When I was a kid, it didn't get much better than Ducktales. I had every VHS tape & watched it whenever possible. No other Disney series could top it, although several did come close. But now, things have changed. It is now my 3rd favorite Disney show, but is still one of my absolute favorites though. The voice acting is still the best of any Disney show, aside from Gummi Bears. And the animation is still great. And the adventures are still exciting. In fact, everything is still great, just not as great as when I was a kid. But don't let that dismay you. The DVDs are still well worth your dough, though I would recommend buying my 3rd favorite Aladdin (Wait a minute, it's not on DVD yet! Okay, make that watching Aladdin), Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers(my 2nd favorite Disney show), &/or (preferably and) my all-time favorite Disney show Gummi Bears. It's the best of the "great, but not as great as I remember it" genre[ for me, anyway ]. And I dare say a single episode of Huey, Dewey, & Louie helping Uncle Scrooge get back "me number one dime" from Magica DeSpell is better than all the original Disney shorts combined. BOTTOM LINE: 10/10 - 8th best cartoon ever
Reviews
11 Reviews
Sailor Moon
(1995–2000)
The funniest, most exciting, most addictive, most romantic, most interesting, the most powerful, and the best anime I have ever seen.
13 September 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This is definitely the best anime I have ever seen. No other anime could hold a candle to it. In fact, with the sole exception of Transformers, I would say this is my favorite cartoon series of all time. This is a bit strange because there's not a lot of good anime out there. There are some good ones, even a couple great ones (besides SM), but I find most anime is too cutesy (Pokemon), too stupid (Dragonball Z), or just plain wrong (I don't even want to think about them). Anyway, I've loved this since I was 7. I'm not surprised that it lasted 5 seasons - Sailor Moon (dubbed as Sailor Moon Classic by fans), Sailor Moon R, Sailor Moon S, Sailor Moon Super S, & Sailor Stars. Even as a kid, I knew Sailor Moon was a real classic. My mom even liked watching it with me. That was the dub, and that's still the version I prefer. In the original, there was a lack of humor, the dialogue was often confusing, and the voices, while not bad, were hard to tell apart. Although Stars was never dubbed, and it was still great (the first two complaints don't apply to Stars).
A large part of what made the series so great was the lovable characters. My favorite was Darien, AKA Tuxedo Mask. I thought his razor-sharp roses were so cool. It always made my day to see him help Sailor Moon out, plus he was often very funny. My 2nd favorite was Serena, AKA Sailor Moon herself. Sure, she started out immature, but by the start of the 2nd season, she accepted her destiny as Sailor Moon, and each season after that she gets better & better, until by the end of the series you know that when the time comes for her to take her place as queen of Crystal Tokyo, she'll be ready for it. And, she & Tuxedo Mask are my favorite couple in a cartoon, aside from Silverbolt & Blackarachnia in Beast Wars Transformers. Also up there was Rini, Sailor Moon's & Tuxedo Mask's daughter from the future (now you know why they're my 2nd favorite couple). She's very cute, especially when she gets to fight alongside her future mom as Sailor Mini-Moon in season 3. And there's the Inner Sailors, Amy/Mercury, Ray/Mars, Lita/Jupiter, & Mina/Venus. They were all perfectly balanced. There are also the talking cats Luna & Artemis. They were cute & funny. And guess what? They get to have a daughter (named Diana) in the future too (who only appears in season 4 and the first part of season 5). She was more surprising than Rini, because I knew Sailor Moon & Tuxedo Mask truly loved each other, but the cats were content with just being friends, or so it seemed. And, last but not least, the outer Sailors, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and Pluto, who appear in seasons 3 & 5 as well as the 2nd & 3rd movies (except for Pluto who appears in all that and a bit of the last part of season 2). They were good, but not as good as the Inner Sailors.
The villains are just as well-done as the heroes. There are way too many to mention, but suffice to say Sailor Moon has some of the most evil, unique & definitely the scariest villains I have ever seen in a cartoon. They face a different group of villains every season who are destroyed at the end (with the exception of those who turn good), so it never gets boring (unlike Pokemon, where they face against those Team Rocket losers in every single stupid episode & movie).
