Prep and Landing - 'Toon Reviews Shorty

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In the history of media, there have been a good number of Christmas specials that to this day stand as legendary.  Some may find it hard to believe that works like “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and some of the Rankin/Bass specials have been around for decades.  They simply stand the test of time for many Christmas seasons with poignant statements everyone can understand and relate to, and are well-made stories with memorable casts.  However, one big factor to contribute to the popularity of the iconic works is that other Christmas specials that have come around in later eras just never reached their status.  It’s like those older Christmas specials are lightning in a bottle scenarios that can never be replicated.  Well no matter how one may feel, an open mind just might uncover a hidden gem among the specials that are pushed and popularized more than all others.  This special MC Toon Reviews Shorty will look into a modern Christmas special.  Just 12 years old, it’s not as talked about as much as the mainstays of animated Christmas specials, but manages to stand as one of the greats.  Helping its case is being a production of the ever-famed Walt Disney Animation Studios with all the talent of the quality animated features of its era.  It’s called:

Prep and Landing

(December 8, 2009)

From the perspective of a Disney fan, a good way to get an idea of how good this special is involves observing the era of the company in which it premiered.  For a while, the original Disney Animation studio was in a slump where much of their output failed to reach the status of that of their famed renaissance of the past decade.  Despite a good effort of experimentation in their films, most of them failed to make a significant profit and left critics mostly unenthused.  Along with poor management of current CEO who started out as one of their saviors, Michael Eisner, the studio had little direction as the animated powerhouse it built itself up to be.  It certainly didn’t help that they’d also abandon hand-drawn animation out of this.  

Then in 2005, Eisner stepped down and was replaced with a new CEO, Bob Iger.  While Iger would make his own controversial decisions, it was clear he understood that animation was and would always be the heart of Disney.  He could tell morale at the company was broken and needed to be fixed.  As the release of the studios first all CGI feature film Chicken Little proved they could still make successful films but with critical reception not up to their legacy, a decision was made.  Just as famed computer animation studio Pixar was about to cancel their contract with Disney due to Eisner’s unfair negotiations, they were bought by Disney for billions of dollars.  In doing so, Pixar’s creative heads at the time would also be in charge of Disney Animation as well as their own domain.  This way, the films would be truly creative driven as opposed to the more executive driven films that came before; Disney Animation would be led by the right people.  Technically one of those people wouldn’t be right morally, but that’s another story.  From then on, Disney Animation would be back to telling memorable inspiring stories with their films, including getting a handle on CGI with the high quality continuing to this day.  Out of the new direction was also a chance to really try something new with animation production with the company taking on its first TV holiday special.  Coming out just as the new Disney management began, it can serve as a good starting point for where Disney’s new high quality animation would lead.

A telling sign of a great Christmas special is the freshness of its premise and creativity in its story.  In the case of this special, fresh is a good way to describe it.  It takes the mythos behind the iconic Christmas figure, Santa Claus, and explores a topic that doesn’t seem to be thought of much.  It centers on a group of elves who fly over to various houses all over the world and make sure they’re all prepared for Santa when he comes to deliver kids’ presents.  They make sure the tree’s just right, the kids are asleep, the cookies left for him are suitable for consumption, and more.  They prepare the houses and make sure Santa is able to land his sleigh without any obstacles, hence the group’s name, Prep and Landing.  That’s a very clever idea and makes sense to build the idea of how Santa Claus works.  He may not literally exist, but thoughts of exactly how he works is enough to fascinate regardless.  The background of this elf group gets the special off to an interesting start, but the real heart of it all, as the best of Disney tends to prove, is in its story and cast.

The center of the special features a particular Prep and Landing elf named Wayne.  He’s been on the Prep and Landing team for a long time, well aware of all the maneuvers and tactics to follow for the sake of kids waiting for Santa.  In fact he knows them so well that it’s clear he’s very tired of the job and longs for a change.  From Wayne’s perspective, not only does this way of thinking make sense for him, but it can also be relatable in many ways.  As fun as the Christmas season can be, it makes sense for people to be overwhelmed by its exposure and commercial practices from business conglomerates.  Such is true here among the atmosphere of the entire Prep and Landing operation.  The whole thing is basically a secret agent type maneuver with high tech gear and snarky agent talk saturated in elements of the Christmas season.  Code words, aliases, and catchphrases are even all Christmas phrases, which can be understandably overwhelming.  Wayne represents this mindset well considering all the hardships that come with getting houses prepared for Santa.  For that, he’s excited about getting promoted this year which means leaving Prep and Landing behind to be in charge of the naughty list, or so he thinks that will happen.

