A Hanna-Barbera fan, I rented this movie, but thought it was going to be "lame-o". It can get rather disinteresting, these type of stories where they take a familiar tale, and put characters familiar from another source in the roles. You know, like all those sitcom cast retellings of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". Actually, the film turned out to be quite fun. Shaggy (in drag) has to tell stories to a prince, who sounds exactly like Mandark from "Dexter's Laboratory", which amused me. One story is a gender-reversed version of "Aladdin", with a girl named Aliyah-Din as the poor heroine who must win her royal man. Despite the presence of Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo as genies, the story can actually be taken pretty seriously. Then Magilla Gorilla stars as Sinbad, in a hilarious parody which includes a surprising send-up of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride! As a Disney theme park fan, I was howling with laughter!
Reviews
9 Reviews
Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf
(1988 TV Movie)
not very interesting
31 August 2002
There are three problems I have with this movie. One deals with breaking character. When we first see Shaggy in this film, he apparently now has a career as a race car driver. At first, I thought, "Oh, that's a cool professional for a non-conformist like him!" Then I remembered something: Shaggy is a self-professed coward. What coward would take on the dangerous line of professional auto racing?
The second problem is romantic. Who is this Googie girl? Why is she Shaggy's girlfriend? I would have much rather have had Daphne, or even Velma, in the role.
The third problem is boredom. Once the big monster car race gets started, it turns into an extended version of Hanna-Barbera's other show, "The Wacky Races", and is really very tedious.
The second problem is romantic. Who is this Googie girl? Why is she Shaggy's girlfriend? I would have much rather have had Daphne, or even Velma, in the role.
The third problem is boredom. Once the big monster car race gets started, it turns into an extended version of Hanna-Barbera's other show, "The Wacky Races", and is really very tedious.
Cowboy Bebop
(1998–1999)
the wildest ride in the solar system
13 July 2002
With blaring horns in the old jazz style, the opening theme of `Cowboy Bebop' comes on like gangbusters. What follows is a rush-the sometimes rollicking, sometimes humorous, and sometimes heartbreaking misadventures of a ragtag crew of bounty hunters. First there's Spike, of handsome face and sexy voice. He's not exactly a hero-he pretends not to care. His quick wit and flippant remarks hide a heart filled with despair. His partner, Jet, with a metal plate in his cheek and a mechanical arm, is nowhere near as pretty as Spike, but some fans still find him sexy. Besides, underneath his layer of perpetual grumpiness, he's a nicer guy than Spike. Faye seems like a sneaky and fickle woman, but her sorry past made her that way. She's really not all that bad. Edward is an eccentric computer hacker-her (yes, her!) personality is not explored in depth. She's mostly there to access top secret files for her crewmates and to provide comic relief. Ein is the ship's longsuffering dog, a cute Welsh Corgi.
The setting is our solar system, later this century. It seems we have practically vacated Earth and moved to Mars, Venus, and the moons of Jupiter. All this supposedly happening within my lifetime I find hard to believe. But the people behind the show tell a good story, so I let it pass. I don't like the idea of Earth lying in ruins, but I like that humans are still basically the only sentient beings; there's no bizarre aliens. I like a lot of sci-fi, but I always was more interested in humans and humanoids than Wookiees and Hutts.
Despite its TV-14 rating, the show generally has less adult content per episode than the PG-rated `Simpsons'. There's blood splattering, and some cuss words. Despite Spike, Jet, and Faye not coming across as virgins, they see very little sexual action. We know Spike had a love named Julia, but are kept wondering: does Faye love Spike? Does Jet love Faye?
I still can't figure out why I'm so drawn to the show. I usually go for tight, mushy friendships and romances, and innocent heroes. The crewmates on this show seem indifferent to each other. Yet they do care, deep down.Still, the show does a good job at making you care about characters who themselves don't seem to care. All the action aside, it's the character exploration that makes the show stand out. Even saying that, I don't feel I've pinpointed why I'm fascinated by and addicted to the program.
And now, a friendly warning: This show is a roller coaster. With all its ups come downs. Throughout all the fun is interwoven a thread of dark tragedy. If you are the kind who only likes shows where every episode ends in triumph for the characters, don't tune into `Cowboy Bebop'. (Not even for just one episode-it's instantly addictive!) But if you're the kind that likes a sad story, like Shakespeare's tragedies, as well as happy ones-climb aboard and pull down the safety bar!
The setting is our solar system, later this century. It seems we have practically vacated Earth and moved to Mars, Venus, and the moons of Jupiter. All this supposedly happening within my lifetime I find hard to believe. But the people behind the show tell a good story, so I let it pass. I don't like the idea of Earth lying in ruins, but I like that humans are still basically the only sentient beings; there's no bizarre aliens. I like a lot of sci-fi, but I always was more interested in humans and humanoids than Wookiees and Hutts.
Despite its TV-14 rating, the show generally has less adult content per episode than the PG-rated `Simpsons'. There's blood splattering, and some cuss words. Despite Spike, Jet, and Faye not coming across as virgins, they see very little sexual action. We know Spike had a love named Julia, but are kept wondering: does Faye love Spike? Does Jet love Faye?
