"The Iron Giant" Review (Spoilers)
Feb. 23rd, 2022 04:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Superman & Lois, Naomi, and Teen Titans Go!, the special The Wonderful Winter Of Mickey Mouse, the latest episodes of Spidey And His Amazing Friends, and Marvel Bend & Flex, the series finale of Muppet Babies, and the short story collection The Road To Toontown!.
The Iron Giant
It's been years since I've seen this, and in the meantime its reputation has grown so much that now that it's pretty much considered a classic. It was always a cult fave back when I first saw it, but it's become outright beloved in the meantime. So if I do one of my typical Matt Zimmer good and bad reviews taking only the film's quality and my impression of it into account, I could ruffle some feathers. My opinion is very favorable, and I can't think of anything at the outset of the review I'm going to nitpick to death, but I am aware that when I review classic beloved movies that I could inadvertently offend people. If you love this movie unreservedly, and find no faults with it, that's fine. As such I want you to take whatever I say about the film with 25 years of distance with a grain of salt.
The first thing I must bring up, and I don't know if anyone else got this, is that the film is unintentionally relevant to what has been going on in our country for the 6 or so years. The movie's brilliance is that it tackles a major political problem (Cold War paranoia), and since history repeats itself eventually, the movie is suddenly as subversive as if it had been made in 1955 instead of 1998. And speaking as someone who really dislikes Brad Bird's political messages in his cartoons (the Objectivist nonsense in The Incredibles is SO damn creepy and offensive that I think that movie is inappropriate for children) I think it's kind of surprising the film has an anti Red Scare stance. What this this tells me is that Bird is neither a Communist or an Objectivist. He just likes exploring different political issues and letting the audiences come to their own conclusion. Personally, I think he led the audience to the wrong conclusion in The Incredibles. But I felt his moral here about people in charge doing what is worst for everyone due to pride and vanity really struck a nerve with how things are currently working in this country. And I will not dismiss the fun stuff with Hogarth and the Giant during the first two thirds of the picture, or "You can fly? You can fly!" But truly it's the transformation of Mansley into one of the most reprehensible screen villains in history that I think sets the film apart.
I could negatively compare the film's animation to Disney all I want. Mansley is what would have happened if Gaston from Beauty And The Beast were an actual person instead of a broad cartoon caricature. I recall during my last review of Beauty And The Beast being unimpressed with that specific character, and even MORE disgusted with the formerly harmless-seeming townspeople who followed him, but I find Mansley's disgusting behavior far more credible. There really is no good reason for the Townspeople to follow Gaston who acts like he's an expert on the Beast when he knows nothing about him. What's messed up about Mansley is that the people following his lead aren't gullible idiots. He outright lies and says Dean told him the robot killed a kid. And if the army attacks the Robot after that, that's reasonable. And the thing that impresses me most about how absolutely despicable Mansley is, is that you don't get that sense from him earlier in the movie. Something in him broke from the beginning to the end, and I half think we are watching two separate people, one who is an inconsiderate jerk, and one who has been driven to madness and monstrousness. I think the turning point was him cornering and threatening Hogarth and his mom. Everything past that point was done from the perspective of a criminal who doesn't actually care about right or wrong, and is just malicious in his pursuits beyond all reason. It makes sense, him being the Cold Warrior that he is, which is why that aspect of the movie spoke so much to me.
I'm going to both insult and compliment the animation. Elephant in the room: While I am very sad Warner Bros was forced to close their 2-D animation studio after Osmosis Jones bombed, the truth was, they were not in it for the long haul the way Dreamworks decided to be. I am aware the movie is 25 years old. But I am also aware of how breathtaking otherwise merely passable Disney films from that era looked. The film probably ran out of money at some point. The end titles being white block letters on a black screen is a cost cutting measure that Disney would not have been forced to do in 1998.
All this being said and equal, in a very interesting way, I kind of like the animation more. The character animation and facial expressions are all amazing in a way the blandness of Disney and Dreamsworks 2-D stuff can never manage. The characters all, well, LOOK different, instead of sharing the same basic Disney designs with different genders and haircuts. Hogarth's body type is entirely unlike Dean's, for example, and the various townsfolk during the movie each have an interesting look that animates and expresses amazingly. The truth is, the movie might have cost less money to make than other big studio animated films from this era. But they focused on 100% the right things to animate memorably and correctly.