Appearing suave and confident that he’s going to get the promotion, Wayne is faced with major disappointment when he learns that’s not the case.  Instead, not only does he remain on Prep and Landing, but is now assigned to train a new recruit to the force, Lanny.  Though Lanny is clumsier than the most experienced members of the team, it’s clear he’s very passionate and wants to learn all there is to it.  As Wayne has lots of experience, Lanny is more than excited to be working with him, calling it the most ‘tinsel’ job ever.  This in turn makes for a well-defined dynamic of two characters with totally different views on Christmas.  This is made especially apparent with their assignment where they have to set up a house for Santa to deliver a bike to a little boy named Timmy.  Lanny is determined to do the best job possible, but lacks the charisma and technical knowledge to pull things off perfectly.  He clearly needs Wayne’s guidance here, but Wayne, despite his years of experience, doesn’t put in the right effort.  Right down to admitting he’s being naughty this year, he deliberately slacks off to pamper himself on the job.  He lounges around in the living room, eats one of Santa’s cookies, and even gets caught by Timmy, a huge step against regulations and a very careless one as well.  Instead of giving Lanny the help he needs, he just makes it more difficult, and the special is quick to show the consequences.

In the midst of Wayne’s careless actions, there’s a deeper look at the Prep and Landing operations from the view of another notable elf, Magee.  She stays behind at the North Pole to help plan out Santa’s route and her approach and attitude towards the assignment is very realized.  She has a positive, almost chipper disposition to the operation, but it’s clear that this is a mask for the most part.  She can sense disappointment quickly such as when Wayne arrives expecting the promotion, but still keeps up her positivity.  However, it’s during the actual Prep and Landing operation that really defines her character.  As this is Christmas Eve, of course the pressure is on for everyone involved to pull off the task of getting everything ready for Santa.  Magee appears confident and sets up Santa’s route skillfully, but as the operation progresses, it’s more and more clear that she’s extremely stressed by the whole thing.  It doesn’t help that Santa’s route is sending him right into a snowstorm near where Timmy lives.  Of course, Wayne’s insolence on the job is even more stressful and practically causes Magee to snap.  More pressing however, is the drastic move she’s led to make.  Calling Santa in the middle of his flight, she reroutes him to pass by Timmy’s house and avoid the storm, meaning the child won’t be getting anything for Christmas.  This sets up what may be the most depressing outcome imaginable for the holiday, and it does not go unnoticed.

It isn’t long before Wayne hears of the decision, and to show he does have heart in spite of his selfish actions, he’s very remorseful that Santa’s going to pass Timmy by.  He even admits that he never meant to go this far.  These regrets as well as a passionate speech from Lanny in turn lead to a revelation of what makes Christmas as special as it is.  Despite the harsh elements and the oversaturation of the holiday Wayne and other Prep and Landing elves face, one big thing makes it worth it.  That’s the happiness others feel when their Christmas wishes come true, showing they care, and letting them experience the joy of generosity.  It’s the very thing to give kids the best memories possible, and inspire them to pass down those same virtues to future generations as they get older.  Coming from a naïve yet innocent character like Lanny makes the dynamic between him and Wayne all the more endearing.  Wayne is moved by his partner’s words and fights to make things right.  Just as the whole operation, including Magee, is busy regretting the rerouting decision, Wayne convinces Santa to turn back.  Then he endures the harsh elements of the storm to set up the landing gear for Santa.  In great Disney fashion, staging allows small moments like Wayne and Lanny falling off a roof and almost getting hit by icicles bigger and suspenseful.  The same is true for a mad dash when Wayne is forced to improvise with what’s nearby, using glowing inflatable Christmas decorations as alternate landing gear.  The moment captures the feel of something being cut close, but Wayne’s efforts pay off as Santa ultimately lands and does his thing.  Then there’s a sudden cut to the next day to fully balance out the action and hijinks of the special with solid heart, the very element to really determine how well a story works.  Wayne willingly goes in to see Santa to apologize for his actions, but instead of reprimanding and being reminded of his insolence, there’s welcome understanding from Santa.  He points out the very human truth that everyone slips onto the naughty list every now and then, and he’s proud of the conclusion Wayne has ultimately come to.  His gift to Wayne is a snowglobe showing Timmy on Christmas morning happy with his new bike, serving as a reminder behind everything Prep and Landing tries to accomplish.  If that’s not enough, the last scene has Wayne offered a promotion as director of the nice list.  However, Wayne turns it down, admitting he’s more suited for Prep and Landing.  Some may say that this departure in goals is huge, but it’s acceptable for being a mature decision Wayne come to on his own.  He’s convincingly shown the heartfelt benefits of his old job through what they ultimately lead to.  This can also fit well with Christmas’ commercialization where it may be overbearing, but it’s always worth it if it makes others happy.  In short, Wayne’s ultimate decision is not only a fitting close for his arc, but captures the true essence of Christmas’ meaning.

