Cartoon Review: The Awesome Chronicles of Manny and Khan

As many of you should know, Cartoon Network's Cartoonstitute was cancelled a few months back, with only 14 shorts completed out of the targeted 39 (check this out for the list of shorts and creators). This is just one of the 14 that were made, and at the time of writing, none of the others have been leaked so far. Also, the leaked Manny and Khan short doesn't even have the ending. . .

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: The Awesome Chronicles of Manny and Khan

Creator(s): Josh Lieberman & Joey Giardina

Running Time: 7-to-8 minutes

Network: Cartoon Network

Leaked: July 18th, 2009

Rating: B

Created by two inexperienced animators, Manny and Khan started out slightly different from the final product. It started out as "Bigfoot & Gnome," and was pitched on June 5th 2007 to Craig McCracken and Rob Renzetti. They both liked the idea, but wanted the characters to be more unique in appearence. Gnome, after a lot of revisions became Khan (a dwarf wearing a leprechaun costume). Bigfoot, after a lot more thought, ended up as Manny (a man-o-puss: half-man, half-platypus). With McCracken and Renzetti both accepting these versions of the characters, the short when into production. So now that we have the backstory, let's begin the review.

The plot of this short was simple and basic: two friends play with a ball. The short starts with Khan refusing to play with Manny, insisting that he has important work to do. To quiet his friend, Khan throws the ball down and helps Manny get down to the ground and retrieve the ball. However, he discovers that he has been tricked by the Man-o-Puss, since he can't get back up the tree without his friend's help. When Khan finally decides to play, seeing no other option, the real fun begins. With both of them pretending that the grass surrounding the ball is lava, they conjure numerous plans to retrieve the ball.

To be honest, the cartoon gave me a warm feeling while watching it. It reminded me of one of my favorite episodes of Spongbob Squarepants: "The Idiot Box." In that episode, the characters of Spongebob and Patrick spent the majority of the 11 minutes using their imagination to have fun. The same is done here: an ordinary idea such as fetching a ball is utterly boring on its own. However, when they imagine that the stuff surrounding it is actually lava, it suddenly becomes an adventure. The duo must come up with with some pretty creative ideas to get that red rubber ball back. I won't spoil the methods used to get the ball, but I will say that they were nice to watch.

It would be foolish to say that John Kricfalusi's animated series Ren and Stimpy didn't have an effect on the short. The show pretty much redefined animated series (at least for a child audience) when it hit the airwaves back in 1991. In fact, near the beginning, when Manny was asking Khan to play with him, the character sounded EXACTLY like Stimpy. And the way these characters interacted also seemed a bit like Ren and Stimpy. But the only reason why I won't call them R&S knock-offs is for the simple fact that we barely know the characters. In Josh Lieberman's own words:

I believe both Joey and myself know a lot more about these characters than is presented in the cartoon. It is hard to know everything about a person from a single seven minute conversation, heck, you probably won't know anything about that person realistically. He or she will be categorized within the larger compartments of your brain as a general archetype until further information is gathered.

The backgrounds for this short were nothing short of perfect for it. It really did feel like a dense forest, gave off a nice Little Golden Book feel, and the characters never seemed to be out of place in this world. The fact that the character's live inside a tree with a huge hole in it is pretty absurd, but no stranger than a pineapple underneath the sea. The voice-acting was also pretty great, and felt like they truly belonged to the characters. Thus, they truly came to life above my eyes.

So why did I give this series a "B," despite loving a lot of the material? Some jokes, like the "magic carpet" (darn, gave away one of their methods) fell flat, due to their predictability. The short is also home to a good amount of screaming, something that I don't think the animation world needs anymore of. The Awesome Chronicles of Manny and Khan: a good try by two animation rookies, and I always find myself watching it over and over again.

*You can see the short yourself at the Big Star Animation Studios website. Go to clips, and click on the picture of "Manny and Khan."

