actually forgets to use them. This episode had everything, Super Mon*Star, Flashback and the return of Gotbucks. A keeper. ****.
Diamond Stick-Pin: This is a cool episode because it's a nail-biter in which none of the SilverHawks were ever in the slightest bit of danger. That was kind of a cool twist that while the Mob thought they were destroying the SilverHawks, the audience knew it was only a matter of time until the bomb came back to them. ***1/2.
Burnout: Zero has always been a little too creepy and skeevy for my tastes. The episode was so-so. **1/2.
Battle Cruiser: Biggest let-down of an episode ever. Only this show could have an episode that introduces TWO new SilverHawks STILL be such a disappointment. I was actually furious by the end of it. The teaser makes it sound like it is gonna be awesome: Mon*Star is heading to Earth to take over the Chicago Mob(!) and only two new SilverHawks can stop him. But Mon*Star never gets there and the only two brief scenes we get on Earth are basically viewscreen ones. Even worse, Condor and Moonstriker don't show up until over halfway through the episode. Most Frustrating. Episode. EVER. *.
Small World: Is "Shrinkulator" the best name for a gizmo ever or what? ***.
Match-Up: It's nice to get a Windhammer spotlight but he's not the kind of character who can carry his own episode. Bonus points to the episode for including Smiley and The Bounty Hunter. **1/2.
Stargazer's Refit: The only "Earth" episode that even comes CLOSE to giving us hints about the future. We learn aliens have integrated seamlessly into Earth society and that Stargazer and Mavis probably had a thing back in the day. But I've giving this episode a high score for the genius trick ending which was worthy enough to be pulled on Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, and Gargoyles. Not bad for a show with usually crummy writing. ****.
The Invisible Destroyer: Wait, there's a SilverHawks Academy? Considering how few SilverHawks there actually are there must be hundreds of wash-outs each year. *1/2.
The Harder They Fall: Better than Super Birds, probably because Hotwing and Flashback were involved. **1/2.
Uncle Rattler: The good news: the show is FINALLY starting to delve into some of the backstories of the characters. The bad news: it's the third to last freaking episode. I was really feeling bad for Yessman this episode and found Mon*Star's amused reactions at the end quite unnerving and despicable. When he says "The Mob is the only family you've got" I wanted to smack him. ***.
Zeek's Power: Zeek is easily the most annoying character on this show so to have the penultimate episode centered around him stings a bit. On the plus side we learned where Hotwing gets his magic powers from. **1/2.
Airshow: The final episode is the only one where all ten SilverHawks appeared in the adventure together. It's true, they've occasionally all been in the last scene talking about what happened but this is the first episode where all ten participated in the action and were each given something to do. The entire Mob (sans Timestopper and Zero) appear too and Seymour and Zeek have a cameo so it was really a nice episode to go out on. Rankin Bass cartoons tended to have good season finales that would have worked as series finales and this is one of them. ****.
DVD Menus: Still and silent. Still, considering that this is a MOD release I'm just glad there were menus at all. Sadly these are better menus than most of the Smallville Blu-Ray ones. I find that pathetic and depressing. **1/2.
DC Nation
Green Lantern: The Animated Series "Invasion"
Fabulous. Super exciting with an awesome cliffhanger. Aia being forced to help the Red Lanterns broke my heart. SUCH a killer ending. And Saint Walker and Mogo! I cannot say enough good things about this episode. *****.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series "Homecoming"
Even better than the previous episode. I think the scenes on Earth were a little slow but this episode more than made up for it with Kilowog, Saint Walker and Mogo taking on an entire army of Red Lanterns by themselves. Aia's single tear down her face had me bawling as did the revelation that Razer had fallen in love with her. They had better develope that relationship the second the show comes back. I want my 'ship NOW! I'm stunned they wrapped up the Red Lantern plot so early in the show's run but it looks like Bruce Timm is looking towards the Jossverse in having season long story arcs rather than series long ones. Take notes, Young Justice. This is how it's done. *****.
Young Justice: Invasion "Salvage"
Poor Roy. Interesting to learn that he's been a clone the entire time Wally and Dick have known him. Cool twist. Loved the reveal at the end that he and Cheshire have an out of wedlock kid. Is that a first for a kids cartoon?