Of course, the stories were excellent too. All 5 seasons each had a complex story that unfolded over individual episodes. Sure, there's a lot of filler, but it fleshes out the characters on both sides, & it's often funny, several times hilarious, & almost always so fun that you don't mind it. But as the series goes on, there are several rather serious moments. As the fun & often funny stories that each season starts out with slowly turn into the dark, sometimes painful final struggle against the villain of the season, you really care for the heroes, wondering whether they'll survive or not then rejoicing when everything turns out alright (at least, that's how I felt). More so than any other series, I have trouble picking my favorite season. Classic was a perfect introduction to the series (even as a kid I thought it was the start of something big), R was the most romantic season (The R can stand for either return or romance. Guess which one I think?), S was the darkest, Super S was the funniest & the cutest (I can't believe so many people hate it), and Stars wrapped up everything neatly and with a bang.
One last thing, Sailor Moon has the best in-show music I have ever heard (the Japanese music, . The creepy theme for the villains, the dreamy transformation music for Sailor Moon & the other Sailors (I had the music for her transformation in S stuck in my head for days), the exciting theme when they battle the monster of the day, the totally kick-butt theme for Tuxedo Mask, & all the other tunes as well.
In conclusion, Sailor Moon is recommended to anyone who wants a funny, romantic, thoughtful & engaging story. I also recommend all 3 of the movies.
10/10- 2nd best cartoon ever.
A large part of what made the series so great was the lovable characters. My favorite was Darien, AKA Tuxedo Mask. I thought his razor-sharp roses were so cool. It always made my day to see him help Sailor Moon out, plus he was often very funny. My 2nd favorite was Serena, AKA Sailor Moon herself. Sure, she started out immature, but by the start of the 2nd season, she accepted her destiny as Sailor Moon, and each season after that she gets better & better, until by the end of the series you know that when the time comes for her to take her place as queen of Crystal Tokyo, she'll be ready for it. And, she & Tuxedo Mask are my favorite couple in a cartoon, aside from Silverbolt & Blackarachnia in Beast Wars Transformers. Also up there was Rini, Sailor Moon's & Tuxedo Mask's daughter from the future (now you know why they're my 2nd favorite couple). She's very cute, especially when she gets to fight alongside her future mom as Sailor Mini-Moon in season 3. And there's the Inner Sailors, Amy/Mercury, Ray/Mars, Lita/Jupiter, & Mina/Venus. They were all perfectly balanced. There are also the talking cats Luna & Artemis. They were cute & funny. And guess what? They get to have a daughter (named Diana) in the future too (who only appears in season 4 and the first part of season 5). She was more surprising than Rini, because I knew Sailor Moon & Tuxedo Mask truly loved each other, but the cats were content with just being friends, or so it seemed. And, last but not least, the outer Sailors, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn and Pluto, who appear in seasons 3 & 5 as well as the 2nd & 3rd movies (except for Pluto who appears in all that and a bit of the last part of season 2). They were good, but not as good as the Inner Sailors.
The villains are just as well-done as the heroes. There are way too many to mention, but suffice to say Sailor Moon has some of the most evil, unique & definitely the scariest villains I have ever seen in a cartoon. They face a different group of villains every season who are destroyed at the end (with the exception of those who turn good), so it never gets boring (unlike Pokemon, where they face against those Team Rocket losers in every single stupid episode & movie).
Of course, the stories were excellent too. All 5 seasons each had a complex story that unfolded over individual episodes. Sure, there's a lot of filler, but it fleshes out the characters on both sides, & it's often funny, several times hilarious, & almost always so fun that you don't mind it. But as the series goes on, there are several rather serious moments. As the fun & often funny stories that each season starts out with slowly turn into the dark, sometimes painful final struggle against the villain of the season, you really care for the heroes, wondering whether they'll survive or not then rejoicing when everything turns out alright (at least, that's how I felt). More so than any other series, I have trouble picking my favorite season. Classic was a perfect introduction to the series (even as a kid I thought it was the start of something big), R was the most romantic season (The R can stand for either return or romance. Guess which one I think?), S was the darkest, Super S was the funniest & the cutest (I can't believe so many people hate it), and Stars wrapped up everything neatly and with a bang.
One last thing, Sailor Moon has the best in-show music I have ever heard (the Japanese music, . The creepy theme for the villains, the dreamy transformation music for Sailor Moon & the other Sailors (I had the music for her transformation in S stuck in my head for days), the exciting theme when they battle the monster of the day, the totally kick-butt theme for Tuxedo Mask, & all the other tunes as well.
