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Fanboy & Chum Chum (2009)
Worst Nickelodeon Show Ever
If you read the title, it's obvious that I'm one of many people who finds Fanboy and Chum Chum to be one of, if not the worst Nickelodeon show in the entirety of its history and one of the worst TV shows in general. Nick has made other not so good shows, like Dora the Explorer, The Mighty B, iCarly, and a few others, but this one REALLY takes the cake and makes the other aforementioned shows look like masterpieces in comparison. I once saw a YouTube video of a guy ranting on Fanboy and Chum Chum where he said he'd rather watch Dora than this, and I'm 100% with him (even though I still hate Dora, and it's unclear to me as to whether or not that YouTuber likes it). I have a hard time believing that I used to like Fanboy and Chum Chum when I was little, but thankfully I started to hate it a couple years later, and my interest in it was short lived. Why do I hate it so much now?
The show is extremely repetitive, loud, and one of the most annoying shows I've ever seen. The two title characters, Fanboy and Chum Chum, have squeaky voices, make weird noises, bounce all over the place, scream at the top of their lungs a lot, and annoy everyone around them. There's an episode where their schoolteacher makes Fanboy separate his from Chum Chum's because they caused too much trouble in class. The second half of the theme song consists mostly of the word(s) "Bah, bah, bah" being repeated nonstop, which makes it extremely annoying.
Most of the characters are humans who have weird names, like Yo, Mr. Mufflin, Stinks, Mr. Trick, and more. Even the title characters have weird, superhero-like names. Who names their kids Fanboy and Chum Chum? The only characters I can think of who have normal names are Kyle and Lenny.
It is extremely mean-spirited. Fanboy and Chum Chum always torment and annoy Kyle, and they never realize that he hates them or has no interest in hanging out with them no matter what he says or does. To make matters worse, Kyle is always getting hurt and being treated like dirt by everyone for little to no apparent reason.
The character designs are extremely ugly, uncanny, and unnatural, and they don't work well in CGI/3D animation. The eyes look like they're bulging out of their skulls, some of their hands and foreheads are too big, and some of their ears and noses make them look like monkeys rather than humans (most notably on the title characters). Fanboy and Chum Chum always wear superhero costumes and underwear outside of their pants, even to bed and at school, and nobody ever seems the tiniest bit surprised. Now that's random. Despite this, they never act like superheroes.
This is one of many Nicktoons from the late 2000s and early 2010s that uses gross out humor all the time, and that's part of what caused Nick to go downhill for a while. During the theme song, the protagonists stick out their underwear. There's also an episode where Fanboy gets his head stuck in a toilet, another episode where a bunch of girls are attracted to Fanboy's smelly odor, and more, which is absolutely disgusting!
Whatever you do, don't watch Fanboy and Chum Chum. There are much better Nick shows that you should watch instead of this, like SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents, Jimmy Neutron, Catdog, Rugrats, Blue's Clues, The Backyardigans, Wow Wow Wubbzy, and more.
Regular Show (2010)
Not a Regular Show (Sorry Regular Show Fans)
I used to like The Regular Show and watch it all the time, but I now hate it, have a hard time believing that I used to like it, and don't watch it anymore. However, when I was in grade school and still liked it, my friends and I would sometimes play a game called "Regular Show/Adventure Time" during recess, where we would act out our own Regular Show and Adventure Time crossover and each play the roles of one of the characters from both shows. We'd play the same roles every time, and I played both Mordecai and Jake the dog. To be honest, I look back very fondly on these memories to this day! Sorry Regular Show fans, but this show isn't for me. We all have different opinions and points of view, and there's nothing wrong with that.
One of the main reasons I hate it is because the title is misleading. It's anything but regular. Does the concept of a blue jay, a raccoon, a fat green guy, a ghost with an arm on his head, a yeti with pants, and talking bubble gum working as groundskeepers for a talking gumball machine at a park sound regular to you? I'll take that as a no. The characters go on all sorts of irregular and surreal adventures, like traveling to outer space, trying to cure a sick talking golf cart, delivering a cake to flying babies who talk like grown men, and many more. In one episode, Rigby gets sprayed by a skunk and eventually turns into one. He dumps coffee on himself in attempt to turn back into a raccoon, but it doesn't work. What made him think coffee could turn him back to normal? He was in a wacky and unusual situation, and I also wouldn't know what to do if I were to turn into a skunk, but I still don't understand it. Also, Margaret is a cardinal, and her dad is a human for some reason, though I'm guessing that she's adopted. The idea of turning boring jobs into exciting adventures is original and gives lots of opportunities for both the creator(s) and the audience to let their imaginations run wild, but it could've been handled better and would've made more sense if the show had a different title. The Mordecai and Rigby Show, Mordecai and Rigby, or The Adventures of Mordecai and Rigby would be a better title.
This abomination is a kid's show, but it's ridiculously dark for a kid's show. There are on screen deaths, uncensored swear words in the first season (though thankfully the voices were later redubbed, and the swear words were replaced with clean language), heavy violence, drugs, scary monsters, and other elements that may be too much for younger viewers. The characters have a tendency to beat each other up and fight a lot. Muscle Man makes offensive jokes about his mom all the time, and she probably wouldn't like those jokes if she knew her son always made fun of her. It's rated PG/TV PG, but it would've made more sense to give it a PG-13, TV 14, or TV PG DLSV rating.
The dialogue and characters can be annoying, cringeworthy, mean-spirited, and repetitive a lot of the time. Mordecai and Rigby are slackers who goof off all the time. They also have a tendency to use modern slang, like "yo," "bro," "bruh," and "yay-uh!" The Regular Show popularized the cringeworthy trend of cartoons being hip and modern for young audiences, but the show has a slightly superior approach on that concept and doesn't handle it as bad as some other cartoons. I hate when cartoons do that because that makes it obvious that they're set in modern times, they lack timelessness, and they become outdated and irrelevant very quickly. There's no way the audience will enjoy the shows or understand what they're watching in say, 20 years from now. The characters have annoying catchphrases, like Rigby's "STOP TALKING!!!", Muscle Man's "MY MOM!", and Benson's "Or you're fired!" They yell a lot, which causes them to beat each other up and act violent towards each other, hurts my ears, and gets on my nerves. They seriously need to calm down, and sometimes Rigby doesn't let people finish talking and yells his catchphrase in places that are supposed to be quiet, like a golf course and a movie theater. Benson's face turning red and loud yelling can get extremely obnoxious and ear-piercing for some viewers, including yours truly. You can probably already tell that I'm one of those people who is sensitive to loud noises.
Benson has always been my least favorite character, even when I liked this, and he's a huge factor as to why I hate this show. He threatens to fire Mordecai and Rigby over things that aren't their fault, suggesting he'd use any excuse to get rid of them. It's true that Mordecai and Rigby are slackers, but he's too hard on them, and he acts like they never get the job done till the last minute, but at least they do it. He has a tendency to rip a telephone off the wall and kick, throw, and destroy items in his apartment, like pictures in frames, a TV, a telephone, his couch, and more. He's also a rip-off of Squidward Tentacles, who is much better. Enough said.
Hop (2011)
I Want Candy
Hop used to be one of my favorite movies, and I'd watch it constantly when I was both 8 and 9 years old. It's not the most original movie in the world, but I still enjoy it regardless. I'd have to agree with what some of the other reviews say: it was high time there was a theatrical Easter movie with bunnies, eggs, and candy and isn't about Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against religion, but there were already a lot of theatrical movies about the resurrection of Jesus. There are also a lot of Santa Claus movies out there, but how many Easter Bunny movies can you think of? My favorite part is when EB and Fred upstage Fred's adopted sister Alex's Easter play and sing I Want Candy, and even the kids in the play and the audience sing along with some of the lyrics.
I enjoy the animated portion more than the full live action one. There's lots of color on its visuals, and the characters look very realistic but slightly cartoonish or stuffed animal-like. Easter Factory looks like how I picture an Easter candy factory (or any candy factory) to look. Heck, there are closeups of Hershey Kisses being made and wrapped. At the beginning, it is shown that the main human character, Fred O'Hare, saw the Easter Bunny aka EB's dad when the former was a kid, and his family didn't believe him. Now that's something you don't see every day!
There are a few Christmas-like elements here and there: EB's dad (later EB and Fred) rides an egg-shaped sleigh pulled by chicks, the same chicks and a couple of other bunnies paint the eggs and make the candy like how the elves make toys, and they live and work on Easter Island like their North Pole. Now we know how the Easter Bunny's yearly basket deliveries work and what Easter chickens do. There are a few differences between Easter Island and the North Pole, like there's no naughty or nice list, and there has been a different Easter Bunny keeping the tradition alive from generation to generation.
There are positive messages here about being open-minded with their children and supporting their career choices. That's an unoriginal but important lesson for all, especially parents, and doing the opposite can lead to trouble. At first, EB's dad retires from being the Easter Bunny and forces his son to take over, but the latter wants to be a drummer in a band instead. EB runs away from home and meets Fred, and the two of them help each other fulfill their dreams. EB's dad starts to miss EB and regret his behavior, and when EB goes home, the former apologizes for the way he acted and lets EB become a drummer, but EB decides to become the Easter Bunny alongside Fred and still be a drummer too (it's true that Fred isn't a bunny, but he's a human Easter Bunny). Who said one can't have two jobs or both fulfill your own dreams and do what your parents want you to do (but if you don't want the kind of job your parents want you to have, then just follow your own dreams)? At the beginning, Fred says that when he was a kid, his dad told him that he (Fred) was going to grow up to do something great. I'd have to agree with Fred's family; he did grow up to do something great. Who knew humans could be the Easter Bunny?
There are a lot of funny moments present. One of the funniest moments in EB playing the drums on Guitar Hero (or a similar video game) and saying, "You never had one more lesson. I'm the EXTREME ROCK MASTER!" I used to randomly repeat that line all the time and say extreme master master in the same growly voice as EB, which my friends and family also found funny. EB playing the drums at end and making Phil dance, mess up guiding the sleigh while Carlos is driving, and cause the sleigh to crash is also funny, and that should teach Carlos a lesson for trying to ruin Easter. I got to admit that Phil has great dance moves!