I still can't figure out why I'm so drawn to the show. I usually go for tight, mushy friendships and romances, and innocent heroes. The crewmates on this show seem indifferent to each other. Yet they do care, deep down.Still, the show does a good job at making you care about characters who themselves don't seem to care. All the action aside, it's the character exploration that makes the show stand out. Even saying that, I don't feel I've pinpointed why I'm fascinated by and addicted to the program.
And now, a friendly warning: This show is a roller coaster. With all its ups come downs. Throughout all the fun is interwoven a thread of dark tragedy. If you are the kind who only likes shows where every episode ends in triumph for the characters, don't tune into `Cowboy Bebop'. (Not even for just one episode-it's instantly addictive!) But if you're the kind that likes a sad story, like Shakespeare's tragedies, as well as happy ones-climb aboard and pull down the safety bar!
102 Dalmatians
(2000)
two prize characters save the movie
31 March 2001
"102 Dalmatians" is an average film. It's a repeat plot with the same shenanigans. It is to the first film what "Home Alone 2" is to its predecessor. Most of the characters from the first film are gone, however. I guess they figured a new bunch of cute dogs and Cruella would be enough to satisfy us. I won't say they guessed wrong, but I didn't get caught up in the film as much as I would've liked. I saw it as part of a double feature with "The Emperor's New Groove", and the audience that laughed so hard during that film was strangely silent during this one.
The film has two saving graces: Waddlesworth, the macaw who thinks he's a dog, and Oddball, the Dalmatian puppy with no spots. I was partial to Waddlesworth before even seeing the film, owning a macaw myself. With a voice provided by Eric Idle, Waddlesworth barks instead of squawks, and translates the canine language into English for the benefit of his humans. Oddball is a puppy who wishes she had spots. It's simply adorable when she sights her spotless reflection in a mirror and whimpers. Also cute is how she takes to wearing a spotted sweater.
The film has two saving graces: Waddlesworth, the macaw who thinks he's a dog, and Oddball, the Dalmatian puppy with no spots. I was partial to Waddlesworth before even seeing the film, owning a macaw myself. With a voice provided by Eric Idle, Waddlesworth barks instead of squawks, and translates the canine language into English for the benefit of his humans. Oddball is a puppy who wishes she had spots. It's simply adorable when she sights her spotless reflection in a mirror and whimpers. Also cute is how she takes to wearing a spotted sweater.
The Emperor's New Groove
(2000)
A comedy, yes, but also a young man's odyssey
31 March 2001
"The Emperor's New Groove" is not like other Disney animated classics. Where's the romance, for one thing? The falling in love at first sight, the instant standard love song? In this film, friendship is the emphasized relationship. It's a buddy flick.
The film takes place around the time of the Incan empire, but don't expect historical accuracy. This film is to Incan history what "The Flintstones" is to prehistory.
The films is more irreverent and quirky than any of its Disney predecessors. Still, I took seriously the odyssey of Kuzco, the emperor-turned-llama. This handsome young man is arrogant and selfish, yet one doesn't hate him. One senses deep down he has the potential to be a good person if he can just get over his spoiled upbringing. It may take the trial of turning into a beast, a la Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", to get him to take a good look at himself. But will he learn? This film kept me guessing. On the one hand, it would be a shame is he learned nothing from his trials. But on the other hand--this is a quirky and irreverent film, if you remember. Perhaps the filmmakers would consider it the ultimate joke if after all he'd been through, Kuzco learned nothing. See it for yourself to find which road Kuzco chooses.
The film takes place around the time of the Incan empire, but don't expect historical accuracy. This film is to Incan history what "The Flintstones" is to prehistory.
The films is more irreverent and quirky than any of its Disney predecessors. Still, I took seriously the odyssey of Kuzco, the emperor-turned-llama. This handsome young man is arrogant and selfish, yet one doesn't hate him. One senses deep down he has the potential to be a good person if he can just get over his spoiled upbringing. It may take the trial of turning into a beast, a la Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", to get him to take a good look at himself. But will he learn? This film kept me guessing. On the one hand, it would be a shame is he learned nothing from his trials. But on the other hand--this is a quirky and irreverent film, if you remember. Perhaps the filmmakers would consider it the ultimate joke if after all he'd been through, Kuzco learned nothing. See it for yourself to find which road Kuzco chooses.
Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees
(1997 TV Movie)
Better late than never
21 May 2000
My main Monkees fandom years were from 1986-1992, but I still kept tabs on the Monkees after that time, and still considered it my favorite show. I used to worry back then about what would happen if the real life Monkees ever got back together to make one of those years-later reunion movies. Many of those can ruin your memories of a favorite show by having the characters take off in new directions you couldn't imagine them in.