In conclusion, Sailor Moon is recommended to anyone who wants a funny, romantic, thoughtful & engaging story. I also recommend all 3 of the movies.
10/10- 2nd best cartoon ever.
Shadow Raiders
(1998–1999)
The one show I would have saved from cancellation.
30 August 2008
The one show I would have saved from cancellation.
Significantly better than Reboot, though not as good as Beast Wars/Machines(but then again, what is?) , War Planets (I hate the name Shadow Raiders) is a grand space opera. I still remember how I came across it. I had gotten some of the toys, then one Saturday morning my mom was reading the network listings in the newspaper & told me how there was a show called War Planets. I thought this beared looking into, so as soon as it was time I sat down & waited for it. I wasn't really aware of the backstory, so I was overwhelmed by what I saw. Although it was the 2nd episode, I still managed to understand it & was, of course, hooked.
Aside from the unoriginal names for the planets (Rock, Fire, etc.) I would have had no idea that this was based on a toy line. Even as a kid, I was able to believe that some shows were based on a toyline (like Transformers, although that turned out to be my favorite cartoon series), and could even be called 20-minute commercials, but not War Planets. The toyline didn't have any distinct characters, so they had to create a bunch of original characters for the show. I liked all of them. None of them were annoying. My favorite was Graveheart. He had the best voice, & he was a very cool character. Oh, & I can't forget about the plots. They were intense, yet almost every episode had one bit that was funny (the writers at Mainframe really know how to tell a joke). They also had story lines that weren't resolved in one episode. I like it when it takes a bit for a story to resolve. That keeps you interested. The crowning touch was the animation. It was, simply put, the best CGI I have ever seen.
In short, this was a really good show. My mom even liked watching it with me, as she did with a few other of my favorites. The only complaint I have is how it was canceled after 2 seasons. I really wish that they could've gone on, since not everything was resolved. But at least it didn't have a cliffhanger ending like Reboot, all 26 episodes were sufficiently entertaining (unlike Reboot).
BOTTOM LINE: 10/10. Tied with Sonic the Hedgehog & SWAT Kats for 4th best cartoon ever.
Significantly better than Reboot, though not as good as Beast Wars/Machines(but then again, what is?) , War Planets (I hate the name Shadow Raiders) is a grand space opera. I still remember how I came across it. I had gotten some of the toys, then one Saturday morning my mom was reading the network listings in the newspaper & told me how there was a show called War Planets. I thought this beared looking into, so as soon as it was time I sat down & waited for it. I wasn't really aware of the backstory, so I was overwhelmed by what I saw. Although it was the 2nd episode, I still managed to understand it & was, of course, hooked.
Aside from the unoriginal names for the planets (Rock, Fire, etc.) I would have had no idea that this was based on a toy line. Even as a kid, I was able to believe that some shows were based on a toyline (like Transformers, although that turned out to be my favorite cartoon series), and could even be called 20-minute commercials, but not War Planets. The toyline didn't have any distinct characters, so they had to create a bunch of original characters for the show. I liked all of them. None of them were annoying. My favorite was Graveheart. He had the best voice, & he was a very cool character. Oh, & I can't forget about the plots. They were intense, yet almost every episode had one bit that was funny (the writers at Mainframe really know how to tell a joke). They also had story lines that weren't resolved in one episode. I like it when it takes a bit for a story to resolve. That keeps you interested. The crowning touch was the animation. It was, simply put, the best CGI I have ever seen.
In short, this was a really good show. My mom even liked watching it with me, as she did with a few other of my favorites. The only complaint I have is how it was canceled after 2 seasons. I really wish that they could've gone on, since not everything was resolved. But at least it didn't have a cliffhanger ending like Reboot, all 26 episodes were sufficiently entertaining (unlike Reboot).
BOTTOM LINE: 10/10. Tied with Sonic the Hedgehog & SWAT Kats for 4th best cartoon ever.
Sonic the Hedgehog
(1993–1994)
Not just the best Sonic cartoon, but also the best cartoon to be based on a video game.
