Terror of the Terra-Fermians-(DuckTales 2017 Season 1 Episode 9)-'Toon Reviews 51

If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:

Terror of the Terra-Firmians

The best way to describe this episode of the reboot is that it’s an effective mix of honoring the original series and doing its own unique thing.  Both approaches in writing make for a memorable escapade of callbacks to legacy and how it allows development for much of the characters present.  

The driving force of the story mostly comes from elements exclusive to the reboot with the group hanging out with Webby’s new friend Lena.  Following a trip to the movies, Lena’s attitude leads to mixed reactions.  While the kids enjoy her laid back and rebellious ways well enough with Webby being absolutely ecstatic, their caretaker Mrs. Beakley is understandably suspicious.  Naturally protective of the kids, especially her granddaughter, it’s easy to think that Lena could be a bad influence to those she’s around.  Even the audience has a reason to believe this with her established association with Magica de Spell.  There’s a good show of these traits with the other inciting incident for the story that also serves as a tie to the original series.  

The movie the group saw gets Webby talking about a variety of creatures, particularly a group of creatures known as terra-firmians.  The portrayal of these creatures is a respectful homage with its own fresh additions.  Like in the original series, the terra-firmians are round colorful ball-like creatures who compete in games involving rolling into things that end up causing earthquakes for the surface world.  However, while the original depictions of these characters had them merely as cheerful creatures oblivious to the havoc they cause, the reboot goes for more interesting background.  They’re actually a race of different tribes who chaotically compete in games as part of a war where they fight for the throne following the death of the original king.  Also, unlike the center of the earth in the original series, they reside in an old abandoned subway tunnel below Duckburg.  

As that tunnel is just nearby, Lena seizes opportunity and leads Webby and Huey down to investigate, and are later joined by Mrs. Beakley, Dewey, Louie, and Launchpad.  The group is eventually separated which makes for equal focus on different subplots going on.  Starting with the least impactful subplot, that involves Launchpad being assigned to get an abandoned subway train moving with Dewey joining him for backup.  The catch is that Launchpad is very paranoid about the people he knows being mole monsters after seeing the earlier movie.  Through the process, Dewey tries to talk sense into him with Launchpad coming to the conclusion that if everyone is a mole monster, he must be too.  It’s a solid comedic side plot which reveals Launchpad’s ways sourcing from a lack of intelligence, but it does show a start of him and Dewey as a notable pair for the series.  

Now, the other two subplots have more to talk about.  Webby and Huey have a conflict involving the true existence of the terra-firmians.  Webby, with a huge passion for adventure, is a firm believer in the creatures and is eager to meet them.  All the while, there’s a notable showing of Huey’s individual character, further demonstrating the reboot’s welcome distinction of the three nephews.  In Huey’s case, he’s very detail oriented and dependent on his prized book, the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook, a very notable nod to the original series.  He stubbornly believes that if certain phenomena isn’t in the book, it isn’t real, and terra-firmians are not in the book.  Whenever they come across a sign of the creatures, Webby and Huey have differing reasons for believing if it truly is them or not, getting tense and argumentative.  

This conflicting atmosphere is also felt with Lena and Mrs. Beakley whose differing mannerisms bring their lack of trust in each other to the forefront.  It’s especially felt when during their trek to free the train from a cave-in, Mrs. Beakley forbids Lena from ever seeing Webby again after all this.  This is distressing to Lena, showing that her friendship with Webby is indeed genuine and really doesn’t want to lose her.  Her feelings are really put to the test when the train finally gets moving, but strange creatures also start attacking.  It’s a major climactic moment to bring several turning points for characters.  As Huey witnesses the creature that clearly appears to be a terra-firmian, his view and dependence on his guidebook is undoubtably challenges.  He’s forced to come to terms with his worldview being challenged, and doing so in such a tense climax makes the moment stand out even more.  However, the most shining character moment belongs to Lena.  During the ambush, Mrs. Beakley is caught under a coach of the subway train.  Lena is driven to help, but her loyalty is truly put to the test when Magica de Spell appears in her shadow again, trying to push Lena to just leave Mrs. Beakley.  There’s suspense over what choice she’ll make, but ultimately, Lena makes the right choice and saves Mrs. Beakley, defying her aunt.  This cements Lena as a character worth supporting where in spite of her rebellious nonconformist ways, she does believe in doing what’s right.  

