Episode 95
Hooray for
North Hollywood Part 1
As
a two-part saga appearing this late in the series, there’s a lot of potential
for greatness. From the premise, one
would think that this would go on to be somewhat of a high point for the
Warners and their role at the Warner Bros studio. The results are fun and
satirical as far as the movie business goes, but there’s a constant feeling
that it’s not as grand or solidly constructed as it could have been.
The story is all about the Warners writing up their own script to make into a legit big budget movie and ultimately become rich and famous. While the very concept and story premise sound very simple, it’s somehow dragged out a lot longer than necessary. The basic notion of the Warners needing someone to fund their script has its three acts fully devoted to different phases of the process. The first act establishes them writing up the script and taking it to Thaddeus Plotz which is a fine way to start things out. The second is where the pacing truly gets problematic. Too much time is spent in one location, the lobby of Plotz’s office with too much emphasis on the waiting time and the CEO’s many script rejections. By the time the Warners get to talk with Plotz in the third act, things still go nowhere with failed attempts to get their script funded until news of a big Hollywood party at the end.
Now, I could forgive the low-quality storytelling if the characters really livened things up, but for the most part, the Warners hardly feel true to their great cartoonish selves. They write up a script and are blunt with wanting to get famous off of it like how any average person would be. They’re also very restrained when talking to people which is a far cry from their approach to that with funny one liners and visual gags. In these scenes, they don’t feel like the over-the-top cartoon characters they were established as. They feel like bland kids who happen to want to make a movie.
Thankfully they’re at their most interesting the few times they do fit their highly animated nature. While their meeting with Plotz goes nowhere, they have energetic ways of trying to sell their script. The highlight is Yakko explaining their picture with Plotz quick to point out what sounds good and what sounds bad. If only they kept this sort of thing up instead of leaving after Plotz kicks them out. They were never held back like this before.
Another big way the Warners liven things up is with the use of songs. With how many of them that are included here, it would be easy to assume this story was stretched out to include a lot of them. Each one is a showcase of the series’ musical talents and fits the story and Hollywood environment well. The first one the Warners sing on their way to Plotz really strokes the jerky CEO’s ego. Plus it showcases the vastness of the studio lot with many cameos from supporting characters and caricatures of famous Hollywood actors joining in. While the second act features a lot of waiting around, it’s actually not too boring thanks to a lively number of how people in Hollywood sell scripts or schmooze. It’s also impressive with how they work various celebrity names into the tune, including Bart Simpson whose head is shown slightly. There’s even an extension of the song “Variety Speak” continuing where the original left off with even more clever film satires. While overlong, it does serve the story of the Warners discovering their big chance to fund their script.
The one song that really doesn’t work is “There’s Only One of You.” It’s not that it’s bad, in fact it’s a great vaudeville song with an inspiring message. The problem is that it does not fit the story or theme at all which means there’s no exaggeration that it stalls everything. Really, all the songs end up doing this by contributing to the story dragging more than it needs to. At least they’re great in their own right and don’t make the first part of the saga dull as it sounds.
For
all the potential of a two-parter for this show, the potential doesn’t exactly
feel like it’s met. The story drags
longer than necessary, and the featured characters feel extremely watered down
as opposed to approaching it in an elaborate cartoonish manner. Yet, with songs that turn out strong despite their excessive length and a true immersion of the movie
atmosphere, there’s still some good to come out of it. Regarding the second part of the saga, don’t
expect the faults to improve much.
B+
Cartoon Ranking
1. This Pun for Hire
2. The Brain’s Apprentice
3. Magic Time
4. Bully for Skippy
5. Wakko’s 2-Note Song
6. Go Fish
7. From Burbank with Love
8. A Very, Very, Very, Very Special Show
9. Valuable Lesson
10. The Sound of Warners
11. Night of the Living Buttons
12. Dot’s Entertainment
13. Pitter Patter of Little Feet
14. Boo Happens
15. Buttons in Ows
16. Cutie and the Beast
17. Boo Wonder
18. Star Truck
19. Boids on the Hood
20. Back in Style
21. Our Final Space Cartoon We Promise
22. Yabba Dabba Boo
23. The Boo Network
24. The Party
25. The Girl with the Googily Goop
26. Mindy in Wonderland
27. Jokahontas
28. Gimme the Works
29. Ten Short Films About Wakko
30. Hooray for North Hollywood Part 1
31. Papers for Papa
32. My Mother the Squirrel
33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock
34. Amazing Gladiators
35. Cute First (Ask Questions Later)
36. Soda Jerk
37. Hercules Unwound
38. Belly Button Blues
39. No Time For Love
40. Acquaintances
41. Oh Say Can You See
42. Soccer Coach Slappy
43. Anchors A-Warners
Song Ranking
1. Dot – The Macadamia Nut
2. The Ballad of Magellan
3. Hello Nurse
4. Bones in the Body
5. Noel
6. The Big Wrap Party Tonight
7. When You’re Traveling from Nantucket
8. Panama Canal
9. Multiplication
10. Here Comes Attila
Miscellaneous Ranking
1. It
2. Gunga Dot
3. Mighty Wakko at the Bat
4. Ralph’s Wedding
5. End Credits
6. Moosege in a Bottle
7. Rugrats Parody
8. The 12 Days of Christmas
9. Flavio Commercials
10. The Return of the Great Wakkorotti
11. Pinky and the Ralph
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