VOLTRON: Defender of the Universe

At first I couldn't believe this wasn't a topic already, but then I realized that I hadn't even thought of one my most favorite childhood shows in a long, long time. This week they've released the first 15 episodes (Voltron Collection I: The Blue Lion) remastered, in a cool tin container and loaded with extras. I haven't had the opportunity to watch it yet but I can't wait. When I was a kid this (and Robotech) were THE shows to watch after school. The second collection will be released in November and I can't wait.

I do recall that it was quite cheesy at times and repetative, but five robot lions that join together to form a giant robot with a sword makes up for a lot of cheese.

Moleman edit: Unlocking for new info

 

It's a whole lot better than the live action rip-off, the power rangers

 

This was one of the best cartoons. Seems like what a serious Power Rangers series could be. I'd gladly take reruns of this on Cartoon Network instead the kiddy crap that fills it's line-ups nowadays.

 

And Ill form The Head! Good stuff.

 

That's a sweet line up.

 

I know, I used to watch it back then.

 

I just DLed the movie the other day.

 

My friend has a hand shake that he refers to as "turning the Voltron key".... Just thought I would throw that out there.

 

I was watching the first five episodes thru the On Demand section on my cable,and I was thinking: How feasible would a Voltron live-action movie be? Would it be one of those things that Hollywood would have to wait and see how well the live-action Transformers movie does at the box office before deciding to do it?

 

I loved Voltron, but I got a little tired of it. Bad guy makes new monster, attacks castle, 5 Lions get beat up, form Voltron, kill new monster with sword. I'd be pleased to hear that there was a film in the works.

 

You know, I was atching Adult Swim last week and there was a bump that someone's wife or son asked why Voltron wasn't on Adult Swim, and they replied "good point" and something else, and pretty much said Voltron will be on at some point again. I'll have to check scheduling updates.

EDIT**

Its on the AS website under th FIX videos, there are 4 up thus far.

 

I loved Voltron as a kid! We only had the Lion series, and I only caught a few episodes of the other show, the one where cars(?), spaceships joined together. I think the series was linked somehow... perhaps two of the characters on respective shows were cousins? My memory is spotty on this one!

I think that there is also going to be an upcoming live action movie!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltron_%282008_film%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltron

 

I've heard a rumor or two about the live action movie as well. Something about it might happen if the Transformers movie next summer does really good wasn't it? If so we can probably expect it sometime in 2010.

 

I hope the obvious CGI is not obvious. General Grievous looked real. If they bsically make a giant robot that looks too cartoonish then they lose.

 

I bought the "Blue Lion" DVD set back in September and if you're a fan it's worth the money. There's a doc on the extensive restoration process that they went through and it shows because it looks and sounds really good (It's even got 5.1 audio). They really did this DVD set right, unlike the way the Thundercats DVD's seemed almost thrown together. This Voltron release is more in line with the way the Master's of the universe DVD's were done.

 

Oooooo! I LOVE Voltron since I was a kid and saw all the episodes till the end I think on tv. Strangely, the tv station showed each season or 2, 2 years apart in the afternoon so just nice for me back then as my school session was in the morning every 2 years (Primary/Elementary 2, 4, 6). I also remember seeing the "Space/Vehicles" ones tho' not as big a fan of it compared to the Lions one or saw it to the last season. I still got 4 of the story books somewhere in my room and till now wish I had the money back then to buy the toy.

The later version of it in the late 1990s or early 2000 was a bit too cheesy for me, I donno why. Maybe cause they changes some of the facts from the original Lions and Space/Vehicles ones like many other "redone" cartoons back then or the "universe" seems like a more boring place.

Yub! One of the characters from the Space/Vehicles series was Peach's (Sp? Green Lion's Driver) twin or brother or cousin. In one of the first few episode, the little guy who is pretty shy compared to Peach received a letter from Peach telling him about his new life as Green Lion's Driver and the battle he went through.

I think they were linked in the sense of happening on different sides of the universe.

 

I loved watching that show as a kid, and I remember both the lions and the vehicles.


But I also remember at 8 years old getting tired of the identical story line. bad guy shows up with new robot monster. Good guys show up and get their butts kicked. Good guys form Voltron. Good guys win with sword attack. End of story.


That was it in a nutshell and unfortunately is a little lacking in depth or sustainability. So I found Robotech shortly after Voltron, and then I had a cartoon series worth watching over, and over, and over....

 

Indeed..

 

I got hooked on the Robotech novels my freshman year in high school thanks to a kid in my Spanish class (Is it any wonder I failed Spanish that year?). I Loved them and not too long ago I bought all 12 at a used book store.

I also watched the Robotech cartoon on Sci-fi back in the day before school, but when I watched it again on DVD about a year ago it didn't hold up quite as well for me as Voltron. Still love that theme, though.

 

They were all universe this, universe that. He-Man was the strongest in the universe, old Volt robot a uni defender.

I'm hoping my die-cast Voltrons will be worth a fortune in the future, because I have a heap of them.

 

At the time, it was the best cartoon to ever come out, IMO. IIRC, it preceded Robotech, and I think it helped that franchise greatly here in the States. I loved Voltron. Still do. Great series. I even loved the vehicle Voltron as well, and since you can't get that freakin set on DVD anywhere, I'm more nostalgic for that series than the lion series. I had both the lion and vehicle Voltron toys as a kid. If anyone knows where the get the vehicle series on DVD, please, let me know.

 

Except "Power Ranger" started in the mid 70s, go do some research next time

 

If it weren't for already having Starscream, Cobra Commander, and Skeletor as my childhood heroes, then Prince Lotor would join their already crowded ranks. I'm still on the fence to pick up the first "Voltron" set, because while I do have fond memories of the show, would my memories be enough to carry me through episode after episode of Voltron slicing through another jobber Ro-Beast? (Or the tendency of the earlier episodes to keep comparing Princess Alura to Sven.)