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Creator(s): Larry Schwarz
Running Time: 22 minutes
Network: Nicktoons Network
Rating: B+
Premiere: June 27, 2008
Now, let's check out the plot. According to the show's official website, this show is about three teenagers who are trying to stop the evil Kong Li from using the powerful recipes of a magic cookbook to take over the world...okaaaaaaaaayyyyy. Actually, I thought I misread the synopsis when I saw at. I mean, a magic cookbook? They couldn't be serious: I would have believed magic stones, mystical objects, or some other monkey guano thing like that! But, then again, this company also made a series of shorts about dancing sushi trying to become famous...yeah, so this is standard Animation Collective, with all their Flash animation glory. Thankfully, the animation is a real step up from some of their original work, like the first few episodes of Kappa Mikey or Princess Natasha. They've steadily improved, I'm glad to see that. Now, the animation is great, but could be better. It would look much more fluid if done in traditional 2D animation. Anyway, the fight scenes are well done: a real step above Danny Phantom, but not at the level of other shows such as Justice League.
Okay, this show takes place in Chinatown. I can't say which Chinatown, since the creator most likely went to Chinatowns all over the United States and took bits and pieces of each one to create this one. But is this Chinatown part of a bigger city, or it's own town? I don't know, and I don't really care at this point. I can say that, if memory serves, the creator loved hanging around in Chinatown when he was a kid growing up in...whatever city. Anyway, this show is downright entertaining and kinda fun to watch. You can tell that the creator is very close to this project, and has done all he can to help it succeed. The action is pretty good for a Nickelodeon show, second only to Avatar: The Last Airbender. The art is nice to look at, but the color palette is a bit dark. But that is explained by the fact that many episodes will take place at night. Which makes a bunch of sense, since all the stuff these teens are doing must be kept secret from the public. Or is it? I really don't know, since I don't think they erased anyone's memory of the random earthquakes, or the scary dragon, and all that other stuff. The dialogue is pretty standard, but some lines and actions do get a chuckle out of me. The theme song is not the greatest in the world, but it is pretty enjoyable. But you won't get me to watch/listen to in several times in a row.
All in all, this is the standard American action show: It has the basic team of heroes who sometimes don't get along, it has martial arts, and it has an old person that can do martial arts. I'm giving this show a B+, it's pretty good, and it really put me in a good mood. But I'm hungry from listening to all their talk about recipes and cooking...I'm ordering some Chinese food.
8 comments:
I thought the beginning of this review is hilarious. Its ironic though that the creator of this also made Speed Racer TNG. Good review, but if you're saying its the best Nicktoon, what are your feelings on SpongeBob (I'm not a huge fan, but its watchable and sometimes funny)
I said it was the best "Nicktoons Network" original series to date, which isn't hard to believe when you see shows like Kappa Mikey, Edgar & Ellen, Ricky Sprocket (no, it isn't about a boy inventor), and Speed Racer TNG.
Oh, I understand. Spongebob is a regular Nick show.
You should review Jackie Chan Adventures. I love that show.
You shouls review older seires like once or twice a month.
Animation, designs, Layout, BG paint and compositing were all done by Fatkat Studios, a Canadian company. That's probably why the animation is so different from other Animation Collective shows.
I hate this show with a passion. Every action and pause in dialog is either rushed or far too rigid, for one. The dialog is an anthology of cliches and overused one-liners that an 8 year old could see coming from a mile away. It's predictable and a walking pile of action series cliches, which wouldn't be so bad if the maker had half the skill neccesary to make it work. He doesn't.
Benita rocks :D
I usually Buy Endress & Hauser models Level Measurement Instrumentation at the corner shop on my way to a picnic. Now I am considering shopping at some of the major stockists on the planet.
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