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Animated Discussion
Aug. 16th, 2018 06:52 pmWe are living in a new golden age of animation, with Disney/Pixar spearheading an onslaught of quality animated feature films, Cartoon Network and Boomerang broadcasting all 'toon all the time, and websites like Crunchyroll (along with Hulu and Netflix) giving you the best in anime. It's impossible to keep up with it all. So, here's my admittedly incomplete rundown...
Incredibles 2 achieves the near impossible by measuring up to the first movie, with Brad Bird and his impeccable voice cast all returning in peak form. Centering the action around Holly Hunter's Elastigirl is a smart move, as our favorite superhero mom's near-infinite flexibility allows Bird to stage some mind-boggling action/chase sequences. The friendship between Hunter's Helen and Catherine Keener's Evelyn Devor is an interesting subplot (especially considering the ending), but I wish Bird had given more time to their interaction and to the sibling relationship between Evelyn and Winston (Bob Odenkirk). I was waiting for a classic Odenkirk blowup at the end, but never got it...
Mr. Incredible's Mr. Mom plotline is...fine, especially when he's chasing after baby Jack Jack. But it only really sings when an exhausted Bob brings the kid to Edna Mode (Bird again) and the fabulous E schools the muscle man on how to control the little rascal. Samuel L. Jackson is his usual awesome self as Frozone; stay to the end of the credits for Frozone's theme song. It's well worth it.
I thought I would enjoy Teen Titans Go! To the Movies more than I did; maybe it's because I was spoiled for some of the best jokes, and it kind of blunted the impact. Mostly, though, I think the movie stinted on the characterization of four of the Titans and focused exclusively on Robin. Ninety minutes of TTG!Robin's ego and bottomless need for validation is a tough slog. Also, speaking as a comics nerd, I wasn't completely happy with Will Arnett's Slade Wilson (or, as the Titans pronounce it, 'Sllllllaaaade'). Arrogant and condescending, but not enough of each. Too much Will Arnett-style comic rambling and not enough Deathstroke-style laser intensity.
Nonetheless, some great gags here. Cyborg and Beast Boy prank calling Superman (Nicolas Cage finally gets his dream role!) is gold, and the Challengers of the Unknown running gag hits every time. Catch it when it comes to TV.
In other Will Arnett-related animation news, Bojack Horseman is coming to Comedy Central next month! Cannot wait for this!
On the Cartoon Network front, Steven Universe wrapped up the five-part "Heart of the Crystal Gems" storyline in spectacular fashion. "Reunited" started off with the first same-sex wedding in TV animation history, immediately followed by an epic, all-out battle between our entire cast and Blue and Yellow Diamond. Overflowing with priceless character moments for virtually everyone (Lapis! Bismuth!), it felt like a series finale. Fortunately, Rebecca Sugar and friends aren't nearly done with us; bring on the Steven Universe movie!
(Adventure Time says goodbye on Labor Day. Review to come.)
After a ridiculously long wait, The Venture Brothers are finally back. A broad satire of pulp adventures and superhero tropes, the key to the show's sense of humor is to peel away the blustering veneer of our heroes (and villains), revealing the pettiness, immaturity and insecurity underneath. The season seven opener has some great snit-offs between Rusty Venture and the Order of the Triad, with welcome emphasis on the Order's pompous, Dr. Strange-type mystic, Dr. Orpheus. Yes, Hank and Dean Venture's plotlines aren't much, but overall, the show's still got it.
Meanwhile, We Bare Bears rolls into its fourth season of funny animal antics and SoCal weirdness. It's leaning a little harder into sentimentality than in previous seasons, and I kind of miss the satirical edge. But Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear are an unbeatable trio of best bros/mismatched roommates, and you can spend another ten seasons milking their character interactions.
********************
After breaking through my anime-phobia with Cowboy Bebop, I've been a regular visitor to Adult Swim's Saturday night "Toonami" block. Just finished the full run of Shinichiro Watanabe's Space Dandy, and while I wouldn't call it an unqualified success, it was never less than an interesting experiment: Watanabe sketched in the main characters and the basic landmarks of Dandy's cosmos, then brought in guest animators to design individual episodes. The result was an anthology series that varied wildly in style and genre, everything from musical to wacky space race to romcom(!). The zombie apocalypse and parallel universe episodes are classics; everything else ranges from "just missed" to "freaking weird" to "just NO." (Fair warning: Watanabe's boob fetish is in full force here, and if you can't get past that, this show might not be for you.)
Sampled the latest Lupin III series and was immediately turned off by the English dub of Lupin himself. (He sounds like an adenoidal goofball, not the cleverest thief in the world.) Also, I know it's not fair to compare this to Miyazaki's "Castle of Cagliostro", but I can't help but feel that the TV show won't live up to the movie. (The setup and the supporting characters are OK; eh, maybe I'll give it another shot.)