Cartoon Review: Total Drama Action

Total Drama Island was one of Cartoon Network's most popular series last year. It broke several records, with the finale getting the best ratings that the channel has gotten since 2002. It was due to this success that Cartoon Network picked up the second season (Total Drama Action), got total merchandising rights for the series in North America, and a third season is being produced. Some people are puzzled why a reality series spoof is doing so well, while others aren't so surprised...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Total Drama Action

Creator(s): Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis

Running Time: 22 minutes

Network: Teletoon (Canada) and Cartoon Network (United States)

Premiere: January 11, 2009 (Canada) and June 11, 2009 (United States)

Rating: C-

Total Drama has a simple concept: a bunch of teens competing in a reality show to win cash. It's a pretty simple idea that has been done and proven to work many times. But what makes Total Drama different from all the others, and why is it so popular? Is it the fact that its animated? The fact that it mocks the common conventions of reality shows? What ever is the secret behind the show's success, it extends to the second season (which premiered to the network's best ratings this year). The story behind TDA is that, after losing the chance for a million dollars, 14 contestants from the previous season are back to reclaim it. Leaving Camp Wawanakwa for an abandoned film set, the new season has the campers competing in challenges based on movie genres: from horror to science-fiction to crime. It took me over a month to actually find humor within TDI, so how good of a start did TDA have? Just like TDI: not the greatest beginning ever.

Total Drama Action is just another season of Total Drama Island, so if you don't know anything about these characters, then no worries: the writers happily break the the characters down to their core, and briefly explain the events of the last season to bring everyone up to speed. That's great if you missed the first season, and hope you can jump into the next one. But if you've already watched the TDI several times, and are such a fan that you are even getting the DVD, then it's just useless information that could have been replaced with more interesting stuff. Another critique was the length of the entire thing. After showing you around the set for 10 minutes, you only really get 8 minutes worth of the actual challenge (running away from a monster). I hoped that the season premiere would be an hour-long: more than enough time to add more substance to the plot than "teens-bricker-and-run-from-monster." While the first season's premiere went slowly, taking its time to show you all the numerous characters and their world, the Season Two premiere went by in a flash. When the episode ended, I was surprised a half-hour had already passed. At this point, there is nothing left to say: the only reason TDA has managed to get a C- from me is simple. The first season didn't really get me when it started, and then became pretty funny. I'm hoping the same time for Total Drama Action, because at this point, Cartoon Network's reality series "The Othersiders" is funnier...and it is not meant to be.

And the Day is Saved!

Name: The Powerpuff Girls

Creator(s): Craig McCracken

Network(s): Cartoon Network; Reruns currently on Boomerang

Rating: A-

Original Airdates: November 18, 1998 – March 25, 2005

The Powerpuff Girls, believe it or not, was Cartoon Network's most successful original series. Making over a billion dollars worldwide, and also gaining a theatrical film back in 2002, is it any wonder why the channel honored it with a full day marathon ending with a brand new special that was written by creator Craig McCracken? While a few months late (the show's actual 10th anniversary was November 2008), the network gave it an amazing final hurrah. However, the idea had its start before the What a Cartoon! program. McCracken created the characters in college, and the PPGs could have become an animated series as early as 1994. But now let me get to reviewing the series itself.

Now, the series didn't get popular for nothing. The Powerpuff Girls had great humor: from parodying basic superhero and tokusatsu fare (the episode "Uh Oh, Dynamo" is a good example) to referencing pop culture (from Sesame Street to The Legend of Zelda). The series traveled a thin line between serious and hilarious, and did it perfectly at times. The humor wasn't the only good thing about the series: action was also a huge part. The action sequences were fun to watch and could be intense at times. The voice acting is good and believable, it isn't at all forced. You are able to care about the characters. The art style is stylized and simplistic in such a way that the creator has said he feels like he created a Flash show before Flash animation existed.

Sorry for the short review, but there isn't much to say, and I'm in a bit of a hurry. The review of the special will be up tomorrow, and I promise I'll have more to say.

Cartoon Review - Star Wars: The Clone Wars series

Honestly? I never thought I would actually get to doing this review. I've fallen asleep though a few episodes, and never actually completed watching an episode that had Anakin Skywalker front and center. But I was able to catch up (for the most part) and I'm all ready to go.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Star Wars: The Clone Wars


Creator(s): Do I seriously have to tell you this?