I'd have to disagree with most of the negative comments some people say about Hop, but it's not without its flaws. Like I said, the story isn't entirely original, and it has a few mean-spirited moments: at first EB's dad and Fred's parents were jerks to their sons and force them to get certain jobs (though this is likely intentional so they can learn the morals), Alex kicks Fred in the leg and steals his flowers after her play, and she tells Mr. And Mrs. O'Hare that sometimes she feels like they adopted her because Fred is a disappointment. Like Mr. O'Hare says, "That's a very hurtful statement." Towards the end, EB's dad tells his second in command Carlos that the Egg of Destiny to too dangerous for chicks. He should've said so sooner because Carlos was thinking about being the Easter Bunny much earlier, and only the Easter Bunny can touch the Egg of Destiny. Overall, it's still a great movie for Easter or any other day.
Here Comes Peter Cottontail (1971)
A Basket Full of Easter Joy!
I'm one of many people who loves Rankin-Bass's Christmas specials, and I used to think they made Christmas specials only. In first grade, my class watched Here Comes Peter Cottontail shortly before Easter, and I enjoyed it very much! You can probably already tell that it was my first exposure to any of RB's other content (minus the Easter Bunny is Coming to Town. I've seen it previously, but I didn't know it was made by RB at the time). A year later, my grandma got me the DVD, and I still have it and watch it every Easter. Like the Christmas specials, it is based on a song (obviously Peter Cottontail in this case), tells the song's story while adding new elements as well, is narrated by a celebrity (in this case, Danny Kaye), and has a lifelike stop motion animation style, which makes the characters look like living toys. The title character is voiced by Casey Kasem, who was also the original voice of Shaggy from Scooby Doo, and his voice sounds like Shaggy but slightly lower, which makes this even cooler! What else do I like about the special/TV movie?
Another one of the best things about it is the premise. It has a warm, Easter feeling, and has a little bit of all the holidays in it. The evil Irontail wins a contest to become the new Easter Bunny, and Peter Cottontail oversleeps and time travels so he can become the Easter Bunny and stop Irontail from ruining Easter. He accidentally goes to all the other holidays and paints the eggs to look like they're for those respective holidays: Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day, the Fourth of July, and New Year's Day. Now that's an original concept! He does give some away, but a lot of people won't take his eggs, and he has trouble keeping them safe from Irontail. To put more bread on the table, the same version of Santa Claus from the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials appears. According to Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, all the Christmas specials are from the same universe, and Peter Cottontail is probably set in the same universe as them. If you're wondering, yes, Peter does win the contest at the end, become the Easter Bunny, and save Easter. Thank goodness for that! Don't get me wrong, I like Irontail, and I find him funny, but he was not a good Easter Bunny. He got rid of all the old Easter traditions, replaced chocolate chickens and bunnies with chocolate octopi and tarantulas (yuck!) and Easter eggs with Easter galoshes, and he tried to get revenge on the children after one of them caused an accident. Peter is a better Easter Bunny!
The songs are catchy, memorable, and have good beats, especially "If I Could Only Get Back to Yesterday" and Antoine's song "When You Can't Get It Altogether, Improvise." The former is my favorite of them all because it tells the importance of second chances, which I can relate to, hence the lyrics "If I could only get back to yesterday, today would be a perfect day" and "I'd be a different man if I had a second chance, yes I would." Second chances give people an opportunity to make up for their mistakes and improve their behavior. Also, there are absolutely beautiful visuals during the song, which consist of a night sky with stars making symbols of all the different holidays, like an Easter Bunny, a Christmas tree, hearts, and more. The latter also has a distinctive, dance-like beat and a timeless message: do something with whatever you have or without being planned at first if you're unprepared (e.g., on Halloween give your girl a Valentine, and who cares if Easter eggs are usually only given away on Easter?).
The special is great for kids and adults alike! Its charm and timeless messages about the importance of responsibility and not giving up hope are sure to appeal to everyone. This is easily the best of the three Rankin-Bass Easter specials and fun to watch, whether it's Easter or not. It's good for any holiday, but mostly for Easter.
It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! (1974)
It's Not the Easter Bunny, It's the Easter Beagle
This is not only one of my favorite Peanuts specials, but also one of my favorite Easter specials/movies of all time, alongside Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, and Yogi the Easter Bear. I'm one of many people who can't argue that the holidays (except for the ones there's no special for, like the 4th of July) would be incomplete without the Peanuts specials, including this one. They're timeless and fun to watch! My favorite part is when Snoopy dances with the bunnies in the egg.
This is one of many Peanuts installments that has a simple plot with not a lot going on; it consists of Peppermint Patty trying to teach Marcie how to boil and color eggs, Snoopy buying and arranging birdhouses for Woodstock, the characters buying Easter items, and Snoopy being the Easter Beagle. The franchise has proved time and time again that a story doesn't need a "complicated" plot in order to be good. Like It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Linus is waiting for a legendary holiday figure that nobody else believes in, but it's not the Great Pumpkin this time. It's the Easter Beagle, which gives the story uniqueness. Surprisingly, no mention of the Easter Bunny is made at all. Does the Peanuts Gang not believe in him?
There are a lot of funny visual gags, like Marcie's failed attempts at preparing the eggs, Sally and Snoopy trying on hats, the latter going on the wrong escalator, and his frustrations with Woodstock. Describing funniness is not my specialty. I got to admit that Snoopy is a very expressive character, especially when he gets angry at Woodstock here. When I was little, I reenacted the part where Woodstock dumps the water out of his nest and throws the nest on Snoopy's head. However, I would actually empty a basket of my grandma's cats' toys, put the basket on my head, and pretend it was the nest because it looked like a nest.
The music is very charming, very heartwarming, and really gets to you, especially the music in the beginning and end credits, and the one from the part where Snoopy plays the Easter Beagle. The piece that plays while Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, and Marcie are sitting in their yards all alone is emotional and makes me feel their pain. Vince Guaraldi did a good job composing the music! I highly recommend It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown! I don't know what else to say.
Curious George (2006)
Great Show!
I always watched Curious George before school when I was in kindergarten-second grade, on some days in fourth grade, and every day again in sixth grade, and sometimes I'd watch it again after school and on days I didn't have school too. I'd also watch other PBS Kids shows before George would come on: in kindergarten and part of the time in first grade, I'd watch Sesame Street (which is still one of my favorites to this day), The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That later in first grade, second and fourth grade, and Nature Cat in sixth grade. I've done a number of drawings of the title character during my George phase and a couple times since it came to an end. During my George phase, I had a George stuffed animal that I'd play with every day, and sometimes I'd bring him to school with me and play with him on the playground during recess. I also once brought him in for show and tell in kindergarten, and I still have him to this day. I have a few of the books and DVDs too, and I even dressed as George for Halloween when I was 7 years old. I used to have a DVD of the movie, but I don't know what happened to it. It probably got lost. I recently read in an article that if little kids are attached to a certain TV show, chances are they'll still like it when they get older, even if they are no longer the target audience. I find a lot of my childhood shows hard not to still enjoy and find nostalgic depending on whether or not they've aged well, and George is no exception, but this isn't the case for every childhood show. What's not to like about it?
This clearly isn't the only PBS Kids show or preschool show in general that I like, but this is one of the least babyish preschool shows I've ever come across. It isn't dumbed down for younger audiences, repetitive, formulaic, nor loud (except when the title character screams). The narrator speaks directly to the audience like they're just watching the show or listening to an audiobook, and he's not the tiniest bit annoying. The stories are simple yet always engaging and amusing with educational value, and they're faithful to the books and especially the movie! There's not a whole lot of educational value and more entertainment value, but there's nothing wrong with that. The show educates kids without them realizing it, and I was no exception when I was little! For example, there's an episode where either the Man in the Yellow Hat or Professor Wiseman has a broken cuckoo clock, and George imagines himself going inside the clock so he can figure out what's wrong with it and try to fix it himself; this episode makes studying a clock into a big adventure, which gives kids an opportunity to learn the science and technology of clocks and could make the education less noticeable. Another example is an episode where George gets sick, and he has a dream where he and Yoki the cat (or is her name Noki? I'm not certain which one it is) ride a flying machine to fly into his belly and fight singing germs to help cure his sickness. I'm probably the only one who has noticed this, but the germs slightly resemble the Mucinex germs. In a more recent episode, the Man in the Yellow Hat gets sick, and George and Yoki/Noki fly into either his mouth or his nose to fight the same germs and cure his sickness. Both of these episodes also make education into a big adventure and give George and Yoki/Noki opportunities to discover the science behind the sicknesses in person and learn more about them! I don't understand how anyone could go wrong with a show like that.
Not only does it educate the audience without them realizing it, but it also has simple and unique concepts in math, science, logic, and technology. For example, there's an episode where George plays both golf and basketball with his friends, and he learns that the lowest score is the best in golf while the highest score is the best in basketball, but he's confused and spends most of the episode trying to figure out why. Also, in the live action segments at the end of every episode, real life kids explore the topic the episode is about in person (e.g., ordering donuts, using an x-ray machine to see the inside of their bodies, recycling, etc.), similar to the "A Word from Us Kids" segments from Arthur.
For all my life (even before kindergarten), George has been my favorite character and a huge factor as to why I've always loved this show. Why? He wants to know how everything works and learns all he can about what he wants to know, and his curiosity often saves the day; that's what the show is all about. He wonders about very interesting things that I haven't thought about questioning before and would likely never know the answer to if I never watched this, like how certain items can drown, how to make instruments, and the most effective way to clean a messy carpet. However, he's extremely nosy and tries to get into everything, and sometimes his curiosity gets the best of him. A good example of his curiosity saving the day is shown an episode where the characters have a hoedown. The Man in the Yellow Hat's guitar needs a new string because one of the old ones broke, and George experiments with various different items that would make suitable replacements for the guitar strings (a rubber band, a yo-yo's string, etc.) until he finds out what works best. He fixes the guitar, and the Man can finally play it again! George never gives up and always tries and tries again until he succeeds! His curiosity also makes him relatable to kids without being pandering. You never know what's coming your way when you're curious like him, as mentioned in the theme song.
If you're looking for not so babyish, repetitive, annoying, hyperactive, nor loud kiddie show for you and your child to enjoy together, this is the one! The Curious George books have been popular with the young and old for generations, and the show gives parents and grandparents a chance to revisit their childhood and introduce George to a new generation, although the books are still available in bookstores and libraries. I highly recommend it!
Happiness Is a Warm Blanket Charlie Brown (2011)
Happiness Is a Warm Return!
I was 7 years old when this came out, and I was excited to get the DVD, but it took a couple months for my family and I to find it. I watched this countless times, and it has been one of my favorite movies ever since the first time I ever watched it. If you're wondering, yes, I still have my DVD.
