movieXclusive.com || Visionaries DVD

SYNOPSIS:

In a futuristic dimension, and a world where magic has regained its hold over science, twelve Visionaries set forth on a perilous mission to try and discover what force has set loose the demons of anarchy in their homeland of Prysmos. They venture into an
unknown realm, where mystic and occult powers are the law of the land. After being granted great magical powers by the wizard Merklyn, the knights divide – six become The Darkling Lords, and the others, the heroic Spectral Knights, defenders of Prysmos.
They clash with armories that combine ancient sorcery and super science weaponry in a bid to take control of their sacred homeland and declare ultimate victory.

MOVIE REVIEW :

For those who grew up in the 80s, I'm sure many will have fond memories of the loads of toy-cartoon series and products. On one hand, there are the toy manufacturers, which astonished every kid with its numerous product lines, and on the other, the cartoons
which bring these products to "life".

Mask probably started it all with its dual-purpose vehicles and powers that each mask possessed, and do He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Transformers,
Centurions, StarCom, BraveStarr, Sky Commandos, Silverhawks, G.I. Joe, all ring a bell? Such was the cartoon frenzy those days, and perhaps, one of the most unique and memorable series, was Visionaries.

Why? For starters, it was innovative - the herald of the Age of Magic after the demise of the Age of Technology. Knights in shining armour, powerful spells, transformation, against the classic battle between Good Vs Evil. Unfortunately, Visionaries was
released during the popularity wane of the 80s toy-cartoon blitz, and only managed one season, despite being one of the favourites. It's somehow unfairly penalized for being at the tail end of the wave, and hence, only 13 episodes were produced.

But fret not, here's the Visionaries Special Collector's Edition DVD box set that every fan would want to get, and it doesn't disappoint, starting with the packaging and its iconic hologram on the cover, and the second disc containing the special features.

The series is set in the fictional world of Prysmos, where the Age of Magic dawns and a mystical, and morally ambiguous magician Merklynn (sort of a play on the better known Merlin character) bestowed upon chosen knights of Prysmos magical powers according to their characters. Everyone has one transformation power on their totems, which allows the knights to transform into various animals, and some lucky ones have additional powers granted on their power staffs. Split into two groups, where the heroic Spectral Knights, led by Leoric, wages battle with the evil Darkling Lords, led by Darkstorm. It's quite uneven, as the villains seemed to get more destructive powers,
but of course this makes for interesting story telling.

The first 3 episodes combine together as a mini-movie, where the origins of the characters, their powers, and their first clash are featured. Other episodes are
more stand-alone, but you can still watch them all as a whole, given that there are only 13 episodes. That said, you'll probably not get any closure by the time you watched the last episode, as the series ends abruptly, but I'm sure many wouldn't mind, so long as
all the episodes of this fondly remembered series is captured into one collectible DVD set.

SPECIAL FEATURES :

For starters, there are 8 (scanned) shooting scripts presented in PDF format. For fans of the magical spells, there is a dedicated Character Biographies section, where the background of each character is provided, together with their powers and a short clip
on their individual spells to invoke the powers of their magical staff. There is no need to go to the episodes to get your kicks!

The scene selection also breaks down each episode into 3 separate scenes, so you have the option to watch all the episodes as a mini-movie, or a particular episode,
or particular scenes in an episode.

The weakest special feature will probably be the Trivia section, but this is compensated by a most excellent interview with the Producer of Visionaries, Flint Dille, who provides various insights to the making of this popular series. Fans will probably drool at the nuggets dished out, so this one is a must-watch!

AUDIO:

There is nothing much to shout about the audio reproduction, but suffice to know that the theme song is what will jolt your memory, when it is used as the background music of this DVD's menu.

VISUAL:

This is not a digitally animated series, thus given its original source format of 80s styled animation, it's a pretty decent transfer.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING:

Review by Stefan Shih

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