Network: Cartoon Network


Rating: B-


Premiere: October 3rd, 2008

Okay, when you heard that Cartoon Network snagged the newest Clone Wars series (you can't have forgotten Genndy Tartakovsky's superb mini-series), you had to know that the network would hype it up a lot. Here was a series that had "ratings-grabber" all over it. A series that was part of a huge franchise that has legions of fans, with a lot of those fans being tweenage boys in their target demograph. A series that would put Cartoon Network back on the map and make them the second most popular kids network in the United States once again. Stuart Synder truly wanted this series to succeed, so he got promoted it on every single Turner-owned (and non-Turner owned) network. He gave out money to help kids across the country make parties for the premiere. On the network itself, every break had at least one commercial devoted to the show. They spent most of their budget for acquisitions that year on Star Wars, and wanted to get their money's worth...and I'm pretty sure they did.


Now that I'm done talking about Cartoon Network's major promotion of the series premiere, let me talked about the series itself. Now the series takes place between Episodes Two and Three, chronicling the Clone Wars. Now you can see right off the bat that that is a little problem. Due to there being a movie talking what happens after the Clone Wars, its impossible to become attached to the characters. You know Anakin Skywalker is going to become Dark Vader. You know that Ahsoka Tano is going to die before or at series end. So right off the bat, you know the destination and the outcome. We can only hope that the journey is epic and entertaining. Sadly, while some might find the series amazing, I find half the series so far to be surprisingly boring.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is basically a documentary film on a space war. Some parts make you fall asleep, and others are just so amazing that it's just plain awesome. I want to get into the series, but the only characters I find truly interesting are the Clone Troopers, Yoda, and Ahsoka. Mostly the rarely-seen characters or a characters you know every little about. Characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin which I know a great about from the Internet don't really appeal to me, since you know their futures already.

The only real thing the series has got going for it is its great work and well-done CGI-animation. Everything else falls a little flat, despite the attempts of all the cast and crew. This series just isn't for me, but then again, I wasn't always into straight-foreword action series. I like shows that can make me laugh once in a while still being able to keep a serious atmosphere (Avatar: The Last Airbender, W.I.T.C.H., Huntik: Secrets and Seekers, Samurai Jack, etc.). Overall, this series is really trying. It just isn't quite there yet for me, so I sorry to say that I have to give this a B-.

Cartoon Review - Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Name: Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Executive Producer(s): James Tucker

Network: Cartoon Network

Rating: B+

Premiere: November 14, 2008

Okay, imagine that you are someone that just saw The Dark Knight this summer, and you loved it. Then you hear about a new Batman cartoon coming in a few months. You would think it would be a lot like the movie, wouldn't you? Featuring a dark and serious Batman, facing off against a bunch of Gotham villains. By himself with no Robin or Batgirl. Turn the TV on the day of the premiere, and you find out that you were dead wrong.

Congratulations, for you have come across something that hasn't been seen for YEARS...a light-hearted Batman cartoon! For you see, Batman: The Brave and the Bold isn't your average Batman cartoon. Based on the 50s comic series, Brave and the Bold, this series involves Batman leaving Gotham City and teaming up with heroes such as Blue Beetle and Wildcat, and facing off against villains like Gentleman Ghost and Black Manta. Actually, Batman is just here to draw you into the series, with the main attraction being the "hero of the week" he happens to be with. The real fun in the series is how Batman gets along with his partner, and how the overall problem ends up being solved. The series is simply a well-thought out excuse to showcase the various heroes and villains the DC Comics Universe, something that I truly enjoy. After all, without Batman being the header, characters like B'wana Beast would never make it to animation.

The artwork in this series is quite retro and harkens back to the Silver Age era of comics. The characters are often well-designed and the animation is well-done. Dialogue can be cheesy at times, but that just adds to the fun of this series. The series has no real storyline, unlike many of the other action series on Cartoon Network. If you only like a dark Batman, then its extremely likely that you will hate this series. Either way, this show gets a B+ from me.