You can probably already tell by reading the title and looking at the DVD cover that Linus is the main protagonist here. That's new, and he's my favorite Peanuts character! It's all about his relationship with his blanket and him trying to stay away from it for a couple days, that way his blanket-hating grandma won't be angry when she comes to visit. Charlie Brown briefly holds onto Linus's blanket for him and stays in his room with him at night. What a great friend!
I've loved the dialogue ever since I watched this for the first time. Linus's line, "Tell me where you buried the blanket! TELL ME WHERE YOU BURIED THE BLANKET!" is kind of funny, and my mother and I have both repeated it a few times. Linus's other line, "What do you want? Do you want to see me unhappy? Do you want to see me insecure? Do you want to see me end up like Charlie Brown?" is another one of my favorite lines. He says that while standing up to himself after being ridiculed for having blanket and being told to get rid of it. He really hit the nail on the head with the entire lecture, especially the aforementioned line, and standing up for yourself can be hard for kids his age (and anyone else). Kudos to Linus! Maybe I'll ask the same things the next time it seems as if somebody is intentionally making me unhappy. Enough said.
The "classic" effect is obtained through the retro animation that looks similar to the old Peanuts cartoons, bringing some nostalgia. I must say that the movie's animation looks great for the time it was made, especially with the huge time gap in between the releases of this and the Peanuts cartoons from last century. The music sounds similar to the old Peanuts music, and some Beethoven symphonies are present as well. Even some minor characters who have been gone for quite some time appear in this, like Shermy, Patty (not to be confused for Peppermint Patty), 3, 4, 5, and a few others.
Peanuts (2014)
Decent Show
You can probably already tell by my username that Peanuts is my favorite media franchise of all time. I've actually been waiting for this show to come out years before it was announced in the US, where I'm from. I'm aware that Cartoon Network has previously made spinoffs and/or reboots of popular classic/old cartoons that are from around the same time as Peanuts, like Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Garfield, Scooby Doo, and a few others, and they've also played most of their source materials at some point, but I was surprised that they have not yet made a Peanuts show or even aired any of the old incarnations at all before this came along. I was hoping they would make a Peanuts show, entitle it "Charlie Brown and Friends," air it on Boomerang after it got cancelled, and that it would be in CGI like the Peanuts Movie, but this didn't come out until 2016. It's not everything I was hoping for, but Peanuts is an appropriate title too, and the animation and art style look similar to the old cartoons, which is good enough for me! Also, Boomerang and Cartoon Network aired this simultaneously when it was still being made. If you're confused about the page saying it ran from 2014-2017 and know the Peanuts Movie was released in 2015, this ran from the former dates in France, where it originated, the first trailer for the Peanuts Movie was released in 2014, and this ran from 2016-2016 in America. This is one of the only good modern shows that Boomerang has played. The Boomerang revamp sucked at first because its new commercials, bumpers, and logo were (and still are) unoriginal, it was (and still is) a clone of Cartoon Network (but not quite a rip-off of it because CN owns Boomerang), and it didn't live up to its own name and purpose anymore, but it now mostly plays classic cartoons again, much to my amazement! Boomerang is supposed to be exclusively for classic cartoons, and this should've aired on Cartoon Network only, as good as it is.
This show is very true to the old Peanuts cartoons, little to no changes have been made, and it barely ruined the franchise! A lot of classic cartoons that have been popular with the young and old for generations have been ruined during more recent years, much to my sadness, but thankfully Peanuts has never been ruined! I'd better keep my fingers crossed and hope for the franchise to stay good forever. This is one of the very few good reboots that CN and Boomerang have played. It has a similar variety show/sketch comedy-like format to The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, where it has a main plot that is based on the comics and takes up most of the episodes, with some short skits in between that are also based on the comics. I bet there are some episodes have completely new plots too. The episodes consist mostly of a series of comic strip panels that are reminiscent of the newspaper comics. There are a few callbacks/similar plots to the specials and comics as well. Peanuts (2016) reveals some origin stories that haven't been explained in the older shows/specials, like when Rerun was born and when he started school. The aforementioned episode reveals that for a while, Rerun would do nothing but cry all day every day until he received his first dog kiss from Snoopy. What a good friend Snoopy is! Rerun is one of my favorite characters in the entire franchise, and this marks the first time he has appeared in a long time. It's good to have him back!
Like I said, the animation looks similar to the old specials and TV series, but not exactly like them. It doesn't look too much different. It looks just like the art style in the comic strip and on a lot of the merchandise and promo art from my childhood, which has brought some nostalgia to me!
Peanuts (2016) is not without its flaws, and it's not my favorite Peanuts show. The theme music is corny, some episodes are rehashes of the specials/TV movies, there are a couple of not so good episodes, and Woodstock's chirps sound off and not much like him. He sounds more like Beaker from The Muppets. I like The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, This is America, Charlie Brown, and The Snoopy Show (2021) better. Overall, this show is good but not great, and it's a good show to watch for nostalgia purposes, just for your own entertainment in general, or to introduce the Peanuts franchise to a new generation.
Animaniacs (1993)
Zany to the Max!
I was not yet born when Animaniacs was being made, but I was lucky enough to grow up with both this and Tiny Toons via reruns on The Hub, and I now have a DVD box set of the complete first season of Animaniacs. To put more bread on the table, I'm aware that Animaniacs and Tiny Toons have had a number of crossovers, and both shows are obviously from the same universe and have the same creator, Steven Spielberg. This is one of the best, funniest (more about that later), and likely most popular 90s cartoons of all time! I haven't seen the reboot, but I'll watch it at some point, and I bet it's very true to the original series because it was also created by Steven Spielberg.
There is a huge mystery about this show that might never be solved: I'm guessing that Yakko, Wakko, and Dot, aka the Warner Brothers and Sister or the Animaniacs, are dogs, but nobody knows what they are, not even the Animaniacs themselves. There's a song where Dr. Scratchensniff confuses them for monkeys, but they say at the end of the song that they're not monkeys. They look like early Looney Tunes characters and the vintage Mickey Mouse, and I got to admit that they're cute.
The humor is clever, Looney Tunes-like, and very well written! The Animaniacs are funny as heck! They tell jokes about most of what the people around them say and make expressions or sayings literal a lot, which makes them as funny as they are. Just to name a few examples, they literally turn invisible when the teacher asks them if what she said was clear in the episode where they start school, and when Dr. Scratchensniff tells Yakko to say whatever comes to mind after the former says something in the first episode, the latter replies, "begun," "cease," "plenty," "quiet," and "comprehend" after the former says, "start," "stop," "enough," "silence," and "understand." However, the former wasn't ready yet and kept telling the latter to be quiet for a moment, which makes it even funnier! The Pinky and the Brain segments are funny as well, most notably when Pinky says, "Narf!" I'm aware that Pinky and the Brain later had their own show, which led to them leaving Animaniacs, but I've never seen it. I heard that there are some adult jokes in this, and some have given them positive comments for being so well hidden that kids won't find out about them until adulthood and said that makes the show entertaining for both kids and adults. I never actually noticed or understood any of the adult jokes, so they must be well hidden, and maybe I'll get them when I'm older. This really is a wacky cartoon and a huge throwback to the "Golden Age" of animation!
There are a number of parodies and pop culture references in this, and it combines some of my favorite (or former favorite) shows together! Just to name a few examples, there's an episode where the Animaniacs meet a vampire and confuse him for the Count from Sesame Street, an episode or two where Yogi Bear is mentioned, and a Goodnight Moon parody narrated by one of my lifelong favorite fictional characters, Winnie the Pooh. The Looney Tunes appear in a number of episodes, and they're sometimes seen around the Warner Bros studio, the main setting. It's not that surprising because this and Looney Tunes are both owned by Warner Bros. These items are a couple of the main reasons why I love this show, other than what I already mentioned. At the end of the Goodnight Moon parody, Yakko says, "Goodnight, Wakko's underwear." Ever since I saw that episode for the first time, I've been intrigued as to why Wakko has underwear if he never wears it. I'm not sure if these episodes count as parodies, but in various episodes, the Warners meet historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein, help them with their problems, rewrite history, and sometimes wreak havoc at wherever they're at.
There is some educational value here and there, though the show mostly entertains rather than educates (but there's nothing wrong with that. Besides, people watch TV to be entertained and not to learn, and I never once watched TV to learn something). At the end of various episodes, the Warners turn the Wheel of Morality (I'm guessing it's supposed to be a parody of the Wheel of Fortune) so it can tell them a life lesson they should learn, though it often has nothing to do with the story. In the song "Wakko's America," Wakko says the names of all 50 states and their capitals, and Yakko says the names of all the countries in his song, "Yakko's World." The latter is one of the most iconic Yakko moments and one of my favorite songs in the entire series, but unfortunately, I can never remember all of the lyrics no matter how many times I hear it. There are too many countries to remember. I once saw a comment on a YouTube clip of the song saying, "You should sing this to your social studies teacher," and I strongly agree.
Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo (2004)
A Childhood Favorite!
I've been a diehard Winnie the Pooh fan since birth (or close enough), and I refuse to grow out of the Winnie the Pooh franchise. I know that it's for everyone and you're never too old for Pooh Bear, but I thought I'd still say that anyway. This isn't my #1 favorite Pooh movie, but it is a sweet and enjoyable movie regardless! I watch it every Easter and sometimes other times too, and it brings nostalgia to me every time. There were already Pooh movies for Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Valentine's Day before this came along, and it was high time there was a Pooh Easter movie. For the longest time, I had no idea that this was a parody of A Christmas Carol. It's very different from most other Christmas Carol parodies and adaptations I've come across, and it has more originality; it's about Easter rather than Christmas. Rabbit is Ebenezer Scrooge, Roo is Tiny Tim, Tigger is the Ghost of Christmas Past, the narrator is the Ghosts of Christmas Present and Future, and the rest of the characters are themselves. I like the idea of Rabbit being Scrooge because he's the main antagonist of the Pooh franchise and the closest thing to a villain that it has. I assume that this was supposed to be an experiment to see if a Christmas themed Pooh/Christmas Carol parody would work.
