Synopsis
Sometimes Disney will release a film that provides feelings of nostalgia to a lot of people. And other times they release shows onto DVD that make me realize just how old I am. When Disney’s Goof Troop was released onto DVD, my wife said the most horrible thing I’ve heard her say so far: “I used to watch that show growing up.” Keeping in mind that Goof Troop aired from 1992-1993, that statement probably says more about her than it does me, it still didn’t make me feel good. For God’s…sake, I was of drinking age when this aired!
And after watching 3 episodes of Goof Troop on DVD, I’m not very sure what the allure to this show could have been. Disney takes Goofy, who was a pretty lovable character and pulls his charm out of the cartoon by giving him friends and a family and dulling any sort of clumsy edge about him. Oh, and gave him a last name, so his name was Goofy Goof. Right. He has a son (I’m assuming) named Max (voiced by Dana Hill, Cross Creek), who is always looking for ways to have fun without his Dad. Their neighbors are Max’s friend P.J. and his father Pete, who hates Goofy for some reason.
Now, the show isn’t completely hopeless. Veteran vocal artist Frank Welker contributes, and The Simpsons Nancy Cartwright provides some contributions as a supporting role, but still, there’s not too much that can save this. Allow me to make a point here, assuming it makes some sense. Taking the goofiness out of Goofy just doesn’t make Goof Troop that attractive a television show, even to these jaded 30 something eyes. And making him a formulaic character a la Homer Simpson is effectively robbing you of the essence of a long–popular Disney gem, making him, well, pretty boring.
Will the kids enjoy this? Sure, probably, considering what else may be on TV now. But quite frankly, there are far better, higher quality Disney TV releases that you can pop into your DVD player before this one. Now if you’ll excuse me, hopefully the wife isn’t too mad at me for what I’ve said about a show from her youth, guess I’m paying for dinner soon.
Video
To their credit, Disney is doing a good job of getting these things to DVD, but the video quality is still very shabby. If they want people to pick these things up, the video has to be better than a recording straight from the TV.
Audio
The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is pretty straightforward without being overly robust. Considering that it’s coming from a TV show, that’s about as good as you’d expect.
Special Features
Aside from the obligatory trailers that accompany any DVD release, there’s nothing of note here.
Closing Thoughts
While Goof Troop is another welcome soldier in the fight to keep your kids occupied and not going through the cabinets looking for sharp objects, the overall quality of the show, from its stories to its presentation, leave a little bit to be desired. Disney fans will enjoy it however it’s presented.
Special Features List
- Trailers
