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Supernoobs (2015)
Another piece of forgettable animation trash
I don't know what is it with Scott Fellows. He worked on Fairly Odd Parents, Recess and is a producer on the new Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (which I actually enjoy) but as a show runner, he created some of the most insincere, pandering and painfully lethargic animated shows out there. He's become sort of like the Adam Sandler of animation; completely disinterested on improving his craft.
Sigh* Okay the plot of the show is centered on four middle school kids that acquire spaceballs X.D by accident from two aliens thinking their military soldiers because they were wearing a bunch of safety gear while playing paintball out in the woods.
Adding to the stereotypes upon stereotypes, Alien Schwarzenegger (not his actual name thank Glob), horrid animation, bland story lines, uninspired soundtrack and very aggravating voice acting (I blame the voice director for this) it also feels artificial. It feels like there is nothing personal put into it. No hint of uniqueness or fun that other shows perform light years above this. There is no sense of real genuine charm and originality. It's painstakingly unimpressive. The overall "quality" embarrassingly reflects the out of touch middle-aged artistically challenged mindset responsible for the content making it look dated and soulless. Further more, it's cripplingly safe. It's low standard of character and world building frustratingly limits itself from standing out and making us care more about getting a glob of wax out of a dogs ear at a dog park while in heat then having any investment in this stupid show. The writers of shows like this seem to think that farts and characters with annoyingly loud voices talk all the time without breath are good enough for the general public. Sad.
It's very disappointing that Scott hasn't learned ANYTHING from his other shows that willingly ostracizes itself from actual quality television to Barbie & Ken doll sitcom and tired Saturday Morning cartoon leftovers that even 1980's American TV animation would tell him to put more effort in. His lack of passion and self-improvement as an artist for writing shows in this. I hesitated to criticize him as nobody really wants to hate on someone that made a few bad shows but this really crossed the line for me.
Either he tries harder or find someone with actual heart with something to say.
If there is one positive I can muster up, it is the episode The Noobs Strikes Back where the main characters look like their about to become alien monster food in an arena to prove their worthy of the spaceballs. In most shows the protagonist(s) come out victorious on their first try but here one of the aliens saves them and despite them failing the test, the kids tenacity to fight impresses the alien counsel so they keep their balls LMAO
I don't think the shows premise is lame but how they executed it. Because they referred to their ball things as battle balls I was laughing so hard because I took their scripted dialog out of context so if I had an opportunity I would just re brand this as a ridiculous over the top animated ADULT cartoon called Superboobs about horny, self-centered and naive collage students that must use they're high-tech balls that a couple of off-duty intoxicated aliens just gave them at a party thinking they'd be cool additions to the counsel mistaking them for earth soldiers so they now must protect their space junk (and the Earth) from alien invaders. Unfortunately out of the box thinking is no place for the likes of Scott Fellows.
As you may have noticed, I am NOT a fan of his. Better and way more talented writers for TV and animation deserve what he clearly does not respect enough doing.
To top off all my criticism towards this show, what makes me the most furious; the worst impact shows like this affect most of all is another reason to blackface the Canadian animation industry as hacks that either have no &%$#@! clue what their doing or not giving a flying strip of bacon of how to construct some semblance of interesting storytelling, ANYTHING and with shows like this? Yeah, I'm thinking "just keep doing what your doing Canada, if you kindly excuse me, I'll be watching the last episodes of Final Space while anticipating Hazbin Hotel." We demand BETTER!!!!!!
So, Congratulations. Right up there with Space Monkey's, Johnny Test, Fan-Boy and Chum Chum and Almost Naked Animals. Amazingly underwhelming!
Wander Over Yonder (2013)
It Wandered Over straight to my heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, what a cartoon! I seriously haven't seen something like this wacky in a very long time! Not only is it by the man behind 2 Stupid Dogs (one of my all-time favourite shows growing up) AND Powerpuff Girls, but it looked very unique! I just had to see it for myself and by the holy grail is it FANTASTIC!
For those that don't know the plot, it is about an optimistic, friendly banjo playing space traveller named Wander who is accompanied by a rough-n-tumble, sarcastic alien horse-like creature named Sylvia (April Winchell is awesome for the role) who explore planet to planet helping folks in need and often face a powerful space dictator Lord Hater and his right hand man Commander Peepers (Tom Kenny, hell yeah). Imagine Skeletor but as a winy and insecure baby and he is ONE of my favourite characters in the show................