I mentioned I might take an unpopular stand or two in this review. And I thought of something that might put me on your poo list. I was not crazy about Hogarth, at least not to start off the movie, and definitely not until his friendship with the Giant. I think the thing in beginning of the movie that summed up the character best for me was when his mother almost looks like she's going to burst into tears over his enthusiasm, and she looks at him seriously instead and says, "Hogarth. I'm not in the mood." And I felt for her in that moment, and greatly disliked her son, because it told me this kid was impossible to live with, and refused to ever shut it off. If there is one thing in the movie I don't like, it's the fact that Hogarth is treated like WALL-E, and is in his set persona throughout the entire film. If Hogarth was granted a little maturity and wisdom as a part of his character growth, I might have liked him more. But I understand that wasn't what the movie chose to explore. But while I find the fact that WALL-E doesn't grow as a person fine because the character is already awesome, I am less impressed Hogarth stays the same because I find the character tiresome. His poor damn mother. I should not ever be thinking that of any given precocious kid in any given family movie. But I do here.
I liked the movie a lot, and in fact found its themes very topical. More so 25 years later than they were in 1998. And the fact that Brad Bird basically did this combo of a beautiful boyhood coming of age story mixed with a sci-fi 50's cold war paranoia horror film as a tribute to his late sister is a pretty cool thing too, and speaks to loss and grief as well. I thought it was pretty great. Although if I didn't, I wouldn't expect to change YOUR opinion about it. ****1/2.
Superman & Lois "Girl... You'll Be A Woman Soon"
In which I remember why I love this show.
IF. IF this show turns into the suckfest the other Arrowverse shows do down the line, this episode says it's gonna go down fighting. It is not going to make it easy for Berlanti to ruin through neglect or malice. It's going to still matter when it needs to.
There is really nothing else to discuss for the fact that Kyle sucks so much that he nearly ruined his daughter's quinceanera. Part of me is glad they aren't dragging this crap out (same goes for the Chrissy stuff) but stuff like this is why I've never been able to forgive the character from season 1.
And let me concede this: I think Lana is a terrible candidate for Mayor. She is an absolute wreck as a politician, and the show needs its head examined for putting her in this role, and doing it so piss-poorly. Here's the role she's amazing at: A Mom. And this episode is strong because it focuses on what she's great at instead of what she sucks at. She saved one of the most important days of her daughter's life and was amazing while doing it.
I don't agree with Chrissy's perspective at all about going to Ally to interview her alone, but now that it's out in the open, and Chrissy knows how crazy and malevolent she is, maybe some normalcy can be restored with her and Lois. That was one of my least favorite turns from last week, and I'm glad they bought it entirely back.
Jonathan is SO screwed. His problem is that he believes Jordan is a less insightful person than he is. If he were the actually the self-involved dope John says he is John could probably get away with this.
I felt that Clark not wanting to go to Sam to talk to the general was a mistake. It felt like this was stubborn pride attached to that and that it wasn't actually in the best interest of stopping Bizarro. Oh, well. Nobody's perfect. Not even Superman.
When Sam describes the reason he wants to keep the training secret, I don't like it, but I'll accept it. That matters because last week I utterly rejected the premise. Moving me from "rejection" to "dislike but will accept" is significant.
Man, Lana would make Smallville's crappiest Mayor ever. But she has my vote for being that town's best Mom. By far. *****.
Naomi "Shadow Ridge"
The kids getting so heavily into sleuthing is getting old.
I thought Naomi's parents "victory" seemed too easy. The truth is they were careless.
Zumbado's team-up with Dee was interesting.
Solid episode but the premise is already starting to wear a little thin. ***.
Teen Titans Go! "The Drip"
I realize that using the term cringe has become cringe itself. But that was cringe. *.
The Wonderful Winter Of Mickey Mouse
I thought the Narrator wraparound was quite dull.
First Cartoon:
Cute premise and role for Craig Robinson.
Sort of in the spirit of The Sorcerer's Apprentice for Mickey. ***1/2.
Second Cartoon:
Bill Farmer continues to be a revelation as Goofy. I maintain the Paul Rudish shorts are Farmer's career highpoint.
I laughed at the snow spilling out of the teapot.
