BradyToons

I've Moved!

2010-03-27T16:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Well, as you can see, I haven't updated in quite a while. That's because in the last few months, almost no animated movies have been released. That's been a problem I never considered, and considering how few cartoons are released a year, a big one.

Also, I've obviously been seeing a lot of live-action movies as well, and I've been yearning to express my opinion on those, as well.

Because of this, I've decided to create a new blog, where ALL movies that I've seen can be reviewed. It's located here: awesomeorawful.blogspot.com

As for BradyToons, I may still post here occasionally for non-review stuff, but for now, I have officially moved to Awesome or Awful. See you there!

Disney's "Rapunzel" Gets A Terrible Name Change

2010-02-15T16:19:00.001-08:00

Not any more.

Well guys, it seems my hopes that the old Disney was back have been proven untrue. Disney has changed the title of their upcoming fairy tale from Rapunzel to "Tangled". Now, while a title like that would work for a parody of the original story (like the 2005 film Hoodwinked), this film is an adaptation of it, in the vein of Disney's previous fairy tales (like The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast), making "Tangled" an unsuitable name.

The title change implies that Disney does not have faith in the film's success, likely owing to the disappointing box office returns of The Princess and the Frog (I TOLD YOU TO SEE IT!), which, in their greedy, heartless eyes, may have something to do with the girly title. With a title like "Tangled", Disney likely hopes that more boys would want to see this film (though the idea of any child not wanting to see a Disney movie makes me want to cry).

This is BS. Thankfully, most other fans seem to hate the name change too, so hopefully we can convince them to change it before its December release.

"The Princess and the Frog" Review

2009-12-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hi folks. It's been a while. Sorry, but I've been a little busy lately, and haven't had much to write about anyway. But, now, I am back. I'll be retiring the "Brady____" method of describing posts, because I find it really unnecessary and a bit dull.

But anyways, onto the review: Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

The return of the "real" Disney after a long five-year hiatus, PatF (as it shall be abbreviated from now on) is directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the directors who woke animated films from their hibernation 20 years ago with The Little Mermaid. And I'm pleased to say that, yes, they have done it again.

Set in New Orleans, Louisiana sometime in the 1920's, PatF follows the story of Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a girl who dreams of fulfilling her father's (Terrence Howard) own dream of starting his own restaurant. But for this, she needs money, and has spent most of her life working hard to get enough to buy the old barn she plans to convert to the restaurant.

Her life takes an unexpected turn when, at a Masquerade ball hosted by her friend Charlotte's father, Eli La Bouff (John Goodman), Tiana meets a talking frog. It claims that it is really the visiting Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), and, thinking she's royalty due to her fancy dress, explains that Tiana must kiss him for him to become human again. After some coaxing, Tiana complies, but is instead turned into a frog herself, and the two must find a different way to become themselves again.

Featuring an excellent score and memorable songs by good old Randy Newman, The Princess and the Frog is one of Disney's most enjoyable films, never losing its sense of humor and fun even in its darkest scenes, and with a talented cast that is mercifully free of top-tier celebrities (save for a brief performance by Oprah). Princess Tiana has gained a lot of buzz, mostly because of her race, but she deserves more than that, because she is one of Disney's best characters. From the first moment she appears onscreen, the audience wants to see her succeed, and is thoroughly satisfied when she does (not a spoiler). The supporting cast is equally excellent; particularly shining is famed voice actor Jim Cummings as Ray, a wisecracking hillbilly firefly, and Michael Leon-Wooley as Louis, a jazz-loving alligator.

In my opinion, Princess and the Frog is one of the years best films, and is a shoo-in for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (Provided that Pixar's Up receives the Best Picture nomination it is heavily favored for). We need more classic-style movies like this: traditionally-animated, musical, no big-name stars, and with a real heart and soul. If you're reading this, do old Luke a favor and go see The Princess and the Frog.

BradyReviews: Film: The Thief and the Cobbler

2009-11-08T15:48:00.000-08:00

It was going to be the greatest animated movie ever made. Directed by the famed lead animator of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and starring Vincent Price, it was to be the magnificent product of 30 years of hard work and perseverance. But in 1995, it was tragically taken from its loving father, turned into something it was not, and forgotten. The proper version of the film has never been finished.

That director is Richard Williams, that heartless studio that took it from him is Miramax, and that film is The Thief and the Cobbler.

Thankfully, a fan named Garrett Gilchrist has discovered a work-in-progress version of the film, and with the help of music that he has added, we can now see what might have been.

The Thief and the Cobbler's main characters are, you guessed it, a thief and a cobbler, as well as a princess. The Thief, whose name is never given, is a greedy, clumsy fool who nevertheless has incredible luck, repeatedly escaping certain death by mere inches. The Thief has entire scenes all to himself, which is a good thing, because he is easily the best part of the film. His completely silent escapades resemble a "Best of Looney Tunes" compilation all rolled into one movie, and you will probably find yourself laughing out loud..