This is a fun and sweet story all about the appeal of Easter! It shows that Easter is all about having fun with your friends and family, hunting eggs, eating candy, and showing your pals that we care, with no limits or boundaries! Festive, isn't it? The characters have their own favorite Easter items that make the holiday more special to them; Pooh has an Easter honey pot, Eeyore has fluffy bunny ears, Tigger has a striped egg that looks like him, Piglet has a pink Easter basket, and Roo has his egg hunts. I like the idea of Rabbit being the Easter Bunny because he is a bunny, possibly the only bunny in the Hundred Acre Wood. I especially like Roo's portrayal here! Rabbit cancels Easter and replaces it with Spring Cleaning Day, and Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore have an unhappy Easter because of that, which makes Roo sad. He's sad not just for himself, but for his friends as well, and he realized that the opportunities to show his pals that he cares and have fun with them have been taken away because of the removal of Easter; now that's an unselfish way to feel. I heard on the Pajanimals that feeling sad when a loved one is sad and trying to cheer them up are signs that you care about them, and I never realized this till now, but the exact same message is shown here. Roo handles that situation very well; he and Tigger do the best they can to fix everything, and the latter talks to Rabbit about it. The former was the first one to realize that Rabbit misses his favorite day of the year deep down inside, got his position as the Easter Bunny taken away, and doesn't truly hate Easter. He uses his love and wisdom to help his friend go deep inside himself and discover that special days are meant to be shared in special ways, and he said he'd do anything to make Rabbit happy again. He makes a new Easter Bunny hat for him because the old one got destroyed, which touches the latter's heart and brings him to tears. I don't think Roo being the voice of reason is out of place at all because little kids can be the voice of reason too. Heck, even when I was little, I'd feel sad when a loved one was sick or sad and do the best I could to make others happy, and I still do. This isn't the only time he's the voice of reason, he also has this position in Pooh's Heffalump Movie. Who said that only adults could be the voice of reason?
The story is not only sweet, festive, and fun, but it also has heartfelt messages about special days being shared in special ways (as I mentioned earlier), being a good friend, and thinking of others instead of just yourself. During the previous Easter, Pooh and friends made little mistakes and still had fun, much to Rabbit's chagrin, and the latter made a lot of rules for the characters to remember due to it being Roo's first Easter, which made the holiday harder for them. Rabbit treated the day like a professional occasion instead of the fun holiday it's supposed to be, and he rudely demanded his friends to color and hunt eggs his way and took their favorite Easter items away, much to their chagrins. These circumstances led to them leaving Rabbit's house, Tigger becoming the new Easter Bunny, him leading a fun Easter egg hunt with no rules and without Rabbit, and helping Roo have a happy Easter. Yes, it was mean of them to leave Rabbit out, but he was mean to them first, and that's payback for it. Tigger was a better Easter Bunny than Rabbit, though it makes more sense for the latter to be the Easter Bunny. The former does feel bad when he realizes that their actions hurt him, but the latter doesn't take responsibility for his actions until it is almost too late. Later, Rabbit has a nightmare about his future, where Spring Cleaning Day becomes an official holiday and everyone else in the Hundred Acre Wood moves away without telling him so they won't have to put up with his bossy and selfish behavior anymore, much to his loneliness; that's the trouble with not being a good friend and another punishment for being mean to Pooh and company. The narrator calls him out for thinking only of himself and not being a true friend. When he wakes up the next morning, he gives his friends the egg hunt they were hoping for, makes a no rules rule, gives them their favorite Easter items back, and promises to be a better friend from now on. This is a sign that not only has Rabbit become a better friend, but also unselfish and more accepting of other's differences. Some people, including yours truly, find it easier or more comfortable to do some things differently than others, and the population of the Hundred Acre Wood are no exception.
The songs are good. My favorite one is Easter Day with You because it's a bouncy, upbeat song all about the joy of giving to your friends, showing them how much you care, and throwing parties, which I can relate to. "Bright and sunny honey of an Easter" are some of the lyrics, but I don't know what that's supposed to mean. Is that when the sun brightly shines on honey on Easter? Sniffly Sniff is another one of the best songs. It's a song Pooh Bear sings about letting out a great big sneeze. I read in a comment on a YouTube upload of the song that only Pooh Bear can make sneezing into a song. I'm sure other people could too if they tried, but I think the commenter was trying to say, "Who better than Pooh to sing a song about sneezing?" or "What better song about sneezing than this?" I couldn't agree more! I don't know what else to say about it.
Springtime with Roo is not without its flaws. Rabbit can be a big jerk at times, but he's at his worst here, though this is likely intentional so he can learn from his mistakes. Thankfully he redeems himself at the end and changes for the better. He thinks his friends didn't do what he told them to on "Spring Cleaning Day," but they did before they started the Easter celebration, and to make matters worse, he literally throws them all out of his house (ouch!). During the previous Easter, he forces his friends to see the Easter rules the same way as him (e.g., he disowns Roo after the latter says he doesn't care whether or not the eggs are decorated). Yes, he always tries to be organized and practical and keep his associates on their toes, but he goes overboard with it here, and Easter is supposed to be a fun holiday, not a boring, professional occasion. Ironically, he stubbornly refuses to admit that he misses Easter when Roo sings the reprise of Easter Day with You, and he doesn't even shed a tear. Some of these negative comments about Rabbit's portrayal may sound weird to you, with me saying how sweet it was of Roo to feel sad for him, but there's usually a strong reason as to why meanies like him behave the way they do, and if he's happy and not so mean, Pooh and company are happy too, and they wouldn't be missing out on the opportunities to have fun and show how much they care about one another. Did Tigger seriously have to steal the eggs in order for his friends to hunt them? Christopher Robin isn't in this at all, but he could've given them new eggs if he was. It feels out of place for the characters to move away without telling Rabbit. You'd expect them to warn him about it ahead of time, but no. The title is slightly misleading: it's clearly about Easter rather than spring. Eastertime with Roo would be a better title. This is still a great movie, and it's perfect for Easter! I highly recommend it!
The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town (1977)
The Easter Bunny's Origin Story
I'm one of many people who loves Rankin-Bass's Christmas specials, but most of their non-Christmas works sadly seem to be lesser known, and The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Town is no exception. I've been a fan of it for all my life, but for the longest time, I didn't know Rankin-Bass made it. This isn't one of the best RB specials/movies, but not one of the worst either. I like Peter Cottontail better. The story is narrated by SD Kluger (voiced by Fred Astaire), the same mailman who narrates Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, and he has come back to tell the story of Sunny the Easter Bunny.
If you've seen this before, you know that this is the Easter Bunny's origin story. One of the best things about it is that it reveals a number of secrets about the Easter Bunny and Easter traditions that have been kept for God knows how long, like why we color Easter eggs, why the bunny hides them, how Easter toys came to be, how jellybeans and chocolate bunnies came along, why people sometimes wear Easter clothes (even though I hate wearing fancy/formal wear and never wear traditional Easter clothing), and more. Obviously, nearly any "burning" questions one may have about the bunny or Easter are answered here. It's not afraid to have some religious elements like Easter's bible story.
The premise is interesting, but not just because the origins of Easter traditions are revealed. Only kids live and work in Kidville, the main setting. There are a lot of kids in Kidville who have jobs, like a kid firefighter, a kid police officer, a kid chef, a kid teacher, a kid mailman (young SD Kluger. That's how he knows the story), and many more, which makes the premise compelling and original. They run their own shops, make their own laws, and maybe even stay up as late as they want. That's every kid's dream, or is it?
The characters are highly likable and engaging! My favorite character is Chuggs the train. He is a funny character, especially when he repeats things in a similar fashion to when The Little Engine That Could says, "I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!" (e.g., "Easter's coming! Easter's coming! Easter's coming!"). He also reminds me of Thomas the Tank Engine, and his train friends somewhat resemble Thomas's friends. Enough said.
The songs are good. The titular song, "The Easter Bunny Is Coming to Town," surprisingly isn't the same tune as Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, though it has a similar but slightly different beat. "You Think Nobody Loves You, But They Do" might have to be my favorite. Why? It is a soft, sweet, and relaxing song, and it has a heartfelt message: love yourself, and it's not true that nobody loves you, hence the title.
The special/TV movie is not without its flaws. This is somewhat of a rehash of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. However, some changes to the plot have been made, which makes up for this problem. The ending is rushed: the main villain, Queen Lily Longtooth, is angry about everyone in Town (yes, her town is just called Town) having kids and celebrating Easter for a minute, and then she redeems herself right away and magically starts to love Easter. When the flashbacks fade away, SD Kluger is shown as an adult again, and the rest of the characters are shown with him, but the other kids from Kidville are still kids for some reason. These items are why I give this an 8/10. Overall, this is a good special/TV movie! It's perfect for Easter!
Hajimete no Wii (2006)
One of My Favorites!
Ever since I started playing the Wii when I was 4 years old, this and Wii Sports have been a couple of my favorite Wii games! This is also one of the earliest Wii games I've ever played, in case it isn't obvious.
Like Wii Sports, this is multiple games in one. There's Find Mii, Pool, Table Tennis, Tanks, Fishing, Charge! (the cow game. I can never remember the name of it), Laser Hockey, Pose Mii, and Shooting Range (I can never remember the name of that one either). All these games are fun and simple! There's not a lot to them. My favorite one might have to be either Tanks or Shooting Range. I always thought the the miis' screams when they get kidnapped by space shuttles in Shooting Range, the scarecrows' screams in Charge, and the miis' "Uh oh!" in Find Mii were funny as heck! I don't understand why the mii(s) in Find Mii always say uh oh when the gamer clicks the 2 matching miis, the mii they're playing as, or the fastest mii like they're supposed to, but it's still funny.
When I play Charge and Fishing, I feel somewhat like I'm actually fishing and riding a cow. The visuals in Pose Mii and Laser Hockey are bright, colorful, and appealing to the eye! The colors in the latter somewhat remind of older video games from before my time. There's a wide variety of beautiful backgrounds in Pose Mii: pictures of flowers, butterflies, and more. There are a number of different locations in Find Mii, like the sea, a mall, Outer Space, and more. To put more bread on the table, there's also a location in the same game which is incredibly dark, but a light always shines on the spot the gamer is pointing at.
The gamers themselves can appear in the game if they make their own avatars/miis, just like Wii Sports. What will they think of next? My Wii and my grandma's Wii have Miis of myself, various members of my family, and I even made Miis of some fictional characters I like (Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Charlie Brown, Pillsbury Doughboy, SpongeBob, etc.)