Loved seeing Artemis and Wally hooked up. Great stuff.
Loved Blue Beetle's Scarab being scary and possibly insanely evil. He was cute on Batman: The Brave and the Bold and this personality is MUCH more interesting.
Not a ton happened this episode besides the intervention but it was pretty good. ***1/2.
Young Justice: Invasion "Beneath"
I'm guessing the unknown partner is Darkseid, or at the very least Steppenwolf or Kanto WORKING for Darkseid. The bad guy being in shadows last episode was kind of a cartoon cliche but it's used so often because it's effective.
I liked Wonder Girl and the plot with the rest of the female team-members. The communication with Nightwing had a VERY adult joke there, perhaps the most mature I've seen on a superhero kids show. It was when Batgirl commented that Nightwing wouldn't have used the "male teammates" qualifier had all of the team been male. That made Nightwing pause for a second and I appreciated what a insightful and intelligent comment that was. It didn't talk down to the audience at all and people who were old enough to understand exactly what Batgirl meant could appreciate it in a way the kids watching the series could not. And when I mean "adult" I mean smart, not vulgar. A lot of superhero cartoons and comics these days can't make the distinction but this show does and it's appreciated.
The only thing I wasn't digging was Jaime searching for Apache Chief but to be completely fair to the episode it looks like that plotline is setting something up. It was a great idea for the show to give us a second action oriented plot to keep our attention in the meantime.
Very good episode. ****.
Young Justice: Invasion "Bloodlines"
The reveal at the end of the decimated planet was a nice twist but this show is covering ground already done by Wolverine and the X-Men, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Fringe, Smallville, and yes, Heroes. I was kind of hoping we wouldn't do that on this series.
Impulse was a blast. Jason Marsden was well-cast for once because Impulse is SUPPOSED to be sunny and annoying. They finally found a good cartoon role for him.
I loved everybody groaning at Barry's puns. That tells us all we need to know about the character and his relationship to his family.
Interesting episode. ***1/2.
Character Profile: Animal Man: Sort of surprising we got one for this D list hero before we did for say, Green Lantern, but whatever. ***1/2.
Vibe #1: Embrace the cheese. It's gooey and delicious. ****.
Vibe #2: Fantastic ending. Not exactly a great cartoon but it was a nice diversion. ****.
Atom #1 "Sword Of The Atom: Chapter One": This was awesome. If the rest of the run of these serialized shorts lives up to the potential of the first two episodes I'll be VERY happy. *****.
Super Best Friends Forever "Name Game": Cute and funny. I love how all of the characters seem to have distinct personalities. Hilarious. ****1/2.
Character Profile: The Flash: Just in time for his big Young Justice episode. I had no idea Barry Allen was a slow character before he got his superpowers. Huh. ****.
Atom #2 "Sword Of The Atom: Chapter Two: A Choice Of Dooms": Even better than the first episode. I can't wait to see what comes next. *****.
New Teen Titans #6 "Cyborg The Lifeguard"
The first of the New Teen Titans shorts I didn't enjoy. Oh, well. I guess they can't all be winners. **1/2.
SilverHawks: Volume Two
SilverHawks is one of those awful shows from the 80's that you are scared to death to rewatch. I was SO afraid that the show would be SO bad I would start to wonder what the heck I saw in it as a kid and wonder if I used to be a bad person (I call this Transformers syndrome). But no, I can see why I liked it so much. It's just as colorful and crazy as I remember it. Yes, it sucks, but if all terrible TV shows were this entertaining I wouldn't have the problem with bad television that I do now.
Two things struck me while watching the second volume:
1. The fortress on the planet Brimstar reminded me of the structures in the Mutant wastelands of Scorch in the Ralph Bakshi animated film "Wizards".
2. Mon*Star's form before he transforms into the giant robot is much scarier and more bada** than the robot. They should have transformed him the other way around.
My favorite SilverHawk is Hotwing. He lost some of his appeal when Adolph Ceasar, who originally voiced him, was replaced for unknown reasons but his magic powers and funny demeaner make him a fave.
