Star Wars - Ewok Adventures DVD Review

by Casimir Harlow
Movies & TV Shows Review

Star Wars - Ewok  Adventures DVD Review
MSRP: £15.99

Picture

Both movies are presented in dated 1.33:1 aspect ratio non-anamorphic full screen transfers that betray their TV origins. That said, the picture never even approaches being bad enough to disturb your enjoyment of the movie itself. The detail is relatively good, with only a bit of softness here and there and there is negligible edge enhancement apparent. There is a light layer of grain running throughout, but you would probably expect nothing more from a twenty year-old production. The colour scheme is a little lacklustre, the palette broad but dulled slightly by age so that most of the more adventurous colours seem a little faded. Of the two transfers, the second movie comes across as slightly better, but neither has been given a benchmark representation by any standards. There are also some minor signs of dirt and blemishes which speckle the screen from time to time. All in all, it won't be anything to be impressed by, but at the same time you should seldom notice any striking faults.
Star Wars - Ewok  Adventures

Sound

Similarly to the transfers, the audio representation is fairly limited. All we get is a basic Dolby Digital 2.0 mix that simply leaves a lot to be desired. You have to appreciate, however, both the age and budget of the production, and in that respect this is not a bad audio track to have. The dialogue is always at the forefront, which may or may not be a good thing with the horrible narration that exists over the Ewok actions in the first movie (luckily they learn to speak a bit of English by the second). Sound-effects are surprisingly common considering the budget, and are especially noteworthy in the big climax of the second movie, when they power-up and use Noa's ship to combat the marauders. There is no bass to even talk about here and the score does get a little irritating at times, but is nonetheless well presented. Again, you have to respect the age, and taking that into consideration there is nothing so bad here that it would put you off the movie.
Star Wars - Ewok  Adventures

Extras

There are no extras whatsoever, which is a shame because they could have at least stuck on a couple of trailers for the other Star Wars productions - most relevantly the spin-off Ewok cartoon.
Star Wars - Ewok  Adventures
The biggest problem with these Ewoks movies is that they have a very limited appeal. It is difficult to decide whether they were designed to unnecessarily exploit the Star Wars universe just for money, or whether there genuinely was an intention to satisfy the child audiences that would buy them, but what we are left with is a production that is only likely to appeal to a very small number of individuals. The technical presentation does not help, nor does the distinct lack of extras, but if you are an absolute Star Wars completist, a big Ewoks fan, or are buying it in order to show to your kids, you might avoid disappointment. Anyone else interested should seriously consider a rental first.

Scores

Movie

.
.
.
.
6

Picture Quality

.
.
.
7

Sound Quality

.
.
.
7

Overall

.
.
.
.
6
6
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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