DVD Review: Rocky & Bullwinkle – It’s Moose & Squirrel!

“Look Boris…It’s Moose & Squirrel!”

That’s right kids, Rocky & Bullwinkle is back on DVD. The Best of Rocky & Bullwinkle Vol. 2 came out on DVD on September 18, 2007. The release is courtesy of Classic Media and Genius Entertainment. On the back of the DVD, it states that Rocky & Bullwinkle has been voted the #3 best cartoon of all time according to TV Guide. Now is the time for fans of the show to get a chance to see three of the funniest Rocky & Bullwinkle stories, with multiple segments per story.

Classic Rocky & Bullwinkle is kid-friendly and reminiscent of an easier time when humor didn’t have to be filled with bad behavior and potty jokes to pass the time. While Rocky & Bullwinkle uses snarky and sarcastic humor, it’s done so innocently it is hard not to forgive the likable squirrel and clueless Moose. Rocky & Bullwinkle debuted on television in the early 1960s and has remained a favorite with children and adults spanning through multiple generations.

The Best of Rocky & Bullwinkle Vol. 2 features “Wossamotta U”, “Treasure of Monte Zoom”, and “Goof Gas Attack”. Each of these stories played out on the original Rocky & Bullwinkle show and aired along with other segments of the shows of Rocky & Bullwinkle’s friends including “Fractured Fairy Tales”, “The Adventures of Dudley Do Right”, “Peabody’s Improbable History” and “Aesop and Son”. This is how each story was able to be played out over multiple episodes of Rocky & Bullwinkle instead of one or two longer episodes. This also kept fans of the show guessing what would happen next, with each segment ending with some sort of “cliffhanger”.

“Wossamotta U” is split into twelve segments. The story for this one is hilarious if not a bit simple-minded. Bullwinkle (voiced by series writer, Bill Scott) is going to attend Wossamotta University to be on their football team. While Bullwinkle isn’t that smart they have him taking classes like Advanced Crocheting, to ensure he keeps up his grades. While Bullwinkle is a little slow to get the premise of how to play football, with Rocket “Rocky” J. Squirrel’s help the two become an unstoppable force. With Rocky (June Foray) and Bullwinkle leading the team, Wossamotta U is undefeated.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoon without Boris Badenov (Paul Frees) and his partner, Natasha Fatale (June Foray) stepping in and trying to ruin the lives of “Squirrel & Moose”. The two try everything they can to get both Bullwinkle and Wossamotta U to lose a game. While Bullwinkle initially falls for their harebrained scheming, their evil ways usually come to light just in time for Bullwinkle to make things right. These episodes are accompanied with moral lessons like “don’t lose a game on purpose to try to help someone” and “just because someone says they are a girl doesn’t mean they are one”.

“The Treasure of Monte Zoom” has the duo chasing after the bad guys, Boris and Natasha, who will stop at nothing to steal the treasure of Monte Zoom. When Boris attempts to break the dam leading to Frostbite Falls, Rocky and Bullwinkle stop them at the last minute.

Unfortunately, Boris finds a way to drain all the water and Bullwinkle goes down the drain with Rocky jumping in after him. After Bullwinkle gets stuck in a water pipe in a house in Frostbite Falls, he must find a way out and get back to the dried out river bottom, to stop Boris and Natasha from taking the treasure. Luckily, the chest is resisting every effort the two make when trying to open the treasure chest.

What would be one of the worst illnesses a genius could have? The obvious answer is to be stricken with stupid. In “Goof Gas Attack”, that is exactly what happens. When something so terrible happens, there’s only one answer. Call in the equally as stupid Bullwinkle. He might be just a “wee bit” smarter so maybe he can find a way to restore all of the stupid people’s smarts before something bad can happen. The theory is, Bullwinkle is already dumb to begin with, so he can’t get any more stupid then he already is. That’s the key to solving the answer to their problem.

The audio and visual quality of The Best of Rocky & Bullwinkle Vol. 2 is decent for a cartoon made in the 1960s. There is a little bit of crackling that is associated with older cartoons, but nothing so noticeable that it messes with the quality of the DVD. The cartoons were transferred to the DVD at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 in flat full frames. The total runtime for The Best of Rocky & Bullwinkle Vol. 2 is 132 minutes.

The audio quality is also superb. It’s easy to hear everything being said. It sounds about the same as what you would hear if you were watching episodes of Rocky & Bullwinkle on television. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 and is available in both English and Spanish. There are no subtitles available for The Best of Rocky & Bullwinkle Vol. 2.

There is only one bonus feature on the The Best of Rocky & Bullwinkle Vol. 2 disc. There are several different live show intros and outros that were used for the Rocky & Bullwinkle show until parents complained their children were doing exactly what the puppets said, even if they were rebellious in nature.

Overall, The Best of Rocky & Bullwinkle Vol. 2 is an entertaining cartoon. You can’t take it seriously because it is silly and filled with stupid humor. Still there are lessons to be learned and the cartoon isn’t something you will have to worry about your child watching. Fans of Rocky & Bullwinkle have long awaited the release of The Best of Rocky & Bullwinkle Vol. 2. Now that it’s out, Classic Media is putting out the full series in seasons, for those who simply cannot get enough of their favorite moose and squirrel.

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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
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Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.