While the first season was good, it isn't until season 2 where the show as well as the writing REALLY stands out. And the one to inspire this change of pace? Two words: LORD DOMINATOR an actually threatening villain, OMG she is bad-ass and my favourite character in the show!!!! Despite being a bad guy (even sings about it in an episode) she is very charismatic, and driven. Unlike Hater she is not interested in conquering but destroying everything and you gotta love how fun she has doing it. She's got a suit of armour with a mask she puts on that give her an amazingly terrifying voice and controls lava and later ice. And yeah, she's quite cute too lol ;D
The second season is better too because it feels like there are stakes and the story evolves where characters change (to a degree) and develop and Wander is such a beautiful character.
I could go on, I just absolutely LOVE this show. I love the theme, I love the colour, I love how smooth and well executed the character movements are and I love the hilariously exaggerated poses and facial expressions they do that I have not seen lately animation. Star Vs The Forces Of Evil comes so close but not to THIS extent.
Wander is my spirit animal; I love how LOVE itself is the teacher of the show and how it doesn't feel forced or preachy. It is so wonderful to know a show like this exists in a world where it is hard for people to let their guard down just to be helpful and kind for the sake of being helpful and kind.
Honestly, I don't understand why a lot of people are saying there are so many crap cartoons cause with Disney shows coming out like, Gravity Falls, Star Vs The Forces Of Evil, Milo Murphy's Law, Ducktales 2017 and Wander Over Yonder, that tells me people are either not looking beyond their own tunnel-viewed quality funk or are still fan raging on about shows like Powerpuff Girls 2016 and Teen Titans Go!
To wrap up this review, I highly recommend this show to any animated cartoon lover young and old! Craig McCracken strikes again and I think this is his best work yet! It is beyond a terrible shame this show was cancelled, while other lesser and more intellectually insulting shows out there are getting more popular and better treatment. I have not given up hope this show will make a comeback. If Samurai Jack, Hey Arnold: The Jungle Movie, Roko's Modern Life, Young Justice and now Invader Zim returned to their animated glory, then there is STILL hope for this WANDER-ful little guy <3
Assassin's Creed (2016)
Full Synchronization!!!!
Being a huge enthusiast of Assassin's Creed I really enjoyed this movie!
When I first heard that it was going to take place 30% in the past and 60% in the modern world I was so excited because as much as I love the past and human history it is more interesting and relevant to see the corruption and dark truths of what our world faces now. There is a really great scene involving Irons talking with the Grand Master of the modern Templar order (they call her some other fancy name but really, it's she's the Grand Master) about how people's comfort and selfish desires makes them weak and dependable on more "responsible" and "wiser" figures to tell them how to live better lives through media and consumerism. Right on the nose........ I think it did a fantastic job simulating the feel to say a watered- down version of George Orwell's 1984 involving a scene of Micheal (Callum) standing on the edge of an open cell window, no bars or trampolines. A fall to death is the only escape.
Being such a dark and gritty story, I can only think of two humorous things in the film. I chuckled once, than flatout laughed. It involved the apple of Eden. The fantasy elements like the apple of Eden hold just enough interest and mystique without giving too much away.
The movie took risks and helped push the boundaries of the Assassin's Creed mythos and I felt the movie did not talk down or betray the entire concept of the story with poor writing. I felt treated as a respectable viewer.
If there are a few things I could critique is that I felt surprisingly the movie did not have a long enough running time so that more characters could develop more. I felt the shots of the eagle soaring through the sky a little over done but that is what trial and error is for!
Ubisoft seems to have this bad habit of killing off too many female characters in the series (I'm looking at you Unity) I don't know why but it's weird LOL
I'm so happy I went to see the movie as an early Christmas gift on opening night. I could seriously talk for pages why I loved it so much but I feel like I said what I wanted to say. Definitely going to buy the movie when it comes out!
I hope this will get a sequel. all in all, great recommendation to true fans of the series.
Take a leap of faith and use your eagle vision to see its true intentions!!!
Donkey Kong Country (1997)
Not bad for a numskull of an ape!
The Donkey Kong Country video games have been a very big part of my life growing up. I didn't actually play the games as I preferred watching my brother or a friend play them but it was still awesome to the MAX!!!!!!
Now the cartoon show..... It was pretty good! I liked it a lot as a kid and the way Teletoon advertised it. The opening always got me into the banana slama world of DK and company. Most of the characters are presented, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Candy Kong, Dixie Kong, Cranky Kong, Funky Kong, the kremlings King K. Rool, Klump, Krusha, and the rest of the green cronies. It had some new characters exclusive only to the show like Eddie the mean old Yeti, Bluster Kong, Captain Scurvy and his two hench pirates but no Kiddy Kong, or Wrinkly Kong or any of the animal buddies or big boss baddies.
