Kicking off the 20th anniversary of Smallville, the show that defined what a superhero show could look like and paved the way for The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow, is being released today on Blu-ray for the first time ever! Retailing for $180 ($205 in Canada), the set comes with 42 discs, a digital code to download all 10 seasons, and a slew of bonus features.
Synopsis
Pulling from the official Smallville wiki:
“‘Smallville’ follows the life of a teenage Clark Kent living in the town of Smallville, Kansas, that is set at the start of the 21st century. It shows Clark Kent coping with adolescence while he is developing superpowers (X-ray vision, super speed, etc.), exploring his extraterrestrial origins, and struggling to find his destiny.”
Basically, it’s Superman’s origin story as never told before with a new cast of characters, villains, and a look at how some iconic friends and enemies of the Kryptonian came to be.
Special Features
- The Adventures of Superboy – The original 1961 pilot starring John Rockwell.
- “A Retrospective Look at the Series’ 10-Year Journey” – An in-depth, season-by-season look at the creation of this landmark television series. Highlights include interviews with Tom Welling, Erica Durance, Michael Rosenbaum, Phil Morris, John Schneider, and many more, as well as rare behind-the-scenes footage.
- “A Decade of Comic-Con” Featurette
- Paley Festival Featurette
- “Smallville’s 100th Episode: Making of a Milestone” – An extended version of the original featurette included in the Season 5 set.
- Secret Origin: The American Story of DC Comics – A feature-length documentary chronicling DC’s 75 years of challenges, creativity, and triumph.
- Audio Commentaries, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Gag Reels, Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes, and much more from all 10 seasons!
Is It Worth It?
If you already own the series individually on DVD, is the 20th-anniversary edition worth the money? As a family who already owns all 10 seasons on DVD the answer is yes. While some of the special features were literally copied from the DVD releases, many of them were not, including the extended scenes in several episodes that were edited out for TV. This gives a new viewing experience and insight into those episodes that you would not have gotten otherwise.
With this special edition, you also get a digital code to download and stream the entire show. The digital code alone is worth $80.
My husband particularly liked the special feature “A Retrospective Look at the Series’ 10-Year Journey.” He found the color theory behind the first couple of seasons interesting. He also learned that the team thought season eight was going to be the last one but they took some risks leading up to it and that allowed their ratings to boost and they finished up with season ten.
Allison Mack Controversy
You almost can’t talk about Smallville without mentioning the controversy surrounding Chloe, played by actress Allison Mack. For those who are on the fence about supporting the show despite her problematic nature, I give you this excellent narrative brought to you by one of my favorite creators Nav the Poet (aka Nav.Singh).
@navthepoet Reply to @1ofmanykevins Should we separate the art from the artist? Thoughts?
Smallville: The Complete Series 20th Anniversary Collection arrives in stores today and you don’t want to miss it. Grab it for the Superman fan in your life for the upcoming holidays. From one Smallville fan to another, you won’t regret it. It’s 154 hours of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow!
Disclaimer: GeekMom received a review sample.