Cute: ***1/2.
Third Cartoon:
The musical number at the end was beyond cheesy.
There's no crying in ice dancing!
Like the cameos for Chip and Dale, Friend Owl, and Thumper.
I laughed at Mickey silently mouthing "I love you." It was animated perfectly.
Pretty good, but the end was a little too saccharine. ***.
Special Overall: ***1/2.
Spidey And His Amazing Friends "Goblin Island / Doc Ock And The Shocktobots"
Goblin Island:
Sort of a cool, supervillainy concept. ***1/2.
Doc Ock And The Shocktobots:
The Panther Patroller is very toyetic. Mommy! Mommy! I want that! ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Marvel Bend & Flex "Sweet Victory"
It's cute and all, I just don't see what the point of these shorts is anymore. **1/2.
Muppet Babies "The Muppet Babies Show"
That's getting a VERY positive review. Not just for the excellent intro remake to The Muppet Show. But the ending song, and Kermit saying goodbye to the audience was a very cool way to end the entire show, especially for little kids aware this is the last episode. It's not closed-ended at all (the nursery will reopen in the fall) and that fact means reruns of the show can exist for a few years more. That means it's not REALLY a goodbye.
Let's talk about the individual Muppet Show elements. Some were more successful than others. I'm giving that a solid four and half stars, but I'm doing so knowing that the episode, like the show, is imperfect.
My first negative note is that Kermit is far too conniving on this specific show. And it's not just this episode. Plus, Scooter calling him "Boss" hits me wrong.
The show did not NEED to dress Fozzie in a tutu, because they already admirably returned Gonzo to his gender-questioning role. But perhaps the more fundamentalists parents that are upset by that idea, the better. I don't actually object TOO sternly.
Statler and Waldorf are in the balcony where they belong. Perhaps because it's the series finale, they actually take a legit shot at Fozzie's jokes. It's mild and good-humored, especially for them, but it's still a first, and closer to their actual personas than this show has gotten before.
I was glad to see Veterinarian's Hospital, but it's not the same without Janice. And while I understand the logic that preschoolers might have been confused by this, I'm still upset Rowlf isn't referred to as Doctor Bob.
Pretty good Chef bit. They somehow got the beats down, while still somehow not feeling as ethnically insensitive as The Muppet Show sometimes did.
Muppets In Space was a HUGE failure. And as Pigs In Space is arguably the best and most memorable thing from The Muppet Show, it's something that NEVER should have been attempted with only one pig character on the show.
Most boring runthrough of Muppet Labs ever. The invention works, and Bunsen never once maliciously tries to injure Beaker. Only once Kermit interferes does familiar-seeming mayhem ensue.
I have my beefs with this show, and this episode doesn't change them or lessen those complaints. But it was a very good last episode, that was a nice and loving goodbye for sensitive kids in the audience. And you can't really ask for more than that from a preschool show. Elena Of Avalor and The Lion Guard dazzled older kids and adult fans with how they closed their serialized arcs. And yeah, they were great. Were they great for toddlers? The fact that neither show seems to be rerun that often (or in the case of The Lion Guard at all) seems to suggest perhaps not. Maybe Muppet Babies 2018 has the right idea here. ****1/2.
The Road To Toontown! Best Shorts Stories Of Roger Rabbit Creator Gary K. Wolf
The collection of short stories is a mixed bag, to put it mildly. All of the Roger Rabbit material was written after the movie, and very little of the other stories really show a huge progression to the world Wolf created in "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?"
You will notice something interesting about this review. The final (passing) grade I give this book doesn't match the fact that I (severely) pan most of the stories in the book. The fact is, most of the awful stories are VERY short and most of the decent ones are novellas and take up a ton of page space. And the fact that I think "The Unhardy Boys In Outer Space" is better than all three Roger Rabbit books means the grade of the entire book will be far higher than most of the following individual reviews would indicate. Collection Overall: ***1/2.
Love Story
This is a creepy-ass story (It's the first Wolf ever sold). I did not like it at all. *.
Pop
Another extremely dark and unpleasant story. *.
In Memory Of Lindy Lovely:
That was an appalling concept with a fascinating, execution helped by an amazing twist ending. The first of the stories in the book I really liked. ****.