23 August 2008
This has always been my favorite Sonic show ever since I first saw it as a kid. Before seeing this, I had seen 4 or so episodes of the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (which I like, die-hard Sonic fan that I am, but not as much as this series). I still remember that fateful Saturday morning. I turn on the TV, having heard that Sonic would be coming on soon, & then sit back & relax. Then, I'm shocked that it isn't the Sonic I saw before. Regardless, I continue to watch & am amazed at the awesome theme song. I sit through the whole episode & by the time the credits rolled, I was hooked for life. I know how some people didn't like this show as a kid, but I did. I guess it's because, even as a kid, I liked dark stuff. In fact, I preferred dark stuff. Not that much of a preference, but it was still there. Transformers & Sailor Moon were my favorite cartoons because of their dark moments. But those are other stories for other reviews, which should be coming soon. So naturally this show was right up my alley.
The whole series was just brilliant. The stories were excellent & varied. Sonic Boom & Ultra Sonic still strike an emotional chord in me. The 5-part Doomsday project series was my favorite. Most of the other episodes were thrilling. Even those much-hated comedic episodes were funny.
Aside from the stories, my favorite part was the characters. Despite what some people say, I have always thought that this show had a good amount of Sonic, & without him it wouldn't have been the same AT ALL. I loved all the Freedom Fighters. My favorite was Bunni. I thought she was so cool. My 2nd favorite was Sally. She & Sonic were the perfect match. I also loved Dulcy (the series charming dragon), Rotor (although I didn't like his redesign in season 2), & even Antoine (he WAS pretty hilarious). They were all well-designed, well-voiced & thought out.
And now for the one part I must mention-how it was canceled before it's time. With the exception of War Planets, this would be the one show I would've saved from cancellation. I mean, the comic kept going on, so why not the cartoon? It seems that it will be revived someday, & I only hope that they'll do it right.
BOTTOM LINE: 10/10- Tied with War Planets & SWAT Kats for 4th best cartoon ever.
The whole series was just brilliant. The stories were excellent & varied. Sonic Boom & Ultra Sonic still strike an emotional chord in me. The 5-part Doomsday project series was my favorite. Most of the other episodes were thrilling. Even those much-hated comedic episodes were funny.
Aside from the stories, my favorite part was the characters. Despite what some people say, I have always thought that this show had a good amount of Sonic, & without him it wouldn't have been the same AT ALL. I loved all the Freedom Fighters. My favorite was Bunni. I thought she was so cool. My 2nd favorite was Sally. She & Sonic were the perfect match. I also loved Dulcy (the series charming dragon), Rotor (although I didn't like his redesign in season 2), & even Antoine (he WAS pretty hilarious). They were all well-designed, well-voiced & thought out.
And now for the one part I must mention-how it was canceled before it's time. With the exception of War Planets, this would be the one show I would've saved from cancellation. I mean, the comic kept going on, so why not the cartoon? It seems that it will be revived someday, & I only hope that they'll do it right.
BOTTOM LINE: 10/10- Tied with War Planets & SWAT Kats for 4th best cartoon ever.
Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron
(1993–1995)
Hanna-Barbera's best cartoon series ever!
11 August 2008
Not that they have much competition. Even as a kid, I though SWAT Kats was one of the best cartoons ever. How could they cancel such an excellent series after only 2 short seasons? With the possible exception of the serious Sonic The Hedgehog cartoon & War Planets/Shadow Raiders, this is the #1 show I would have saved from cancellation. This was a really good series, one of the only shows to not have even 1 bad episode. Every episode was thrilling. The characters were well thought out & the stories were interesting. The action was intense, which is what I like in my cartoons. The voice-acting was top-notch, every character had a fitting voice. The animation was excellent & has some of the best in-show music I have ever heard. Even the theme song was awesome, particularly the one used for season 2. I still have 6 episodes recorded from a marathon on a tape, & it is a well-used tape for sure. The episodes are The Giant Bacteria, The Metallikats, The pastmaster Always Rings Twice, Unlikely Alloys, The Dark Side of the SWAT Kats, & Cry Turmoil/SWAT Kats Unplugged. But you know what we really need? A DVD of this marvelous show. Warner Brothers, please release this instead of all those dumb old Hanna-Barbera cartoons. Actually, I do like a couple of them, but even the best one couldn't hold a candle to the SWAT Kats.
BOTTOM LINE: 10/10 -Tied with War Planets & Sonic the Hedgehog for 4th best cartoon ever.