Among all iconic Christmas specials throughout history, Prep and Landing should have a place alongside them in the eyes of anyone who happens to see it.  Its creative premise to add to the lore of the Santa Claus element of Christmas and ways of showing the holiday’s true meaning add plenty of intrigue.  Enhanced by stellar computer animation usually reserved for films, and an entreatingly memorable cast, the whole special stands as a creative experience.  In addition to being a worthy part of Christmas viewing traditions, it’s a good way of showing Disney Animation’s great creative expertise at play for the time and still going strong to this day.  After all, their entertainment style and the allure of the holiday do kind of go well together.

Highly Recommended

Stay Animated Folks,

And Merry CHRISTMAS

 

Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special - 'Toon Reviews Shorty

 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:

A few months ago, this blog covered a holiday special based on a series of cartoons starring the ever-iconic Mickey Mouse.  Like that series in general, it embraced the endless comedic potential for animation with greatly staged gags and atmosphere.  At the same time, it did a solid service to the legacy of Disney animation from references to the overall looks and writing of the characters.  This is especially refreshing since the Disney company has gotten a lot of backlash for its corporate decisions in the last few years.  Not that it’s unwarranted, but having Mickey bear the brunt of it makes it seem like people don’t get the true nature of the character.  He may be seen as evil and greedy due to being the mascot, but that’s not what he was created for.  He’s a friendly, good-natured character inspiring the best in everyone, and serving as the beginning of Disney’s many historic accomplishments.  The great quality of these shorts is among the best ways to reflect this.  With all this said, it’s time to look into the other holiday special of this series, all about the ever-beloved Christmas.

Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas Special

(December 9, 2016)

Speaking personally, two of my favorite things ever are Disney and Christmas.  Both things simply have such a strong appeal that seems to inspire great memorable experiences that stick with audiences forever.  For that, bringing both things together would make for a particularly exciting combination.  With this special, the expectations are met for many interesting reasons.  As a special starring iconic Disney characters, it has a lot working in its favor already. The Christmas direction, however, adds several layers of intrigue by highlighting a warm and caring celebration, and insights on different ways one can spend the holiday.

It starts with the holiday unfolding in the most traditional way possible; houses and streets with lots of lights and decorations, prospects of snow coming, and within Mickey’s home, treats baking, a big tree, and a warm gathering of friends.  At the center of Christmas, especially in this particular celebration, is Mickey himself whose good nature allows himself to really get into the spirit.  A big example of his extent is how he highlights the atmosphere with an opening song describing the joys of the season complete with a deeper yet soothing singing voice.  The song itself is also a great way to start the special, for once it wraps up, the audience suddenly learns that some of Mickey’s closest friends won’t be joining him for Christmas.

Donald Duck, enthralled by Mickey’s Christmas celebration, is reminded that as ducks, he and his girlfriend Daisy have to leave town and migrate south for the winter.  Basically, for this special, though these characters are anthropomorphized animals, they’re also tapping into the real world biology of their species.  In following these rules, there’s a continuity set up claiming that Donald has never celebrated Christmas before.  For many Disney fans, this could be off-putting since there’s been plenty of material before and after this special showing Donald celebrate Christmas, as well as being in the cold with no problems.  However, it’s not too bothersome since these characters never really seemed to represent a single continuity or rules.  Everything they’ve done over the years has placed them in all kinds of roles, and they all work as long as the audience can still recognize them.  For that, anything can be done with them and it’s fairly easy to play along with whatever a show or film sets them up to follow. 

