DVD Corner

Gravity Falls: Six Strange Tales DVD Review

“Gravity Falls” is not your typical Disney animated show.

Unlike many animated series DVD releases that contain a random assortment of episodes, “Gravity Falls: Six Strange Tales” is comprised of the first 6 episodes of the first season. Why Disney didn’t just release the entire first season remains a mystery, but at least fans can finally own a DVD with episodes of this popular series.

In case you don’t know what what “Gravity Falls” is all about, this series revolves around siblings Dipper and Mabel who are shipped off to the fictional Oregon town of Gravity Falls to stay with their kooky Uncle (Grunkle Stan) for the summer. While the two stay with Stan (who has converted his house into a cheesy tourist trap called the Mystery Shack), they begin to discover that this woodsy town contains weird items, creatures, and events. Throughout the course of the six episodes, stories involve: Mabel’s abnormal boyfriend, Dipper, Soos (Mystery Shack janitor) and Mabel setting out to prove the existence of a sea monster (Gobblewonker), fishing, wax sculptures, an alleged psychic kid named Lil’ Gideon, Wendy (a teen employee of the Mystery Shack), Dipper trying to be a man, Stan having a crush on a waitress (Lazy Susan), and a haunted convenience store.

When it comes to animated Disney shows, they tend to be action or comedic series based on an existing property. “Gravity Falls” is neither of those things and is, in fact, different from their usual fare. If I had to describe the series, it would be “Twin Peaks” meets “Regular Show” meets “Napoleon Dynamite” meets “Eerie, Indiana.” It’s a very odd show filled with oddball characters but the refreshing uniqueness is what makes it work. Another major plus is the simple and fun premise which practically lends itself to all sorts of adventures and characters. While I haven’t seen any episodes outside of these 6, I can see the writers further exploring the mythology of the town and creating new weird characters that Dipper and Mabel can encounter in the future.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1. How does it look? In an age where computer animation is becoming the norm, it’s nice to see a beautifully animated 2D animation program such as “Gravity Falls.”

Audio Track: Dolby Digital 2.0. How does it sound? While I think most people would prefer a 5.1 track here, the 2.0 track is still fairly lively in the audio department.

Extras:
* Disney trailers.
* A physical copy of Mystery Book Journal #3. Obviously, it’s not as big or as thick as the one featured in the show, but it’s still a fun inclusion.

Overall Thoughts: “Gravity Falls” may not something I’d tune into on a regular basis, but I admire the show’s ingenuity. If you’re a parent looking for something to watch with your children, “Gravity Falls” is one of the better animated programs around. Now, with all of that said, when are we going to see THE best Disney series (“Tron Uprising”) released on Blu-ray/DVD, Disney?

November 6, 2013 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Dipper and Mabel, Disney, Gravity Falls, Gravity Falls: Six Strange Tales DVD Review