The Cobbler, Tack, also never speaks, but he is more heroic in both his deeds and his appearance. In an interesting artistic license from reality, Tack's mouth is not visible- the tacks he holds in his mouth form his facial expression.

The third main character, Princess Yum-Yum, does speak, though most of her dialogue seems a bit unnecessary. No matter; she's a likable character.

Thief and the Cobbler is set in an unnamed Middle-Eastern city, which is safe from all harm thanks to the magical protection of three golden balls on the top spire of its castle. However, if the balls are ever removed from the spire, the kingdom will fall under attack by a ruthless race of evil one-eyed men. At the beginning of the story, Tack and the Thief accidentally causes the King's grand Vizier, Zigzag (Vincent Price), to trip, which Zigzag mistakenly interprets as an attempt on his life. The two are sent to the castle to be executed.

Princess Yum-Yum, however, manages to spare Tack by breaking her shoes and pointing out that she is in need of a cobbler. Tack, who's taken a special interest (winkity wink) in Yum-Yum, is all too happy to oblige.

Meanwhile, the Thief escapes, and after several hilarious failed attempts, manages to steal the golden balls on top of the spire. Unfortunately, the one-eyed men (aided by the traitorous Zigzag) are readying an attack on the city at the same time as these events, and Tack, Yum-Yum, and the Thief become the kingdom's only hope from destruction.

Unfortunately, I feel that I can't fairly critique this film, as it is, again, unfinished. About 20% of the film is either not colored or represented by storyboards, many scenes are missing sound effects, and the editing was not performed by a professional. As a result, some scenes move a bit too quickly to be understood, while others seem to drag on too long. If these scenes were finished, these problems would likely not be present, so I did my best to ignore them.

However, what I can say is that the true star of the movie- and the reason production took so long- is the animation. Based on the ancient Persian artwork styles, the characters move as fluidly as real people, the backgrounds are amazingly detailed, and at times the camera movement seems impossible. The highlights include an MC Escher-esque chase sequence, and an unfinished shot in which the entire scene moves in three-dimensions. All of this, I'd like to remind you, is entirely hand-drawn.

Well, I think you've heard enough of my raving. I bet you'd like to see this work of genius for yourself, wouldn't you? Well, here's the entire movie on Google Video.

Final Grade: A+

BradyNews: Disney's "Fish Hooks"

2009-11-07T07:55:00.000-08:00

Disney has begun work on their latest animated series, Fish Hooks, about a small group of aquatic buddies. The premise sounds suspiciously familiar to a certain most-popular-animated-series-on-television airing on Nickelodeon right now, but hey, has Disney EVER let us down when it comes to animation?

Fish Hooks begins airing sometime in 2010.

BradyNews: Snow White on Blu-Ray

2009-11-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

According to Animation Magazine, the world's first-ever animated feature is available now on Blu-Ray! Most likely, it's being released with Disney's usual "Limited Time" clause, so you folks with Blu-Ray players should get this one before it's too late.

BradyNews: Despicable Me Trailer On Apple.com

2009-11-04T17:06:00.000-08:00

You guys may remember that my first-ever article, posted about four months ago, was on the Steve Carell comedy "Despicable Me". Well, now the second trailer is available to watch on Apple.com; head over there to check it out.

BradyNews: Toy Story Double Feature extended!

2009-10-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

Howdy, Howdy, Howdy folks- Guess what? The box-office profits for Toy Story 1+2 in 3D went to infinity and beyond, so Disney has expanded it to a regular theatrical release! Don't miss out on a chance to see these two classics in theaters!

BradyReviews: TV: "The Simpsons": "Homer the Whopper"

2009-09-29T17:57:00.000-07:00

The season premiere of FOX's long-running signature series, The Simpsons, was aired on Sunday. This episode was both written by and guest starred Seth Rogen, as a fitness instructor who helps Homer get into shape for a role in a Superhero film. Despite the comedic talents of Rogen, the regular cast, and The Simpsons in general, "Homer the Whopper" is underwhelming in most respects.

While the jokes do work about 60% of the time, the problem is that there aren't enough of them- this episode mostly revolves around plot rather than humor. Additionally, the few funny moments (such as a movie studio's dumpster marked "Studio Heads"-"My only sin was believing in George Clooney!") are more hee-hee than haw-haw.

Perhaps the best thing about "Homer the Whopper"-albeit one that will likely be repeated in later episodes- is the outstanding animation quality. The Simpsons has finally gotten with the times and gone to digital cel-painting and HD, causing a sharp upward climb in quality. It's hard to believe that this episode and one from two years ago were produced so close together.

In the end, "Homer the Whopper" is a lackluster episode of such a legendary series. Surely there must be better episodes produced this season- why not make one of THOSE the season opener?

Final Grade: C

BradyNews: "The Smurfs" for 2011

2009-09-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks. It seems that Sony Pictures Animation's fourth film will be The Smurfs, an adaptation of the classic '80s TV show no one cares about anymore. Hopefully this will be the last 1980's property adapted into a film, because I'm getting sick of them and most of them stink. I hope this movie's at least good.