This can also be said with what Mickey’s fascination with Christmas reveals about his background.  In addition to him, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto going all out with the holiday’s amenities in the present, Mickey has many fond memories of Christmas in his past.  This in turn leads to an elaborate recount of those past Christmases interpreted with Victorian-era backgrounds; Mickey narrating with an accent; and most insightful of all, looks at his extended family he would typically celebrate with.  The family lives of most of these Disney characters is no doubt something people can’t help but wonder.  While the members are merely named and shown briefly in the flashback, it’s a neat touch that this special provides somewhat of an answer to that.  Still, because of the standalone nature of these characters in this particular incarnation, it’s debatable if this should be taken seriously.  Despite that, it’s a commendable effort, and serves the story well to give the basis of Mickey’s love for Christmas, and make it so enticing for Donald.  Still, there’s maturity to this matter as even Mickey and the others understand that Donald really needs to migrate at this time of year.  There are emotional sendoffs, a thoughtful gift given to Donald to remember his friends by, and prospects of what he and Daisy will do once they get down south.  It may seem like he’s simply going along with the main plan, but then it shows just how enticing Christmas really is, especially to those who never celebrated it before.

Though his need to migrate is exclusive to this special, it still really gets Donald’s personality.  As he’s known to be precocious in getting what he wants, Donald is visibly tempted and enthralled by everything Christmas has to offer.  As soon as he sees enough of it, he can’t stand it any longer and makes his decision to stay for the holiday without anything stopping him, including the calls of his girlfriend. 

While Daisy ultimately heads south alone, complete with a lavish tropical beach and appearances of other known Disney ducks like Scrooge McDuck, Professor Ludwig von Drake, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie, she’s confident Donald will just come south on his own. 

Well, with how excited Donald was about Christmas, it’s easy to guess that this is simply not the case.  In fact, his excitement over celebrating Christmas for the first time is a big thing that makes what happens later work.  He’s warmly welcomed by Mickey and the others to join their Christmas celebration, but they actually remind him of the winter weather and how it’s bad for him.  However, they let Donald stay mainly because he wants to and he insists that he’s fine; no peer pressure involved and therefore no ignorance of heart.  This in turn makes what ultimately unfolds very entertaining in a manner only felt at Christmas.

Visually showing the appeal that comes from bringing Disney and Christmas together, Mickey invites Donald along for a full itinerary of traditions leading up to Christmas morning.  Highlighting everything is a montage covering all sorts of traditions set to another elaborate song number from Mickey.  In addition to its spirit in music and production values is heart in the lyrics all about how excited he is to share Christmas with his friends.  In context of the special, it means so much more for Donald who, as established here, has never experienced it before.  In many respects, not only does this song showcase the great and inviting allure of Christmas and its traditions, but also Mickey’s true friendly nature.  Being an honorable figure inviting others to join him in celebrating Christmas represents him far better than any corporate decision and is all around pleasing to watch.  Not only that, but a song sequence is among the best ways of showing many Christmas traditions at once.  From playing in the snow, to sleigh rides, to caroling, to presents, and more, it goes to show that there’s a lot of fond memories to make from celebrating Christmas.  However, while this special shows how fun and exciting Christmas is, there’s also a hard plot-related truth to consider throughout the whole thing.

During the aforementioned montage, there are many instances of Donald feeling the harsh effects of the winter weather.  It’s a fitting consequence to all the warnings beforehand that Donald, like all ducks, has to migrate at this time of year. 

The same can be said for a scene down south of Ludwig von Drake explaining to Daisy and the others that Donald staying behind for Christmas will lead to major health complications.  Donald’s freezing, sneezing, and feather/beak loss have already proved this during the montage, but his condition becomes more apparent as the special goes on. 

Just as Mickey’s traditions are about to reach Christmas morning, Donald starts to not only look sick, but close to death.  His loss of all feathers as well as baggy eyes and overall demented demeanor shows how bad it is for him to be out of his environment.  It should be noted that deathlike conditions actually do not happen to ducks who don’t migrate in winter.  The real reason they do it is to find more food and nesting grounds at this time.  There are little to no changes to their health if they stay where they are in winter, so there’s no real basis for Donald’s condition.  However, animation wouldn’t be as appealing if it replicated reality 100%, and it does help to present a fact of nature as urgent to explain why it happens.  Also, Disney is usually called out for downplaying severity of real life facts, so it’s at least interesting that they would exaggerate severity in a way to benefit the story.  Ultimately, how far the special goes with Donald’s sickly condition does benefit the story well in tying into the truth on how to celebrate Christmas.