Best episodes on the set are Hotwing saving the day (Eye of Infinity), the bleak future that only Flashback can save (Flashback), the one where Hotwing kicks butt and chews bubblegum (The Illusionist), the fun Flashback spotlight (Moon*Star), the Stargazer spotlight with the clever twist ending (Stargazer's Refit), and the series finale which featured all ten SilverHawks and all of the Mob except for Timestopper and Zero (Airshow). Worst episodes are the forgettable "Undercover", the silly "Super Birds", the lame "Switch", the second part of "Gangwar" (Gangwar Part II), the most disappointing episode of all time (Battlecruiser), and the boring "The Invisible Destroyer". Set Overall: **1/2. Series Overall: **1/2.
Smiley: That robot was funny. But I think it made the villains look bad that a robot that goofy looking was able to take them all out. **1/2.
Gotbucks: That way to get the bank combination was needlessly complicated. So much so it was unintentially funny. **1/2.
Melodia's Siren Song: Melodia is annoying as usual. But Hotwing is ALWAYS welcome. ***.
Tally-Hawk Returns: Evil Tally-Hawk! I gotta say Quicksilver seemed kind of dumb this episode. But Stargazer's reactions were amusing. **1/2.
Undercover: This episode title made no sense. It was actually about Mon*Star trying to take control of the Artificial Sun. **.
Eye of Infinity: Hotwing had to have been one of the most refreshingly positive role models in cartoons for African American kids in the 80's. He's the most powerful SilverHawk who never really needed to be rescued that much and in fact did most of the "saving the day" himself. He also is quite charming and is one of the only SilverHawks with a personality. ****.
A Piece of the Action: This is easily Timestopper's most memorable outing because he was actually the unsung hero of the piece. Wish he had been given a little credit for it though. ***1/2.
Flashback: One of the best episodes of the series. The future in which all the SilverHawks were dead was compelling and Flashback is a cool SilverHawk. Funniest moment was accidental: when Quicksilver was riding that phallic looking missile Flashback yells "Yes! Go Quicksilver! Ride it! Ride that thing!" while pumping his fist in the air. The unintentional homoerotic subtext was amusing. ****1/2.
Super Birds: Dumb episode. But it was nice to see Professor Power get a hero moment. *1/2.
The Blue Door: Episodes like this make me wish SilverHawks was a better show. The concept is fantastic: Stargazer is stalked in Hawk Haven by Mon*Star and Hardware and must play a game of cat-and-mouse and defeat them by himself even though he is clearly outmatched. Die Hard In Space is an awesome concept (see Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Starship Mine" for proof of this) and I can't help feeling the producers of the new ThunderCats reboot would have been able to take this concept and do it proper justice while this show botched it. Still, the concept is so great it's still getting a relatively high grade from me. ***1/2.
The Star of Bedlama: I like how for once Seymour was the one to catch the villains where the SilverHawks failed. Usually when Seymour screws up the SilverHawks are the ones who have to clean up his mess and I like that ultimately he corrected his mistake himself. ***.
The Illusionist: Normally I'd complain that making Hotwing a villain for an episode sends a poor message but I'm just impressed he managed to take down all of the SilverHawks by himself. Twice. True, the first time he cheated by catching them off-guard (dirty pool, man) but the second time he owned them all with an owning stick. He would have killed them all too had Mon*Star not been foolish enough to release his mind control over him to try to kill him. Best (and most ironic) line goes to Hotwing when he calls Stargazer "Baldy". Pot, meet Kettle. ****1/2.
The Bounty Hunter Returns: The Bounty Hunter's design is absolutely hilarious. He has the most magnificent man-boobs. Bigger than Power Girl's. Yikes. **1/2.
The Chase: Not a fan of Steelwill but this episode proves that Mo-Lec-U-Lar's powers are quite formidable. ***.
Switch: Interesting concept, mediocre execution. It doesn't help that everything was so frelling unlikely. *1/2.
Junkyard Dog: I got serious "The Ambiguously Gay Duo" from Saturday Night Live vibes from Flashback when he wrapped his arms around Hotwing's waist on that space cycle. I make jokes but it would be really cool if Flashback were the first gay SilverHawk in the same way Lexington was the first gay Gargoyle, i.e. something that was set up subtley that only the producers were able to confirm or deny. Gear from Static Shock is another example. ***.