BradyReviews: Films: 9

2009-09-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

9 is an animated movie that stands out from the pack. Like Focus Features' previous cartoon, Coraline, 9 has a dark atmosphere and is not a comedy; unlike Coraline, this film is not meant for children. Director Shane Acker and producer Tim Burton have created a strange world full of nightmarish creatures, and with an intriguing backstory.

The film begins with a small creature resembling a ragdoll, with the number 9 on its back, awakening in a destroyed house. It exits the house and finds another creature like it, named 2 (Martin Landau). However, not long after they meet, 2 is captured by a monster with a cat's skull for a head. 9 (Elijah Wood) finds the hideout of several other similar creatures, referred to off-screen as "stitchpunks". 9 wants to find and rescue 2, but the group's leader, 1 (Christopher Plummer), is adamant that they remain hidden, as three of their own have already been lost.

9 and his new companion, 5 (John C. Reilly), ignore 1's orders and go out in search of their lost friend. They find him at a ruined church, but they also find Cat Skull. Just when it seems that the stichpunks are done for, they are rescued by another, named 7 (Jennifer Connelly), who was previously thought to be lost.

7 kills Cat Skull, but 9 inadvertently awakens something worse: The Brain, the very robot responsible for the destruction of humanity. Not only has it awakened, but it has also killed 2, and has its sights set on stealing the souls of the rest of the stitchpunks.

9 excels not only in its storytelling, but also in its artistic quality. The stichpunks each have unique appearances and quirks; 6 (Crispin Glover) is made out of discarded fabric, 7 is linen, 1's eyes are shaped differently than the rest, etc. The monsters look like something out of a child's nightmares, and the main villain- The Brain- is deliciously evil without ever even saying a word.

Perhaps the only flaw in 9 is the voice acting. All of the main cast (with the exception of 3 and 4, who don't speak) are voiced by well-known actors. While they do their jobs well for the most part, Wood and Connelly's acting is wooden (no pun intended) at some points, and the film is cheapened slightly by throwing recognizable actors into the mix; indeed, the film would make almost as much sense with no actors at all.

Nevertheless, the animation and action sequences in 9 are some of the most exciting in years, animated or otherwise, and the film is recommendable even for just those sequences. But 9 is more than that, and from the beginning to the bittersweet end, 9 is enthralling and exciting. Not to be missed.

Final Grade: A-

"9" Review Tomorrow

2009-09-11T22:52:00.001-07:00

Hey folks, Just a quick update. Tomorrow I'll be reviewing the new film from Shane Acker and Time Burton, "9".

Feel free to comment

2009-09-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, Luke here- I just want to let anyone who reads my blog to know that I appreciate comments. Right at the bottom of any of my posts is a "comments" link. Please feel free to let me know what you think.

BradyReviews: Films: Ponyo

2009-09-03T16:32:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki, director of genius films such as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. But when I heard that his latest work would be a children's film, I briefly hesitated; could he pull it off? Sure, it's not his first of that type (My Neighbor Totoro was, and is apparently very good, though I haven't seen it myself), but considering his last five films have been 3-4 hours long and filled with despair and rather adult topics (Mononoke especially), I doubted that he could ever make a simplistic kids film again. Not a good one, anyway.

Thankfully, I was wrong. The children's film in question, "Ponyo" (which is vastly inferior to the Japanese title, "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea"), is cute and innocent enough to keep the kiddos entertained, but adults can still enjoy it as well.

Noah Cyrus (notable for having a 90% less punchable face than her big sister Miley) stars as Bruinhilda, a cute little sea creature that is supposedly a goldfish (proving that Miyazaki knows jack about fish). I look at that poster up there, and I see a tadpole with hair and a red dress. And maybe a diaper. But definitely no goldfish.

Broonhildy lives in a small bubble, which is definitely a claustrophobe's nightmare- she can barely even move around in the tiny thing. Her bubble is inside of some kind of submarine driven by her father, the evilwizard (his name is mentioned once, maybe twice, but everyone him "the evilwizard" so we'll go with that). Evilwizard is voiced by Liam Neeson, who seems like a strange choice for the role- sure, he's an evilwizard, but his strange style of dress and fairly goofy behavior seems more fit for a comedian (incidentally, he was played by one in the originalJapanese).

Bruunhillde manages to sneak out of her bubble while her father is busy doing... something, and piggybacks on a jellyfish. She almost immediately falls asleep (if there's one thing she's really good at, it's instantly falling asleep). Unfortunately, she gets a rude awakening by a boat, one which carries a net that picks up trash and other pollution, completely neglecting the fact that there are fish and well-dressed tadpoles in the water. Predictably, Brunnheldea gets her head caught in a glass jar, and washes up on the beach next to the home of Sosuke, a young boy voiced by the younger brother of Disney's other music slaves, Frankie Jonas (Frankie? Really?).