A Goofy Movie (1995)
A Touching Father and Son Story
This has got to be one of the best Disney movies of all time, and Goofy is one of my favorite Disney characters! For the longest time, I had no idea that this was a sequel/continuation of a TV series called Goof Troop. A Goof Troop episode is one of the bonus features on my Goofy Movie DVD. I've seen various other episodes too, and I got to admit that it's a good show, though not as good as this. Goofy's recognizably goofy and slapstick personality fits perfectly as an uncool father without him being annoying to the viewer. He can't do anything right, but that's why society loves him, and he was like that in the original cartoons! His personality has expanded here, which makes him better than ever! He is a caring father, but he's oblivious of the latest trends, has no idea what being cool is or how his actions can damage his son's reputation, and at first believes that every experience he had when he was younger will work just as well on his son, but no. To put more bread on the table, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck make cameos.
Goofy's teenaged son Max is a somewhat relatable character and a huge factor as to why I love this! He is often convinced that he is just as goofy as his dad, much to his embarrassment, and the other kids from school have called him names like "Maxie the Geek" and "Goof of the Week." Everyone has been bullied like him at some point. At first, he doesn't think Goofy is cool at all and doesn't get along with him as well as he used to. When Max gets home from school on the last day before summer break, Goofy takes him on a crazy vacation he doesn't want to go on, and the former doesn't enjoy the vacation. When the two of them get in the car, he says, "Why are you doing this to me, Dad?" and "Goodbye hopes, goodbye dreams, goodbye Roxanne" (his crush, later his girlfriend). He really hit the nail on the head with those bits of dialogue and his line "Call me when the trip's over." A number of times (even before I became a teenager like Max), my parents, mostly my stepdad, have made me go places I didn't like or didn't want to go to and brought me along. I felt as if my hopes and dreams were being crushed, felt mind boggled about being forced to go to those places, and found those experiences hard to enjoy, similar to how Max didn't enjoy the vacation and wanted to stay at home. Ever since my parents got married, I've had a number of problems with my stepdad, and he ruins everything, slightly similar to how Max thinks his dad ruins everything. Being in Max's perspective is as easy as 1-2-3! Coincidentally, my stepdad once said that he loved this movie when he was younger and watched it a billion times. Thankfully, my family has toned down with going places during more recent years, and in case it isn't obvious, I prefer to spend most of my spare time at home.
The Goofy Movie has inspirational morals for kids and parents about the importance of family, being a good parent, and respecting your kids' wishes. Goofy is concerned about being a good father at first, and he takes himself and Max fishing so the latter can wind up a criminal with a fishing pole to prove that he (Max) is not a criminal. He surprisingly feels sad when he notices that Max isn't having fun at Lester's Possum Park, and the former feels angry when he finally realizes what he has been doing. These feelings are obvious signs that Goofy is concerned about his son's well-being and being a good father. I wish my parents would've felt the same way when I was on outings I didn't enjoy. He's usually so happy and cheerful, but he really hit the nail on the head with these feelings! Later, he lets Max pick all the stops between the restaurant they eat at and Lake Destiny, and the latter starts to have fun because of that (or tries to)! Towards the end, Max asks for his dad's attention when he (Max) is trying to talk to him, but he replies, "Why bother? I'm too stupid to understand anything." The two of them continue to bond for the rest of the vacation, and they start to get along better. Goofy finally sees how much his son has changed, respects his boundaries, tries not to annoy him, and heartwarmingly says, "Gawrsh, Maxie! You really have grown up inside! It happened so fast that I must have missed it." This line is an obvious sign that he has realized his mistakes, parents shouldn't annoy or torment their kids, and tells the sad truth about how much faster time goes by as you age. Seeing Max save him from falling off a waterfall is touching as well!
This is a musical, and I got to admit that the songs are awesome! They all go hard, especially "Stand Out" and "Eye to Eye," which are both sung by Powerline, Max's favorite popstar. Their beats are fast paced and easy to bop along to! The latter also has an inspiring message about listening to each other's hearts and seeing people eye to eye, hence the title. Powerline sings it at one of his concerts, and Goofy and Max sneak onstage and dance with him. Max's friends watch the concert on TV, and they dance along. What better than this? That's my favorite scene and song of the entire movie! On the Open Road is my second favorite because it says that if you need a break from modern living and want to shed your weary load, all you have to do is take a trip out on the open road. Sometimes I feel like I need a break from modern living too and get bored of how much the world has modernized. The song starts with the engine of Goofy's car revving, his car keys rattling, and the wheels spinning. Who said one needs an instrument to make music? Right before the song, Max and Goofy fight over music on the car's radio, which causes the radio to break, and the former says, "Oh great, Dad! Now we don't have any music." The latter replies, "Oh, Maxie! It's not so bad. We'll just have to entertain ourselves." I got to admit that he handles that situation very well! Nobody Else but You my third favorite. It's a soft and heartfelt duet that the main duo sings about how they get on each other's nerves at times but still can't live without each other.
My Friends Tigger & Pooh (2007)
Any Time, Any Place, the Super Sleuths Are on the Case
I've been a diehard Winnie the Pooh fan since birth (or close enough). I watched this all the time when I was both 4 and 5 years old, and I still enjoy it to this day, but I don't find it as good as I used to. I heard that a lot of Pooh fans didn't like it because of the inclusion of pop music, Darby "replacing" Christopher Robin, unnecessary new characters being introduced, and the switch to CGI. I understand that. This isn't the best Pooh show, but it's better than Welcome to Pooh Corner, Playdate with Winnie the Pooh, and Me and Winnie the Pooh!
The aforementioned reasons why it was hated are the only major differences between this and the previous Pooh projects. My Friends Tigger and Pooh is very faithful to the cartoons for the most part, and I got to admit that the animation is surprisingly well done, colorful, and vibrant with sophisticated movements. The old characters are still the same old lovable characters they've always been. Pooh Bear may be a Super Sleuth here, but he's still the same bear of very little brain. When my grandma and I first saw the characters in their Super Sleuth uniforms, we both thought that Tigger and Pooh Bear were dressed as Superman. Their Super Sleuth uniforms do look very similar to Superman's suit. I'm aware that this doesn't mark Lumpy's debut, but this is what introduced me to him, and he's really cute and brightens up every episode he's in.
There are some great morals here and there, mostly ones related to problem solving. There's an episode where Rabbit has to write a song about his vegetables for a contest, and each of his friends write a song for him, but he likes all of them and doesn't know which one he likes best. Instead of entering one song in the contest, he merges all the songs into one song. What a perfect solution!
To put bread on the table, I find Rabbit more likable in this, Welcome to Pooh Corner, and The Book of Pooh than in the other Pooh incarnations. He's nicer and more relaxed, but he still gets irritated by his friends' actions at times. Darby is nice and resourceful, though she nor Buster is as good as Christopher Robin. I didn't know this when I was little, but Christopher Robin appears in 2 episodes of the show, so Darby technically didn't replace him. I'm intrigued as to why Darby is the main human character here instead of him. The other new characters are okay, nothing special. Beaver slightly reminds me of Gopher, but the latter and Owl unfortunately don't appear in this at all, though Pooh says that he misses Gopher in one episode.
The songs are good and easily remembered. The theme song is incredibly catchy. An off-screen singer (I don't know who) sings it in the first season, and to put more bread on the table, Darby sings it in the second and final season! The song "Think Think Think" that appears in various episodes references one of Pooh's catchphrases. Tigger has his own fast paced and bouncy song about his favorite hobby called "Nothing Can Bounce Like a Tigger." I agree that nothing can bounce like a Tigger. There's a whimsical song that all the important characters sing about the joy of the winter season called "It's So Much Fun in the Snow." I've never heard another song quite like it! I remember a song Eeyore sings about how much he misses his tail. It was high time a song like that came along! As good as the songs are, I'm surprised that Pooh and Tigger's signature songs didn't appear in this at all.
Winnie the Pooh: A Valentine for You (1999)
A Valentine's Treat
This special is good, but it's not one of the best Winnie the Pooh installments. I like the New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh episode, Un-Valentine's Day better. I like the idea of Christopher Robin's menagerie thinking that Christopher Robin got bit by a love bug. Why? I've heard of the term "love bug," but I'm guessing it's either an expression or love bugs are a myth, and Christopher Robin has been so busy making valentines that his friends haven't seen him in days. They find him writing a card for his new friend Winifred (whom they think is his new girlfriend), with there being fireflies nearby, and Pooh and his animal friends have the mentality of toddlers, so it makes sense for them to think their friend was bit by a love bug. I saw one review saying that the reviewer can relate to the animals thinking Valentine's Day was a monster, and I don't blame them (the reviewer). I don't enjoy Valentine's Day as much as I used to.
The story has a heartfelt moral about making new friends while still having a special place in your heart for old friends, hence the song the characters sing at the end. I can totally relate; even when I make new friends, my friendship with my old friends remains! At first, Christopher Robin's stuffed animals think he doesn't love them anymore and has made new friends to replace them, but they all eventually receive Valentine cards from him in the mail, and he sets them straight, proving them wrong. Not only does the aforementioned song have an inspiring message, but the music and vocals are soft, smooth, and heartwarming! To put bread on the table, flashbacks from other Pooh movies appear during the song.
The special/TV movie is not without its flaws. The animation is good, but it has a lower quality than the previous Pooh installments. For some reason, Eeyore has bluish eyes here, and they're not as dark as usual. I'm guessing that's a coloring error. Paul Winchell's voice was a little bit scratchier during his last few performances as Tigger, including this, and it didn't sound as good as before. I'm guessing it's due to him aging. This was Winchell's last performance as Tigger before he retired, and Jim Cummings did Tigger's singing voice here and voiced Tigger full time ever since the former retired.
A Charlie Brown Valentine (2002)
A Childhood Classic!
I've had a Charlie Brown Valentine DVD for as long as I can remember, and this has always been one of my favorite Peanuts specials! I still love the Peanuts franchise no matter how many times I see it! This and Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown are both good, and I'm not sure which one I like better, but neither of them are as good as the Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Easter specials. This is a must watch during Valentine's Day! I believe this was the first Peanuts special to come out after Charles Schulz's death, though I'm not certain.
There are plenty of funny moments, like Snoopy writing "romantic" poems for Lucy and Sally, Charlie Brown finding the little red haired girl's pencil and saying why he can't talk to his crush, and Marcie trying to flirt with Charlie Brown. Before watching this, I didn't know that pretty faces made Charlie Brown nervous. I don't blame him, but I think that's kind of funny at the same time.