Window in Time: One of those ultra-rare episodes to "visit" Earth but it spent the entire time at SilverHawks' headquarters so that was a bit of disappointment. It would have also have been cooler if the Window in Time had taken Hardware back to the point BEFORE the team all became SilverHawks. It would have been a better episode, allowed us to see Earth more, and actually made some sense from a villain standpoint. ***.
Gangwar Part I: Stargazer was being a buttmunch this episode. It's hard to believe someone who believes not everyone deserves police protection would rise to that level of authority. Well, maybe it's actually NOT that hard to believe but this is a cartoon and not real life. **1/2.
Gangwar Part II: So Melodia and Pokerface were set up as the instigators of the Gangwar in Part I and they didn't even appear in the conclusion? Whatever, man. **.
Sneak Attack Part I: I don't like Hotwing's new voice. And I'm bummed they are starting to repeat the Bluegrass / Copper Kidd Epilogue Test Segments too. **1/2.
Sneak Attack Part II: Why wasn't Hotwing in this episode? You'd figure Mon*Star would want to get revenge on him too. ***
Moon*Star: The episode where Mon*Star gets superpowers but actually forgets to use them. This episode had everything, Super Mon*Star, Flashback and the return of Gotbucks. A keeper. ****.
Diamond Stick-Pin: This is a cool episode because it's a nail-biter in which none of the SilverHawks were ever in the slightest bit of danger. That was kind of a cool twist that while the Mob thought they were destroying the SilverHawks, the audience knew it was only a matter of time until the bomb came back to them. ***1/2.
Burnout: Zero has always been a little too creepy and skeevy for my tastes. The episode was so-so. **1/2.
Battle Cruiser: Biggest let-down of an episode ever. Only this show could have an episode that introduces TWO new SilverHawks STILL be such a disappointment. I was actually furious by the end of it. The teaser makes it sound like it is gonna be awesome: Mon*Star is heading to Earth to take over the Chicago Mob(!) and only two new SilverHawks can stop him. But Mon*Star never gets there and the only two brief scenes we get on Earth are basically viewscreen ones. Even worse, Condor and Moonstriker don't show up until over halfway through the episode. Most Frustrating. Episode. EVER. *.
Small World: Is "Shrinkulator" the best name for a gizmo ever or what? ***.
Match-Up: It's nice to get a Windhammer spotlight but he's not the kind of character who can carry his own episode. Bonus points to the episode for including Smiley and The Bounty Hunter. **1/2.
Stargazer's Refit: The only "Earth" episode that even comes CLOSE to giving us hints about the future. We learn aliens have integrated seamlessly into Earth society and that Stargazer and Mavis probably had a thing back in the day. But I've giving this episode a high score for the genius trick ending which was worthy enough to be pulled on Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League Unlimited, and Gargoyles. Not bad for a show with usually crummy writing. ****.
The Invisible Destroyer: Wait, there's a SilverHawks Academy? Considering how few SilverHawks there actually are there must be hundreds of wash-outs each year. *1/2.
The Harder They Fall: Better than Super Birds, probably because Hotwing and Flashback were involved. **1/2.
Uncle Rattler: The good news: the show is FINALLY starting to delve into some of the backstories of the characters. The bad news: it's the third to last freaking episode. I was really feeling bad for Yessman this episode and found Mon*Star's amused reactions at the end quite unnerving and despicable. When he says "The Mob is the only family you've got" I wanted to smack him. ***.
Zeek's Power: Zeek is easily the most annoying character on this show so to have the penultimate episode centered around him stings a bit. On the plus side we learned where Hotwing gets his magic powers from. **1/2.
Airshow: The final episode is the only one where all ten SilverHawks appeared in the adventure together. It's true, they've occasionally all been in the last scene talking about what happened but this is the first episode where all ten participated in the action and were each given something to do. The entire Mob (sans Timestopper and Zero) appear too and Seymour and Zeek have a cameo so it was really a nice episode to go out on. Rankin Bass cartoons tended to have good season finales that would have worked as series finales and this is one of them. ****.
DVD Menus: Still and silent. Still, considering that this is a MOD release I'm just glad there were menus at all. Sadly these are better menus than most of the Smallville Blu-Ray ones. I find that pathetic and depressing. **1/2.
