Tuesday, June 26, 2018

'Toon Reviews 18: Rocko's Modern Life Season 1 Episode 1: No Pain No Gain/Who Gives a Buck?

We’re adding another Nicktoon to the review repertoire today which is one of the most bizarre yet highly creative and ingenious looks at everyday life:

Rocko’s Modern Life (Season 1)
Basic Premise

When it comes to animated TV shows, some of my favorites are those that depict relatable moments of everyday life, and those that allow creators to stretch their imaginations and bring to life humorous scenarios that can’t be expressed in any other medium.  This classic animated series from Nickelodeon is somewhat of a combination of the two types of series.  With it turning 25 this year and set to be rebooted with a TV movie called “Static Cling” in the near future, I’m pleased to start doing reviews of Rocko’s Modern Life.

The premise of the show is one we all can relate to where every little thing we do in life is hardly ever easy with challenges stemming around every corner.  However, it stands out through not just interpreting the activity, but also letting loose highly creative mindsets through exaggerating the challenges that come with them resulting in hilariously memorable antics throughout the runtime.  At the center of all these attempts at getting through life is a basic yet likable protagonist, Rocko himself.  He’s an Australian wallaby whose only goal is to live a happy, healthy, and productive life, which is made near-impossible when he’s constantly seeing how difficult the tasks he sets out to do really are.  Making Rocko’s attempts at living a good life even more interesting are the distinct characters he runs into, like his cute yet incident-prone dog Spunky, his gluttonous yet well-meaning steer friend Heffer, the neurotic turtle Filburt, and his easily irritated next-door neighbors, the Bigheads.  Even if the challenges are exaggerated, you can easily see yourself as Rocko and connect with the basic difficulty of the craziness he endures, making for an experience that’s both hilarious and relatable.  We’ll get a first taste of this setup at work in this look at the first season of this show. 
It should be noted that the order the cartoons will be reviewed in will not be in the production order, so there will be some continuity errors.  Unlike another Nicktoon I review on this blog, I can’t find a website with the proper order, so the airing order is all I have to follow . 
Also, I've recently decided that scoring the cartoons with numbers makes my reviews feel a little too objective which can be a problem should people not agree with my opinion, especially things I rate a 10/10.  What seems like perfection to me could be highly problematic for others, basically.  What I need is a rating system that ties into how I feel about something, but also be considerate of people who might not fully agree, much like my recommendation ratings I give to reviews of specials.  This is why, starting with this set of reviews, I'm going to add in a new rating  system akin to grades you'd get on a test with A+ being the highest (with the exception of the rare A++) and F- being the lowest.  This is just a change I thought I'd share.
With all that said, let’s begin while also remembering that review day can be a very “dangerous” day.


Now on with the reviews:

No Pain No Gain










Unlike most shows I’ve reviewed whose first episodes usually devote themselves to giving thorough introductions to the characters we follow through the series, this one begins with a standard cartoon that more or less follows the premise of the series.  It’s a bit of a random entry to start on and one that can be viewed out of order without missing anything, but despite its traits applying to most cartoons of this show, it’s still a commendable way to show what you get out of this series. 
The relatable topic here is Rocko and Heffer feeling out of shape which prompts them to join a health club called FlambĂ© le Flab run by classy business owners who pop up a lot in various occupations, the Chameleon Brothers.  All throughout Rocko and Heffer’s weight loss attempts, the basic yet identifiable hardships that come from exercising shine through the cartoonish exaggerations of the states of being.  It’s even shown right at the start to illustrate how in desperate need of Rocko and Heffer to get into better shape, especially a gag of Heffer breaking through the doorframe and falling through the floor due to his weight.  As to be expected though, the most effective use of exaggerations come from the health club itself.  The antics are mostly a result of Rocko’s inexperience with exercise equipment and generally not being as fit as everyone else, and Heffer either focusing more on eating something than actually working out. 
It’s astounding how much creativity the cartoon gets out of a concept as simple as the difficulties of exercising.  We have Rocko being unable to keep up with fast-paced stretches that he ends up being bounced around like a ball, getting comically crushed by a barbells that seem light enough for him, getting unbelievably stretched out even in the eyes by the all too advanced Anatomizer, and more.  What Rocko’s put through may be extremely exaggerated, but it’s still easy to identify yourself in his place since exercising in real life is hardly as easy as some people make it out to be.  This is what keeps the cartoon entertaining despite Rocko constantly getting beaten around through his feeble attempts.  Even Heffer slacking off of the exercising to eat can be seen as identifiable.  It does make him lazy especially when he makes weak excuses to justify adding on weight he’s meant to lose, but Heffer’s role ties into a common behavior expressed when you don’t feel like working out even though you have to. 
As will be the case throughout much of the series, there’s an undeniable charm to Heffer’s character in which it really feels like he values Rocko as a friend through civil conversations and both of them enjoying each other’s company regardless of whether they’re both on the same page.  That’s why the ending scene when Rocko turns down the offer to become a full-fledged member of the health club to be with his friend is a well-done way of bringing in some heart to the cartoon.  There’s not really a sense of accomplishment though since it’s not convincing that Rocko and Heffer truly got into shape like they set out to do, so the whole thing does feel empty and lacking in value. 
Still, it astounds for its genuine relatability through its cartoonish depictions of living life, and this is only the first instance of the show working these strengths.
A-