What a relief then was this Monkees special! It portrayed the Monkees as still all living together, still the best of friends. Anything else would have had me on the warpath--a band breakup, marriages, or what not. Also, by portraying the characters as such, it was as if the real life Monkees were acknowledging and telling the world that the characters they played were separate entities from them, despite the similarity in names. That was the main cause of my frustration during my original Monkee years--I felt no one took my beloved characters seriously as entities unto themselves.
True, the humor in the TV special was more corny than truly funny, but all faults are forgiven for it finally vindicating my points of view on the Monkees!
What a relief then was this Monkees special! It portrayed the Monkees as still all living together, still the best of friends. Anything else would have had me on the warpath--a band breakup, marriages, or what not. Also, by portraying the characters as such, it was as if the real life Monkees were acknowledging and telling the world that the characters they played were separate entities from them, despite the similarity in names. That was the main cause of my frustration during my original Monkee years--I felt no one took my beloved characters seriously as entities unto themselves.
True, the humor in the TV special was more corny than truly funny, but all faults are forgiven for it finally vindicating my points of view on the Monkees!
Head
(1968)
I'm a reluctant convert!
25 November 1999
For a long time, I, a fan of "The Monkees" TV series, refused to watch "Head" because it was not about the TV show characters, who were warm and wonderful. "Head", instead, was said to be a cynical, dark movie. Finally, curiosity caused me to cave in. I didn't, of course, find a new episode to the TV show, but a fascinating movie that appeals to my dark side.
I have always been fascinated by dreams, and "Head" was very much like watching someone else's dream, with incomplete hints of stories, and a small detail at the end of one scene causing the film to segue off in a new direction, very much in a dreamlike stream of consciousness manner. The unfinished stories really make my imagination run wild, time and time again!
The film also features very striking, beautiful cinematography, the epitome being the black-on-white, white-on-black look of "Daddy's Song". The music is haunting, especially the lush arrangement of "The Porpoise Song". ("The Porpoise Song" is the favorite song of my dark side, while my bright side prefers "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah".)
In the end, I think the TV series could have used some of "Head"'s drama, intrigue, and intensity. But "Head" could have used some of the TV show's warmth, humor, and friendship.
I have always been fascinated by dreams, and "Head" was very much like watching someone else's dream, with incomplete hints of stories, and a small detail at the end of one scene causing the film to segue off in a new direction, very much in a dreamlike stream of consciousness manner. The unfinished stories really make my imagination run wild, time and time again!
The film also features very striking, beautiful cinematography, the epitome being the black-on-white, white-on-black look of "Daddy's Song". The music is haunting, especially the lush arrangement of "The Porpoise Song". ("The Porpoise Song" is the favorite song of my dark side, while my bright side prefers "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah".)
In the end, I think the TV series could have used some of "Head"'s drama, intrigue, and intensity. But "Head" could have used some of the TV show's warmth, humor, and friendship.
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island
(1998 Video)
doesn't live up to Scooby past
17 November 1999
Both "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island" and its follow-up, "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost", fail to recapture the feel of the various series. It's not that I like everything to remain stagnant and the same--after all, I actually like Scrappy, and my favorite Scooby-Doo series was the very different and daring "13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo".
"Zombie Island" gives alternate careers and paths to the characters--the series "The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries" said Fred had become a mystery writer and Velma an apprentice rocket scientist. But here, Velma is a bookstore owner, and Fred the camera crew for reporter Daphne.
I don't like the hints of romance between Daphne and Fred. Just because they're the two most physically beautiful people in the gang doesn't mean they automatically have to be paired up. Personally, I prefer Daphne/Shaggy, Velma/Fred, not Fred/Daphne, Velma/guest star, and Shaggy/nobody. I would also be happy if they went back to everybody being just friends--that way I could imagine what I want, and Fred/Daphne fans can imagine whatever they want, and nobody's heart gets broken.
"Zombie Island" gives alternate careers and paths to the characters--the series "The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries" said Fred had become a mystery writer and Velma an apprentice rocket scientist. But here, Velma is a bookstore owner, and Fred the camera crew for reporter Daphne.
I don't like the hints of romance between Daphne and Fred. Just because they're the two most physically beautiful people in the gang doesn't mean they automatically have to be paired up. Personally, I prefer Daphne/Shaggy, Velma/Fred, not Fred/Daphne, Velma/guest star, and Shaggy/nobody. I would also be happy if they went back to everybody being just friends--that way I could imagine what I want, and Fred/Daphne fans can imagine whatever they want, and nobody's heart gets broken.
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo
(1985–1986)
The ultimate Scooby series!
17 November 1999
"13 Ghosts" is the ultimate Scooby series--the wildest, the creepiest, the zaniest, the most daring...even the most romantic! (See Daphne and Shaggy's hug in the first episode "To All the Ghouls I've Loved Before".) It is a delight to hear the late Vincent Price as Vincent VanGhoul. And Flim Flam is a fun new character in the tradition of Short Round from "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom". Daphne and Shaggy wore different clothes. Each episode, unlike the old mystery episodes, has a distinct plot, and the episodes are so clever that it's fun to watch them over and over again.
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