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matt_zimmerAlso reviews for the latest episodes of Ultimate Spider-Man, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes!, DC Nation and Futurama.
Upcoming Reviews on this journal include Young Justice: Dangerous Secrets, Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: Blade, Transformers Prime: Season One, The Looney Tunes Show: There Goes The Neightborhood, Community: Season 3, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season 1 - Vol. 1, The Hungers Games, Green Lantern: The Animated Series: Rise Of The Red Lanterns, Once Upon A Time: Season 1, TRON: Legacy Blu-Ray, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 2: The War Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 3: The Years Of Change, and Heathcliff: Season 1 - Vol. 1.
Spoiler alert for DC Nation for "New Teen Titans". A LOT of wild stuff happened in that one minute Red X cartoon and I will be discussing them all (even though his identity wasn't actually revealed).
Marvel Universe
Ultimate Spider-Man "Beetle Mania"
This version of Jamesom is better than Avengers: EMH but just barely. It helps that J.K. Simmons voices him even if he doesn't have the movie Jameson's personality.
Loved MJ this episode. She is so cool and funny.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! "Behold...The Vision!"
Was the Vision a bad guy in the comics before he became an Avenger? I like this version even if his C-3PO-style flawed oddsmaking was kind of annoying. But where is Hulk?! Why isn't Cap trying to get him back FIRST?! Black Panther was hardly in serious jeopardy before Cap came calling and Banner is in dire straights. This is starting to tick me off.
Hawkeye was funny this episode. I have to say the Wakandan way to choose a king is a pretty stupid one and Hawkeye pretty much proved why. Yeah, he didn't actually win, but what if he did? That would have been a disaster.
Thor / Jane Foster shippage. Yay!
Decent episode but if Hulk isn't back soon, I'm gonna smash something. ***1/2.
Futurama "Fun On A Bun"
Loving how much shipping the producers are actually giving Fry and Leela fans this season. They were SERIOUSLY starting to tick me off in the last two years but they have finally definitively hooked them up. Good for them. Loved how in sync they were at the beginning with eating with their feet. That made me smile more than anything.
I'm totally glad the producers didn't actually turn Fry into a sausage. I had feared they were gonna have to clone him or something and stuff like that has been done to death on this show. The way they played it was much better.
Great episode. ****.
DC Nation "New Teen Titans #8"
So we pretty much got confirmation that Robin is Dick Grayson and that Jason Todd exists in the Teen Titansverse. We also got to hear Ron Perlman as Slade (Yay!) and saw the first ever Teen Titansverse appearance of Batman (here sporting his TNBA design while being voiced by Kevin Micheal Richardson.) Now that Teen Titans Go! is coming I'm glad this episode didn't actually reveal Red X's identity. But the new show better at some point. *****.
Rocko's Modern Life: Season Three
I've never seen the third and fourth seasons of Rocko so I was in for a bit of a treat here. These episodes were all new to me and some of them I'm kicking myself for not having seen before now. Now I can't wait for season four to get a DVD release too.
Best episodes of the set are the laugh riot with Turdie the Birdie (Bye-Bye Birdie), the one where Bev gets a nose and smells Ed for the first time (Nothing to Sneeze At), the one that HAD to be cathardic for the animators (Wacky Delly), the two-parter where Philburt and my fave Dr. Hutchison actually get married! (The Big Question / The Big Answer) and the super catchy musical, environmental episode (Zanzibar). Worst episodes are the disgusting "The Emperor's New Joe" and the sickening nightmare "Scrubbin' Down Under". Season Overall: ****.
1. Bye-Bye Birdie / Belch of Destiny
Bye-Bye Birdie: If I ever get a bird I'm naming it Turdie. As Murray noted on the commentary using a dead animal as a puppet was in VERY poor taste and a network concern but it works because it is just so darn funny. ****1/2.
Belch Of Destiny: I hate Heffer but this episode is okay. Props to whoever did the voicework on the belch talking. That is SOME talent. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ****.
2. The Emperor's New Joe / Schnit-Heads
The Emperor's New Joe: This episode was disgusting. **1/2.
Schnid-Heads: This was a crazy episode that was able to go further with it cult allegory than The Simpsons was because none of the voice talent were nutty Scientologists. And yes, that's a slam at Nancy Cartwright. Screw her. ****.
Episode overall: ***.
3. Sugar Frosted Frights / Ed is Dead: A Thriller!
Sugar Frosted Frights: This episode should have been funnier considering the premise. Loved Filburt's crazy aunt though. ***.
