Monday, November 12, 2018

Animator's Alley/Can't Buy a Thrill/Hollywoodchuck (Animaniacs Vol 2 Part 17) - 'Toon Reviews 22


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Episode 42
Animator’s Alley (A)

This may be mainly a comedy show, but given its clear respect for animation, segments genuinely teaching about its history is a great idea. 
At first, these bumpers seem to go in that direction as the Warners host a talk show about animation history.  Their guest is a really old man who was part of the first Warner Bros. cartoons, Cappy Cap Barnhouse.  However, instead of teaching history, the whole point of these bumpers turns out to be the Warners being bored by an old man rambling on.  The moment Cappy says something about the studio making pies before making cartoons is a huge disappointment since from my research, I can confirm this isn’t true.  If he told actual animation history, there’d be much more weight and appeal. 
There could still be decent comedy from the Warners being bored out of their minds.  We do get one legit animation factoid when Cappy brings up actual names like Harman, Ising, and Freling as well as their first characters being Bosko and Honey.  However, that’s the only time the history is genuine.  Everything else we’ll get in these bumpers turns out to be complete nonsense thus justifying the Warners not paying attention. 
By the way, being animated by the least appealing studio, Freelance, does not work in these bumpers’ favor at all.
Animator’s Alley (B)


This featured image is a huge example of how visually unappealing these bumpers are.  To be fair, while Freelance’s style doesn’t really work for the Warners, it does feel appropriate for old people like Cappy. 
Anyway, they continue right after the theme song and prove these bumpers as even more of a rip-off.  Cappy recounts the creation of a finicky tapeworm and a bunch of fish cartoons.  Not only can you tell this isn’t true by simply researching, but it’s easy to see that no one would see appeal in such characters.  Well, fish have a lot of entertainment potential, I’ll give Cappy that. 
At least the Warners give the right attitude towards this fake history.  Even through their guest's recounts, they have what it takes to keep them entertained.  They pull out a TV and bring on the first cartoon…starring the Hip Hippos.
Can’t Buy a Thrill

I can’t really blame most people for claiming the Hip Hippos, Flavio and Marita, as their least favorite characters on the show.  I don’t hate them, but nothing about them stands out as truly entertaining characters if I can be honest.  They’re a simple happy hippo couple who live their lives in the city, and that’s just about it.  They don’t add any creative edge to what they do, and their only comedic gimmick is being oblivious to the pain their huge weight causes others.  Right there, you can see how out of place they are in this series. 
This cartoon does attempt to make them more exciting as they decide to try different dangerous activities.  Sadly, even with the promise for fun, the cartoon barely delivers.  No matter what thrill Flavio and Marita try, no activity leaves any significant impact.  Whether they’re bungie-jumping, running with the bulls, or diving into shark-infested water, all there is to them is a repeated gag, a flash-and-pan gag, or nothing at all.  The hippos just do a bunch of things and go right back to where they were at the start of the cartoon.  Any potential for excitement or comedy falls flat before it can reach its full potential, making the experience really dull. 
At best, there’s a slight attempt at comedy from the zoologist studying them, Gina Embryo.  Like in an earlier Hip Hippos cartoon, she follows the hippos around to keep them safe, but constantly gets herself hurt in the process.  There are a few funny pain gags with her such as an elaborate fall from a building, getting comically flattened, or trying and failing to ward off bulls.  Despite some mild humor, it gets tiresome that Gina is only here for getting hurt over being over protective.  Plus, her role is really disposable.  Flavio and Marita are completely oblivious to her obvious presence, and they’re perfectly fine no matter what they do, so there’s no reason for her to follow them at all. 
As you can tell, this cartoon is both very problematic and boring, though it’s still harmless and watchable.  Along with a few funny gags and lines, there’s a sense of warmth and endearment from the Hippos themselves, even if they’re not very interesting.  They’re not bad, but the series proves that they can’t really hold a cartoon on their own, and are much more enjoyable alongside other characters.  Gina simply isn’t one of them though and that makes the fact that this cartoon is her final appearance all the more appropriate.  Things look up for the Hip Hippos in their next starring roles though, but they won’t come for a long time.
D+

Animator’s Alley (C)