Dissolve
This story is not just depraved and depressing. It's badly written and nigh impossible to follow. It is significant for containing Wolf's first dabbling with cartoon characters. *1/2.
Therapy
This is supposed to be a funny story, but it's so ludicrous it's actually stupid. *.
Slammer
This logic of this comical story does not hold up to the slightest bit of scrutiny. And yet, it's fake-hard-boiled characters and situations is the closest Wolf has so far gotten to the premise of Who Censored Roger Rabbit. He's not there yet, and as stories go, it's kind of crappy. But it's a significant step on the road to Toontown. **1/2.
The Bridge Builder
I didn't understand a thing about this story. It's either about transporters or the idea of the internet before it existed. Unclear. **.
Doctor Rivet And Supercon Sal
It's a nice story (a novella actually) but it's poorly constructed, and the twists and turns and doublecrosses at the end feel random and arbitrary (which is frankly also true of the Roger Rabbit books).
I'm also disappointed in a couple of instances of blatant racism and homophobia (but both passages were brief).
Sal is very clearly Wolf's first effort at a Jessica Rabbit-type character. Like Freddie, it's clear Wolf knows absolutely nothing about how women act. And he freely admits as much in the forward of the book.
Pretty good, but sort of turned a bit ridiculous by the end. On brand for the creator of Roger Rabbit. ***1/2.
A Riverworld Runs Through Toontown
This was apparently written in 2001 and features Roger and Jessica Rabbit. I couldn't really make hide nor hare of it (Groan!). ***.
Hare's Lookin At You, Babs! Barbara Walters Interviews Roger Rabbit
Cute.
Literally, it's because of Gary K Wolf I know what Hassenpfeffer is. The opening to Laverne and Shirley is now SLIGHTLY less confusing.
I like that Roger wears pants to keep his suspenders down.
I like the idea that Roger's next project is a remake of Harvey, but this time the human's invisible.
Like I said, cute. ****.
Stay Tooned, Folks!
Weak and a little embarrassing. Also a little bit homophobic which is not okay.
I guess for me, Roger Rabbit stories just aren't Roger Rabbit stories unless they are narrated by Eddie Valiant. And that's where I stand on the subject. **1/2.
The Unhardy Boys In Outer Space By Gary K. Wolf And Archbishop John J. Myers
This is not just the best story in the book. I'd argue it's better than all three Roger Rabbit novels.
It plays things refreshingly straight, while having a great sense of humor about science fiction and its tropes. How can you dislike any sci-fi story that reference Gul Dukat as a great sci-fi villain? Answer: You can't.
About the only genre misstep I noticed was Wolf and Myers misspelled Xena Warrior Princess as Zena, but truly, only Men Of God get everything right. Oh, wait. *****.
Who We Need Here Is Mister Thomas Edison
It's definitely an interesting story. Also played pretty straight. ****.
Inspector Timber And The Three Pigs:
God, that was awful. I was disliking the story more and more as it went on, but I figured it was being set up as some grand joke with a punchline, and I'd give it a passing grade if it had a good ending.
No such luck. Bitter, sucky story. 0.
Which Witch Is Which? Jessica Lizbeth Rabbit Interviews Shannen Maria Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, And Alyssa Jayne Milano With Minor Editing Help From Gary Kenneth Wolf
This old Rolling Stone article is a novelty and also a bit of a puzzle to me. When Charmed was on the air, Roger Rabbit was hardly a hot properly. It makes little sense to use Jessica Rabbit to do this bit of promotion for that specific show. Jessica Rabbit doesn't even have anything to do with witches.
Well, at least we learned her middle name is Lizbeth and that the K stands for Kenneth.
I have to say, the Jessica as written by Wolf has always struck me as far more stuck-up and conceited than the one in the movie. Which is saying something because Kathleen Turner hardly played her as Down-to-Earth. But Wolf's Jessica always strikes me as unusually unpleasant.
A curiosity. Mo more. **1/2.
Kiss Me Goodbye
It's an Eddie Valiant story, seemingly set in a world without Toons. Eddie's last name is never mentioned, but his Secretary being named Dolores and one of the cops being lieutenant Hoskins is pretty compelling evidence it's him. Frankly, the story is only so-so. ***.
