Samurai Jack: Season 2

Samurai Jack Season 2From Genndy Tartakovsky, the creator of Star Wars: Clone Wars, comes the Emmy Award winning Samurai Jack Season 2 on DVD. The series follows the tales of a young samurai cast far into the future by the evil shape-shifting wizard Aku. Join Samurai Jack on his quest to return to the past and undo the destruction that Aku has wrought upon the land. With award-winning artwork and intricate, action-packed plots, the many journeys of Samurai Jack are a must for any fan's collection. Episodes include: (14) Jack Learns to Jump (15) Jack vs the Worm, The Metal-Eaters, & The Fairy (16) Jack and the Smackback (17) Jack and the Scotsman II (18) Jack and the Ultra-Robots (19) Jack Remembers the Past (20) Jack and the Monks (21) Jack and the Dragon (22) Jack vs the Five Hunters (23) Jack vs Demango (24) Jack Is Naked (25) Jack and the Spartans (26) Jack's Shoes]]> Amazon.com The imagination never flags in Episodes XIV-XXVI of Samurai Jack, Genndy Tartakovsky's Emmy-winning comedy-adventure. The artists skillfully employ design, color, and pattern to compliment the directors' use of deft cutting and split screen imagery. The resulting visuals are sharp, fresh, and appealing. As Jack continues his quest to return to the past and destroy the evil shape-shifter Aku, the tone of the adventures shifts from dramatic to farcical and back again. In Episode XX, Jack proves his determination by climbing treacherous Mount Fatoom with three highly trained monks. The clerical trio consists of little more than pentagons with stylized faces, but their geometric simplicity plays effectively against the jagged facets of the mountain. The warriors who battle mechanical minotaurs in Episode XXV reflect the look of Greek vase paintings, filtered through the work of modern illustrators and graphic novelists. In lighter moments, Jack helps the Scotsman rescue his battleaxe of a bride from a nest of demons in Episode XVII, then plunges down a rabbit hole to visit a neon-bright Wonderland in Episode XXIV. That adventure reaches new heights of absurdity when Jack appears in drag as a princess. The picaresque blend of comedy and adventure makes Samurai Jack one of the most significant cartoon series of recent years. Extras include a biography-scrapbook of Tartakovsky, a partial pitch for Episode XVII and a creators' commentary for Episode XXV. (Unrated, suitable for ages 10 and older: stylized violence, minor gross humor) --Charles Solomon