Unsurprisingly, Donald’s condition is near impossible to ignore.  Even Donald himself is aware of how bad he is, but chooses to think nothing of that for the sake of Christmas.  However, those who do treat it like it is are Mickey and the others.  Despite spending the entire special indulging in their traditions, they all keep an eye on Donald, making sure he’s all right and that the winter weather isn’t too hard on him.  Of course, it gets to the point when Donald just appearing is enough to make it clear that it IS extremely hard on him.  They all make the decision that their usual Christmas celebration must be put aside for getting their friend back to good health.  At the same time, they’re doing exactly what Christmas stands for, stopping at nothing to serve those who are close. 

With Donald in major denial over how serious his condition is, there is difficulty in pulling this off when he goes on a rampage, desperate to celebrate Christmas. 

This demented display ultimately lands him in a setup similar to the Nativity, prompting Mickey to pray for a way to save his friend.  Thankfully he gets that through the involvement of another Christmas tradition. 

Right on cue, Santa Claus has arrived, and with his sleigh unattended, Mickey and the others use it to get Donald down south.  Through a set of comedic antics common to the show to speed up the flight, they arrive at Daisy in the south at lightning speed. 

There's a touch of dark comedy when it looks like the end for Donald with the sight of a roast duck, but it turns out to be another duck sunbathing, and Donald’s actually fine. 

It’s a typical outcome for sure, but it’s effective after how convincing it was that he wouldn’t make it.

Then the conclusion comes with simple yet interesting truths to matters of Christmas.  Though Donald is officially saved, he’s sad because he missed Christmas and apparently can’t have it now that he’s down south. 

As Mickey is being rightfully reprimanded by Santa for stealing and crashing his sleigh, he explains the reasons behind his actions.  He just wanted to give Donald his first Christmas and then keep him alive when nature became too hard for him. 

Though this incarnation of Santa appears big and threatening, his jolly side pop culture tends to exploit shines through and he’s thankfully understanding.  Out of this, he explains that it doesn’t matter where or how one celebrates Christmas, because sharing joy and getting into the spirit can happen anywhere. 

With that, to finish off the special, Santa spreads some Christmas magic to fix up the wreckage, and everyone has a great Christmas in the south.  Now, this message should be obvious since almost everyone on the planet should know that location has no bearing on whether Christmas can happen.  In fact, very few people seem to experience the idealistic white Christmas when it actually is that time of year.  However, this may be the point.  That idealistic vision is just that, but it’s been ingrained in people’s minds so much that it doesn’t feel like Christmas without it.  Having Christmas unfold in a warm tropical environment is like a big reality check that the media should be going for and be relatable to the audience.  It’s a notable element that deserves more praise than some may think.  To this day, there seems to be an agenda of how a Christmas celebration should look and feel, but this special has an interesting way of showing that’s really not the case.  With everyone ending the special having a great Christmas on the beach with Donald declaring it exceeded his expectations, it certainly does its job well.

Great Christmas specials bring out the best in a group of people behind them or the established characters starring in them.  This is what makes the special work with all the entertaining hallmarks of this incarnation of Mickey Mouse on display.  It’s of course really funny and energetic, but it also has a lot more to it with insightful backgrounds, and stakes that don’t hold back but still have a humorous spirit.  Above all, everything is tied together with a relatable and poignant Christmas message that doesn’t seem to be discussed enough.  In an age where it’s hard for a lot of people to think of Mickey Mouse without bringing up Disney’s corporate greed, this is a welcome show of Christmas spirit to look into.

Highly Recommended

Stay Animated Folks,

And Merry CHRISTMAS

 

Brother Can You Spare An Ed / The Day the Ed Stood Still - (Ed Edd n Eddy Season 3 Episode 13) - 'Toon Reviews 47

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Brother, Can You Spare an Ed?

There’s no denying that the characters in this show have good moments and bad moments.  On the whole, while everyone has their favorites and least favorites, it would be hasty to call, at least most of them, bad people.  This makes this cartoon fairly interesting where characters often perceived as jerks are seen as reasonable and one of the main characters gets a whole new low.  

It all begins when Sarah approaches the Eds, wanting her big brother Ed to do her a favor.  She asks him to go to the candy store and use her allowance money to buy fudge for her and Jimmy.  Through doing so, Sarah, for once, actually acts very civil asking for the favor with very little of her usual brat traits.  