"The Warhol Of The Worlds" A Radio Drama As Performed By The Toontown Theatre On The Air
This radio play parody of War Of The Worlds, done with the Roger Rabbit characters, was something I thought was super dumb. Until the last brilliant joke. Then I was like, "Oh, I get it." ***.
The Iron Giant
It's been years since I've seen this, and in the meantime its reputation has grown so much that now that it's pretty much considered a classic. It was always a cult fave back when I first saw it, but it's become outright beloved in the meantime. So if I do one of my typical Matt Zimmer good and bad reviews taking only the film's quality and my impression of it into account, I could ruffle some feathers. My opinion is very favorable, and I can't think of anything at the outset of the review I'm going to nitpick to death, but I am aware that when I review classic beloved movies that I could inadvertently offend people. If you love this movie unreservedly, and find no faults with it, that's fine. As such I want you to take whatever I say about the film with 25 years of distance with a grain of salt.
The first thing I must bring up, and I don't know if anyone else got this, is that the film is unintentionally relevant to what has been going on in our country for the 6 or so years. The movie's brilliance is that it tackles a major political problem (Cold War paranoia), and since history repeats itself eventually, the movie is suddenly as subversive as if it had been made in 1955 instead of 1998. And speaking as someone who really dislikes Brad Bird's political messages in his cartoons (the Objectivist nonsense in The Incredibles is SO damn creepy and offensive that I think that movie is inappropriate for children) I think it's kind of surprising the film has an anti Red Scare stance. What this this tells me is that Bird is neither a Communist or an Objectivist. He just likes exploring different political issues and letting the audiences come to their own conclusion. Personally, I think he led the audience to the wrong conclusion in The Incredibles. But I felt his moral here about people in charge doing what is worst for everyone due to pride and vanity really struck a nerve with how things are currently working in this country. And I will not dismiss the fun stuff with Hogarth and the Giant during the first two thirds of the picture, or "You can fly? You can fly!" But truly it's the transformation of Mansley into one of the most reprehensible screen villains in history that I think sets the film apart.
I could negatively compare the film's animation to Disney all I want. Mansley is what would have happened if Gaston from Beauty And The Beast were an actual person instead of a broad cartoon caricature. I recall during my last review of Beauty And The Beast being unimpressed with that specific character, and even MORE disgusted with the formerly harmless-seeming townspeople who followed him, but I find Mansley's disgusting behavior far more credible. There really is no good reason for the Townspeople to follow Gaston who acts like he's an expert on the Beast when he knows nothing about him. What's messed up about Mansley is that the people following his lead aren't gullible idiots. He outright lies and says Dean told him the robot killed a kid. And if the army attacks the Robot after that, that's reasonable. And the thing that impresses me most about how absolutely despicable Mansley is, is that you don't get that sense from him earlier in the movie. Something in him broke from the beginning to the end, and I half think we are watching two separate people, one who is an inconsiderate jerk, and one who has been driven to madness and monstrousness. I think the turning point was him cornering and threatening Hogarth and his mom. Everything past that point was done from the perspective of a criminal who doesn't actually care about right or wrong, and is just malicious in his pursuits beyond all reason. It makes sense, him being the Cold Warrior that he is, which is why that aspect of the movie spoke so much to me.
I'm going to both insult and compliment the animation. Elephant in the room: While I am very sad Warner Bros was forced to close their 2-D animation studio after Osmosis Jones bombed, the truth was, they were not in it for the long haul the way Dreamworks decided to be. I am aware the movie is 25 years old. But I am also aware of how breathtaking otherwise merely passable Disney films from that era looked. The film probably ran out of money at some point. The end titles being white block letters on a black screen is a cost cutting measure that Disney would not have been forced to do in 1998.
All this being said and equal, in a very interesting way, I kind of like the animation more. The character animation and facial expressions are all amazing in a way the blandness of Disney and Dreamsworks 2-D stuff can never manage. The characters all, well, LOOK different, instead of sharing the same basic Disney designs with different genders and haircuts. Hogarth's body type is entirely unlike Dean's, for example, and the various townsfolk during the movie each have an interesting look that animates and expresses amazingly. The truth is, the movie might have cost less money to make than other big studio animated films from this era. But they focused on 100% the right things to animate memorably and correctly.