BOTTOM LINE: 10/10 -Tied with War Planets & Sonic the Hedgehog for 4th best cartoon ever.
Adventures of the Gummi Bears
(1985–1991)
Disney's finest (half-) hour.
4 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Gummi Bears. What can I say about this show that hasn't been said already? This is, bar none, the best thing Disney ever made. The only problem with this show is, well, the name. I mean, I know how the candy inspired the show, but did they have to call it Gummi Bears? Actually, the name sounds kind of nice once your used to it, but I bet it scared off a lot of cynical adults from trying the show. Perhaps that's why there weren't any VHS tapes released here. But who cares? It's on DVD now, & I'm very glad.
This show had such a great balance of characters. I loved all the Gummi Bears(except Sunni. I thought she was annoying, although she had her moments), especially Cubbi(my favorite), Gusto(my other favorite) & Tummi(I loved his Lorenzo Music voice, & my first episode was The Oracle/Someday My Prints Will Come, in which both shorts focused on him). The human characters weren't bad either, particularly Cavin & Calla. And the villains... Duke Igthorn, Toady & the Ogres are among the funniest villains ever. Any episode with them in it is a good one. The interactions between all of them are amazing.
Gummi Bears could've had the most interesting characters in the world but it would be nothing without good stories. The dialogue was very witty(I laugh at Gummi Bears more often than the average cartoon) & intelligent(I hope to come up with dialogue as smart as this when I write my stories), & the adventures were very exciting. I loved it when they took the Quicktunnels into unknown lands & explored ancient Gummi cities(like in Day of the Beevilweevils, one of the best episodes). And some episodes were just totally funny(like The Fence Sitter & Just a Tad Smarter). Occasionally, there were even a couple of touching moments(such as in Up, Up & Away, one of the very best episodes). Oh, & the plots were very creative as well(especially the ways our heroes used Gummiberry Juice, which can make the bears bounce & make the humans super-strong). Not to mention that this is one of the most interesting cartoons ever. I can see why this show lasted 6 seasons.
Now if only Disney would hurry up & release an overdue Volume 2 of this wonderful series.
BOTTOM LINE- 10/10 5th best cartoon ever.
This show had such a great balance of characters. I loved all the Gummi Bears(except Sunni. I thought she was annoying, although she had her moments), especially Cubbi(my favorite), Gusto(my other favorite) & Tummi(I loved his Lorenzo Music voice, & my first episode was The Oracle/Someday My Prints Will Come, in which both shorts focused on him). The human characters weren't bad either, particularly Cavin & Calla. And the villains... Duke Igthorn, Toady & the Ogres are among the funniest villains ever. Any episode with them in it is a good one. The interactions between all of them are amazing.
Gummi Bears could've had the most interesting characters in the world but it would be nothing without good stories. The dialogue was very witty(I laugh at Gummi Bears more often than the average cartoon) & intelligent(I hope to come up with dialogue as smart as this when I write my stories), & the adventures were very exciting. I loved it when they took the Quicktunnels into unknown lands & explored ancient Gummi cities(like in Day of the Beevilweevils, one of the best episodes). And some episodes were just totally funny(like The Fence Sitter & Just a Tad Smarter). Occasionally, there were even a couple of touching moments(such as in Up, Up & Away, one of the very best episodes). Oh, & the plots were very creative as well(especially the ways our heroes used Gummiberry Juice, which can make the bears bounce & make the humans super-strong). Not to mention that this is one of the most interesting cartoons ever. I can see why this show lasted 6 seasons.
Now if only Disney would hurry up & release an overdue Volume 2 of this wonderful series.
BOTTOM LINE- 10/10 5th best cartoon ever.
TaleSpin
(1990–1991)
Jymn Magon's a genius, with a capital J.
6 December 2006
Thanks Jymn Magon, for creating Disney's 2 best cartoons ever. This show has improved very much over the years. As a kid, I didn't like it because I thought it was a rip-off of Ducktales, which was my favorite Disney thing at the time (like Grandmoffromero). Then later on though it was good but not great. But after reading the reviews here, I decided to give it another chance & bought the DVD set & watched the whole pilot the first day I got it, & was very pleasantly surprised. It's still my favorite episode, although the series did live up to it. And by the end of disc 1, I knew this was going to be a top tenner.
