All Rise...

Judge Dennis Prince now realizes this cartoon disc has absolutely nothing to do with three other goofballs named McMahon, Kennedy, and Murphy.

The Charge

Believe it or not, there's quite a following of fans—of all ages—anxiously awaiting the arrival of three imbeciles' adventures on DVD. After several holiday-themed offerings over the past year, here now is the first official disc from Cartoon Network that's all Ed, all the time. But is the new Ed, Edd n Eddy Volume 1—Edifying Edventures the dose of dorkness that fans have been clamoring for? Let's bet a jawbreaker over it, okay?

The Case

After launching this excursion into low-brow lunacy back in 1999, Cartoon Network found that Ed, Edd n Eddy was a smashing success, garnering a fan following millions strong from around the globe. Although originally intended to run only four seasons, the network quickly commissioned two additional seasons from Danny Antonucci, the creative cretin behind all this. And whether you like it or not (and I'm still somewhat undecided, though the kids absolutely lap this stuff up with vigor), Ed, Edd n Eddy seems here to stay, and there are even rumors circulating about a possible feature film.

"What are you dorks up to now?"

So let's meet some Eds, shall we? First there's Ed. He's the big dumb one with ridiculously wide-set eyes under a well-established mono-brow. He's an oaf, but he's also the most lovable and affectionate of the gang. Next is Edd, often referred to as "Double-D," who's the brains of the outfit with a bent for intellectual pursuits and a yearning to steer his two wayward companions clear of trouble. He's also hiding something under that stocking cap he wears, but nobody knows what it is. Last, there's Eddy, the money-grubbing marketeer who's always looking for new ways to separate the other neighborhood kids from their coveted quarters. Whether he's inventing new products or launching new "thrill of a lifetime" attractions, Eddy gives common sense the backseat in his pursuit for entrepreneurial elitism. The three Eds live in a cul-de-sac in the suburban Peach Creek Estates and usually yearn for the most coveted indulgence of all: giant jawbreakers.

As for the other neighborhood kids, there's Sarah, the screeching younger sister to Ed; Johnny, the amiable little fellow who is never without his wooden companion, Plank; Jimmy, the sensitive little guy with a night-brace perpetually strapped around his mouth and a girlish disposition all over; Kevin, the sneering bully who'd love to pound any of the Eds any time he can; Rolf, the foreign boy who has a penchant for farming and raising wildlife; and the Kanker sisters, homely girls from the nearby trailer park who have unending crushes on the three Eds.

With that, the stage is set for non-stop nuttiness and goofy goings-on that usually involve a scheme from the Eds that raises the ire of the neighborhood kids and taunts the affections of the Kanker trio. On this new disc from Warner Bros., you'll be treated to six Ed outings:
• "Sir Ed-A-Lot" (Episode #6; original air date: 1/18/99)
While searching for the lumbering Ed, Edd and Eddy find the mono-browed oaf unwillingly babysitting his kid sister, Sarah. The little waif, however, is anything but sweet, threatening to hold her breath unless the three E's do her bidding, including a tea party complete with sundresses for all, a horse race atop Ed-biscuit, and an endless berating of the embattled babysitters on a makeshift throne. Eddy's ready to abandon the whole mess until he learns Ed is getting paid for this gig. Now it's all hands on deck to entertain the bratty sister and make off with a pocket full of cash.
Rating: 4 jawbreakers

• "Who, What, Where, Ed" (Episode #16; original air date: 2/22/99)
After a breakfast mishap that leaves the three Eds without eggs, the trio heads over to their friend Rolf to gather an egg from his bounty of healthy hens. But when Rolf insists on a trade for an egg, matters quickly get out of hand as the imbeciles engage in a daisy-chain bartering agreement with every kid in the neighborhood.
Rating: 4 jawbreakers

• "Avast Ye Eds" (Episode #26; original air date 3/29/99)
Entrepreneurial Eddy is hard at work trying to pry a quarter-dollar from each of the neighborhood kids for a ride of the lifetime on his luxury cruise line. All seems well when the trio lures Johnny, Plank, and Jimmy aboard Eddy's Creek Cruise—an oversized inner tube complete with a crow's nest and an ice chest—but soon the creepy Kanker sisters set sail on a seaworthy tub of their own, with designs to hug and kiss the three Eds of their dreams.
Rating: 5 jawbreakers

• "Know-It-All Ed" (Episode #31; original air date: 9/27/99)
Happily at play in the city dump, the three Eds stumble upon a carton of turkey basters. Eddy is certain they're rare imported Canadian squirt guns and hustles back to the neighborhood to sell the desirable water toys for 50 cents each. Naturally, the scheme backfires when the perfume-slinging Kanker sisters get a hold of some squirters and track down the three boys.
Rating: 3.5 jawbreakers

• "Mirror, Mirror, on the Ed" (Episode #48; original air date: 11/29/99)
While the neighborhood kids are busy in a thrilling game of truth or dare, the three Eds drop in—literally—and dare to mimic one another. And though the friendly game of self-actualization provides lots of laughs, they confuse the rest of the kids with their exchanged personalities.
Rating: 5 jawbreakers

• "Hot-Buttered Ed" (Episode #49; original air date: 12/6/99):
Late-night high jinks camping outdoors results in the three Eds oversleeping the next morning. Their late awakening costs them their usual sunning spot on the shore of the creek. The Eds must now determine a way to pry the bullying Kevin out of their favorite piece of creek-side real estate.
Rating: 4 jawbreakers

Each episode is offered in its original 1.33:1 full-frame format. Unlike much of what I saw in the previous Cartoon Network holiday-themed DVDs, the picture quality is much more vibrant and consistent throughout. There's a high level of detail that's thankfully free of excessive edge enhancement. The colors are rich and practically pop off the screen. The audio is presented in the original Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo, and it sounds quite good. The strange thing about this flagship release, however, is the fact that this particular collection of episodes in no way follows the original output in what's come to be expected as the season-by-season delivery. Instead, this disc offers up only six Ed-ventures, picked seemingly randomly from Season One and Season Two (note the original episode numbers and air dates in the previous synopses). That's just weird, and I have to think it comes as a disappointment to the die-hard Ed fans who'd probably like to see a complete Season One release. What dork came up with this idea?

The extras on the disc, too, leave a bit to be desired. First, there's a bonus 'toon, an episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy entitled "Nursery Crimes" (Episode #29; original air date: 7/9/04): After wolfing down 19 Atomic Frenzy Cakes at 3:00 am, Billy is sugared up and can't get to sleep. He calls on Mandy to read him a bedtime story, but Grim also tags along and plops the two kids into a lurid and living storybook version of "Hansel and Gretel." (Rating: 5 jawbreakers)

Okay, so the bonus cartoon is a good one (frankly, I find this cartoon to be a much more clever series than these three Eds, but that's just me). The balance of the extras is rather fluffy. The contrived "Club Ed: The Rules & Regulations" and "Plank's Perspective" features were not enough to really entertain me. I did enjoy, however, the music video, "My Best Friend Plank," which shows frequently on Cartoon Network as a bumper between shows. It has an excellent '70s style that's spot-on reminiscent of those groovy soda ads you'd see at the drive-in. While there were several extra elements on this disc, I'd like to hear a running commentary or see some featurettes on the making of the show along with interviews from Antonucci and his crew.

If you're a hardened Ed fan, you're sure to find pleasure in this disc, but, honestly, knowing that the rabid fan base out there has been clawing for an all-Ed DVD for some time now, I think it's a letdown to deliver such a skimpy offering the first time out. Let's hope that can be corrected for future releases.

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