I mentioned I might take an unpopular stand or two in this review. And I thought of something that might put me on your poo list. I was not crazy about Hogarth, at least not to start off the movie, and definitely not until his friendship with the Giant. I think the thing in beginning of the movie that summed up the character best for me was when his mother almost looks like she's going to burst into tears over his enthusiasm, and she looks at him seriously instead and says, "Hogarth. I'm not in the mood." And I felt for her in that moment, and greatly disliked her son, because it told me this kid was impossible to live with, and refused to ever shut it off. If there is one thing in the movie I don't like, it's the fact that Hogarth is treated like WALL-E, and is in his set persona throughout the entire film. If Hogarth was granted a little maturity and wisdom as a part of his character growth, I might have liked him more. But I understand that wasn't what the movie chose to explore. But while I find the fact that WALL-E doesn't grow as a person fine because the character is already awesome, I am less impressed Hogarth stays the same because I find the character tiresome. His poor damn mother. I should not ever be thinking that of any given precocious kid in any given family movie. But I do here.
I liked the movie a lot, and in fact found its themes very topical. More so 25 years later than they were in 1998. And the fact that Brad Bird basically did this combo of a beautiful boyhood coming of age story mixed with a sci-fi 50's cold war paranoia horror film as a tribute to his late sister is a pretty cool thing too, and speaks to loss and grief as well. I thought it was pretty great. Although if I didn't, I wouldn't expect to change YOUR opinion about it. ****1/2.
Superman & Lois "Girl... You'll Be A Woman Soon"
In which I remember why I love this show.
IF. IF this show turns into the suckfest the other Arrowverse shows do down the line, this episode says it's gonna go down fighting. It is not going to make it easy for Berlanti to ruin through neglect or malice. It's going to still matter when it needs to.
There is really nothing else to discuss for the fact that Kyle sucks so much that he nearly ruined his daughter's quinceanera. Part of me is glad they aren't dragging this crap out (same goes for the Chrissy stuff) but stuff like this is why I've never been able to forgive the character from season 1.
And let me concede this: I think Lana is a terrible candidate for Mayor. She is an absolute wreck as a politician, and the show needs its head examined for putting her in this role, and doing it so piss-poorly. Here's the role she's amazing at: A Mom. And this episode is strong because it focuses on what she's great at instead of what she sucks at. She saved one of the most important days of her daughter's life and was amazing while doing it.
I don't agree with Chrissy's perspective at all about going to Ally to interview her alone, but now that it's out in the open, and Chrissy knows how crazy and malevolent she is, maybe some normalcy can be restored with her and Lois. That was one of my least favorite turns from last week, and I'm glad they bought it entirely back.
Jonathan is SO screwed. His problem is that he believes Jordan is a less insightful person than he is. If he were the actually the self-involved dope John says he is John could probably get away with this.
I felt that Clark not wanting to go to Sam to talk to the general was a mistake. It felt like this was stubborn pride attached to that and that it wasn't actually in the best interest of stopping Bizarro. Oh, well. Nobody's perfect. Not even Superman.
When Sam describes the reason he wants to keep the training secret, I don't like it, but I'll accept it. That matters because last week I utterly rejected the premise. Moving me from "rejection" to "dislike but will accept" is significant.
Man, Lana would make Smallville's crappiest Mayor ever. But she has my vote for being that town's best Mom. By far. *****.
Naomi "Shadow Ridge"
The kids getting so heavily into sleuthing is getting old.
I thought Naomi's parents "victory" seemed too easy. The truth is they were careless.
Zumbado's team-up with Dee was interesting.
Solid episode but the premise is already starting to wear a little thin. ***.
Teen Titans Go! "The Drip"
I realize that using the term cringe has become cringe itself. But that was cringe. *.
The Wonderful Winter Of Mickey Mouse
I thought the Narrator wraparound was quite dull.
First Cartoon:
Cute premise and role for Craig Robinson.
Sort of in the spirit of The Sorcerer's Apprentice for Mickey. ***1/2.
Second Cartoon:
Bill Farmer continues to be a revelation as Goofy. I maintain the Paul Rudish shorts are Farmer's career highpoint.
I laughed at the snow spilling out of the teapot.
Cute: ***1/2.
Third Cartoon:
The musical number at the end was beyond cheesy.
There's no crying in ice dancing!
Like the cameos for Chip and Dale, Friend Owl, and Thumper.