The characters are so complex & charming. My favorite has got to be Wildcat. He's absolutely hilarious and sweet to boot. My next favorite is Baloo, the best pilot on the show. I can see why 'ol Jymn built the show around him. Then it's Kit Cloudkicker. He & Baloo have the best relationship in the series. After that, Louie. Jim Cummings did a perfect job of impersonating the original voice. After him, Rebecca. She has made me laugh pretty hard, and I do believe she and Baloo eventually marry. And finally(for the heroes), Molly. Although she's my least favorite, I still like her. I think she's a very cute character(much better than Webby from Ducktales). And the villains were very original. Don Karnage & his air pirates always crack me up, Kahn is ice-cold and ruthless, and the Thembrians are always at least amusing.
As said before, the stories range from hilarious(Time Waits For No Bear, Romance of Red Chimp) to nothing short of touching(The Old Man & the Seaduck, Paradise Lost), to fun, funny & exciting adventures(In Search of Ancient Blunders & my favorite For Whom the Bell Klangs). These are only a few of my favorite episodes. Anyway, Talespin is Disney's best, aside from Gummi Bears Some reasons for this? GB had a decent amount of my favorite character(Cubbi), while TS didn't have enough of Wildcat. But in the end Talespin remains a classic. BOTTOM LINE- 10/10 6th best cartoon ever.
The characters are so complex & charming. My favorite has got to be Wildcat. He's absolutely hilarious and sweet to boot. My next favorite is Baloo, the best pilot on the show. I can see why 'ol Jymn built the show around him. Then it's Kit Cloudkicker. He & Baloo have the best relationship in the series. After that, Louie. Jim Cummings did a perfect job of impersonating the original voice. After him, Rebecca. She has made me laugh pretty hard, and I do believe she and Baloo eventually marry. And finally(for the heroes), Molly. Although she's my least favorite, I still like her. I think she's a very cute character(much better than Webby from Ducktales). And the villains were very original. Don Karnage & his air pirates always crack me up, Kahn is ice-cold and ruthless, and the Thembrians are always at least amusing.
As said before, the stories range from hilarious(Time Waits For No Bear, Romance of Red Chimp) to nothing short of touching(The Old Man & the Seaduck, Paradise Lost), to fun, funny & exciting adventures(In Search of Ancient Blunders & my favorite For Whom the Bell Klangs). These are only a few of my favorite episodes. Anyway, Talespin is Disney's best, aside from Gummi Bears Some reasons for this? GB had a decent amount of my favorite character(Cubbi), while TS didn't have enough of Wildcat. But in the end Talespin remains a classic. BOTTOM LINE- 10/10 6th best cartoon ever.
Danger Mouse
(1981–1992)
"Tune in to the next rib-tingling, spine-tickling, all-around amazing eskimode of Penfold, &.. Oh crumbs! I forgot his name."
29 November 2006
This is after Looney Tunes, the FUNNIEST cartoon ever. I mean, very nearly everything is spot-on. The only beef I have is the animation. It was good but could be very repetitive at times. Non sequitur humor (pretty much 95% of British humor) is my cup of tea. So naturally this show is up my alley. The music was great, the stories & characters even better. The main heroes & some villains were nothing short of charming. My favorite by far is Isenbaed, the funniest narrator ever. His comments are always a hoot. But Ernest Penfold is an awfully close second. He's simply adorable, & his jokes seemingly come out of the blue, while Danger Mouse himself(my 3rd favorite) has terrible puns that you think you could've seen coming a mile away. Now for the villains. One more beef is that the main villain, Baron Silas Greenback, was overused & was only funny in the last episodes. However, his henchmen, Nero & especially Stiletto Mafiosa, rock. I also like Quark, the Scottish alien, Count Duckula, the thespian vampire duck, Prof. Augustus P. Crumhorn, the mad weasel scientist &, even though he was only in one show, Jones, the Welsh dragon. With most comedies, I would get tired of the jokes after constant viewings. Not so with DM. Sometimes, I laugh harder than the first time. And clocking in at 10 seasons, it's the longest running show I like. I own the whole series on DVD. They never get old, although I think the later ones are the best. There were some very funny eps in the first 4 seasons, but it's 5-10 that had me nearly die laughing.
BOTTOM LINE:10/10 10th Best cartoon ever.
BOTTOM LINE:10/10 10th Best cartoon ever.
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
(1989–1990)
Chip N' Dale at their best.