As for the terra-firmians, when everything’s settled, there’s a compromise for the views of Huey and Webby.  The creatures prove to be real, but nothing is said about their history.  If anything, the one who encountered the group practically mirrors Huey in terms of perspective of different beings.  Honestly, this brief encounter with the terra-firmians here and how they approach outsiders makes them more interesting than the whole episode they had in the original series.  That said, it is unfortunate that they never show up again throughout this reboot.  One thing that is further seen going forward though is Lena’s character arc.  The episode ends with her gaining Mrs. Beakley’s trust, and when she hears Magica berate her, she brushes it off choosing to follow the rules to keep her new friendship.  This in turn leaves the audience with a character worth getting behind with lots of future potential.  

Having said that, the main appeal of this episode comes from the many interesting character dynamics and the compelling growth and ideals that result from them.

A

Series Ranking

1.     The House of the Lucky Gander

2.     The Beagle Birthday Breakout

3.     The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverrest

4.     Terror of the Terra-Firmians

5.     The Living Mummies of Toth-Ra

6.     Daytrip of Doom

7.     The Great Dime Chase

8.     Escape To/From Atlantis

9.     Woo-oo

10.  The Infernal Internship of Mark Beaks

The next review follows a mystery with Scrooge going missing during a party he doesn't even want.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews, we return to Ed Edd n Eddy  Season 4 with "Robbin' Ed" and "A Case of Ed."

If you would like to check out other DuckTales reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

The Big Flub-(DuckTales Vol 4 Part 9)-'Toon Reviews 50 + Where Have I Been

 If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. 

Before we begin, I think I have some explaining to do because it's kind of crazy how long it's been since my last post.  I started this blog with eagerness to share my thoughts on animated shows with anyone anywhere who also enjoys them.  In all honesty, this is still the case now, but life has other commitments such as day jobs to help keep bread on the table, and attempts to win jobs I dream of having. You can see what I mean by the latter here, highlighting what I've spent most of last year working on.  As a result, certain pastimes have been pushed aside, including these reviews.  In addition though, I just don't feel as motivated to talk about animated series whether it's my overall life still having a lot going on, or the current state of the animation medium this decade, or even a bit of writer's block.  Nevertheless, I look back at my past reviews with fondness and I do enjoy what I have come up with, so returning to it was always on my mind.  Well now, I'm ready to try my hand at reviewing more frequently, with my current goal finishing my current set of reviews for DuckTales and Ed Edd n Eddy. I'm even interested in covering other seasons of other shows like the last season of Hilda.  I can't say I'll be reviewing as frequently as I have before, and it could still be inconsistent, but I can try to make more of an attempt to not give up on the blog.

I think that's all there is to say about this, so on with today's review:

The Big Flub

This Fenton Crackshell-focused episode highlights both the likable and frustratingly boneheaded sides of the character.  At the same time, it does make a somewhat entertaining point about staying sharp in business.  

When a new position opens to be Scrooge’s vice president, Fenton is instantly in it to win it, though clearly to an aggressive extent. He’s constantly showing up when Scrooge least expects it simply asking or even begging for the position which only leaves Scrooge annoyed.  This method only lasts for a short time though as Fenton soon learns from Huey, Dewey, and Louie that to get something from Scrooge, he has to cleverly sell himself.  Their example is how they convinced him to buy them a three person bike so it would be cheaper than paying for gas for years.  

With that, Fenton gets into the selling game himself by putting together a TV commercial.  It has several key factors for successful commercials; the atmosphere is appealing, it has a fitting personality to advertise it with Gandra Dee, and even a name, Pep.  However, there’s a major deal breaker to Fenton’s strategy that honestly shouldn’t have been too hard to miss; he doesn’t have an actual product to sell.  For all his efforts on the commercials and their effectiveness in getting people excited for Pep, not saying exactly what it is does not do Fenton any favors.  Interestingly, Scrooge sees Fenton’s strategy as smart because of the excitement it’s built up for Pep; they just need to find an invention to give the name to.  In that regard, there’s actually a good lesson about business from this that the audience watching can take from this episode.  