I laughed at Mickey silently mouthing "I love you." It was animated perfectly.
Pretty good, but the end was a little too saccharine. ***.
Special Overall: ***1/2.
Spidey And His Amazing Friends "Goblin Island / Doc Ock And The Shocktobots"
Goblin Island:
Sort of a cool, supervillainy concept. ***1/2.
Doc Ock And The Shocktobots:
The Panther Patroller is very toyetic. Mommy! Mommy! I want that! ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
Marvel Bend & Flex "Sweet Victory"
It's cute and all, I just don't see what the point of these shorts is anymore. **1/2.
Muppet Babies "The Muppet Babies Show"
That's getting a VERY positive review. Not just for the excellent intro remake to The Muppet Show. But the ending song, and Kermit saying goodbye to the audience was a very cool way to end the entire show, especially for little kids aware this is the last episode. It's not closed-ended at all (the nursery will reopen in the fall) and that fact means reruns of the show can exist for a few years more. That means it's not REALLY a goodbye.
Let's talk about the individual Muppet Show elements. Some were more successful than others. I'm giving that a solid four and half stars, but I'm doing so knowing that the episode, like the show, is imperfect.
My first negative note is that Kermit is far too conniving on this specific show. And it's not just this episode. Plus, Scooter calling him "Boss" hits me wrong.
The show did not NEED to dress Fozzie in a tutu, because they already admirably returned Gonzo to his gender-questioning role. But perhaps the more fundamentalists parents that are upset by that idea, the better. I don't actually object TOO sternly.
Statler and Waldorf are in the balcony where they belong. Perhaps because it's the series finale, they actually take a legit shot at Fozzie's jokes. It's mild and good-humored, especially for them, but it's still a first, and closer to their actual personas than this show has gotten before.
I was glad to see Veterinarian's Hospital, but it's not the same without Janice. And while I understand the logic that preschoolers might have been confused by this, I'm still upset Rowlf isn't referred to as Doctor Bob.
Pretty good Chef bit. They somehow got the beats down, while still somehow not feeling as ethnically insensitive as The Muppet Show sometimes did.
Muppets In Space was a HUGE failure. And as Pigs In Space is arguably the best and most memorable thing from The Muppet Show, it's something that NEVER should have been attempted with only one pig character on the show.
Most boring runthrough of Muppet Labs ever. The invention works, and Bunsen never once maliciously tries to injure Beaker. Only once Kermit interferes does familiar-seeming mayhem ensue.
I have my beefs with this show, and this episode doesn't change them or lessen those complaints. But it was a very good last episode, that was a nice and loving goodbye for sensitive kids in the audience. And you can't really ask for more than that from a preschool show. Elena Of Avalor and The Lion Guard dazzled older kids and adult fans with how they closed their serialized arcs. And yeah, they were great. Were they great for toddlers? The fact that neither show seems to be rerun that often (or in the case of The Lion Guard at all) seems to suggest perhaps not. Maybe Muppet Babies 2018 has the right idea here. ****1/2.
The Road To Toontown! Best Shorts Stories Of Roger Rabbit Creator Gary K. Wolf
The collection of short stories is a mixed bag, to put it mildly. All of the Roger Rabbit material was written after the movie, and very little of the other stories really show a huge progression to the world Wolf created in "Who Censored Roger Rabbit?"
You will notice something interesting about this review. The final (passing) grade I give this book doesn't match the fact that I (severely) pan most of the stories in the book. The fact is, most of the awful stories are VERY short and most of the decent ones are novellas and take up a ton of page space. And the fact that I think "The Unhardy Boys In Outer Space" is better than all three Roger Rabbit books means the grade of the entire book will be far higher than most of the following individual reviews would indicate. Collection Overall: ***1/2.
Love Story
This is a creepy-ass story (It's the first Wolf ever sold). I did not like it at all. *.
Pop
Another extremely dark and unpleasant story. *.
In Memory Of Lindy Lovely:
That was an appalling concept with a fascinating, execution helped by an amazing twist ending. The first of the stories in the book I really liked. ****.
Dissolve
This story is not just depraved and depressing. It's badly written and nigh impossible to follow. It is significant for containing Wolf's first dabbling with cartoon characters. *1/2.
Therapy
This is supposed to be a funny story, but it's so ludicrous it's actually stupid. *.