Future "Racattack Junction!" Posts

January

• Cartoon Review - Batman: The Brave and the Bold (January 11th)
• Cartoon Review - Star Wars: The Clone Wars review (January 20) I'll be reviewing the series
• Cartoon Review - Total Drama Island revised (January 21th)
• And the Day is Saved! (January 22th) Powerpuff Girls Tribute
• Cartoon Review - The Powerpuff Girls Rule! (January 23th)
  
• Animation News #5 (January 25th)

February

Be on the lookout for interviews with a few series creators like Joe Murray...hopefully.

Random! Cartoons - Episode One Review

Well, I saw the first episode, and I can safely say that it was pretty good. And I also hope that I wasn't the only person that saw this episode, cause that would suck for both me and the person who missed out on these animated beauties.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Solomon Fix isn't the worst short ever, but it was barely decent. The jokes were basically kiddy fare, some making no sense what so ever. The theme song came out and said that "the short was for kids". Well, I should have expected that. But I've seen preschool shows that are actually better than this. It was a waste of 7 minutes. I honestly expected better.

Rating: 5/10  

Moobeard: The Cow Pirate was everything I expected. Easily the best short out of all of these aired today, it was pretty funny. The cow/pig jokes were a pretty entertaining running gag, and so was Moobeard's crying. There's a lot of room for this to become an animated series on either Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network. It takes a lot to make me laugh, and I'm proud to say that the short actually made me chuckle at times. 

Rating: 9/10  

Two Witch Sisters was...weird, to say the least. It was eccentric, crazy, and colorful. It had a random-type of humor, and the designs were pretty cool to look at. The entire short was insane, and it kinda hard to find a plot in all of this. There was a handful of "WTH!?" moments that makes you wonder who was more insane/creative: Fred Siebert who accepted the short into R!C, or the creator herself. Either way, it was a very weird and crazy short. 

Rating: 8/10

"Random! Cartoons" airs every Saturday at 1:30pm on Nicktoons Network.

P.S. - Don't cha hate it when your images get cut off? Click on them to see the full thing, okay? You do want to see the names of the people who created the shorts right? Riiiiiiight?

*gasp* A POST!!!

Just to put in a post this month, after a long absence, I want to make some things known...

1. I'll try to put up a Animation News post this week, which also involves some news about the long delayed Random! Cartoons show from Nickelodeon.
2. Reviews of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and of the new Foster's movie (Destination Imagination) with all be up before the end of the month...I seriously promise. 
3. For the time being, enjoy the Adventure Time short. In case you aren't in the know, Adventure Time is to premiere as an animated series in Fall 2009 on Cartoon Network. The initial order is for 13 half-hours (26x11 minutes).
   

Cartoon Review - The Secret Saturdays

It was the year 2007. I was surfing the internet as I always do when I stumbled upon the official website for Cartoon Network's 2007 Upfront. Happily, I went to check out the 'Upcoming Shows' section, which showed five shows which would premiere. Well, Cartoon Network's try at live-action programming, Out of Jimmy's Head, failed and was cancelled back in June. Santo is currently somewhere in development hell. And Chowder and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack became hits. But on that day, one show stood out for me the most...The Secret Saturdays. Upon reading the plot and watching the Sizzle Reel, I went to Wikipedia and created the TSS Wikipedia page. I had the feeling that this show would be awesome beyond words and would be one of the greatest American action shows ever. And, upon watching it TWICE last night and once today, I have to say I was pretty close to right.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: The Secret Saturdays

Creator(s): Jay Stephens

Network: Cartoon Network

Rating: A

Premiere: October 3rd, 2008

Yesterday was my birthday, and of course, The Secret Saturdays and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (review on that on Tuesday) were the shows I wanted, no, needed to watch. So after grabbing some birthday cake, and sitting through the last three minutes of Johnny Test, I watched the greatness that was TSS (The Secret Saturdays). Oh, and one of these days, I have to do something on the "You Are Here" block, since that was one great intro. I'm going to like that King Nood...anyway, let me start this thing...