Ed is Dead: A Thriller!: I ALWAYS love Rear Window parodies even if they are almost all cop-outs. This was a funny take. ****.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
4. Fish-N-Chumps / Camera Shy
Fish-N-Chumps: The most nightmarish boating outing since Deliverance. Seriously though, this episode was messed up in the very best way. ****.
Camera Shy: I only really liked the last five minutes of the episode. The ending was good but the stuff leading up to it was only passahle. ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
5. Nothing to Sneeze At / Old Fogey Froggy
Nothing to Sneeze At: Terrific premise and execution. Loved the episode. And Dr. Hutchison is my favorite character on this show after Spunky. ****1/2.
Old Fogey Froggy: This episode was a little TOO mean to ol' Ed, but considering his behavior in prior episodes, ya gotta admit, he kind of deserves it. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ****.
6. Manic Mechanic / Rocko's Happy Vermin
Manic Mechanic: Pretty good. ***.
Rocko's Happy Vermin: I'll say this: I'd HATE to live in Rocko's universe where every single lifeform is sentient. I would pretty much find myself in Rocko's shoes in being against swatting bugs. Even some appliances are alive in the Rockoverse so you'd have to be careful with EVERYTHING. Good episode. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
7. I See London, I See France / Fatlands
I See London, I See France: That was the worse tour guide ever. And Rocko is NEVER gonna get laid. ***1/2.
Fatlands: Bloaty and Squirmy! Sick! Their theme song was just the best (total Patty Duke Show soundalike). And Dr. Hutchison rocks! ****.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
8. Fortune Cookie / Dear John
Fortune Cookie: Poor Philburt. Love that he actually won the game show in the end (even though he wound up flattening O-Town). And I still can't believe they got away with Nipples of the Future. ****.
Dear John: Can you believe this episode was fifteen years before Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
9. Speaking Terms / Tooth and Nail
Speaking Terms: Ironically unlike Dear John this episode was relevent back then with trashy TV talk shows polluting the airwaves. Unfortunately they haven't gone anywhere and even if they aren't as high profile as they used to be the episode is STILL relevent today too. ***1/2.
Tooth and Nail: This episode was frightening. I'm never biting my nails again. Most disturbing cartoon about a bad habit since "Ren's Toothache" on Ren and Stimpy. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
10 Wacky Delly Parts 1&2:
This episode must have been REALLY carthardic for Joe Murray and the other writers. Every single Hollywood writer nightmare is here including the show only being a success when it was awful. I think the "Ten Years Later" coda was a bit too dark of an ending for Ralph Bighead though. But that's my only complaint. ****1/2.
11. The Big Question / The Big Answer:
The Big Question: Great, great, GREAT two-parter. These two episode are my favorites of the season and the best ones since Spunky fells in love with a mop and when Heffer found out he was adopted. *****.
The Big Answer: The best thing about this episode was the fact that Hutchison and Filburt actually got married! They didn't try to buy it back! Great to see a cameo from Filburt's insane aunt too. Love that Aquarium. *****.
Episode Overall: *****.
12. An Elk for Heffer / Scrubbin' Down Under
An Elk for Heffer: Love Heffer's extended family (Peter and his sister are a riot), lukewarm about the episode itself. There have been MUCH funnier outings for the Wolfe family. ***.
Scrubbin' Down Under: Another nightmarish episode that also goes for the gross-out. Needless to say, I didn't find myself enjoying it. *1/2.
Episode Overall: **.
13. Zanibar / Fatal Contraption
Zanzibar: Awesome musical episode. The songs were really outstanding which is something many musical cartoons never bother to do. VERY catchy. The message about keeping the Earth clean and the responisibily big corporations needed to take was welcome too. *****.
Fatal Contraption: I didn't realize until listening to the commentary that there isn't a single line of dialogue in the whole cartoon. If you aren't even aware of it, that means it's effective. ****.
Episode Overall: ****1/2.
Selected Scene Commentary by Creator Joe Murray: Murray seems just so darn humble and gracious to all of the fans that he stands in sharp contrast to raging egomaniac and butthole John K. Most interesting revelation in this featurette/commentary is that the burp-talking in Belch of Destiny was all done by an famous studio executive (who is still active in Hollywood) under the sole condition that he remain anonymous due to his enormous embarrassment. Let the speculation begin! *****.
DVD Menus: With Rocko and Heffer. ****.