Marcie makes a Valentine card for Charlie Brown and signs it from both herself and Peppermint Patty. That was nice of her! He didn't get any Valentines in Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, nor did he get any candy in the Great Pumpkin. Poor kid! Thankfully, he has more luck here, but he's still the same hapless and down to earth guy he's always been (nothing wrong with that, though). Snoopy dancing with all the girls at the dance and kissing them is also heartwarming and fun to watch! Mr. Big Shot! The ending is my favorite part: Snoopy walks around with a wheelbarrow full of Valentines and gives Charlie Brown a kiss and one of his Valentines, and Linus wishes the latter happy Valentine's Day. What a happy ending! Enough said.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)
Fun Game!
This is one of my favorite Nintendo Switch games of all time, and it's the Switch game I've played the most as of now. I'd have to agree with what a couple of the other reviews say: this is a piece of Nintendo nostalgia! There is a wide variety of different Nintendo characters to play as: Mario, Luigi, Bowser, Bowser Jr, Yoshi, Link, Villager, Tom Nook, Toad, Donkey Kong, Princess Peach, and many more. There's a lot of fast paced and catchy music that plays when the races go on, and it sounds similar to music from old video games and makes the game more fun to play!
There are a lot of unique locations to race at, like Cheese Land, Baby Park, City Tracks, Animal Crossing, and many more. Each of the locations have a specific theme, sometimes ones related to aspects of the other games that the characters are from, like babies, music, trains, rainbows, sweet foods, mushrooms, Yoshi's Island, and more, which gives the game uniqueness, a lot of detail, and huge combinations of the characters' franchises! They're all so bright and colorful, especially Rainbow Road. There's one location looks a lot like Andy's room from Toy Story, but I can't think of the name of it.
I didn't know this until I searched up this game on here, but this and Mario Kart 8 are 2 different games. I read in another review that this is an expanded version of Mario Kart 8. I like the sound of that!
Peppa Pig (2004)
"Everybody Loves Peppa!" NOT True
Peppa Pig is the worst Nick Jr show ever, and one of the worst preschool shows in general! A few years ago, I found out that it has been running since 2004. It was way older than I thought. I'm a 2000s kid, but I didn't grow up with this nor did I know it existed when I was little. If you're wondering, no, that's not why I hate it. I now hate some of the preschool shows I liked when I was little, and others I still like. I'm guessing that Peppa originated in the UK due to most of the characters having British accents (there's nothing wrong with that, though), and maybe it was introduced in the US (where I'm from) long after 2004. My sister used to watch this and have a few Peppa Pig toys, clothing, and DVDs, but I disregarded its content, though I watched a little bit of it before she was born.
One of the main problems I have with this is that the title character is a questionable role model. Peppa teases her brother George all the time and always leaves him out of her games, refuses to share her toys, throws temper tantrums, body shames her father, has little to no manners towards others, moans and groans whenever she loses a game, disregards her friends' achievements that she doesn't have, and gets away with her bad actions a lot. It may be safe to say that she is the British and female Caillou. She provides bad morals at times, like it's okay to jump on the bed, swimming in cold water is fun, and more. Peppa constantly makes Daddy Pig feel bad about his weight, which is
hypocritical because all the adult male characters have the same body weight as him, yet he's the only one who is ever made fun of for being fat. That, and he's the most fit of his family: he's the only one who can swim underwater, run a marathon, etc. The password to get in her tree house is "Daddy's big tummy." What on earth? The characters never seem to grow, improve, learn from their mistakes, or receive any repercussions for their bad behavior. However, the show has some good morals too, like how to be a good friend, thunderstorms are nothing to be afraid of, the importance of sharing, and a few others, but that's not enough for me to like it. Also, who names their kid Peppa?
The writing and voice acting are repetitive, cheesy, and annoying. The narrator constantly states the obvious, says what happens on screen, and talks down to the audience instead of telling the story like a narrator is supposed to. The voices and animal noises are extremely grating and loud, especially the oinks. Peppa and her family oink way too much, and some of the animal noises barely sound like the animals they're based on. For example, the sheep noises sound more like nervous laughter than actual sheep. George says "dinosaur" a lot and rarely says anything else, and he cries way too much. I get that he's 2 years old, and it's normal for kids his age to cry a lot, but his screen time consists mostly of him crying and crying and crying, and he never shuts up.
The animation and art style don't look like something a professional would draw. Instead, everyone and everything looks like they were drawn by a little kid. Most of the time, the characters' attires consist only of shirts and shoes, and no sleeves are ever shown on anyone (I have nothing against people who wear sleeveless shirts, but you'd probably expect at least one character with sleeves on to be present). The arms and legs look like sticks, the bodies and shirts are shaped like small circles (big circles for the heavy characters), the outlines have a tendency to overlap, and some of the characters barely resemble their own kind (e.g., the zebra looks more like a striped bear than a zebra). The faces are always shown from a side view, which makes it obvious that they're lacking movement and implies that the characters might have 4 eyes, and maybe 2 noses too. If their bodies appear in a full view, why can't their faces? Whenever they cry, the tears more closely resemble water spraying out of a sprinkler.
Finally, the show has way too much publicity. There's Peppa Pig videos all over YouTube, multiple official Peppa Pig YouTube channels that are no different from each other (Why can't there be just one?), episode compilations that are multiple hours long (Yeesh! I haven't got all day to watch those), etc. Whatever you do, I don't recommend that you show Peppa Pig to your kids or even check it out on your own. Watch Bluey instead.
Wii Sports (2006)
Awesome!
This has been one of my favorite Wii games ever since I started playing the Wii when I was 4 years old. I think this was the first Wii game I ever played, but I know for sure that it was one of the earliest Wii games I ever played.
This is one of many Wii games that allows gamers to exercise and play a video game at the same time. It's 5 games in one: baseball, bowling, tennis, golf, and boxing. They all give audiences an idea as to what playing the sports in real life is like, and they're not a whole lot different than playing them in real life, as far as I know. To be honest, I'm not very good at tennis in Wii Sports, but I suck at playing tennis in real life too.
The game has catchy and fast paced music and allows multiple miis to play in one game. One can play with custom characters from around the world or even play with family and friends.
Welcome to Pooh Corner (1983)
Creepy, Though Not Terrible
I've been a diehard Winnie the Pooh fan since birth (or close enough), but I didn't grow up with Welcome to Pooh Corner because it's from long before my time, it didn't have reruns on TV at all during my lifetime, and I never had any of the video releases. This is the worst or least good Pooh show of all. I've seen a number of the episodes online, and only three of them are on YouTube. I don't like Welcome to Pooh Corner, I don't hate/dislike it, it's a mixed bag. Allow me to explain why.
Premise/format: The show is faithful to the cartoons for the most part, but it's very different in some ways. A little too different, but not a whole lot: Christopher Robin never appears (though he is mentioned in one episode), Roo's shirt is red instead of blue, Eeyore's house more closely resembles a tipi, the educational value can be grating at times, etc. I assume that a Christopher Robin costume/puppet would've been hard to make, and I'm guessing that's why he never appears, but a kid actor with no fursuit could've played him. At the end of various episodes, the characters would teach random stuff to kids, which often had nothing to do with the story. A lot of great morals are present like be yourself, too much of a good thing is not a good thing, you're the best at what you do best (that's a new one!), try and try again, and more.
Characters: Their personalities are mostly the same, but they feel a little less like themselves. Pooh is a lot smarter than in the cartoons, despite still being called a bear of very little brain. He knows that it isn't always a good idea to talk to strangers and what to do if one were to ever end up in stranger danger, which doesn't make any sense because the Hundred Acre Wood doesn't encounter many strangers, and the animals in the Hundred Acre Wood don't go into the "real" world very much. Owl can be whiny at times, even though he's supposed to be an old, wise figure. In one episode, he had whined over not being invited to swim with his friends. Rabbit is more relaxed and is a magician for some reason. He has a scary habit of randomly appearing and disappearing out of nowhere with his magic wand. I don't recall him liking magic in any other incarnation. I remember Tigger putting on a magic show in a book, an episode of The Book of Pooh, and an episode of My Friends Tigger and Pooh. He should've been the magician here, not Rabbit. However, I find Rabbit more likable here than in the cartoons for the most part, and his flanderization is a good flanderization, minus the part about him being a magician and randomly appearing and disappearing out of nowhere. Pooh and Owl's flanderizations are barely noticeable, and they were still themselves for the most part. The rest of the characters were still likable, had barely changed, and were not the tiniest bit flanderized.
Visuals: Most of the episodes were recorded with a green screen or blue screen and had custom backgrounds from the cartoons, which I like. However, the quality is a bit dark, dull, and not so bright and colorful, which slightly creeps me out. I find that somewhat justified due to the time this was made. The characters are slightly creepy, and that's one of the main reasons why I don't like Pooh Corner as much as the other Pooh incarnations. Pooh Bear, Kanga, and Roo have whites in their eyes for some reason, which makes them as creepy as they are. If Tigger and Piglet could still have dots for eyes, why couldn't Pooh Bear, Kanga, and Roo? Piglet's design is accurate, but something about the way his face was built creeps me out. Pooh Bear has the creepiest design of the whole cast, and Eeyore and Rabbit look the least creepy. For some reason, Roo was originally a traditional puppet, and for the entire series, Piglet was a costume with animated eyes and an animated mouth like the rest of the characters. Both of them are much smaller than the rest of the cast in the other incarnations, and Piglet is a tad bit taller than Roo. They could've both been traditional puppets, or they could've both been costumes for the entire series. However, this problem was fixed later: Roo became a costume like everyone else.
Voice acting: The voices are on par with the cartoons for the most part, but they have a few hiccups. Piglet's voice is the worst offender, which I find hard to believe because he was voiced by Phil Baron, who also voiced Teddy Ruxpin, another one of my favorite fictional characters. His voice is too high pitched and feminine. Tigger's voice is decent, but it sounds like a hybrid of his cartoon voice and Grubby's voice from Teddy Ruxpin. He was voiced by Will Ryan, who also voiced Grubby, which explains a lot. I'm surprised that John Fiedler and Paul Winchell didn't return as Piglet and Tigger. The only voice actors from the movies who reprised their roles here were Hal Smith (Pooh and Owl), Will Ryan (Rabbit), and Laurie Main (the narrator).
Songs: The songs are actually good! The theme song is the same tune as the theme song from the movies, but most of the lyrics changed. That's a plus because this is the only TV series to feature the franchise's theme song! I like it better than the regular Pooh theme song because it gives a brief description of each character (don't get me wrong, I still love the regular theme song too)! All the characters have their own signature songs here, which is another plus because Pooh and Tigger are the only characters who have signature songs in the cartoons for some reason. My favorite is Eeyore's song, "Just Say Yes, I Can," because it surprisingly has a very positive message about never giving up and not focusing on what you can't do.