Anyway, it’s very big that Ed has a reasonably big amount of money for candy, probably the most the Eds have ever gotten.  Even though it’s meant to be spent on something else, Eddy doesn’t care about honoring words and insists that Ed spend it on what the group’s most after; jawbreakers.  There’s something very tempting and sleazy about how Eddy tries to convince Ed to spend the money on what he wants, presenting him as more selfish and deceitful.  All the while, Ed’s conflict of loyalty is visualized by the shoulder angel and devil trope with Eddy as the devil opting for jawbreakers and Double D as the angel opting for fudge.  Given Ed’s nature as a character, he probably goes through something like this all the time as he’s either causing mischief with Eddy or as sympathetic as Double D.  

In the end though, when Ed enters the candy store, while he has time to think, Eddy’s intense pressure leads him to neglect the fudge and buy the jawbreakers.  While this makes for the rare instance of the Eds actually getting jawbreakers, it’s hard to really feel satisfied with this since they had to betray someone else’s fair request to get them.  Eddy may be unmoved by their course of action, but when he tells Ed to give mud as fudge to Sarah, Ed is quick to realize what he just did.  There’s no need for him to be reminded of the implications and how wrong it was.  It’s very obvious to him what his actions mean.  In fact, Sarah getting enraged at the Eds when she finds out what became of her money is probably the most justified it has been and will ever be in the entire series.  Even then, she is open to reason when the Eds promise to pay her back and include interest so she and Jimmy can buy even more fudge.  

Eddy is the one to come up with how they pay Sarah back since his peer pressure caused all this, but even then he’s way out of line.  The scams he has in mind show no regard for his friends’ well-being, going for humiliating measures like Kevin giving Ed and Double D wedgies, and Jonny whacking them like piñatas.  He even wants to keep the money for himself as if he didn’t coax Ed into spending Sarah’s allowance for himself.  All of Eddy’s behavior set him up for what he has coming to him.  Once Double D and Ed get loose, they stand up for themselves, gang up on Eddy, and really put things in motion in the name of resolution.  To pay Sarah back, they punish Eddy by having the kids whack him with a mallet and beam for the reasonable price of one penny for a turn.  This means it will be a long time to get Sarah’s money back and Eddy will have to take many blows, but the story and character portrayals make it all work.  

This in turn has this cartoon show that with right execution, character likability or unlikability isn’t always a hindrance to a story’s appeal.

A

The Day the Ed Stood Still

For the big finish of Season 3, this show brings a cartoon that’s best described as out-of-the-ordinary, yet faithful to the nature of the series.  With its usual off-the-wall sense of humor and imaginative execution, it tackles a type of story successfully as both a parody of it and a worthy fit of that category.  

Everything unfolds simply enough with an idea coming from little moments in life.  As the Eds prepare one of their scams, in this case outdoor arcade games, Ed takes major interest in a drawing of a monster on one of the photo shoot attractions.  Through playing around, he lets his friends know that he wants to actually be a monster.  To fulfill Ed’s clear desire as well as potentially attract customers for Eddy, Double D complies and makes Ed his own monster costume. 

It’s at this point where the cartoon starts taking on the feel of something bigger than a usual work of this show.  It becomes a standard cartoon of the series and a play on actual monster movies all at once.  First, suspense is built through how we don’t actually see Ed’s monster costume.  In fact, its first moments are all from Ed’s eye view or perspective, so there’s no way to get a good look.  Then when the head’s put on, something seems off as everything goes red like something dark is brewing inside Ed.  It’s at this moment when the monster movie feel is really realized as the next shot features a silhouette of a full-on rampaging monster, even if the audience knows the true identity. 

This is only the beginning though as since Ed looks the part of a monster, he must act like one, and act like one he does.  He performs things most would expect from an actual monster, mainly rampaging about as he pleases and destroying what’s in his path.  Said destruction even stands out a lot as carnage all his own, like going to random spots like the local playground and reshaping its amenities into shapes of chickens. 

