Duel Masters: The Good, the Bad and the Bolshack

The main Duel Master is not a gunslinger or any sort of weapons expert, but rather a kid named Shobu Kirifuda, whose magic cards unleash all sorts of mayhem when flashed, and who's often conned by faster and sharper card sharks. And the Bolshack? Well, that's a dragon that pops up when his card is exposed during one of the seemingly endless card tournaments. Imagine Pokemon shuffled into one of those celebrity poker tournaments which are currently littering the TV lineup and you have a clue of what to expect in this Yu-Gi-Oh derivative. The plot situations are weak, the villains couldn't terrify a sparrow, and Shobu is so painfully cocky that there is little pleasure in watching him flick his cards in this mediocre animated effort. Truth be told, one could have a more pleasant time playing bridge with the in-laws, solitaire on a computer, or even tossing cards across a room into a garbage can than watching this commercial TV anime fodder. DVD extras on this English-only title, suitable for 7-up, include a "Duel Masters Trading Card Game Demo" and an exclusive game card, both of which are designed--as is this program--to send kids into the store to buy tie-in merchandise. Talk about a bunch of bolshack. Not recommended. Aud: P. (P. Hall)