The Secret Saturdays is about the adventures of the Saturday family and their exotic cryptid pets. Traveling the world, it's up to them to keep the existence of cryptids (creatures undiscovered by science) secret, to protect both mankind and the cryptids themselves. And along the way, they have to tangle with twisted villains like V.V. Argost (host of the show Weird World; which was at the center of Cartoon Network's viral campaign for the show) and Van Rook (a rival cryptozoologist whose just in the cryptid biz just for the money). And the basic plot for the first 26 episodes (2 seasons) is that:

Now that V.V. Argost has gained the gotten Kur Stone, the Saturdays have to find him and try and stop him from using it to find the ancient Sumerian cryptid Kur, and take over the world.

Now, it may sound a bit cliche (with the whole 'good-guys-must-stop-bad-guy-from-taking-over the-world' plot), but I really like it. An animated series about cryptids a truly a new idea, and the execution is pretty great. Globe-trotting and stopping the bad guys...it has a real Johnny Quest-vibe, which is a GOOD thing. How can you not love it!? Also, in case you're wondering, there are going to be quite a few stand-alone episodes in these 26 episodes, so you can jump on in at any time (though you might have to watch "The Kur Stone" is get some things).

At times, the show can get a bit dull. The writing can be cheesy and awkward at times, and the timing is sometimes a bit off when it comes to dialogue. But I think that the timing problem will get fixed over time. I won't really comment on the sometimes stiff animation, due to the fact that since this is the pilot, it's the first animation that was done for the show. So I'm sure that it will get better over time too. But I must say that the art is fantastic. In fact, Jay Stephens actually based the art design on Hanna-Barbera's 60s animated action series (aka The Herculoids, Johnny Quest, etc.) and Alex Toth's art style. This really helps give the show a nice old-school Saturday morning feel that adds to the show's greatness.

Now the characters a pretty good too. I like Zak's energy and personality. I can understand his need to prove himself to his parents, but sometimes he just doesn't do it the right way. Seeing as nearly killed himself half-way during the pilot episode and was the cause of the airship crashing in the Amazon Rainforest, I see why his mom is worried for his safety. Doc and Drew are also pretty good characters. An interracial relationship isn't new in animation, but it certainly is pretty rare. And I also like how it isn't the "stupid dad-smart mom" thing that has started to become common in animation these days. They are both strong, competent characters that are pretty interesting. And they balance each other out: Doc is the calm, slightly-skeptic scientist while Drew is the impulsive, believing-before-seeing mystic. And V.V. Argost...he just has to be one of the best villains in recent animation history. He's harsh, creepy, secretive, and shows no mercy. He's just one of those villains who just seem to be evil for no reason, and it really works here. And the cryptids are pretty funny at times, while also being able to be threatening at others. It's great.

All in all, The Secret Saturdays is now one of my favorite shows. Two scientists, their son, and a few of goofy pets appear to be the winning combination for Cartoon Network. And with Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Ben 10: Alien Force, it will dominate Friday nights. The Secret Saturdays get an ever-loving A from me. Great work, Jay! Oh, and Brandon Sawyer and Scott Jeralds too.

Cartoon Review - Interview with Jay Stephens

Hello and welcome to Cartoon Review! Instead of doing that late Cartoon Review of Phineas and Ferb, I decided to do an interview with Jay Stephens. Jay, if you didn't know, is a cryptozoology freak who is the creator of the upcoming Cartoon Network show "The Secret Saturdays" (which I think will be one of the best action shows ever, maybe even better than Avatar). It's a rather short interview, which just answers a few short questions. So without adu, here's the interview!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me : Where did you grow up, and did your childhood have any affect on your work?
Jay: I grew up in a traditional North American 'broken home' where I was abandoned for hours-- even days-- at a time in front of a TV or with a stack of comic books. I found the love and nurturing I needed in junk culture, and it definitely sent me on this screwy 'career' path. I had to hone my imagination while dreaming up a happy childhood.


Me: How did the idea for your other animated series, Tutenstein, come about?
Jay: When I was 7 I saw a touring exhibit of 'The Treasures Of Tutankhamen' at the Art Gallery Of Ontario, and it blew my mind. Much later, I thought the idea of cross breeding a living mummy with Frankenstein's Monster would be wicked cool.

Me: Before Tutenstein and The Secret Saturdays, I hear you worked in comics. What was some of your work in that and how did you end up in animation?
Jay: I worked in comics (and continue to) for 15 years before coming to animation. You could do some homework on that stuff at my website: http://www.jaystephens.com
Basically, an executive saw my comics and thought they might make good TV. First Jetcat for Nick, then Tut, and the rest is history.