Who Gives a Buck?










We all want to find the best way possible to get a lot of money, and it’s challenging to find out how to use your money well once you get it.  As a show that uses exaggerations to make its point on life’s relatable problems, the money problem makes the resulting cartoon pretty impactful.
Rocko is in need of some new things for his house especially a new dog bowl for Spunky.  When a credit card arrives in the mail, Rocko is pushed by Heffer to use it to shop at the mall.  While it’s really predictable that Heffer’s advice won’t lead to any good given how dim-witted he is, just from the look of Rocko’s empty and messy home, there’s good to his idea. 
At first, any misfortunes they do run into are out of both his and Rocko’s control when they first drive to the mall.  Some antics play with expectations like when they try to find a parking space while following a man, but the man turns out to think like a child since he’s been looking for his mom’s car for years.  Others rely on crazy visuals like when they go up a maze of roads for a parking space, ending at the highest level in space.  Admittedly, these antics go on a bit too long and don’t fit with the main shopping spree, but at least they’re enjoyable on their own. 
As for the actual shopping, the ordeal is approached with a lot of edge and entertainment as a humble citizen like Rocko meets a shady store owner who’s clearly doing whatever he can to get the first-time credit card user to purchase his most expensive yet creatively designed dog bowl.  In a strong show of morality, Rocko conflicts over buying it knowing it’s expensive even though he can pay later.  He ends up buying the bowl which at least fulfills the need for his beloved dog, but in a combination of peer pressure from Heffer and genuinely wanting to buy more nice-looking things, his first purchase leads to many more.  The creative interpretation of the credit card looking burnt out from how much Rocko uses it is a small one yet still effective for what it shows.  
Eventually, the problem of credit cards comes when Rocko has to pay for all the stuff he bought, and he can’t afford to do so. The magnitude of the trouble is felt through angry phone calls and random messages thrown through the window.  It even continues into his dreams where imagination goes all out to depict Rocko’s psyche reacting to his inability to pay up when bits of the credit card he chopped up earlier come to life to throw him in a debt version of Hell.  It’s imaginative and frightful for sure, but its impact doesn’t lead up to anything too huge when the conflict resolves itself.
Everything Rocko bought is repurposed, though it does leave Rocko and Spunky with nothing.  However, we still end on a good note with Heffer making up for running out when things got really bad earlier by buying Spunky another one of the special dog dishes which continues to show how good a friend he can be in spite of his major faults.  It’s also a plus that it gives relevance to an earlier scene that could easily be written off as random. 
This is only the second cartoon of the first episode and already the show’s great talents are made clear.  With a universally relatable premise helped by exaggerated yet fitting antics and likable characters to follow, this show is really starting to prove itself to be worth more than money can buy.
A

The Ranking
  1. Who Gives a Buck?
  2. No Pain No Gain
The next Rocko's Modern Life review covers a rarely-seen cartoon where Bev Bighead gets the hots for Rocko, and the problematic side of Heffer's faults are revealed when he moves in with Rocko.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is the Steven Universe episode, "When it Rains."
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If you would like to check out other Rocko's Modern Life reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

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