Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

In case you haven't been following the adventures of Adventure Time, the show is currently in the midst of its fifth season. Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. are slowly releasing previous seasons of the insanely popular show on Blu-ray. That's why we're getting Adventure Time: The Complete Second Season the same day the first season makes its Blu-ray debut.

Why the studio didn't combine the two seasons is anyone's guess. Instead, we're getting two separate, single-disc releases.

The Complete Second Season continues the weirdness of human boy Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada) and his talking, magical dog/adoptive brother Jake (Futurama's John DiMaggio). Things pretty much pick up where the last season ended -- well, maybe. Adventure Time doesn't seem to run in any sort of order and each of the 26 11-minute episodes could stand on its own. Most likely, you could come in at any point in the show, immediately know what's going on, be glued to the TV, and sit there with a permanent smile. That said, this is where the show finally got some accolades, with an Annie Award nomination and an Emmy nod for this season's debut episode, "It Came from the Nightosphere."

Like season one, Adventure Time: The Complete Second Season includes 26 super-short episodes that run around 11 minutes each. Besides getting more time with Finn and Jake, we also get more of Princess Bubblegum, the Ice King, and Marceline the Vampire Queen in this round. The show also upped its amount of guests voices, so expect to hear from Peter Stormare, Kristen Schaal, Ron Perlman, Paul Reubens, Andy Samberg, rapper biz Markie, Henry Rollins, and more.

The Picture

Like the first season set, Adventure Time: The Complete Second Season has a perky 1.78:1 image. It's not bursting with detail because that's just the way Adventure Time is drawn. It's done completely by hand, and you will write the animators a thank-you note for that. It adds to the charm of the show, as does this release's perky colors. Viewers should have zero complaints.

The Sound

Ok -- here's one complaint: The Dolby Digital 2.0 track is fine and dandy, but it's a shame that this show couldn't have been given a more immersive track. The show's creators can sure pack a lot of interesting (and sometimes loud) moments into each episode's 11 minutes. The dialogue always sounds clear and there's even some oomph to that action. I just wish it would engulf the viewer, to match the actual content.

The Extras

This time around, there isn't just a little commentary on a few select episodes. The Adventure Time gang is willing to talk through the entire season, if you want it. Show creator Pendleton Ward chaperones the writers and storyboard artists sitting in. It's not as funny as the actual show, but it's a trip and may be the first commentary with ukulele. Just be advised that the audio will dip out on occasion, but there's a hand-written on-screen note to warn you about that. Also, there's a lot of giggling. The biggest disappointment is that there's no John DiMaggio. However, a super-fan may appreciate being one step closer to the Adventure Time inner-circle. Otherwise, this single-disc set has one short with Ward interviewing various members of the Adventure Time staff. The audio is sort of horrible and it's not exactly as entertaining as the shorts from the last set, but it's a pretty weird 6 minutes nonetheless.

Final Thoughts

If you've made the conscious decision to purchase season one, you can't go wrong with Adventure Time: The Complete Second Season. It's not the greatest AV experience and there isn't a wealth of extras. However, the show is the hook here -- and it's a pretty awesome 286 minutes.

Product Details

• Voice Actors: Jeremy Shada, John DiMaggio, Tom Kenny, Hynden Walch
• Director: Larry Leichliter
• Audio/Languages: Dolby Digital 2.0 (English)
• Subtitles: English SDH
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Rating: NR
• Studio: Cartoon Network/Warner Bros.
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: June 4, 2013
• Run Time: 286 minutes
• List Price: $32.07
• Extras:
  • Commentary on All Episodes
  • The Crew of Adventure Time: Interviews by Pendleton Ward
  • UltraViolet Digital Copy