Sosuke gets Brannyhilldundun out of the jar and into a plastic pail he had lying around. He decides to keep her, and names her "Ponyo" (finally I won't have to try and spell that name anymore). Ponyo quickly becomes little Sosuke's pride and joy, but their relationship is short-lived; just after Ponyo manages to say the phrase "Ponyo loves Sosuke!" (which somehow did not phase Sosuke. Kids are so odd), weird blob things come and take her away.

Sosuke is heartbroken, and so is Ponyo- she refuses to be referred to as Brundlefly, and insists her name is "Ponyo". Then she refuses to eat whatever it is she usually eats, and wants ham instead (she ate a small bit of the stuff while she was with Sosuke, and quickly became obsessed with it). Her dad is already pretty ticked, but wait, she has more: she loves Sosuke, and wants to be human. In fact, she becomes one right then and there.

Wait, what?

Well, it turns out that because she healed a cut on Sosuke's finger by licking it, she has human blood inside her and has the ability to turn into a human if she tries really hard. I'm not sure how that works, but let's not worry about that right now.

After escaping from her home/prison, Ponyo causes a huge tsunami that almost kills Sosuke and his mother, Lisa (Tina Fey). That would have been really ironic. Thankfully, Sosuke and Lisa survive, and find the human Ponyo waiting for them. Both are much less shocked then you would expect.

Following this are some of the cutest scenes in any film ever, such as a staring contest between Ponyo and a random infant, or Ponyo introducing herself as "Hi, I'm Ponyo, and I used to be a fish!" It's very entertaining, and brought a smile to my face.

The conclusion of the film is set at the retirement home Lisa works at. Sosuke must declare that he truly loves Ponyo (aren't they kind of young for this?); if he doesn't, Ponyo will turn into sea foam (as if the Hans Christian Anderson overtones weren't obvious already).

Alright, enough of that. All joking aside, "Ponyo" really is a wonderful little movie, and aside from a few beefs I have with the voice acting (do we really need Matt Damon to read three lines? And why is everyone talking to themselves?) it is nearly flawless. If you hurry you might still catch it in theaters before it's DVD and Blu-Ray release in December.

Final Grade: A

BradyRants: Cartoon Network haters

2009-09-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I'll ever make any more "BradyRants", but I just wanted to get off some steam about something that's been pissing me off for quite a while. Most likely none of the people I'm talking about will read this, but I'm writing it anyway because the people on YouTube aren't listening to me (not like I expected those morons to listen...). By the way, just imagine that I'm screaming through this whole thing.

There are a lot of people on sites like YouTube and YTMND who are complaining that the "new" Cartoon Network is "gay stpid crap" (I quote). First of all, don't be a homophobe, because then the Gay Police will come to your door and eat you or something. Second, WHY do you hate CN so much? Generally when I ask this question, I get one of 3 responses:

1. "Because it's stupid!" It's cartoons, man- they're supposed to be silly. And you should really have a better reason than that.

2. "They don't air Dexter's Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, etc." Those shows are over ten years old. New episodes have not been produced in several years (not counting the 10th anniversary PPG special). If CN were to keep airing them, they would take up space and there wouldn't be enough room for new and current material. By the way, there's this channel called "Boomerang"- it costs just $10 a month, and it happens to air all of the very shows that you miss.

3. "Those new shows like Chowder and Flapjack SUCK!" Okay, have you really watched them? Because you can't judge based on commercials or other people's opinions alone. If you really have watched them, and didn't like them, that's okay- at least you have an honest opinion.

And really, does EVERY SINGLE ONE of the current shows suck? And did EVERY SINGLE ONE of the old ones rule? Remember "2 Stupid Dogs" and "I Am Weasel"? GOOD LORD do I hate I Am Weasel. Thank god it lasted just one season.

An important lesson, friends: the nostalgia factor makes everything better. I watched "Doug" (both Disney and Nickelodeon) when I was little and loved it. Now that I am older and have watched it again, it was a really stupid, boring show! And the movie sucked (but everyone knows that).

Okay, I'm done. I hope you found that informative. Expect a review of "Ponyo" sometime tomorrow.

BradyTens: Top 10 Greatest Nicktoons

2009-09-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

If you don't know the name "Nicktoons", well, you should. Were it not for them, television animation might still be trapped in the dark ages of the 1980's, when original ideas (ie., non-toy-advertisements) were a dime a dozen.

Nicktoons have been with us for many, many years- 18 to be exact- and since last month was their birthday, I thought I'd take a minute to write down my list of the ten greatest Nicktoons of all time.

10. Rocko's Modern Life

One has to wonder just what Joe Murray was smoking when he made this cartoon. I'm going to guess it was something called Crazy Crack. How could he possibly think that this cartoon, loaded with sexual innuendo, strange characters, and general nonsense (including a character with a foot for a head!), possibly be suitable for children? But apparently Nickelodeon looked the other way when the objectionable bits came about, as Rocko lasted for 5 hilarious years, and had numerous merchandise spun off from it. If you order your humor with a side of madness, then Rocko's Modern Life is the Nicktoon for you.