As for what Pep ends up being, the problem is solved fairly quickly via an assortment of inventions from Gyro Gearloose.  Fenton and Scrooge ultimately settle on gum that make people float when they blow a bubble.  Such a novelty is a hit with the public with many indicators of Pep’s huge impact with the product quickly selling out, the gum being a part everyday life, and Fenton getting higher status.  Yet in all this success, it’s easy to predict a catch mainly because of Fenton showcasing the gum without paying attention to Gyro’s warning about it not being tested.  One doesn’t have to think too hard to see how this is just asking for trouble, and sure enough, this turns out to be the case.  

The gum has side effects of making anyone who chewed it float uncontrollably and involuntary.  The product that started out as a grand innovation is now a total nuisance, and Fenton’s new status takes the biggest hit.  Now everyone who was amazed by his product detests him and everything related to it.  Even Gandra has to conceal her identity for being the face of Pep in the commercials and also wants nothing to do with Fenton.  

At least Fenton’s mother and Scrooge see his goodness and well intentions and are active in helping Fenton fix everything.  When Fenton is stuck floating, they use Pep, a trash compactor, and a tire pump to get Mrs. Crackshell’s trailer airborne to get Fenton his Gizmoduck suit.  It’s a resolution that’s as creative as it is heartfelt especially compared to everyone else regarding Fenton.  As Gizmoduck, he saves the floating people and attaches them to heavy weights to keep them on the ground, though it’s not clear how they don’t end up floating away again.  Moral-wise, it’s at least good that the ending implies that all will be forgiven with Fenton after he sends out enough refunds and apologies.  

Overall, this is a solid episode held back by notable boneheaded story and character moments, but still comes out with an amusing take on business ethics.

B+

The Ranking

1.     My Mother the Psychic

2.     Allowance Day

3.     The Big Flub

4.     The Land of Trala La

5.     The Good Muddahs

6.     Dough Ray Me

7.     Bubba’s Big Brainstorm

8.     Metal Attraction

9.     Bubbeo and Juliet

 

The next episode follows everyone trying to guess the identity of Gizmoduck.

Next time is a reboot episode, "Terror of the Terra-Firmians."

f you would like to check out other DuckTales reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

Thick as an Ed / Sorry Wrong Ed - (Ed Edd n Eddy Season 4 Episode 8) - 'Toon Reviews 52

 If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:

Thick as an Ed

Each Ed is defined by certain personality traits that make them stand out from each other.  A common way to come up with an idea for a cartoon is to take on of those traits and build a plot around it.  While this is a solid approach, sometimes focusing so much on that trait can lead to a stunt in engagement; not enough to bring the product down but not producing the best results either.  

At the center of this particular cartoon is Ed, and in the opening moments, there’s a display of a few of his main personality traits.  He’s slow and dim-witted as he gets himself ready to take Sarah to Jimmy’s before she decides it’s not worth waiting for her big brother chaperone; then he’s soon in his own imaginary world where he goes about a crayon-drawn version of the cul-de-sac while counting to himself.  These are amusing sequences, but they’re disconnected from the main plot that focuses itself on one particular trait of Ed’s.  

After being snapped out of his fantasy, Ed is called upon to take part in setting up a scam where the Eds catch frogs and have the other kids use them to compete in a derby.  Soon after, the plot kicks in when preparation for the scam faces an obstacle stemming from Ed’s very trait of lacking good hygiene.  He’s always had a disregard for being clean ever since the beginning to the point where the others are kind of used to it.  The problem here is that he stinks way more than usual, and it isn’t long before the reason is revealed.  

Ed’s fouler than average stench is because of a moldy piece of cheese he has in his jacket which he names Sheldon.  From here, the cartoon goes in a very monotonous direction with one basic sequence of events at play for the whole runtime.  The Eds are at the creek trying to catch frogs, but Ed’s stinky jacket gets in the way as Double D complains about the smell and Eddy complains about the scam being stalled.  There’s nothing but the same routine going on in the same location, and that makes the viewing experience kind of dull.  In all this time, the only things to offer are complaining, and attempts to get Sheldon out of the jacket that keep going unaccomplished.  