Upcoming Reviews on this journal include Young Justice: Dangerous Secrets, Marvel Anime: Wolverine, Marvel Anime: Blade, Transformers Prime: Season One, The Looney Tunes Show: There Goes The Neightborhood, Community: Season 3, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Season 1 - Vol. 1, The Hungers Games, Green Lantern: The Animated Series: Rise Of The Red Lanterns, Once Upon A Time: Season 1, TRON: Legacy Blu-Ray, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 2: The War Years, The Adventures Of Young Indiana Jones Volume 3: The Years Of Change, and Heathcliff: Season 1 - Vol. 1.
Spoiler alert for DC Nation for "New Teen Titans". A LOT of wild stuff happened in that one minute Red X cartoon and I will be discussing them all (even though his identity wasn't actually revealed).
Marvel Universe
Ultimate Spider-Man "Beetle Mania"
This version of Jamesom is better than Avengers: EMH but just barely. It helps that J.K. Simmons voices him even if he doesn't have the movie Jameson's personality.
Loved MJ this episode. She is so cool and funny.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! "Behold...The Vision!"
Was the Vision a bad guy in the comics before he became an Avenger? I like this version even if his C-3PO-style flawed oddsmaking was kind of annoying. But where is Hulk?! Why isn't Cap trying to get him back FIRST?! Black Panther was hardly in serious jeopardy before Cap came calling and Banner is in dire straights. This is starting to tick me off.
Hawkeye was funny this episode. I have to say the Wakandan way to choose a king is a pretty stupid one and Hawkeye pretty much proved why. Yeah, he didn't actually win, but what if he did? That would have been a disaster.
Thor / Jane Foster shippage. Yay!
Decent episode but if Hulk isn't back soon, I'm gonna smash something. ***1/2.
Futurama "Fun On A Bun"
Loving how much shipping the producers are actually giving Fry and Leela fans this season. They were SERIOUSLY starting to tick me off in the last two years but they have finally definitively hooked them up. Good for them. Loved how in sync they were at the beginning with eating with their feet. That made me smile more than anything.
I'm totally glad the producers didn't actually turn Fry into a sausage. I had feared they were gonna have to clone him or something and stuff like that has been done to death on this show. The way they played it was much better.
Great episode. ****.
DC Nation "New Teen Titans #8"
So we pretty much got confirmation that Robin is Dick Grayson and that Jason Todd exists in the Teen Titansverse. We also got to hear Ron Perlman as Slade (Yay!) and saw the first ever Teen Titansverse appearance of Batman (here sporting his TNBA design while being voiced by Kevin Micheal Richardson.) Now that Teen Titans Go! is coming I'm glad this episode didn't actually reveal Red X's identity. But the new show better at some point. *****.
Rocko's Modern Life: Season Three
I've never seen the third and fourth seasons of Rocko so I was in for a bit of a treat here. These episodes were all new to me and some of them I'm kicking myself for not having seen before now. Now I can't wait for season four to get a DVD release too.
Best episodes of the set are the laugh riot with Turdie the Birdie (Bye-Bye Birdie), the one where Bev gets a nose and smells Ed for the first time (Nothing to Sneeze At), the one that HAD to be cathardic for the animators (Wacky Delly), the two-parter where Philburt and my fave Dr. Hutchison actually get married! (The Big Question / The Big Answer) and the super catchy musical, environmental episode (Zanzibar). Worst episodes are the disgusting "The Emperor's New Joe" and the sickening nightmare "Scrubbin' Down Under". Season Overall: ****.
1. Bye-Bye Birdie / Belch of Destiny
Bye-Bye Birdie: If I ever get a bird I'm naming it Turdie. As Murray noted on the commentary using a dead animal as a puppet was in VERY poor taste and a network concern but it works because it is just so darn funny. ****1/2.
Belch Of Destiny: I hate Heffer but this episode is okay. Props to whoever did the voicework on the belch talking. That is SOME talent. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ****.
2. The Emperor's New Joe / Schnit-Heads
The Emperor's New Joe: This episode was disgusting. **1/2.
Schnid-Heads: This was a crazy episode that was able to go further with it cult allegory than The Simpsons was because none of the voice talent were nutty Scientologists. And yes, that's a slam at Nancy Cartwright. Screw her. ****.
Episode overall: ***.
3. Sugar Frosted Frights / Ed is Dead: A Thriller!
Sugar Frosted Frights: This episode should have been funnier considering the premise. Loved Filburt's crazy aunt though. ***.