9. Hey Arnold!
Compared to some of the others shows on this list, Hey Arnold! was very calm and relaxed- there were no outlandish situations, no silly animal characters, no ridiculous non sequiturs, and no abstract backgrounds- it was just the simple story of a boy growing up in the fictional city of Hillwood, Washington. That's not to say it wasn't funny, however- the show was peppered with clever humor, amusing characters, and mocking of the elderly (hooray!). It eventually became so popular that a film adaptaion was released in 2002, aptly titled The Hey Arnold! Movie. The series also gave birth to what should be the all-purpose catchphrase of our time: "We're stuck downtown, I'm a strawberry, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY!"

8. ChalkZone
While the premise of this series- an alternate world where anything ever drawn on a chalkboard comes to life- is cool enough in itself, where ChalkZone really shines is in its incredible art and character design. People have very odd imaginations, and they may often draw strange things on the chalkboard- and ChalkZone takes full advantage of the possibilities. Main character Rudy and his friends meet such characters as hair-eating monsters, an old lady in a bathtub that walks by itself, and a square-shaped blob with no symmetry. ChalkZone could have gone wrong, but instead it went very, very right.

7. Oh Yeah! Cartoons/Random! Cartoons
Oh Yeah! and Random! Cartoons were different from other Nicktoons- there wasn't just one or two creators, a small team of writers, a handful of animators, and some voice actors- no, these guys were grander than that. There were hundreds upon hundreds working on every small 7-minute cartoon, and the majority of the shorts had no connection to the others. But everyone who's seen the show knows that- what most people don't know is its true purpose: To create new Nicktoons. Each and every one of these clever shorts was really a pilot episode, and whichever shows kids liked best would be turned into dedicated half-hour shows. Five Nicktoons were created from Oh Yeah!: The Fairly Oddparents, My Life As a Teenage Robot, ChalkZone, Invader Zim, and Mina and the Count (though that one only aired for a very brief time, and on Cartoon Network rather than Nickelodeon), while three were created from Random!: Fanboy and Chum-Chum, T.U.F.F. Puppy (Upcoming), and Adventure Time (Upcoming; to air on Cartoon Network). But even more exciting than the ones who made it, are the ones that didn't, but could have; imagine Nickelodeon airing full shows based on Sparkles and Gloom, Fathead, Planet Kate, Garlic Boy, or any of these other works of art?

6. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
If you can believe it, CGI animation was still an exotic concept just 8 years ago. That didn't stop Nick when they attempted the first ever animated series to be made entirely using computers. While the concept of a pint-sized mad scientist sounds very similar to another series airing on Cartoon Network around the same time, Neutron managed to keep itself distinct from Dexter's Laboratory with its hysterical supporting characters, such as the nerdy, asthma-ridden wreck Carl, or the mildly creepy and always annoying Sheen- both of whom easily steal the show from the title character. Jimmy Neutron proved to be a hit with viewers, and video games, toys, a crossover with The Fairly Oddparents, and a theatrical film followed.

5. The Fairly Oddparents
Now this is a great idea that, somehow, has never been done before. Ten-year-old Timmy Turner secretly has two Fairy Godparents named Cosmo and Wanda, who can grant him any wish he wants- but unfortunately, neither Timmy nor his Godparents are the brightest bulb in the lamp, and comic misadventures result. Oddparents is one of the most popular shows on Nick, second only to... well, you probably know what number one is. Loads of merchandise has been produced, and The Fairly Oddparents Movie was planned, but this was sadly canceled after the new directors of Paramount Pictures apparently decided they didn't like money. Nevertheless, this series has aired for nine years already, and while it has since jumped the shark with the addition of a "Fairly OddBaby", it manages to retain its clever humor.

4. Rugrats
Ah, yes... Rugrats. Every animated show wants to be Rugrats. The show ran for fifteen years, and was Nick's highest rated show for seven. The very concept was unique and simple- the average lives of five (later a sixth, seventh and eighth were added) babies. The personalities were simple- the scaredy cat (Chuckie), the brave leader (Tommy), the filthy slobs (Phil and Lil), the mean bully (Angelica), the voice of reason (Susie), the helpless newborn (Dil), and the adventuresome spirit who acts without thinking (Kimi). But Rugrats' simplicity was what made it work, and everybody- from children to adults- adored this series. Plus, like many other of Nick's most popular shows, Rugrats got a spinoff (two, actually) and a Rugrats Movie. Actually, no, it had TWO movies. No, wait- it had THREE!
While Spongebob may be the most famous of the Nicktoons, Rugrats is easily the most loved.