24 November 2006
Next to Gummi Bears, I would say that this is Disney's best cartoon series ever. Although the production values weren't as high as the other Disney shows. The animation wasn't as good, and the music was good but repetitive(although the theme song is only 2nd to Gummi Bears), but they were countered & matched by the interesting concept of noble minded rodents and a house fly engaged in a never-ending battle to right wrongs, no matter how big or small the case seems, completely disregarding the fact that they may not get thanks for helping people and, eventually, overshadowed by the fun, funny & genuinely cute (but not too cute) stories.
Although stories are usually what make or break shows, the characters have a big part in making them work too. And, as some people have stated here, all 5 of the Rescue rangers were three-dimensional. They're easily likable & much easier to sympathize with than in some of the other Disney shows. And, more so than in any other Disney show (even Gummi Bears), they were a team. They would all contribute something in an episode that would help save the day. My favorite was Dale. His episodes are great (my #1 favorite focuses on him), and he's the one I relate to the most. I loved all the other Rangers too. The main villains were also entertaining. Fat Cat & his amusingly dim henchmen & especially Professer Nimnul were very funny and easy to root against. And the guest characters were great as well. My favorite heroe was Foxglove, a bat who is Dale's true love (I'm a romantic) & appears in my favorite episode. I also liked Sparky the absent-minded lab rat (from another favorite of mine, Does Pavlov Ring a Bell?), and many others. My favorite guest villain was Sewernose de Bergerac (from A Case of Stageblight). He was funny yet at the same time a little tragic, although I didn't feel too sorry for him (he IS a bad guy after all), plus I have a thing for thespian villains. Unlike in Ducktales where the guest characters don't do very much, helping to move the story along but not really standing on their own (there are some exceptions, Gladstone Gander & Dijon coming first to mind), the ones in RR practically scream "Bring me back!" at the end of the ep.
Of course the stories were excellent too. My favorite episodes were Pound of the Baskervilles, Risky Beesness, A Case of Stage Blight, Last Train to Cahville, Prehysterical Pet, Does Pavlov Ring a Bell?, A Creep From The Deep, Chocolate Chips, Weather Or Not, Shell Shocked, Love Is a Many Splintered Thing, Double O' Chipmunk, The Pied Piper Power Play, A Fly in the Ointment, and my #1 favorite Good Times Bat Times. These & most of the other episodes were funny, clever, well-done, interesting & best of all moral.
I honestly don't know how else to praise this series. Just buy the DVDs so that Disney will release volume 3 & finish up this great series.
BOTTOM LINE: 10/10 7th best cartoon ever.
Although stories are usually what make or break shows, the characters have a big part in making them work too. And, as some people have stated here, all 5 of the Rescue rangers were three-dimensional. They're easily likable & much easier to sympathize with than in some of the other Disney shows. And, more so than in any other Disney show (even Gummi Bears), they were a team. They would all contribute something in an episode that would help save the day. My favorite was Dale. His episodes are great (my #1 favorite focuses on him), and he's the one I relate to the most. I loved all the other Rangers too. The main villains were also entertaining. Fat Cat & his amusingly dim henchmen & especially Professer Nimnul were very funny and easy to root against. And the guest characters were great as well. My favorite heroe was Foxglove, a bat who is Dale's true love (I'm a romantic) & appears in my favorite episode. I also liked Sparky the absent-minded lab rat (from another favorite of mine, Does Pavlov Ring a Bell?), and many others. My favorite guest villain was Sewernose de Bergerac (from A Case of Stageblight). He was funny yet at the same time a little tragic, although I didn't feel too sorry for him (he IS a bad guy after all), plus I have a thing for thespian villains. Unlike in Ducktales where the guest characters don't do very much, helping to move the story along but not really standing on their own (there are some exceptions, Gladstone Gander & Dijon coming first to mind), the ones in RR practically scream "Bring me back!" at the end of the ep.
Of course the stories were excellent too. My favorite episodes were Pound of the Baskervilles, Risky Beesness, A Case of Stage Blight, Last Train to Cahville, Prehysterical Pet, Does Pavlov Ring a Bell?, A Creep From The Deep, Chocolate Chips, Weather Or Not, Shell Shocked, Love Is a Many Splintered Thing, Double O' Chipmunk, The Pied Piper Power Play, A Fly in the Ointment, and my #1 favorite Good Times Bat Times. These & most of the other episodes were funny, clever, well-done, interesting & best of all moral.
