Super DuckTales Part 2: Frozen Assets (DuckTales Vol 3 Part 21) - 'Toon Reviews 25

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Super DuckTales Part 2: Frozen Assets

While Fenton Crackshell left a mixed first impression, this is where his strengths show.  At the same time, this story arc brings an interesting new direction for him. 

Taking cash phrases literally continues when the broken dam in the last episode puts a new spin on “cash flow.”  It all ends up in a river flowing to Ma Beagle’s backyard.  Retrieving it brings on more literal talk as well as Fenton’s brilliance.  After working with liquid assets, Fenton turns matters to frozen assets.  He brings an artic front to the Beagle family’s beach fun with Scrooge’s fortune and takes the frozen cash river to the money bin’s new location.  It’s the creative thinking that helps make the show as great as it is and further suggests that Fenton isn’t as much of a goof as he lets on.  In fact, his next big mistake, using Scrooge’s Number One Dime to call him, doesn’t hurt him much.  There’s no way he could’ve known about its importance.  For Scrooge, the situation builds in even more stress for him when he turns to Gyro Gearloose for a new security system for the money bin.  Thanks to Gyro’s usual miscalculations, the security system sees everyone as an intruder.  This means Scrooge can’t get into his own fortune. 

The second act works to resolve the lost dime problem and beat the security system, and it all further does justice for Fenton.  First he goes to every phone service to retrieve the dime.  The Beagle Boys beat him to it just when the dime is in reach and rob it.  This leads to a series of comedic attempts where Fenton comes to Ma Beagle’s cabin to steal back the dime.  They mostly consist of wearing flimsy disguises resulting in blows to his face whenever he brings up the dimes.  This is a nice play on the trope of cartoon villains falling for disguises where the protagonist keeps getting busted.  It makes the Beagle family pretty competent which is impressive for the simple types of villains they are. 

After many of these attempts comes the new direction for Fenton. He notices Gyro invent a robotic armor to work as a better security system for the money bin.  To activate it, Gyro puts in a password that conveniently is Fenton’s catchphrase, “Blabbering Blatherskite.”  Unbeknownst to Scrooge or Gyro, Fenton gets to the armor, says the password, and it’s automatically fitted onto him.  From here, Fenton is known as Gizmoduck, a robotic superhero impervious to all blows and can unleash many special powers with the push of a button.  He’s put to use when he comes to Ma Beagle’s cabin again and they run away when even a bomb doesn’t blow him up.  There’s an awesome chase between Gizmoduck and the Beagle family car that builds in excitement.  They drive to the top of a building, Gizmoduck seems to fall off a building but lands in the car, and it ends with a humorous edge to a stop at a fast food joint.  It’s amazing that Gizmoduck keeps up with all this action with a bumbling duck like Fenton at the helm.  It’s like he’s a completely different character and a more competent one at that.  By the time he’s faced with the money bin’s old security system at the end after returning the Number One Dime, Gizmoduck leaves something great to look forward to. 

This is where “Super DuckTales” picks up with many great creative story directions and most of all, a nice showing of the more appealing side of the newest main character.

A

The Ranking

1. Once Upon a Dime
2. Duck in the Iron Mask
3. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. McDuck
4. Spies in Their Eyes
5. Nothing to Fear
6. The Uncrashable Hindentanic
7. Dime Enough for Luck
8. Super DuckTales Part 2: Frozen Assets
9. Duck to the Future
10. Launchpad’s First Crash
11. Jungle Duck
12. Ducky Horror Picture Show
13. Time is Money Part 4: Ducks on the Lam
14. Time is Money Part 1: Marking Time
15. Time is Money Part 2: The Duck Who Would Be King
16. All Ducks on Deck
17. Super DuckTales Part 1: Liquid Assets
18. Till Nephews Do Us Part
19. Time is Money Part 5: Ali Bubba’s Cave
20. The Status Seekers
21. Time is Money Part 3: Bubba Trubba

The next DuckTales review introduces Duckburg to more of what Gizmoduck can do.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews in Hey Arnold, we meet "Grandpa's Sister" and explore "Synchronized Swimming."

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