Our introduction to Shaun the Sheep occurred in the acclaimed 1995 short film, A Close Shave. While not the central character, that role belonged to the iconic duo Wallace and Gromit, Shaun proved memorable. He later received his own TV series in 2007, chronicling his escapades on Mossy Bottom farm.
The first Shaun the Sheep feature film debuted in 2015, and I previously reviewed its sequel, Shaun the Sheep – Farmageddon, with considerable enthusiasm. Consequently, the arrival of four seasons of the series for review prompted immediate viewing.
Regrettably, the positive anticipation was quickly undermined by what appears to be a fundamentally flawed DVD release (and, indeed, a DVD in 2020?). The audio and video quality are adequate; the picture exhibits a satisfactory bitrate, and the sound is as expected given the format. However, the crucial issue lies in the inability to select individual episodes. Upon insertion, the disc commences playback and allows audio track selection, but subsequently plays all episodes sequentially. This implementation appears primarily suited for passive viewing, potentially aimed at unsupervised children.
The absence of an option to play the entire disc as a single viewing experience would be understandable; however, the content is presented as a continuous stream of episodes. Furthermore, the original English audio track is absent. While the series contains minimal dialogue, the introductory sequence is presented in Swedish, and access to the original version is desired.
In conclusion, this collection encompasses four complete seasons of Shaun the Sheep, representing valuable content. However, the DVD release is poorly executed, lacking essential navigational features. Consequently, despite my appreciation for the source material, I cannot recommend this particular product due to its limitations.