To be fair, there is solid entertainment from the overly dramatic ways Double D goes about the situation; the funniest thing to come out of this is a banter with Ed where Double D says an intellectual insult about Sheldon while Ed stands strong while repeating the same insult, “stinky hat.”  This bit is very funny, but the rest of what goes on don’t come close in terms of comedy or entertainment. 

There’s just so much over-the-top drama from Double D (to the point where he acts like Sheldon has killed him which goes nowhere) and failed attempts from Eddy to forcefully get rid of Sheldon one can take.  It also doesn’t really make Ed look good by not showing any care for the discomfort Sheldon is causing his friends.  Yes, Ed is dumb, but he’s always had some consideration for others, so his behavior doesn’t feel too right.  In the end, Eddy gets rid of Sheldon by throwing him in the creek.  Ed is sad about this, but it’s hard to feel for him after all the grief his actions caused.  Not only that, but he has another thing that smells really bad, a fish carcass named Angus.  The cartoon at least closes on another “stinky hat” banter, so at least it knows where it’s at its most entertaining.  

On the whole though, this cartoon is passable, but with one primary character trait driving everything, the experience is a bit of a drag.

C+

Sorry Wrong Ed

Monotonous was the word to describe the first cartoon of this episode.  This feeling continues into the following cartoon where the runtime is an ongoing series of pain gags stemming from something so simple and insignificant.  

It starts with the Eds watching Rolf frantically bury an antique looking phone. Taken in by the classy appearance, Eddy offers to guard the burial for Rolf when it’s actually a ploy to dig the phone up and take it for himself.  After successfully getting the phone, the formulaic routine is put into motion.  Basically, every time the phone rings and someone answers it, Eddy gets hurt in a completely outrageous way.  That’s just about all there is to this entire cartoon, amounting to nothing more than an exercise to get Eddy hurt practically for the sake of it.  Granted, there is solid variety through the different ways Eddy gets hurt. A record is flung off the player and hits him; a spring in his bed breaks and shoots him up the wall; a random ice cream cart rides in by itself and falls on him; and he’s sprayed by a skunk that suddenly appears.  In other words, one thing that can’t be faulted here is the imagination with the pain gags coming with a lot of variety.  

Creative as the ways Eddy gets hurt are, the fact remains that the context of how they happen is still an issue.  While there are different ways he gets hurt whenever he answers the phone, the basic idea is still the same and not very pleasant.  Yeah, Eddy may have taken the phone for himself, but what he gets is disproportionate to his actions; it’s nothing but pain for him with no bright sides.  The most prominent pain is how the situation puts him into sheer paranoia believing the phone is cursed, and honestly, it’s not too far-fetched to believe that.  The ways Eddy gets hurt are very inexplicable with most things coming out of nowhere.  Plus, it’s all too convenient that they happen whenever the phone’s answered, so something must be up.  

This brings to light another issue that adds to the monotonous feel of the cartoon, how the other Eds react to it.  There’s nothing much to say for Ed, but in addition to Eddy getting hurt, there’s a great deal of Double D stating how it’s ridiculous for Eddy to think the phone is cursed.  He may be an intellectual individual, but how he reacts to everything make him look frustratingly dense.  In real life, his claim that curses aren’t real is true, but here, it has no weight since everything really does happen every time the phone is answered.  It’s hard not to believe it has a connection to everything especially since things like the ice cream cart and the skunk come completely out of nowhere after it’s answered.  Even things that do have a logical explanation like a later scene of a streetlight falling on Eddy supposedly due to a rusty bolt aren’t convincing.  It's in perfect condition at first but then suddenly breaks after the phone is picked up.  That has peculiar written all over it, yet Double D is too stubborn to realize that or show any care for Eddy’s pain.  

