Defensores de la tierra

Defenders of the Earth is an anomaly in superhero entertainment: it was produced during a time when superhero cinema was barely getting started (the Superman films were then still recent blockbuster smashes) and the concept of shared universes remained a strong-point in sci-fi novels rather than in regular movies or television. Defenders is oddly entertaining considering it's a superhero show that ISN'T from either MARVEL (which supplied the animation for this show) or DC Comics; these were superheroes from syndicated newspaper comic strips, not wholly comic-book oriented magazines. It's interesting that Defenders exists at all frankly; the 80s were a great time for Saturday-morning 'toons: Robotech, Transformers, GI Joe, Jem, He-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, ThunderCats, Ghostbusters, Duck Tales, the list goes on from there. So how does a show starring Flash Gordon, The Phantom and Mandrake the Magician compare to all those classics? It's watchable; cheesy admittedly but genuinely watchable nonetheless.

I give this time-capsule of a show 4/5 stars.

This show looks really good. Its just not for me.

Its a superhero show.

The animation is great. Its just the pacing and music that gives me a headache. It has a story going on however, the pacing is really fast.

The characters are plenty, fine and very 80s like.

OVerall a nice show. Its put together real well. However, its not for me after a few episodes I'm done.

What can be learned? 80 shows are really good.

Verdict: It's the music that gives me a headache. Overall a fun show if the music doesn't harm you.

This show had the interesting idea of bringing together the stars of the four greatest adventure strips that were distributed by King Features Syndicate and team them with their children to fight Ming and his son. Too bad it only lasted a short time because I really enjoyed the cross generational concept. This show probably would have succeeded if it had come on perhaps during the late sixties at a time when the strips featuring the principals were still popular and at a time when super hero shows were at their peak.

80's really were a creative era and Defenders are a good example of the cartoons of that decade. The Defenders of the Earth were a team that united some characters such as The Phantom, Flash Gordon and Mandrake all of them are classics of the comic-strips. The whole idea of getting them together was great but this cartoon also had good and interesting stories that also had the unavoidable moral-message to young kids. And also all of them were the source of inspirations for the superheroes that came with the birth of Superman.

The premise is simple and it was already successful with shows such as GI.Joe and others, a group a brave men gather their forces to fight the threat of the Day. In this case the group of brave men is formed for fabulous creations of geniuses such as Alex Raymond and Lee Falk. But they also have to take care of their young children (they wee added to had characters more down to earth and young), teaching them and trying to keep them away from trouble. Anyway Mandrake and the rest were the star and the favorites. Lothar is an interesting case he was portrayed as the obvious strong guy but he also was much more intelligent than previous incarnations. The need of change is rooted in be more politically correct because the modern times have had trouble with the previous status quo of Lothar. The nemesis in this case was Ming who is probably one of the best fictional villains.

Even comparing this classic to some of today's cartoon it has energy and a good pace that if it is given a chance could capture the attention of a new generation of children who want to see adventures and heroes.

A quite good '80s cartoon.The music is good.Most characters are rather boring except:1)Ming the Merciless.The ruler of Mongo and would-be conqueror of Earth.Witiful and inspiring.This guy should have his own series.He always has plans to keep his opponents occupied.No defeat actually influences him much.He seems to believe he has time.2)The Phantom,apparently Phantom the 22th,practicaly the star of this series.Intelligent and mysterious.3)Jedda Walker,the Phantom's daughter and heir.Equaly intelligent and mysterious with powers developing. The episodes that revolve around the Walkers are the best.They examine some aspects of the Phantom's legend:1)Each Phantom passes his mantle to a descentant of him.What happens when they are more than one leaving?In a flashback episode we have young Phantom facing his own older brother for the right to inherite his father.His brother almost kills him.How many times has such fight among the Walkers happened?2)The Walkers are no saints.The older brother is still alive trying to kill his brother and niece in order to obtain the title that should be his own long ago,he was the strongest.To fulfil his goal he has alied with Ming.The family genes can provide super criminals as well as superheroes.3)Jedda has to make her father understand that her being a female doesn't disqualify her as the next Phantom.This son to son tradition seems to be currently based on male sobinism.4)Another issue is what kind of influence do the Walkers have on Bengala and through what means are they planning to keep it? This should have featured only the Walkers not the rest.It should be seen by anyone who is interested in The Phantom Who Walks.