3. Ren & Stimpy
Long before internet phenomena such as Charlie the Unicorn made crazy madness the norm for cartoons, Ren & Stimpy came along and invented it. Though supposedly an homage to Golden Age cartoons, not even the Looney Tunes were as batcrap insane as Ren, Stimpy (both voiced by Billy West) and crew was. Almost nothing was ordinary, sensible, or sane in this series, which featured such bizarre characters as "Powdered Toast Man", "George Liquor", and "Stimpy's Fart Son". Probably the most memorable segment of the series was the fake commericals, in which an enthusiastic announcer (also West) tried to convince you to buy such ludicrous products as "Powder Toast" (featuring the aforementioned Powdered Toast Man) or "LOG!" Ren & Stimpy is a true classic, and anyone who likes the works of FilmCow or Homestar Runner deserves to see where it all began.

2. Spongebob Squarepants
Maybe you've heard of this guy? He's kind of popular. While some people have gotten sick of seeing Spongebob's face everywhere they go, they forget the reason this show's so darn famous: it's really one of the best shows of our generation. The cast of characters are inventive, and include lovable folks like the idiotic Patrick Star, the grumpy Squidward, the greedy Mr. Krabs, and of course, the "absorbant, yellow, and porous" sponge himself. Other endearing factors include the simple animation and setting, the creative humor that works for all ages, and perhaps most of all, the overall innocent feel to the proceedings. Kids love Spongebob because he is an adult, but he is like them: He is someone they can look up to, and relate to him.

Spongebob's face was put on pretty much every product that existed at the time (I don't know for certain, but they probably put him on "adult" products as well, if you know what I mean), as well as several video games (which, unlike most games based on shows, were actually pretty great), children's books, and of course, this:

1. Invader Zim
Now, here's a show that stood out from the pack. While Zim's contemporaries (including it's sister show, The Fairly Oddparents) were bright, goofy, simply animated, and largely self-contained, this was almost the complete opposite. It's colors were dark and dreary, it's humor largely bitter and ironic, and the animation was of astounding quality (it's been reported that a single episode could cost up to $2,000,000, and took over a year to produce). All this is certainly the work of creator Jhonen Vasquez. While one should wonder why Nick wanted to hire him (at the time, his works consisted entirely of underground goth comics with titles like Johnny the Homicidal Maniac or I Feel Sick), we should be glad that they did, as Invader Zim is technically the most impressive Nicktoon ever. But it's not just the beautiful animation that makes Zim such a winner; it's also the characters, such as titular hero (villain?) Zim. Zim's a vicious, evil alien who plans to take over the earth- but he's not so good at it, and his schemes usually end very badly. His enemy, the show's villain (hero?) Dib, is a young boy who is somehow the only person who sees through Zim's ridiculously obvious disguise. His life basically revolves around defeating or exposing Zim, but he usually fails, due to an oversight or Zim showing a rare moment of intelligence.
But definitely the character that steals the show is GIR, Zim's malfunctioning robot sidekick who spends most of his time watching "The Funny Monkey Show," screaming nonsense, and driving Zim crazy(er). All of these elements mentioned here help to make Zim an incredible show, and easily the best Nicktoon of all time.

So, there you have it, folks. Tune in sometime whenever to see my list of the top 10 Cartoon Cartoons.

BradyReviews: TV: "Glenn Martin, DDS"

2009-08-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Nick at Nite is a channel with few original series. The main point of Nickelodeon's nighttime (nitetime?) block is to air classic sitcoms from the 80's, 90's, and even the early 00's (in the case of Malcolm in the Middle).

But occasionally, the powers-that-be at Nick decide that their in-development series deserves a late-night home. Their latest of that type, Glenn Martin, DDS, is only the second animated program on the block (the first being Bill Cosby's Fatherhood, a dismal failure that lasted a mere 7 episodes).

The plot of the show revolves around the title character, a dentist, and his quirky family: his stubborn wife, Jackie; his son, Conor, a geeky, hormonal goof who appears to have no common sense whatsoever; and his daughter, Courtney, a devious genius who apparently can turn any situation into a moneymaking opportunity. In fact, she already has an employee: Wendy Park, pretty much identical in personality to her boss, and who has somehow been given permission to accompany the Martins on their road trip.

Most episodes have the Martins stopping at some sort of landmark, and proceeding to infuriate everyone involved with said landmark. It's a very tired concept that could really only work if the writing is good enough- which, thankfully, it is. While several jokes are of the physical type (which rarely works) and others are rather uninspired (such as the overabundant popular culture references), most are clever and I certainly can't say I didn't laugh.

Probably one of the biggest problems with the series is it's laugh track. That's right, an animated show with a laugh track. It didn't work with old Hannah-Barbera cartoons, what makes people think it works now? Laugh tracks are mostly a way to make dumb jokes seem funnier, and it almost ruins a truly funny series.

In the end, however, Glen Matin, DDS has few flaws beyond trivial ones, and I'd recommend it to any age-appropriate family audience (there are a few risque jokes and very mild language).

Final Grade: B

BradyNews: Yet another Live-Action Cartoon Network series!

2009-08-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

CN, once a glorious beacon of light for all aspiring animators, is officially no more. They haven't released a single Cartoon since June 2008's hilarious "The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack", with their latest release being the head-scratching "CN Real" block. What's with that, anyway? It has apparently gotten terrible ratings, the shows are sub-par and derivative (leave reality shows to MTV and The Learning Channel, Time Warner), and they're barely even "real" (the shows are reportedly heavily scripted).