Once again, we have Cappy rambling about animation history that doesn’t actually exist.  Seriously, how can anyone buy that there were cartoons about a bunion and a sickly lemur? 
Fortunately, it’s made entertaining by how the Warners’ boredom is depicted as they melt into puddles of ink and paint.  This is the kind of stuff that benefits from Freelance’s animation style.  They also do the wise thing and run away from the talk show when they have the chance.  I bet you wish you could easily do that if you had to sit through something so boring and tedious.
Hollywoodchuck
This cartoon stars a character who’s technically a one-off since this is his only starring role, though he has made sparse appearances afterwards as the butt of jokes.  With the plot of his introductory role, it’s easy to see why this is the case. 
His name is Charlton Woodchuck and all throughout the cartoon he’s not very friendly or pleasant.  He’s going to Hollywood thinking he has a chance to make it big.  It’s a very simple scenario and it’s made flimsy by Charlton’s attitude.  He’s completely full of himself and doesn’t hesitate to belittle anyone he meets.  Not to mention, he frequently has people write down their names so that he’ll know not to like them when he’s famous. 
The thing is, it isn’t convincing at all that Charlton is actor material at all.  He’s small, scrappy, and has a very shrill voice.  He also has an immense lack of hard work behind him, thinking he can get into Hollywood by reciting the old “how much wood could a woodchuck chuck” tongue twister.  I’m no expert on show business, but I’d imagine you have to do a lot better than that to get into Hollywood.  In fact, the only reason Charlton gets the acting job at all is because the director wants a more realistic chipmunk.  All the other applicants have far more apparent acting experience than Charlton who can barely recite the tongue twister.  Basically, we’re following an unlikable protagonist in this cartoon.  Charlton is especially bad for being a character who acts like the best yet has no talent to show for himself.  Those are some of the most annoying characters to put up with. 
For that reason, the ensuing pain gags feel kind of appropriate.  In the role of a common chipmunk, Charlton is assigned to not talk, but do whatever the narrator says.  What follows is nothing but Charlton getting maimed by every animal in a forest.  In addition to constantly getting flung into a bear who only exists to hurt him, he’s also pecked by a woodpecker, swallowed by a snake, and stung by bees.  The wholesome background narration as Charlton gets hurt is the bulk of the comedy.  It presents the story as something sweet and innocent for children everywhere while what’s seen is very sadistic and painful.  Dictating Charlton’s thoughts and reasons for the animals to hurt him adds to the humor. 
However, the narration is really where any bit of humor lies.  On its own, there isn’t anything funny about Charlton getting hurt from the images or his reactions especially as they continue when he asks to stop.  Also, even if he does deserve to be brought down a peg, what he endures does go on too long and isn’t proportionate to his bad attitude. 
As for how it ends, it honestly doesn’t really do that.  It kind of stops when Charlton says he quits and suddenly he’s back home.  His ego is still as big as ever with one last funny bit of holding a stack of names of people he doesn’t like.  He didn’t learn a thing, but that’s what justifies what his following appearances put him through, even if they also won’t come for a while. 
The pain gags go on a bit too long, but what makes them justifiable is the unlikable protagonist.  It’s not the best or funniest work from the show, but it has merit, particularly in showing that those with bad attitudes usually don’t prosper.
C
 
Animator’s Alley (D)

Closing off the bumpers is one last bit of senility where Cappy, who barely stays awake, brings up the bogus factoid about Warner Bros. making pies before falling asleep again.  However, his audience is already gone and he’s talking to no one.  This adds to the disappointment that you don’t get any real animation history like the title promises, but it’s a pretty funny scene to go out on.
If you’re looking for humor from how the Warners approach a boring talk, these bumpers are decent for that, albeit not that hilarious.  However, even if it was the point, they don’t live up to the potential of a talk show with an old animator with the history explained being nonexistent.  It could still be insightful while still being funny with the Warners being bored, but Cappy’s talk instead goes for jokes about what old people stereotypically think of.  What Cappy brings up is kind of funny, but when the title suggests animation history, it’s hard not to feel ripped off when you don’t get any.  The material is fine as it is, but it could’ve been better.
C+
Cartoon Ranking
  1. Chairman of the Bored
  2. Hot Bothered and Bedeviled
  3. Bubba Bo Bob Brain
  4. Baghdad Café
  5. In the Garden of Mindy
  6. Critical Condition
  7. O Silly Mio
  8. Phranken-Runt
  9. Puppet Rulers
  10. The Three Muska-Warners
  11. Clown and Out
  12. Jockey For Position
  13. Sir Yaksalot
  14. Potty Emergency
  15. General Boo-Regard
  16. Puttin’ on the Blitz
  17. Raging Bird
  18. Dough Dough Boys
  19. The Big Kiss
  20. Draculee Draculaa
  21. Babblin’ Bijou
  22. Fair Game
  23. No Place Like Homeless
  24. I Got Yer Can
  25. Spell-bound
  26. Smitten With Kittens
  27. Astro-Buttons
  28. Boot Camping
  29. Moby or Not Moby
  30. Noah’s Lark
  31. Skullhead Boneyhands
  32. The Good, the Boo, and the Ugly
  33. Hiccup
  34. Moon Over Minerva
  35. Broadcast Nuisance
  36. White Gloves
  37. Katie Ka-Boo
  38. Mesozoic Mindy
  39. Hollywoodchuck
  40. Can’t Buy a Thrill
Miscellaneous Ranking
  1. Animaniacs Stew
  2. Testimonials
  3. Buttermilk It Makes a Body Bitter
  4. Alas Poor Skullhead
  5. Cartoons in Wakko’s Body
  6. You Risk Your Life
  7. Casablanca Opening
  8. The Slapper
  9. The Great Wakkorotti: The Summer Concert
  10. Animator’s Alley
Song Ranking
  1. The Planets
The next Animaniacs review has Rita and Runt take a wrong turn and end up on a bunny farm, Mindy chases after her old doll thrown away even after getting a new clean one, and the Warners meet ladies who keep asking them if they want to take a survey.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews, from OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes it's "OK Dendy! Let's be K.O."
If you would like to check out other Animaniacs reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.


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