Defenders of the Earth

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.

Defenders of the Earth gathered hero like Flash Gordon and the Phantom to fight Ming and his forces. However the Defenders had kids or something, Flash has a son named Rick. The Phantom has a daughter with the black panther or puma. Then there's a magician and some guy with rope and there are two more kids too. A lot of this show revolves around the kids, similar to the Mister T cartoon. It's your typical cartoon with kids. They fight, get into trouble, then find a lesson in it all.

A good fun cartoon of the mid 1980s. I remember this well from my own childhood, it was one of the few US import shows I watched, and seen today I can remember why I enjoyed it: it's fun, funny, creative and fast-paced.

I remember seeing this first time round and even had it as a VHS as a youngster. I even remember the episode that the other person talked about the flash back when the Phantom sent his 2 sons to fetch some thing and the eldest son left his younger brother for dead only to have there minder who mite have been a phantom i dont remember bring the younger brother back only for the older brother who returned with the object to discover that his younger brother had been given the role of the new Phantom and as I sit here writing this I am remembering more and more about it lol

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.