Slammer
This logic of this comical story does not hold up to the slightest bit of scrutiny. And yet, it's fake-hard-boiled characters and situations is the closest Wolf has so far gotten to the premise of Who Censored Roger Rabbit. He's not there yet, and as stories go, it's kind of crappy. But it's a significant step on the road to Toontown. **1/2.
The Bridge Builder
I didn't understand a thing about this story. It's either about transporters or the idea of the internet before it existed. Unclear. **.
Doctor Rivet And Supercon Sal
It's a nice story (a novella actually) but it's poorly constructed, and the twists and turns and doublecrosses at the end feel random and arbitrary (which is frankly also true of the Roger Rabbit books).
I'm also disappointed in a couple of instances of blatant racism and homophobia (but both passages were brief).
Sal is very clearly Wolf's first effort at a Jessica Rabbit-type character. Like Freddie, it's clear Wolf knows absolutely nothing about how women act. And he freely admits as much in the forward of the book.
Pretty good, but sort of turned a bit ridiculous by the end. On brand for the creator of Roger Rabbit. ***1/2.
A Riverworld Runs Through Toontown
This was apparently written in 2001 and features Roger and Jessica Rabbit. I couldn't really make hide nor hare of it (Groan!). ***.
Hare's Lookin At You, Babs! Barbara Walters Interviews Roger Rabbit
Cute.
Literally, it's because of Gary K Wolf I know what Hassenpfeffer is. The opening to Laverne and Shirley is now SLIGHTLY less confusing.
I like that Roger wears pants to keep his suspenders down.
I like the idea that Roger's next project is a remake of Harvey, but this time the human's invisible.
Like I said, cute. ****.
Stay Tooned, Folks!
Weak and a little embarrassing. Also a little bit homophobic which is not okay.
I guess for me, Roger Rabbit stories just aren't Roger Rabbit stories unless they are narrated by Eddie Valiant. And that's where I stand on the subject. **1/2.
The Unhardy Boys In Outer Space By Gary K. Wolf And Archbishop John J. Myers
This is not just the best story in the book. I'd argue it's better than all three Roger Rabbit novels.
It plays things refreshingly straight, while having a great sense of humor about science fiction and its tropes. How can you dislike any sci-fi story that reference Gul Dukat as a great sci-fi villain? Answer: You can't.
About the only genre misstep I noticed was Wolf and Myers misspelled Xena Warrior Princess as Zena, but truly, only Men Of God get everything right. Oh, wait. *****.
Who We Need Here Is Mister Thomas Edison
It's definitely an interesting story. Also played pretty straight. ****.
Inspector Timber And The Three Pigs:
God, that was awful. I was disliking the story more and more as it went on, but I figured it was being set up as some grand joke with a punchline, and I'd give it a passing grade if it had a good ending.
No such luck. Bitter, sucky story. 0.
Which Witch Is Which? Jessica Lizbeth Rabbit Interviews Shannen Maria Doherty, Holly Marie Combs, And Alyssa Jayne Milano With Minor Editing Help From Gary Kenneth Wolf
This old Rolling Stone article is a novelty and also a bit of a puzzle to me. When Charmed was on the air, Roger Rabbit was hardly a hot properly. It makes little sense to use Jessica Rabbit to do this bit of promotion for that specific show. Jessica Rabbit doesn't even have anything to do with witches.
Well, at least we learned her middle name is Lizbeth and that the K stands for Kenneth.
I have to say, the Jessica as written by Wolf has always struck me as far more stuck-up and conceited than the one in the movie. Which is saying something because Kathleen Turner hardly played her as Down-to-Earth. But Wolf's Jessica always strikes me as unusually unpleasant.
A curiosity. Mo more. **1/2.
Kiss Me Goodbye
It's an Eddie Valiant story, seemingly set in a world without Toons. Eddie's last name is never mentioned, but his Secretary being named Dolores and one of the cops being lieutenant Hoskins is pretty compelling evidence it's him. Frankly, the story is only so-so. ***.
"The Warhol Of The Worlds" A Radio Drama As Performed By The Toontown Theatre On The Air
This radio play parody of War Of The Worlds, done with the Roger Rabbit characters, was something I thought was super dumb. Until the last brilliant joke. Then I was like, "Oh, I get it." ***.
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