The plot of the show is based around Donkey Kong of tropical Kongo Bongo island, a lovable but dimwitted ape who found a magical crystal in the shape of a coconut with mysterious powers and that can grant any wish. The coconut's seemingly unlimited properties saw good in DK and made him to become Kongo Bongo's future ruler and protector of the crystal which Cranky keeps at house in a dome until he is ready. DK and the gang also visit an ancient temple called Inka Dinka Doo, that holds the mysterious and wise but impatient idol Inka Dinka that helps the characters from time to time. King K. Rool and his hilarious henchmen try everything and I mean EVERYTHING to get it and use it's power to rule the island. Very different than just taking DK's banana hoard eh??
Despite the absence of the rest of the original characters from the games, the show had it's own barrel of laughs! The puns for example I found were funny most of the time and a lot of references to famous apes (listen carefully for them ;). The voice acting was fun and enjoyable to listen to. All the voices suited the characters so well, I could always picture that is the way they would sound, with the exception of Dixie and her character design :( Everyone sings in every episode (sometimes more than once). A lot of people are annoyed by that. I guess having the show be a musical makes a little sense since the games had unbelievable music by the genius David Wise, Eveline Fischer and Robin Beanland and I did like some of the songs- "Pirate's Scorn" "Nobody's Hero" I've got no family tree" "Kung Fu Master" and "Be Bad" to name a few. King K. Rool, Klump and Krusha are my absolute favorites in the show, they are very entertaining to watch and play off one another so well. Diddy's laughter brightens my day and DK's voice actor Richard Yearwood is a great choice, and is a really good singer. King K. Rool's Shakespearean voice is awesome and he sings great too. Scurvy the pirate tries his hand to get the crystal too claiming it to be his birthright in the name of his great, great, great grandpappy.
There's sometimes a pretty decent amount of character development that shows in the 90's like the Mega Man cartoon really lacked. DKC attempts a lot as characters will sing- sometimes in different styles of music, and like the games, a bit of good ol' animated slapstick is present and the pacing of the show can be flexible. The writing can be witty, good morals- sometimes a little rushed but all-around entertaining.
Now here is the problem with the show. Like Cybersix, I think it could have done A LOT more than it did. It had a good set up and a lot of mystery and questions like, who was Scurvy's grandpappy, where did the crystal coconut come from? Did someone make it? Who built the temple of Inka Dinka Doo? I like how K. Rool tries so many different ways to get the coconut or other means of control over the island but I felt it could have gone directions to let's say, the origin of the island and the Kong family and flashbacks of Cranky's days as the original DK batting Mario. I didn't mind that some of the characters are not here as sometimes it works better than adding too many to lose focus on but I did miss the animal buddies. The CGI animation was nowhere near as good as Reboot or Beast Wars but I think it got better in the 2nd season. It definitely was targeted towards kids but I think it could have been JUST as good as Beast Wars had the writers had more fun creating the world of Kongo Bongo and it's denizens.
Overall, I still enjoyed the show a tad more than I did as a lad. It was not a master piece, but memorable and nostalgic. If your interested then grab a banana and swing into Donkey Kong Country!!!
Gravity Falls (2012)
Gravity, "Falls" right in with good quality animated cartoons!
Last Halloween, a friend of mine cosplayed as Dipper (The main protagonist aside from his twin sister Mable and their Grunkle Stan) from the show and told me it was worth a watch. Needless to say I got into it and enjoy it very much. Just finished the first season too! The character designs are sort of reminiscent of older cartoons and definitely some Ren & Stimpy influence thrown in there- big differently coloured noses, googly eyes and lanky bodies. The background artwork is surprisingly innovative and versatile. The characters, Grunkle Stan, Mable and Soos are amongst some of the best characters in the show. The writing is witty, humorous and even touching at times. Continuity plays a big responsibility in this show as characters will address past events and the show teaches good morals without being too preachy. Gravity Falls has a strange and mysterious history that plunges Dipper and Mable into all kinds of adventures and foibles. This show comes as "recommended to watch" by this old Saturday morning cartoon watching veteran! By the way, the writers of this show HATE teen pop stars :)
Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) (1980)
One of my ALL-TIME favourite films! Must have been a real world wonder to see this in the theatre!!!!
Airplane!, American Gigolo, Friday the 13th, The Elephant Man, The Shining, Caddyshack, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. A good year for film indeed :D
This is the 4th and last theatrically released movie based on Peanuts to date. As much as I loved the other 3 movies and how different each one were this is by FAR my #1 pick. I would rate this much higher than a 10 but nevertheless the message is clear :) What can I say; I LOVE Peanuts and I LOVE this movie! The title just shouts different and that is what I love about the two other Peanuts movies (Snoopy, Come Home!! and Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown!!) Because it sounds so expressive and inviting. Bon Voyage Charlie Brown is not only my favourite Peanuts movie; it's one of my ALL-TIME favourite films!