And now, they've done it again. Cartoon Network has picked up another full Live-Action series- only unlike their previous scripted series, Out of Jimmy's Head, this show has NOTHING to do with cartoons AT ALL!

The plot doesn't even sound original. Tentatively titled "Unnatural History", The Show That Should Not Exist is about a boy with super powers he didn't even know he had going on strange adventures with his new friends.

Because, you know, that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter doesn't sound http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Jackson_%26_The_Olympians familiar.

BradyReviews: TV: "Little Shop"

2009-08-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

My family has been way into "Little Shop of Horrors" as of late. My mom and sister are involved in a summer drama camp that is performing the now world-famous musical. A few weeks ago we went to a performance, and just the other night we watched the movie based on the musical, which was based on a movie.

So, imagine my surprise when I discovered there was a CARTOON based on a movie based on a musical based on a movie based on an idea conceived while under the influence (confused yet?). The show was simply titled "Little Shop", and it followed child versions of Seymour and Audrey having adventures with that ol' singing plant, Audrey II. Lets dive into it, shall we?

The cartoon begins, like all TV series, with an opening sequence. Sadly, the creators decided not to go with the awesome theme from the musical, and instead composed an original theme. At its beginning, it's actually pretty catchy, but a few seconds in comes THIS ridiculous 90's rap tune:

"Alright it's TIME! for me to bust a rhyme

So just sit back, and chill for a while

I'm comin' at ya

Like TOON style

So get ready for a funny-bone overload!

At the Little Shop

YEEEAAAH, BOOOOYYY! In full effect!

The LITTLE SHOP posse is gaining respect,

so GET OUT!! before I put you in check!"

Ugh. Who could write such an awful rhyme? The answer: Audrey II. Audrey II raps in the cartoon.

Lord help me.

sigh... so, anyway, the first episode begins with an alarm clock going off. A kid comes into the frame, mumbles "Waddle-Waddle-Wa" and turns it off. Huh?

Next he introduces himself: "I'm Seymour Krelborn, and I've spent thirteen years trying to become a nerd." Wha??

Then he puts his glasses on and falls ten feet off his bed. He grabs his lunchbox out of the fridge and announces to his mom that he's going to school. His mom says goodbye, but she doesn't hug him or anything because she's busy doing fat person aerobics. Is all of this supposed to make no sense at all???

So, yeah, this version of Seymour is a thirteen year old kid. I guess they wanted their child audience to relate to him or something.

Next we see him at school, preparing to eat his baloney sandwich. But he's stopped by a bully named Paine Driller. Judging from the name and his enormous headgear, this kid is probably supposed to be the cartoon's version of the dentist. Eh, he's no Steve Martin.

But despite the bullying and the pain (and the Paine- hur hur hur), Seymour likes school anyway- that's where he first met Audrey Mushnik (or as he pronounces it, "Aauudrey Mushniiiik" with a dreamy look in his eyes). This is the Audrey of the cartoon, but she's nothing like her musical counterpart: she has brown hair, is thirteen like Seymour, an DOESN'T like Seymour back. Did they even watch the movie?

Unfortunately, Seymour is distracted by Audrey, and accidentally blows up the science lab. Then he has a dream where he's in a strange land where he acts like a caveman, giant Jack-in-the-Boxes are everywhere, and a bunch of backup singers randomly sing "Ca-ave Man!" Just then, out of one of the boxes comes our first glimpse of Audrey II- and my god, what did they do to him? He's completely green, has eyestalks (eyestalks!), and his pot is this tiny little plastic purple thing. And he does that rapping thing. Ugh.

It's here where we cut to commercial. On the YouTube video I saw, I got to see some pretty cool 90's ads, like one for Reese's pieces, one for Nike, and even the debut of the Super Nintendo and Super Mario World. But the most interesting of these is a "Now back to the show" bumper featuring an animated MC Hammer. I really hope that was created for the bumper, and there wasn't really an MC Hammer cartoon. That would be the equivalent of Fox Kids airing a 30-minute chant yelling "Commit Suicide! Commit Suicide!" over and over.

Then, we're back to the show. Seymour explains that he has circumvented child labor laws and gotten a full-time job at Mr. Mushnik's flower shop. Mushnik is pretty much the only character unchanged from previous versions- he's an adult, depressed, grumpy, and going broke. Only in this version, he's also Audrey's father. Audrey wants to be a fireman, and she spends a lot of time reading firehouse magazines staring at centerfolds of ladders. Um, ha-ha?

One day, after being terrorized by Paine, Seymour's homework is thrown in a dumpster and he jumps in to get it. Semour comments, "You know, sometimes I wish Paine liked me. That's funny- cause I don't like him!" But, wait. If you don't like him, then why do you want him to like you?