However, despite all craziness from the setup, the thing making it all work is how everyone reacts to it.  Double D, who made the costume in the first place, is left to lament over creating a monster and freaks out over what Ed’s getting up to.  Then there are the neighborhood kids who become reasonably afraid of what’s going on, also reflective of an actual monster attack.  It starts with Jimmy crying for help and disappearing, and everyone is extremely worried for his safety.  Then Jonny is going about his business, and after finding a box of Chunky Puffs lying around in the construction site, he’s grabbed by the tail of Ed’s monster costume.  Consider this the beginning of the slow reveal of Ed’s monstrous form.  When the rest of the kids discover Jonny missing too, they get their first look at what’s been causing the disturbance, but it’s still not clear to the audience.  They run for their lives, eventually crossing paths with the Eds, with Double D trying to reassure everyone of its nature while Eddy, aware of the truth, laughs at the thrill of it all. 

After more fearful reactions including another kid snatched as the monster’s victim, Ed’s costume is given a full view at last.  Despite clearly being made of an assortment of patches, cardboard features, and other material, it still looks and feels like an actual monster especially combined with Ed’s acting.  In fact, his acting like a monster and the kids fearful reactions to him make what would otherwise be something ridiculous so convincing.  The following events add to this feel as everyone is led to take refuge in a clubhouse not seen since Season 1 with Rolf ready to sacrifice someone to the beast, and Nazz actually kissing Double D who offers to go and face the monster himself. 

Eventually, Ed gets to them all by bringing down the clubhouse, and still playing along with the nature of his getup, finishes off the rest of the victims.  In reality, what Ed actually does to those he captured as a monster is something far more unusual to say the least.  Working in the earlier find of Chunky Puffs, he chews up a lot of the cereal, spits it out all over the kids, and then sticks them on his wall.  Then he uses the rest of the chewed up cereal to decorate his room like a cave.  This whole thing is unbelievably disgusting indiscussion, no question, but the very idea of it, and how it looks in execution without context is still highly creative. 

Just as Double D is about to try and make things right and save everyone while Eddy is too blown over by the thrills and potential for profit to care, the truth is revealed at last.  Sarah comes in and rips off the mask of the costume, leaving everyone dumbfounded that the monster that’s been terrorizing them was nothing more than the local oaf.  What they experienced was so legitimately terrifying, but like most fears, it turned out to be nothing.  Issues still arise with the kids left stuck on Ed’s wall and Sarah stuck too as she tries to free everyone.  All the while, Eddy is confident they’ll all forget it as long as he and his friends lay low under his bed with plenty of supplies for months.  However, with Ed still active with his imagination and willing to take on many roles, what happened will never be forgotten.  From an audience perspective, this seems to be for the best.

This show has always had an interesting way of portraying life, and with this cartoon, it comes together for an unforgettable experience.  It takes something made from the simplest material and conceived from the simplest idea, and through believable reactions and staging, the results are simply all their own.  Of course, this makes such an awesome season of this show go out with a major bang, but as a standard work of animation, it’s impressive in every sense.