I honestly don't know how else to praise this series. Just buy the DVDs so that Disney will release volume 3 & finish up this great series.
BOTTOM LINE: 10/10 7th best cartoon ever.
The Transformers: The Movie
(1986)
The best animated movie ever!
23 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Transformers is the greatest cartoon series of all, so naturally I thought the movie was just as great. I don't care what some of you say, this was the BEST! Everything was great about the movie. The music I loved, much better than anything Disney, although there are a couple Disney movies I still like. And to the guy who compared it to Disney, the difference is that none of the characters on screen are singing. The songs are just part of the music, not part of the story. Disney songs stop the action. It's the complete opposite with Transformers; some of the best scenes happen while the songs are playing. The story was awesome with very small errors that can easily be fixed. Like all the other people, it was extremely shocking to see my favorite heroes die (my favorite, Brawn was the first to go), but that's life. And I was over 10 years old when I first saw the movie, so I took it a bit better than some kids. On the opposite side of the coin, I was shocked (in a completely different sort of way) when Galvatron killed Starscream. I hated him, so naturally I was glad they got rid of him (not totally, as it turned out, but at least that got a decent explanation) as well as the Insecticons (villains who take control of other people's minds are the worst villains if you ask me). Anyway, I enjoyed every single minute of this spetacular movie, & the post-movie episodes were my favorite episodes.
BOTTOM LINE: 100/10 Watch it, no matter the cost. Cause if you don't I'll crush you with my bare hands! Just kidding about that last line. The rest I really mean.
BOTTOM LINE: 100/10 Watch it, no matter the cost. Cause if you don't I'll crush you with my bare hands! Just kidding about that last line. The rest I really mean.
Voltron: Defender of the Universe
(1984–1985)
The best of the giant robot animes.
23 November 2006
NOTE: This review has been edited, so if it looks different, it's not just you.
Another one of my favorite cartoons growing up that I still enjoy immensely. It's also my 2nd favorite anime, next to Sailor Moon. I remember the first time I stumbled across this show. I was in a rental store & I saw a video of it. I got it without reading the back because I thought it looked cool(as I often did when I was a kid), & after watching the 4 episodes on that tape was instantly hooked. Later I enjoyed watching it on Toonami & the CGI sequel(which I loved just as much) somewhere else. Now I own the original on DVD(except for the Black Lion collection), & have 3 tapes of the CGI series & watch them a lot(as I do with only my favorite cartoons now, unless it's something at least one of my family enjoys). Okay, so it's the most repetitive of my favorite shows, but there was a LOT under the surface. The comedy was funny, the characters & plots were interesting. My favorite was Lance. I thought his smart-alecky remarks were hilarious The animation wasn't the best, but it got the job done, & the designs made up for it. The Robeasts are the coolest giant monsters I have seen in an anime. There are little goofs, but nearly all of them were in the animation & not the plot. But this is still one of the very best cartoons around. BOTTOM LINE: ***** - This & Voltron: The Third Dimension combine to form the 7th best cartoon ever.
Another one of my favorite cartoons growing up that I still enjoy immensely. It's also my 2nd favorite anime, next to Sailor Moon. I remember the first time I stumbled across this show. I was in a rental store & I saw a video of it. I got it without reading the back because I thought it looked cool(as I often did when I was a kid), & after watching the 4 episodes on that tape was instantly hooked. Later I enjoyed watching it on Toonami & the CGI sequel(which I loved just as much) somewhere else. Now I own the original on DVD(except for the Black Lion collection), & have 3 tapes of the CGI series & watch them a lot(as I do with only my favorite cartoons now, unless it's something at least one of my family enjoys). Okay, so it's the most repetitive of my favorite shows, but there was a LOT under the surface. The comedy was funny, the characters & plots were interesting. My favorite was Lance. I thought his smart-alecky remarks were hilarious The animation wasn't the best, but it got the job done, & the designs made up for it. The Robeasts are the coolest giant monsters I have seen in an anime. There are little goofs, but nearly all of them were in the animation & not the plot. But this is still one of the very best cartoons around. BOTTOM LINE: ***** - This & Voltron: The Third Dimension combine to form the 7th best cartoon ever.
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