Continuing the trend of poor characterization, the conclusion is big on boneheaded ways of thinking.  After failing to give the phone back to Rolf, instead of doing the sensible thing of just destroying the phone or even burying it again, Eddy hastily drops it off with Jonny and Plank.  Granted, it’s not totally boneheaded at first as Eddy still getting hurt after giving up the phone does open the idea of the curse being ambiguous even though Double D is still inconsiderate.  Then that idea isn’t followed up on at all with it revealed that Jonny and Plank still answer the phone that leads to Eddy’s inexplicable pain.  This leaves nothing to think about with the impression that yes, the phone really is cursed.  It also begs several questions like why it’s only Eddy who gets hurt no matter who answers it.  Shouldn’t Rolf get all this pain since he’s the phone’s real owner?  Plus it makes it so glaringly obvious that Eddy would have been cured if he just destroyed the phone.  

Overall, it just feels like the cartoon wants to make Eddy suffer for the sake of it.  Some humor can be found by the creative ways he’s hurt, but if pain for the sake of pain is all that’s to be offer, it amounts to a pretty weak cartoon.

D-

Series Ranking

1.     An Ed is Born

2.     One + One = Ed

3.     The Day the Ed Stood Still

4.     A Glass of Warm Ed

5.     It Came from Outer Ed

6.     Rent-A-Ed

7.     Once Upon an Ed

8.     Fa La La La Ed

9.     Urban Ed

10.  Ed…Pass it On

11.  One of Those Eds

12.  Laugh Ed Laugh

13.  Dawn of the Eds

14.  Don’t Rain on My Ed

15.  Wish You Were Ed

16.  Dueling Eds

17.  Mirror, Mirror On the Ed

18.  Gimme, Gimme Never Ed

19.  Ed-N-Seek

20.  Keeping Up With the Eds

21.  Who Let the Ed In

22.  Avast Ye Eds

23.  Flea Bitten Ed

24.  Fool on the Ed

25.  Ready Set Ed

26.  The Ed-Touchables

27.  Who What Where Ed

28.  Dear Ed

29.  Momma’s Little Ed

30.  Brother, Can You Spare an Ed?

31.  Hot Buttered Ed

32.  Ed or Tails

33.  Stop Look and Ed

34.  See No Ed

35.  Shoo Ed

36.  Rock-a-Bye Ed

37.  Little Ed Blue

38.  Ed in a Halfshell

39.  Scrambled Ed

40.  Pain in the Ed

41.  O-Ed Eleven

42.  Vert Ed Go

43.  Ed Overboard

44.  Oath to an Ed

45.  Ed, Ed, and Away

46.  Button Yer Ed

47.  An Ed in the Bush

48.  Read All About Ed

49.  Rambling Ed

50.  Home Cooked Ed

51.  Honor Thy Ed

52.  Floss Your Ed

53.  Quick Shot Ed

54.  Look Into My Eds

55.  The Luck of the Ed

56.  The Good Ol’ Ed

57.  Is There An Ed in the House?

58.  Knock, Knock Who’s Ed

59.  A Boy and His Ed

60.  Eds-Aggerate

61.  Three Squares and an Ed

62.  One Size Fits Ed

63.  Will Work for Ed

64.  Boys Will Be Eds

65.  High Heeled Ed

66.  Know-it-All Ed

67.  For Your Ed Only

68.  Dim Lit Ed

69.  Cry Ed

70.  Eeny Meeny Miney Ed

71.  A Pinch to Grow an Ed

72.  Pop Goes the Ed

73.  Hands Across Ed

74.  They Call Him Mr. Ed

75.  An Ed Too Many

76.  Sir Ed-a-Lot

77.  For the Ed By the Ed

78.  Over Your Ed

79.  From Here to Ed

80.  A Key to My Ed

81.  Once Bitten Twice Ed

82.  X Marks the Ed

83.  It’s Way Ed

84.  In Like Ed

85.  A Twist of Ed

86.  Thick as an Ed

87.  My Fair Ed

88.  To Sir With Ed

89.  Nagged to Ed

90.  Tag Yer Ed

91.  Sorry Wrong Ed

92.  If it Smells Like an Ed

93.  Your Ed Here

The next review introduces Captain Melonhead, and the appeal of the Eds' dynamic is questioned further when Eddy and Ed trick Double D into thinking he has a fatal disease.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews, it's back to DuckTales.

If you would like to check out other Ed Edd n Eddy reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.