Ed is Dead: A Thriller!: I ALWAYS love Rear Window parodies even if they are almost all cop-outs. This was a funny take. ****.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
4. Fish-N-Chumps / Camera Shy
Fish-N-Chumps: The most nightmarish boating outing since Deliverance. Seriously though, this episode was messed up in the very best way. ****.
Camera Shy: I only really liked the last five minutes of the episode. The ending was good but the stuff leading up to it was only passahle. ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
5. Nothing to Sneeze At / Old Fogey Froggy
Nothing to Sneeze At: Terrific premise and execution. Loved the episode. And Dr. Hutchison is my favorite character on this show after Spunky. ****1/2.
Old Fogey Froggy: This episode was a little TOO mean to ol' Ed, but considering his behavior in prior episodes, ya gotta admit, he kind of deserves it. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ****.
6. Manic Mechanic / Rocko's Happy Vermin
Manic Mechanic: Pretty good. ***.
Rocko's Happy Vermin: I'll say this: I'd HATE to live in Rocko's universe where every single lifeform is sentient. I would pretty much find myself in Rocko's shoes in being against swatting bugs. Even some appliances are alive in the Rockoverse so you'd have to be careful with EVERYTHING. Good episode. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
7. I See London, I See France / Fatlands
I See London, I See France: That was the worse tour guide ever. And Rocko is NEVER gonna get laid. ***1/2.
Fatlands: Bloaty and Squirmy! Sick! Their theme song was just the best (total Patty Duke Show soundalike). And Dr. Hutchison rocks! ****.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
8. Fortune Cookie / Dear John
Fortune Cookie: Poor Philburt. Love that he actually won the game show in the end (even though he wound up flattening O-Town). And I still can't believe they got away with Nipples of the Future. ****.
Dear John: Can you believe this episode was fifteen years before Extreme Makeover: Home Edition? ***.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
9. Speaking Terms / Tooth and Nail
Speaking Terms: Ironically unlike Dear John this episode was relevent back then with trashy TV talk shows polluting the airwaves. Unfortunately they haven't gone anywhere and even if they aren't as high profile as they used to be the episode is STILL relevent today too. ***1/2.
Tooth and Nail: This episode was frightening. I'm never biting my nails again. Most disturbing cartoon about a bad habit since "Ren's Toothache" on Ren and Stimpy. ***1/2.
Episode Overall: ***1/2.
10 Wacky Delly Parts 1&2:
This episode must have been REALLY carthardic for Joe Murray and the other writers. Every single Hollywood writer nightmare is here including the show only being a success when it was awful. I think the "Ten Years Later" coda was a bit too dark of an ending for Ralph Bighead though. But that's my only complaint. ****1/2.
11. The Big Question / The Big Answer:
The Big Question: Great, great, GREAT two-parter. These two episode are my favorites of the season and the best ones since Spunky fells in love with a mop and when Heffer found out he was adopted. *****.
The Big Answer: The best thing about this episode was the fact that Hutchison and Filburt actually got married! They didn't try to buy it back! Great to see a cameo from Filburt's insane aunt too. Love that Aquarium. *****.
Episode Overall: *****.
12. An Elk for Heffer / Scrubbin' Down Under
An Elk for Heffer: Love Heffer's extended family (Peter and his sister are a riot), lukewarm about the episode itself. There have been MUCH funnier outings for the Wolfe family. ***.
Scrubbin' Down Under: Another nightmarish episode that also goes for the gross-out. Needless to say, I didn't find myself enjoying it. *1/2.
Episode Overall: **.
13. Zanibar / Fatal Contraption
Zanzibar: Awesome musical episode. The songs were really outstanding which is something many musical cartoons never bother to do. VERY catchy. The message about keeping the Earth clean and the responisibily big corporations needed to take was welcome too. *****.
Fatal Contraption: I didn't realize until listening to the commentary that there isn't a single line of dialogue in the whole cartoon. If you aren't even aware of it, that means it's effective. ****.
Episode Overall: ****1/2.
Selected Scene Commentary by Creator Joe Murray: Murray seems just so darn humble and gracious to all of the fans that he stands in sharp contrast to raging egomaniac and butthole John K. Most interesting revelation in this featurette/commentary is that the burp-talking in Belch of Destiny was all done by an famous studio executive (who is still active in Hollywood) under the sole condition that he remain anonymous due to his enormous embarrassment. Let the speculation begin! *****.
DVD Menus: With Rocko and Heffer. ****.