Me: How was it, working on The Secret Saturdays? And if the channel lets you, would you work on a third season?
Jay: We don't have a second season yet, so I'm not sure of what you mean (the first season order was for 26 episodes). CN has been my best experience in animation to date, by a wide margin. I would be delighted to continue the relationship.

Me: How did the Saturdays end up with Cartoon Network?
Jay: They were the only network we shopped it to with the vision to see it through. As luck would have it, the success of Ben 10 had executives hungry for more action stuff. I've been trying to get in that door for years, so it came as a kind of anti-climactic shock to suddenly be doing business with the best animated network out there.

Me: How did you end up being so interested in monsters and cryptids?
Jay: I've been told I have a sick mind. Monsters creep into my thoughts pretty naturally, I guess! When I was in grade school, I was voracious in my private reading habits, sneaking off to the Library across the street from my house as often as possible. It was there that I first discovered the secret science of cryptozoology, and I used evidence for the existence of Bigfoot as my grade 4 Public Speaking project. I won first prize. Cryptids have been good to me ever since.

Me: What do you do in your spare time?
Jay: Get well in a Mental Hospital. For real.

Me: Are there any significant people that influence your work?
Jay: Far too many to list here, and it's an ever expanding list. I can tell you that I was looking to Alex Toth, Doug Wildey, Warren Tufts, Milt Caniff, Roy Crane, Harvey Kurtzman, Daniel Torres, Jack Kirby, and Hergé as inspiration for the Secret Saturdays.

Me: Are there any secrets you can reveal about upcoming episodes?
Jay: If I told you, I'd have to sick my chupacabras on you.

Jay Stephens' "The Secret Saturdays" is set to premiere in October on Cartoon Network's new fantasy/adventure/action block along with Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

What's Coming Up...

All these blog posts will most likely happen in the order listed. Also, Tednut has been put on hiatus for the time being, I'll explain it next month. As you can see below, I plan to do four more blog posts this month, and a whopping nine posts next month.



Later This August...

• A PVoA on animated pilots not picked up for series: First one made for Nickelodeon called "Wizzard of Krudd" created by Greg Miller (maker of the shortlived Cartoon Network series, "Whatever Happened To Robot Jones"). Then one made for Cartoon Network called "Zoot Rumpus" (which still may have a chance to be picked up for a series) created by underground cartoonist Kaz.


• A late Cartoon Review of Phineas and Ferb.


• A PVoA on the ten-year history of Toon Disney, and it's demise due to Disney wanting a network for boys. And get this, it ain't called Jetix.


• A Cartoon Review of The Secret Saturdays...if it premieres this month.

This September...

• A PVoA on Nickelodeon, and most importantly, it's animation.


• A Cartoon Followup Review of "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack".


• A PVoA on Disney XD, and it's possible future effects on current Toon Disney animation.


• A Cartoon Followup Review of "Total Drama Island".


• A PVoA on Williams Street, the company that made Cartoon Network's Toonami and Adult Swim blocks.


• A Cartoon Followup Review of "Chowder".


• Where's Tednut!?: Why the webtoon is on "hiatus"...


• A Cartoon Review on The Secret Saturdays, if not done the previous month.


• The start of my "History of Animation" series, in which I will write (for over a year) about animation history: in the United States and all over the world.

Cartoon Review - Three Delivery

Okay, in my last Cartoon Review, I said that I would rather watch a show Kappa Mikey or Three Delivery (which didn't yet premiere at the time) than the new Speed Racer cartoon, which was kinda bad. So today, after checking when it would next be one, I sat down and decided to watch "Three Delivery", Nicktoons Network's new original series. And I ended up watching the greatest NN series to date (but it isn't that big of a statement when you check out their original shows). It was entertaining, it kept me somewhat hooked to the end, and I see great things in the future for this show...namely two seasons and a TV movie. Now, let's get down to the review!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Three Delivery

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.

I Ain't Dead, I'm I Mummy?