I guess the best place to start is the plot of the story. The opening starts in France at a local bar when a man (the Baron) with a cane comes out to his car and drives home to an old creepy looking château; we then see a girl in the château writing a letter. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock, Linus, Marcie and Peppermint Patty (my favourite Peanuts character) are chosen to go to France for two weeks as foreign exchange students representing their schools. Charlie receives the letter from the girl named Violette only to have no idea what it says. Marcie, having learnt a bit of French, reads the letter saying he has been invited to stay at a château called "home of the bad neighbour". This makes him uneasy of course. The gang rents a car that Snoopy drives (of course, he can do everything!) Marcie and PP stay with a boy named Pierre and Charlie, Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock go to the château but strangely they cannot go inside and have a suspicion they were not invited by the Baron. This sets the mood for confusion, and mystery, something very different for Peanuts. The artwork and backgrounds are subtle and peaceful to look at. And when the animation is good, it's REALLY good. Ed Bogus and Judy Munsen rock the soundtrack; one of my favourite scenes is when Judy Munsen sings the beautiful "I want to remember this" as the kids travel by train to Dover from Victoria Station in England, gazing upon the gorgeous landscapes and towns' only Europe has and Snoopy's interaction with an English cab driver is both funny and in my opinion, the best animated scene in the movie. The feel and atmosphere of the movie has a well-thought-out mixture of bright light hearted scenarios and dark haunting back drops of night, the Baron and the château. Peppermint Patty is her usual funny and boisterous self as she sleeps in class, gets answers wrong and also develops a crush on Pierre but hilariously never notices that Marcie and he are romantically involved. The music for the climax is strangely placed. Near the end of the movie the château is engulfed in flames with only Linus and Violette trapped inside and Snoopy is pulling an old fashioned fire hose across the river to the château and Woodstock is sprayed out and plays a violin while all this is going on! It's funny but strangely placed.
In closing, Bon Voyage Charlie Brown is Peanuts animation at its best; with the exceptions of "She's A Good Skate, Charlie Brown," and the sequel to Bon Voyage "What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown." With American animated movies coming out today, with all its CGI, fast pace, celebrity casted, popular music and rhetoric writing, this film is a real breath of fresh air and an animation treasure. I picture watching this in theatres must be like walking in a luscious meadow during a cool spring evening. A delightfully soothing motion picture Charles Schulz and Bill Melendez were best at, from a time when pacing was appreciated.
Pepper Ann (1997)
"Pepper Ann". A red hot name for a fiery animated cartoon!
I thought of "Pepper Ann" as just another typical Saturday morning cartoon about an eccentric unpopular underdog in a generic suburban and school setting with predictable plots and characters we've seen many times before. There was still something I really liked about it as I did other animated toons. I watched it again recently from start to finish (with how many I could find) and.... It was like watching a WHOLE new series!
Pepper Ann, not only a nice rhythmic title it has a rockin' theme song to boot, sung by the titular character herself (Kathleen Wilhoite as the voice of Pepper Ann).
Pepper Ann is an excitable 12 year old girl in the 7th grade who constantly schemes and plots for her own gain (and the attention of a certain boy ;D) and sometimes for others with the help of her two fascinating best friends Milo Kamalani, a passionate, contemplative artist and Nicky Little, an intelligent, rational overachiever who plays the violin. The scripts are fresh out of the oven, rich in character, GREAT voice over acting (Even characters like Dieter Lederhosen the foreign exchange student from Germany breaks out of conventional stereotype from time to time) and the animation is unique and flows smoothly. There are a lot of witty remarks, political and pop culture satire and well hidden messages that made me think as it did make me laugh! I sometimes needed to good back to what they said so I got it. This is a very good indication that the creator and writers put SO much effort in their writing. While some other shows lake continuity and consistency, characters from Pepper Ann learn and develop.
References to past events are addressed and brought up from time. There are a fair amount of feel good moments, subjects on touchy issues as politics, carrier choices, divorce, relationships, self-confidence and love. The atmosphere is warm, energetic and inviting. I felt this was not trying to be your average black and white society shunned character going up against the faultless picture perfect princess. The characters are so fleshed out you actually grow close and get to know them as if they where as real as you and me. Touching moments too? You got it! That's why the very LAST episode "The Finale" ultimately won me over. I will not say anything but please watch it AFTER you tried watching every episode. I recommend this show to everyone. Disney, release Pepper Ann out on DVD NOWWWW!!!!!!!
Being 23 years old is a very interesting time in life when you look back to remember things you liked as a child. Things and shows like Pepper Ann only get better with age.
11/10 for the coolest red head in 7th grade :D