Anyway, Seymour fails to get out of the dumpster in time, and he's thrown into a dump. There he falls 100 feet down a hole, and lands face-first on a "rock" and dies.

No, wait, he doesn't die. He sees the rock and decides to take it home for his rock collection.

The next day, Seymour's at school and eating lunch. He says "Ahhhhhhh!" and does some weird hand movements and Shakespeare-esque poses before opening the box. We're devolving into nonsense again.

But then Seymour notices something. "Gadzooks AH! It's sprouted!" Yes, somehow the fossilized seed (what the "rock" really was) has sprouted without any ground to be put in. It also grew itself a little pot. Okay then.

Next we cut to Mushnik's flower shop, where Mr. Mushnik is singing about his woes. Oh, I see- this show's a musical too. Great.

Then Seymour runs in and declares that this plant could get Audrey's attention- but she thinks it's a "rubber brussels sprout" and ignores him. How does it look anything like a brussels sprout?

Then, we cut to later that night. Seymour has fallen asleep while doing his homework. A shadow is cast on the wall, and Audrey II's voice does his old "feed me" routine. But Seymour, who's sleeping, doesn't respond, so instead the plant calls up "the pizza place" and orders up some pepperoni. Apparently he forgot the name of the restaurant. Given the number of pizzerias in New York, I guess that's not too big of a stretch.

Wait a minute... what am I saying? THE PLANT ORDERS PIZZA?!

But I thought it must be blood! Must be fresh! What's going on?!

Well, after a minute, the pizza guy comes to the shop on his motorcycle. It is quickly revealed that it's none other than Paine Driller! Apparently, he ALSO has a full-time job. The government must be really lenient on that sort of thing in this strange parallel dimension.

Paine soon finds that there is no one around, and decides to steal money from the unguarded cash register. But luckily, the plant eats the pizza, grows about ten feet, and prepares to eat Paine. Now THERE'S the Twoey we know and love-

Oh, but of course. In comes Seymour to ruin the fun. When Pain sees that Seymour is there, he decides to stop trying to rob him and instead just beat him up. Of course.

After Paine leaves, Audrey II shows up and reveals to Seymour that, yes, he can talk. The conversation is a frighteningly friendly one, given what we know about Audrey II. In fact, he even promises to help Seymour win Audrey's heart, and he sounds like he means it, too.

Uh-oh. It seems our little Twoey has become the good guy.

Here we cut to another commercial break. The only ads they showed were a promo for the then-new Beetle Juice cartoon, and for "MVP Sports Stars", which give you the chance to finally live out you dream of beating the crap out of your favorite sports stars.

Next we return to the show. As promised, Audrey II tries to plant an "idea seed" in Audrey's head ("Seymour is the coolest non-green dude in the world!"). I guess this guy, like the original movie, can hypnotize people. Pretty cool.

But things go awry, of course, and Paine gets the idea seed instead. I'd make some homosexual jokes, but he doesn't get THAT into Seymour- he just thinks he's "really cool". Audrey II unceremoniously throws him in a dumpster. Then, the latter raps about going home- and man, does it suck. I won't get into it, mercifully, but just know that it sucks.

Next, Twoey and Seymour reach the other side of the city dump, where Audrey II finds that his forest has been petrified, and that he had been lying dormant for 200 million years. Seymour promises that he'll give him a good home at the shop, and Audrey II accepts.

Well, there's the end of the first episode of "Little Shop". I haven't the access to the other episodes, but they're probably just as stupid. It's not a horrible show, but it's still pretty bad. Fans will probably hate it for it's deviations from the source material, and it's jokes are so corny they're not funny.

You could find the first episode up on YouTube, but only if you're really curious should you watch it. The rest of you can pretend it never existed.

Final Grade: D+

BradyNews: Fantastic Mr. Fox trailer

2009-08-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

The trailer for "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is now on Apple.com. This film has been in development for a few years, and it looks like all that hard work has paid off. From what I've seen, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" looks to be a good adaptation of the original Roald Dahl book, and you can looks forward to my BradyReview of it when the film is released on November 13.

To see the trailer, follow this link:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/fantasticmrfox/

BradyNews: Despicable Me

2009-08-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

I'm probably late to the party on this one, but I went to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince today (not for the first time, of course!), and I saw a trailer for a new animated film titled "Despicable Me". This strangely-titled film has an even stranger plot, about an evil supervillain (Steve Carell) whose plans to steal the moon are interrupted by the arrival of three orphan girls who see him as a father figure.

The plot is strange and the absurd amount of celebrities in the film (a sadly common occurrence in modern animated films) is worrisome, but Steve Carell is always funny and it is directed by the director of Horton Hears A Who (though Blue Sky is not the producer).

"Despicable Me" will be released on July 9, 2010.

Welcome to BradyToons

2009-08-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks. My name's Luke, and this be my blog. BradyToons will generally serve two purposes: 1. A blog for news and reviews involving animation, and 2. A showcase for my own artwork.

I hope you enjoy my blog, and I promise I'll have much more interesting content very soon.