Okay, so I've realized that I haven't been posting anything on this blog in a while. Well, at least anything of real importance. The only thing I've posted in a while was a somewhat badly animated music video that had a song that I liked. And someone posted a bunch of curse words in the comments for that video here...Anyway, I've been really busy with finishing up my school work. I still have one test left, then there's graduation, then the last day of school. Now let me show you what I would have done if I had the time:

Animation News: I would have just been copying and pasting news from Toon Zone over to here. Plain and simple. However, I'll be also adding comments on the news from Toon Zone I post, and be adding some news of my own. And that starts on Friday.

Reviews: I actually planned on doing a review of a new show that premiered on Toon Disney/Jetix a while ago, but I never actually got around to watching an episode. I plan on doing that review this weekend, along with a review of a new Nicktoons Network series that premieres on Friday. As for the Kung Fu Panda review...that may not be happening any time soon. I'm just going to try and do Wall*E. Face it, do you really think I would pick Dreamworks over Pixar? Get real.

Others: I don't feel like telling you guys, but I was going to talk about Flash animation, Time Warner's animation library (biggest in the world), and John K. Okay, that's it. TTFN (that "Ta-Ta For Now").

~ Racattack Force

Cartoon Review - Speed Racer: The Next Generation

Okay, for those of you who don't know, the original "Speed Racer" was a manga series created by Tatsuo Yoshida in 1967. It was titled "Mach GoGoGo" and about a year after the manga hit stores, an anime series was produced. The anime series was directed by Hiroshi Sasagawa and around 52 episodes were made. It soon came to America under the name "Speed Racer" (which became the main character's name), heavily edited and dubbed by American producer Peter Fernandez. The series is now famous for it's "fast" dialogue and "bad" dubbing, and at least two other series (other than this one I'm reviewing) and a number of video games followed. If you want to see for yourself, all 52 episodes of the original series is legally available on Hulu (to promote the live-action movie of course). But anyway, now that I've filled you in on the basics on the series, on with the review!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Speed Racer: The Next Generation

Creator(s): Larry Schwarz (original series by Tatsuo Yoshida)

Running Time: 23 minutes

Network: Nicktoons Network

Rating: B-/C

Premiere: April 27, 2008

This show is actually pretty decent to say the least. The animation in the racing scenes are pretty superb, flawlessly switching between Flash and CGI animation. And it's simple to understand. Even if you have no actual knowledge of any of the previous series or manga. The backgrounds are kinda well-done, and the characters are well designed. Fans of the original series might not like this series (which is non-canon in the franchise's continuity), but I have seen quite a few that do enjoy this series. But, I'm going to have to say that the bad qualities of this show can overshadow the good ones.

"Nicktoons Network" is, of course, a spinoff network of "Nickelodeon"; Viacom's "brilliant" answer to channels like "Boomerang" (Time Warner) and "Toon Disney"/"Jetix" (Disney). And the channel's most successful series by far was "Kappa Mikey". So Animation Collective, the animation studio (residing in NYC) that made the show, was hired to make the new "Speed Racer" cartoon. So Larry Schwarz (the founder of the studio and creator of all of their series) rounded up a nice group of voice actors, that also includes Peter Fernandez, and set off to work on the 26 episodes that make up this little season. The show is produced in Adobe Flash, and is quite stiff, with limited animation. Somewhat like the first "Speed Racer" series, expect with brighter colors. So that gets a point from me...a very slight point. But, they just had to put the whole thing in a school and make the villian so lame. So very, very lame...I mean, what villian cares about ruining the social life of his targets? Why should he even care about their socail status, if he wants them out of the darn way? That loses a big point from me...a very big point. The animation in this show could be a bit smoother, and their attempts of comedy simply fails...every single time. It doesn't even sound like the voice actor of Speed Jr. (Kurt Csolak) is actually putting any emotion into the character.