The Berenstain Bears (1985)
They're a Lot Like People Only More So
I watched a lot of The Berenstain Bears on Sprout from when I first came across the channel in 2011 until it rebooted as Universal Kids in 2017, and I still love it to this day! Ironically, I haven't seen as much of it on PBS Kids. I think they stopped playing it before I got into the show. I've read some of the books too and enjoyed them just as much. There are actually 2 different Berenstain Bears shows: the original from 1985 by Hanna Barbera and the 2003 (the same year I was born) reboot by Nelvana. It appears to me that the people from IMDb have confused them for the same show because it says 1985-2004 on this page, and there aren't 2 separate pages for them. I like both incarnations, but I like the reboot the best, mainly because it's the one I'm the most familiar with and the one I've seen the most of, as big of a Hanna Barbera fan as I am. The shows are sensibly written to appeal to younger children and teach them values at the same time, but I have a feeling that it could easily appeal to older children and adults too. The Berenstain Bears could be just another hyperactive, over the top, and annoying preschool show, but it's not.
Both versions are about the Berenstain Bear family, mainly the cubs, going through everyday struggles, which I find relatable and appealing. Like the reboot's theme song says, the bears are a lot like people only more so, and the only difference is they live in a tree. They can be funny at times as well. The struggles include watching too much TV, eating too much junk food, getting bullied, greed, being irresponsible, jealousy, not counting your blessings, having too much homework, and more. Mama and Papa are always ready to help their kids make thoughtful decisions and encourage them to work hard, obey the rules, develop healthy friendships, and find healthy activities to partake in.
A lesson or family value is always learned throughout the episodes. The lessons are ones that everyone should hear, and people often learn some of them too late in life. Thanks to the Berenstain Bears, I didn't learn them too late, and there are a few episodes I find impactful even to this day. For example, there's an episode where the bears go to a grocery store, and Brother and Sister both find toys and treats that they want, but Mama and Papa keep reminding them that they came just to buy groceries. When they finish their shopping, the cubs get toy cats from a bear nearby, giving toy cats away for free. When they get home, their parents give them a lecture and say there's more to life than getting as many treats as you can get your hands on because one should count their blessings and think of those less fortunate. Grizzly Gran and Gramps come to visit, and Brother and Sister say, "What did you bring us?", proving that they didn't learn anything. Papa grounds them and says that's the worst case of the "galloping gimmies" he's ever seen. Gran and Gramps remind Papa that he had an even worse case of the gimmies when he was little: he threw a temper tantrum over a toy truck in a grocery store and embarrassed Gran and Gramps so much that they let him have it, but then he saw a poor family who didn't have much money, and he gave his truck to their cub. Brother and Sister both enjoy that story, and they finally learn their lesson and regret their behavior. Their grandparents start their visit "all over again," step outside, and come back inside. Brother and Sister finally say hello, and the latter says, "If you brought us anything, you can just leave it in the car." Everyone laughs at Sister's comment, and she and Brother donate a couple of their old toys at the end. Ever since I saw that episode for the first time, I've appreciated what I already had, haven't thought of myself 24/7, and fully understood why I couldn't get everything I wanted all the time.
There are other reasons why I like the reboot the best. The animation is smoother, clearer, and more colorful than the original, and the characters' personalities have softened and expanded. Just to name a few examples, Mama is nicer and not as strict as she is in the original, but she's still the main disciplinarian of the family, Sister is more sensitive, and Too Tall is still a bully, but unlike the original series, he can be nice to others at times and has his moments of friendship with Brother.
I highly recommend The Berenstain Bears! If you like the books, you're sure to enjoy the shows too! I don't know what else to say.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998)
Not as Good as the Original, But Still Good
If you read the title, you know that I like the original Rudolph by Rankin-Bass better for the most part and don't find Rudolph the Movie by Good Times Entertainment as good, but the latter is sweet, charming, simple, and far from being one of the worst Christmas movies or movies in general, and it fixes some of the problems I have with the former. Some think this is a remake of the Rankin-Bass Rudolph, and I've heard complaints about it not living up to the original, but I think it's supposed to be its own thing and not a remake of the original because it has different characters, different songs, an almost entirely different plot, and it bears little to no resemblance to the original. Like the original, it has a strong, positive message about embracing your differences, accepting others for who they are, and not judging a book by its cover. Rudolph the Movie lacks the lifelike stop motion animation style that the RB version has, but the animation and art style here look very similar to old Disney movies and a few other cartoons I grew up with, which makes me like this even more!
The characters are likable for the most part. Unlike Arrow, Rudolph has character and true heart! I find him sympathetic, and I can't argue that his nose makes him unique! I know what it's like to be bullied. Unlike the original, Rudolph has barely stuck up for himself here, and thankfully it is explained why his nose glows (though I don't have a problem with no explanation in the former): the 4 sprites who narrate the story and have been watching him ever since he was born knew he was special, and they wanted him to literally shine. I must say that the sprites are annoying because their narration consists entirely of singing, which is repetitive. This is a movie, not a Broadway musical or an opera. Sam the snowman is a better narrator than them! I've heard criticisms about Santa Claus being a jerk and not so Santa-like in the original, and I'd have to agree. I like his portrayal here better! Unlike the RB Santa, he accepts Rudolph for who he is right away, and he's the jolly, fatherly, and giving old man that Santa usually is! I used to be scared of the Abominable Snowman aka the Bumble, and he may be too scary for younger or sensitive audiences, but I don't think I was ever scared of Stormella. The latter has more personality than the former, and I got to admit that she has an awesome voice performance by Whoopi Goldberg. I like Clarice, but I like Zoey better because she has more screentime and more personality. She has stood up to those who have given Rudolph a hard time, and she briefly tells Rudolph that he means everything to her and wishes she would've said so sooner because it was unlikely he would've run away in the first place. I don't understand why she dated Arrow in the first place, but thankfully she later breaks up with him and starts exclusively dating Rudolph. Arrow somewhat reminds me of Fireball, and I agree with Zoey: he's a huge jerk. Slyly and Leonard are interesting characters, but they don't have as good chemistry with Rudolph as Hermey and Yukon Cornelius do.
The songs are good, but not as catchy or as memorable as the songs from the original. Slyly's song, "It Could Always Be Worse," has an inspiring message saying things aren't always as bad as they may seem and could always be worse, hence the title. "What About Rudolph's Nose?" is a good song, but not the best. Rudolph's parents sing about how handsome they find their son's nose, which I like because they're being accepting him for who he is, they don't hate his nose like Rudolph's dad does at first in the original, and they're being good parents! Towards the end of the song, Rudolph's dad says maybe the kids from school will make fun of his nose when he gets older, and Rudolph's mother says maybe they'll ignore him or learn to adore him. Who knows whether or not kids will be bullied when they start school, and it's best to ignore those you don't have anything nice to say to. The other reindeer and elves, who sing backup, have negative comments about Rudolph's nose, but they sound way too happy and upbeat, as if they are faking and secretly love his brightly colored schnoz. My favorite song from the movie might have to be Rudolph and Zoey's duet, "Show Me the Light," because it's an incredibly beautiful love song, and it reflects on the relationship between the two of them! However, Rudolph's singing voice sounds nothing like his speaking voice, and he sounds like he has gone through puberty when he sings. To be fair, my singing voice sounds nothing like my speaking voice either; I usually sing in an opera voice, whether or not I'm singing an opera song, because it's more fun to sing in, and I'm not as good at singing in my natural voice. And of course, who can resist classics like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Wonderful Christmastime? The only song I don't like is Stormella's song, "I Hate Santa Claus," and the sprites' narration too if that counts.
There is a reason I give this a 7/10, other than the ones I mentioned above (not being as memorable as the RB version, the backup vocals in the first song sounding too happy and upbeat for the lyrics to be considered insults, the sprites being annoying): Stormella's redemption arc magically comes out of nowhere. There is a witchcraft law about Stormella having to grant a wish, and Rudolph wishes for her to change from bad to good. I don't understand why Stormella didn't redeem herself the minute Rudolph saved her from falling off a cliff. The former could've reformed on her own right away, or the latter could've told her, "We'll go home right now if you promise to be nice from now on."
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer the Movie is an underrated movie and a nostalgic piece of my childhood! You should check it out if you haven't seen it before. If you don't like the original Rudolph, there's a chance you might like this better because it lacks the mean-spiritedness some have complained about, it has a more optimistic and upbeat tone, and most of the characters are friendlier than some of the RB characters, though some have misinterpreted the RB version's message, after all both versions are allegories about the trouble with discrimination.
I Love You, You Hate Me (2022)
A Changed Perspective On Barney
I used to like Barney when I was younger, but I'm now neutral to it. However, I agree or used to agree with some of the criticisms it has received and used to make fun of some of them (e.g., Barney's voice sounding dopey, some of the songs being annoying, the series being set in a perfect world, etc. I still hate these aspects, minus the setting being "perfect"), and I'm aware that there's a Wikipedia page for anti-Barney humor. I decided to watch I Love You, You Hate Me because I was intrigued about it when I read about it in an article and saw the trailer, and I got to admit that it was a good documentary! There are people from media I like involved in this, like Steve Burns from Blue's Clues, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and a few others. I was already neutral to Barney before watching it, but I've warmed up to Barney a little more because of this doc.