My Hero Academia is the hot anime ticket these days, kind of a Harry Potter for superheroes (my kind of show!). Tuned in during the season one finale battle royale, so I don't have a feel for the individual students' personalities. Season two opener was encouraging. I like the idea that All Might is on his way out as the world's greatest superhero and Izuku is under tremendous pressure to come through as the chosen heir. (Will update as plotlines develop.)
Incredibles 2 achieves the near impossible by measuring up to the first movie, with Brad Bird and his impeccable voice cast all returning in peak form. Centering the action around Holly Hunter's Elastigirl is a smart move, as our favorite superhero mom's near-infinite flexibility allows Bird to stage some mind-boggling action/chase sequences. The friendship between Hunter's Helen and Catherine Keener's Evelyn Devor is an interesting subplot (especially considering the ending), but I wish Bird had given more time to their interaction and to the sibling relationship between Evelyn and Winston (Bob Odenkirk). I was waiting for a classic Odenkirk blowup at the end, but never got it...
Mr. Incredible's Mr. Mom plotline is...fine, especially when he's chasing after baby Jack Jack. But it only really sings when an exhausted Bob brings the kid to Edna Mode (Bird again) and the fabulous E schools the muscle man on how to control the little rascal. Samuel L. Jackson is his usual awesome self as Frozone; stay to the end of the credits for Frozone's theme song. It's well worth it.
I thought I would enjoy Teen Titans Go! To the Movies more than I did; maybe it's because I was spoiled for some of the best jokes, and it kind of blunted the impact. Mostly, though, I think the movie stinted on the characterization of four of the Titans and focused exclusively on Robin. Ninety minutes of TTG!Robin's ego and bottomless need for validation is a tough slog. Also, speaking as a comics nerd, I wasn't completely happy with Will Arnett's Slade Wilson (or, as the Titans pronounce it, 'Sllllllaaaade'). Arrogant and condescending, but not enough of each. Too much Will Arnett-style comic rambling and not enough Deathstroke-style laser intensity.
Nonetheless, some great gags here. Cyborg and Beast Boy prank calling Superman (Nicolas Cage finally gets his dream role!) is gold, and the Challengers of the Unknown running gag hits every time. Catch it when it comes to TV.
In other Will Arnett-related animation news, Bojack Horseman is coming to Comedy Central next month! Cannot wait for this!
On the Cartoon Network front, Steven Universe wrapped up the five-part "Heart of the Crystal Gems" storyline in spectacular fashion. "Reunited" started off with the first same-sex wedding in TV animation history, immediately followed by an epic, all-out battle between our entire cast and Blue and Yellow Diamond. Overflowing with priceless character moments for virtually everyone (Lapis! Bismuth!), it felt like a series finale. Fortunately, Rebecca Sugar and friends aren't nearly done with us; bring on the Steven Universe movie!
(Adventure Time says goodbye on Labor Day. Review to come.)
After a ridiculously long wait, The Venture Brothers are finally back. A broad satire of pulp adventures and superhero tropes, the key to the show's sense of humor is to peel away the blustering veneer of our heroes (and villains), revealing the pettiness, immaturity and insecurity underneath. The season seven opener has some great snit-offs between Rusty Venture and the Order of the Triad, with welcome emphasis on the Order's pompous, Dr. Strange-type mystic, Dr. Orpheus. Yes, Hank and Dean Venture's plotlines aren't much, but overall, the show's still got it.
Meanwhile, We Bare Bears rolls into its fourth season of funny animal antics and SoCal weirdness. It's leaning a little harder into sentimentality than in previous seasons, and I kind of miss the satirical edge. But Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear are an unbeatable trio of best bros/mismatched roommates, and you can spend another ten seasons milking their character interactions.
********************
After breaking through my anime-phobia with Cowboy Bebop, I've been a regular visitor to Adult Swim's Saturday night "Toonami" block. Just finished the full run of Shinichiro Watanabe's Space Dandy, and while I wouldn't call it an unqualified success, it was never less than an interesting experiment: Watanabe sketched in the main characters and the basic landmarks of Dandy's cosmos, then brought in guest animators to design individual episodes. The result was an anthology series that varied wildly in style and genre, everything from musical to wacky space race to romcom(!). The zombie apocalypse and parallel universe episodes are classics; everything else ranges from "just missed" to "freaking weird" to "just NO." (Fair warning: Watanabe's boob fetish is in full force here, and if you can't get past that, this show might not be for you.)
Sampled the latest Lupin III series and was immediately turned off by the English dub of Lupin himself. (He sounds like an adenoidal goofball, not the cleverest thief in the world.) Also, I know it's not fair to compare this to Miyazaki's "Castle of Cagliostro", but I can't help but feel that the TV show won't live up to the movie. (The setup and the supporting characters are OK; eh, maybe I'll give it another shot.)
My Hero Academia is the hot anime ticket these days, kind of a Harry Potter for superheroes (my kind of show!). Tuned in during the season one finale battle royale, so I don't have a feel for the individual students' personalities. Season two opener was encouraging. I like the idea that All Might is on his way out as the world's greatest superhero and Izuku is under tremendous pressure to come through as the chosen heir. (Will update as plotlines develop.)