It pains me to say that this series isn't really that good. It actually pales in comparision with the 1968 series, which I truly find much better. Give me some more "Kappa Mikey"! Premiere "Three Delivery" already! But this Animation Collective show doesn't do it for me. I'm not saying this series is horrible. If it was, I would have given it a D or F. This series is completely watchable, and I get some slight amusment out of watching it. But there are few redemmable qualities, and you would have to just watch it yourself to find them. I'm giving this series a C...a B- at the most. This is likely to be the show's first and last season though. Not for bad ratings, but for the fact that the movie it was supposed to promote completely bombed at the box office. For those interested, the 66 minute pilot is on DVD, and available on the Lionsgate website.

Cartoon Review - Total Drama Island

So, after the premiere of "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack" (which I previously reviewed), we got the United States premiere of "Total Drama Island". The reason why I said 'United States premiere' instead of just premiere is because this show is Canadian. And this series premiered in Canada a year ago on Teletoon. In fact, it's second season (titled "Total Drama Action") is going to premiere in Fall. Anyway, I was kinda surprised to see a show like this. First of all, it's...actually, let me talk about it in the review. Is that okay?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name: Total Drama Island

Creator(s): Jennifer Pertsch and Tom McGillis

Running Time: 22 minutes

Network: Teletoon (Canada); Cartoon Network (United States)

Rating: C+

Premiere: July 8, 2007 (Canada); June 5, 2008 (United States)

Well, it's best for me to start with that little stereotype about Canadian cartoons. You know, the one about all cartoons from Canada totally sucking? Well, that stereotype is wrong...half of the time, anyway. And for this show, that stereotype may just be half right. Well, this show doesn't exactly suck, but it isn't a masterpiece either. Maybe my hopes where too high? After all, this premiered right after I finished laughed at the decently good comedy that is "Flapjack". Maybe I was expecting a huge parody of the entire reality series genre? Yes, this show is an animated reality series...a concept that is pretty weird to me. On a side note, this is the first cartoon to ever do such a thing. So anyway, something I hate about Canadian cartoons is that the series premiere of them is almost always a two-parter. With that "new" episode of "Johnny Test" airing right after TDI, there was obviously no hope for Cartoon Network to show the entire hour-long premiere on Thursday. It started like any reality series (animated or not) should start out: The host explaining the location, the show, the rules, etc. And then we meet the contestants. All 22 of them...but wait, aren't there 26 episodes in this season? Will we ever get real character development and some episodes where no characters are eliminated? It's pretty possible. Basically, all "Not So Happy Campers" (the name of the pilot of course) did was introduce us to all the characters and give us brief glances at their personalities. And you can automatically tell...they are all stereotypes. But I'm pretty sure that that was the intention. And you can't really get some real character development until at least half of these guys are eliminated.

So, one thing that amazes me about this series is how it owes up to it's PG rating. Besides a few censored words like "crap" (which I think was uttered only once), Cartoon Network kept a lot of things in. In this first episode, Cartoon Network (thankfully) kept in a homosexual gag that was done halfway into the episode. Now, I always knew that Cartoon Network's BS&P was more accepting than those of other kids' channels, but I never thought they would accept this. I personally think they kept it in because they knew this joke would go over the heads of younger kids, and only teenagers and adults would catch it. However, I've been told that this joke is tame in comparison with other things later in the season, so let's see how Cartoon Network. Anyway, so in case you didn't know, the creators of this show also created "6teen". You know, that animated series that got bounced around a lot on Nickelodeon's schedule and eventually got taken off the air due to poor ratings (if you bounce any show around a lot, it's bound for bad ratings). Anyway, Cartoon Network seems to be thanking care of this show. It gets advertised quite a bit (not as much as "Ben 10: Alien Force", "Flapjack", and "Chowder", but still a lot), so Cartoon Network really wants it to do well. I can't say that much about the production and ideas behind the show since the closest I've found for that is the official blog and a lot of the information there has been taken down to avoid spoilers for American viewers (thus leaving me with only two pictures bad, low resoultion pictures found off the Internet to show you guys).

Anyway, I gave this show a C+ because, despite being a comedy, it didn't make me laugh at all. "Chowder" makes me laugh. "Flapjack" makes me laugh. But this show just doesn't make me laugh. Maybe it will in the future, but I won't really let you know that until I do a follow-up review a bit later...anyway, see you tomorrow when I get down to reviewing "Speed Racer". The new cartoon, not the live-action movie....