Now that I've seen this, I can say that some people take Barney too seriously. The purple dinosaur loves everyone for who they are and doesn't expect anyone to change. It seems as if it's just for the sake of loving people, but this obviously isn't the case for every friendship he has developed, and it's important to be nice to others and accept them for who they are. Like Bob West said, Barney stands for love, inclusion, and acceptance. I can't go wrong with that, and I can't imagine why anyone else could either! A couple of the colored child (now adult) actors from the first three seasons said that they had put up with racism before Barney, but they found the acceptance they've yearned for and began to appreciate their differences when the show started. However, when they retired and went back to school, their schoolmates bullied them for starring in Barney, and they started smoking and drinking as coping mechanisms. I'm happy that they found the acceptance they've yearned for, and I feel sorry for the hardships they've gone through before and after seasons 1-3. Kudos to America's favorite purple dinosaur! The talk about them smoking and drinking is dark, especially for anything to with Barney, and that's never a good sign. The "Barney bashers" have done some horrible things to Barney fans and the show's cast and crew (e.g., bullied the original kid actors for their involvement in it like I mentioned, gave Bob West death threats via emails, called them names, destroyed Barney toys, etc.), and that's not cool. What did Barney ever do to them? Like I said, the purple dinosaur stands for love, inclusion, and acceptance, not fighting, smoking, drinking, racism, death threats, etc. Saying he's evil is crazy talk. I learned from the doc that the "cool kids" would hate on Barney all the time when it was new back in the 1990s, when everything was cruel and edgy, and part of the reason it had a lot of haters was because it wasn't edgy, and the internet was also new at the time; the dangers of being on social media were just beginning. I was not yet born in the 90s, so how I was supposed to know that before? Just because something isn't edgy doesn't mean it sucks, and if every show/movie was edgy, the TV/movie industry would be boring and unoriginal. Maybe those people would've liked Barney if they gave it a chance. I got to admit that it's a far cry from today's cartoons with gross out and/or crude humor, mean-spiritedness, characters who are anti-role models, dark violence, or all of the above. I'd rather watch Barney than any of those cartoons, and thankfully anti-Barney humor has died down a bit. I heard that if the internet existed in the 70s, Sesame Street likely would've received similar backlash because it was new at the time, and it's somewhat similar to Barney. I don't like the sound of that. If you're wondering, yes, I like Sesame Street. I'm not saying that just because you don't like Barney doesn't mean you're a bad person, but the doc shows how we as humans need to be more conscious with our behavior towards others. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but if you don't like Barney, then leave him and his fans alone.
Steve White (the head writer of Barney) said towards the end that the title character never tried to argue that the world was a perfect place. Instead, he tried to argue that the world could be a better place if we all try to make it a better place, and I give him (Barney) credit for that! I never thought of it that way before watching the doc, but it's true. The criticism the show has received about the setting being perfect is invalid. It's true that the characters are happy most of the time, but why shouldn't they be? What do you expect them to do? Mope around like a bunch of goths? There are a number of episodes that talk about how to handle negative emotions, have seriousness involved and conflict-based plots, like Baby Bop getting a stomachache after eating too many cookies, BJ riding a scooter too fast and falling down, the kids getting scared of a grizzly bear, the characters losing a Christmas star, Baby Bop and BJ getting into an argument and Barney and the kids trying to help them settle their argument, and more. Another thing I learned from here is when Hit Entertainment acquired the rights to the show, they made more episodes with conflict-based plots due to the complaints about the setting being perfect. That's a good idea, even though the Lyons and Lyrick Studios eras are better than the Hit era for the most part. Steve or another one of the cast members said that life may not always treat us well, but we all probably just need a hug, just like how Barney loves to hug his friends when they're sad. He also said the lessons the dinosaur offers are important, and those who don't like him could easily embrace those lessons but don't have to like the show. I couldn't agree more! Heck, I myself have come across a few people who don't like it (in person, in articles online, and in a few negative reviews on the show that are on this same website) and have said positive comments about the lessons and the "I Love You" song.
Steve Burns asks the rest of the crew, "Who was your Barney growing up, and how would you feel about a room full of people hating on him/her?" Their "Barneys" included their teddy bears, Elmo, Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, and numerous other characters, and they didn't like the idea of a room full of people hating on them. I must say that they hit the nail on the head with those lines! Even though I grew up with Barney, I think it'd be safer to say that my "Barney" was either Charlie Brown, Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, SpongeBob, or all of the above, and I REALLY wouldn't want to be in a room full of people hating on either of them. You probably wouldn't like the idea of a room full of people bashing your favorite toy(s) or character(s) either.
If Barney is the bane of your existence or you consider him a menace to society, you should check out I Love You, You Hate Me. It will likely change the way you feel about him like it did for me, or maybe you'll still hate him, just not as much. If you are a Barney fan, you should still watch this. If you're confused as to why the show has received a lot of hate, this will likely give you a better understanding, and you might learn something about Barney from it too.
Pajanimals (2008)
The Best Jim Henson Creation Since Bear in the Big Blue House!
I watched a little bit (or a lot) of Sprout every day when I was both 7 and 8 years old, but I still watched it on some days when I got older, until it rebooted as Universal Kids in 2017. I watched all the shows they played at the time, including the Pajanimals. It's my favorite out of Sprout's original shows, outside of their blocks. For those of you who don't know, it started off as a series of 3-minute music videos and later became a full-length 11-minute show. I like the full-length episodes better for the most part because they give the audience an opportunity to get to know the characters better, they have plots, and there are more characters in them, but I still like the shorts too.
The premise is interesting! This is the only bedtime show I know of, besides the Goodnight Show. It's a quiet and laidback show, which is appropriate for a bedtime show because one is supposed to settle down and be quiet when it is getting close to bedtime and when others are sleeping or trying to. There are various bedtime related locations in the show, like the Land of Hush, which has pillows and blankets everywhere and a rule about always being quiet, hence its name. The shorts are all about 4 young muppet animals in pajamas (hence the show's title): a green dog named Apollo, a blue duck named Squacky, an orange horse named Sweetpea Sue, and a white and purple cow named Cowbella, singing songs about preparing for bed and lullabying themselves to sleep.
They sing about various pre-bedtime activities, life principles to help them fall asleep, and issues that are keeping them awake, like brushing your teeth, getting exercise to tire yourself out, having a special stuffed animal or blanket to sleep with, having a scary dream, noises (clocks ticking, water dripping out of the sink faucet, etc.) preventing you from sleeping, and more. Most of these songs appear in the full-length episodes too, but some new songs are present as well. My favorite Pajanimals song is Goodnight to Mom because it's about the gift we have in parents, and the lyrics are deep, touching, and make me feel the need to cry, most notably "We are never far apart, I am always in her heart." The songs are amazingly soothing and can easily lull viewers to sleep, especially Goodnight to Mom and La-La-Lullaby (which the Pajanimals sing in one of the shorts, and their mother sings it to them at the end of every episode of the full-length series). I have insomnia, and sometimes I listen to a Pajanimals lullaby or watch the show to help myself fall asleep. It works most of the time, even though I'm not a little kid anymore.
The lessons and tone are gentle, heartwarming, and empathetic! In every episode, the Pajanimals have a common problem that is keeping them awake, like not knowing what to give a friend for their birthday the next day, missing Mom and Dad while they're at work, being afraid of the dark, the fear of nightmares, feeling nervous about starting school the next morning, and more. Three of them get in another one of the Pajanimals' beds with whomever sleeps in it, and they all fly to a far-off land and ask a friend for advice. The colorful characters who live in the lands give them warm words of wisdom, and the Pajanimals take their advice, feel more confident, and fly back home, and their mother sings them to sleep. There's an episode where one of the characters says that feeing sad when a loved one is sad or sick and trying to cheer them up are signs that you care about them. I've never thought of it that way before watching the episode, but those are very wise words of advice! In another episode, Squacky and Cowbella get put in time out after the former whacks the latter with a guitar and the latter pulls the former's hair, much to their chagrins. That night, one of their friends tells them that the reason why kids are sometimes put in time out after misbehaving is so they're seated away from distractions and can sit down, think about the problems with their behavior, and how to improve, and that's a sign that parents still love their kids no matter what. The shorts started when I was 5 years old in November 2008 (though I didn't know it existed until March 2011), but the full-length series didn't start until I was 8 in October 2011, and I wish the full-length series would've come out sooner. Why? For all my life, I've had a strong dislike of being disciplined, and ever since I was 7, I've always strived to be good to the best of my ability. The aforementioned episode gave me a better understanding of why kids sometimes get sent to the "timeout/naughty chair" after misbehaving, and maybe I wouldn't have been as uptight about it if I saw the episode sooner. The show has proved time and time again that having bedtime issues is nothing to be ashamed of, ensuring the audience that they won't feel threatened when parents discuss those issues with them. Amen to that!
I give this an 8/10 for a reason: in the full series, there have been some unnecessary changes to the lyrics of some of the songs that originated in the shorts, and it has never been explained how the Pajanimals' relationship works. It has been confirmed on the show that they're siblings, but how can a dog, a duck, a cow, and a horse be siblings? I'm guessing either a) one of them is biologically related to the parents and the rest of them are adopted, or b) all 4 of them are adopted. Mom and Dad's voices are always heard, but they never appear on screen, so nobody knows what they are.
I must say that the Pajanimals is a far cry from the loud and obnoxious preschool shows out there that are unbearable for older audiences like me to watch (e.g., Dora, Caillou, Peppa Pig, etc.). If you don't like those shows, watch the Pajanimals instead. I find it hard to hate, and it's sure to sooth you and your kid(s), help kids and kids at heart with almost any bedtime issues they may have, and put them to sleep easy.
The Flintstones (1960)
Yabba Dabba Doo!
I watched reruns of The Flintstones on Boomerang when I was younger and still watch it once in a while, and I got to admit that it's one of many timeless Hanna Barbera classics that I grew up with! I also like Fruity Pebbles, Cocoa Pebbles, and Flintstones vitamins. I made an informative speech on Hanna Barbera in my speech class in high school, and I've learned a few new things while doing research to prepare for it, like The Flintstones was the first prime time cartoon, the first animated sitcom, and the longest running cartoon before The Simpsons, which happens to be the longest running cartoon now.
The premise is one of the best things about the show and like nothing else I've seen before. The Flintstones are the first modern stone age family, as mentioned in the theme song. The cars are powered by the drivers' feet instead of real life car components, the caves are basically prehistoric houses, dinosaurs are basically prehistoric dogs, saber tooth tigers are prehistoric cats, dodo birds are prehistoric fire alarms, wooly mammoths' noses are vacuums, etc. These aspects give the show a strong prehistoric feeling yet make it somewhat modern and human. They also make it dead-on satirical and give a good idea of what the prototypes of various items that didn't exist during prehistoric times (TVs, cars, cameras, etc.) would've been like.
The characters (Fred, Wilma, Barney, Betty, Dino, Pebbles, Bam Bam, Mr. Slate, etc.) have expressions and recognizable personalities. They're a funny bunch, and they often find each other greatly amusing and feel like an actual family. My favorite character is Fred. He is a loving husband and father, but he can be short tempered, which I can relate to at times. Like Donald Duck, his yelling is incredibly hilarious to listen to rather than annoying or dull-witted. Even though he can come off as a jerk sometimes, he cares about his friends deep down. I especially love his catchphrase, "Yabba Dabba Doo!"
It's obvious that The Flintstones was meant to appeal to the young and old alike, and it really does! The show is amusing, and the turns of names into stone age words, and modern conveniences into prehistoric animals is clever and sometimes funny! This really is one of the most enduring cartoons of all time!