A++

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.  Laugh Ed Laugh

12.  Dawn of the Eds

13.  Wish You Were Ed

14.  Dueling Eds

15.  Mirror, Mirror On the Ed

16.  Gimme, Gimme Never Ed

17.  Ed-N-Seek

18.  Keeping Up With the Eds

19.  Who Let the Ed In

20.  Avast Ye Eds

21.  Flea Bitten Ed

22.  Fool on the Ed

23.  Ready Set Ed

24.  The Ed-Touchables

25.  Who What Where Ed

26.  Dear Ed

27.  Momma’s Little Ed

28.  Brother, Can You Spare an Ed?

29.  Hot Buttered Ed

30.  Ed or Tails

31.  Stop Look and Ed

32.  See No Ed

33.  Shoo Ed

34.  Rock-a-Bye Ed

35.  Ed in a Halfshell

36.  Scrambled Ed

37.  O-Ed Eleven

38.  Vert Ed Go

39.  Oath to an Ed

40.  Ed, Ed, and Away

41.  Button Yer Ed

42.  An Ed in the Bush

43.  Read All About Ed

44.  Rambling Ed

45.  Home Cooked Ed

46.  Honor Thy Ed

47.  Floss Your Ed

48.  Quick Shot Ed

49.  Look Into My Eds

50.  The Luck of the Ed

51.  Is There An Ed in the House?

52.  Knock, Knock Who’s Ed

53.  A Boy and His Ed

54.  Eds-Aggerate

55.  Three Squares and an Ed

56.  Will Work for Ed

57.  Boys Will Be Eds

58.  High Heeled Ed

59.  Know-it-All Ed

60.  For Your Ed Only

61.  Dim Lit Ed

62.  Cry Ed

63.  Eeny Meeny Miney Ed

64.  A Pinch to Grow an Ed

65.  Pop Goes the Ed

66.  Hands Across Ed

67.  An Ed Too Many

68.  Sir Ed-a-Lot

69.  Over Your Ed

70.  From Here to Ed

71.  A Key to My Ed

72.  X Marks the Ed

73.  It’s Way Ed

74.  In Like Ed

75.  My Fair Ed

76.  To Sir With Ed

77.  Nagged to Ed

78.  Tag Yer Ed

Final Thoughts

Another season of Ed Edd n Eddy is now wrapped up, and it would be an understatement to say that it was quite a ride.  Though it’s once again more in line with what the show has been before as episodic shows typically are, it’s execution of its formula feels stronger than ever here.  With several exciting, interesting, and all-around entertaining cartoons, some might say that this is the season to really master what the series sets itself out to do.

As typically expected with this show, the most prominent element and overall source of the quality come from the variety of adventures each cartoon brings.  Whether it’s creative off-the-wall scenarios, takes on more relatable areas of life, or one of the Eds’ elaborate scams, there’s always something great and exciting that stands out.  Looking at the Eds’ primary customs of scams, one could say that they, and by extension the crew behind the show, really outdo themselves with what they have to offer.  Whether it’s an old world village in the middle of a construction site; custom-made bikes made from kitchen supplies; a toboggan ride with soap for snow; or excitingly effective thrill rides built from a random junk, this is a season where childhood imagination and the powers of animation come together for something memorable.  Even when scams aren’t the focus of a cartoon, it’s admirable that they often lead to something bigger and stand out as legitimately creative on their own.  The main topics of certain cartoons even go beyond the usual scams and explore daily situations and mine them for all their entertaining potential.  Sticky notes explaining chores lead Double D to do ridiculous things; there’s a look at what happens when Ed runs a scam for entirely different purposes than usual; a disrespectful action from Eddy leads to a duel with Rolf where in spite of using fish for weapons, it’s staged as a serious fight; the Eds spend a cartoon just chasing a balloon; an entire cartoon shows a day where the Eds are nowhere to be seen and the neighborhood kids cope with that; all three Eds find themselves competing for a jawbreaker; Ed has a nightmare that gives him a fearful perspective on the innocent Jonny; and Ed just going about the cul-de-sac as a monster brings the feel of a legitimate horror movie fabricated out of normal, everyday items.  Each scenario makes for a great show of laughs, charisma, and all-around animated entertainment on their own.  Combined with the usual strengths of the inventive visual style, sound effects, and music, as well as solid vocal performances and witty dialog, this season’s a real collection of winners.

When looking at this particular season, there are a few notable areas that make the material as strong as it is.  The most noticeable area comes from something that is typically at the center of a great animated work, the characters.  For a bunch of kids, they’re largely commendable players with dynamic performances, personalities, and legit development, some of which coming from the worst kids.  Sarah is still typically a violent brat, but some instances like when her diary’s missing, and her allowance is spent on something she didn’t want make her oddly sympathetic.  Kevin is still among the Eds’ biggest rivals, but a lot of the time, he’s shown to still be a typical kid going about his life.  He can even bond with others, including the Eds, over common interests at times.  Not to mention, for all his moments of coolness amongst his peers, he’s also shown to have legit fears and paranoia to make him more human.  The only bad characters that show little to no depth or development are the Kanker sisters, but it’s not a big deal since they don’t show up much here.  When they do, it’s usually for short scenes and for grossly exaggerated takes on how they harass others. 

The better presented characters also have at least a single memorable performance this season.  Nazz, as usual, has the least focus, but her single starring role does feature an interesting side to her that comes with being the cute nice girl.  Her charm that makes almost all the boys attracted to her gives her a lot of pressure she can’t handle, but she deserves points for not immediately going along with them.  She understands the hidden ridiculousness of everyone and stands as her own person.  Jonny and Plank’s friendship is also frequently shown with genuineness as Plank shows signs of being more of a character than expected and Jonny always looking out for him. 

However, one neighborhood kid stands out a lot among the rest very frequently this season, and that’s Rolf.  It’s like the people behind the show understand the creative potential from an eccentric foreigner, and take full advantage of it.  Some of the most memorable cartoons this season feature him and his customs in a significant way.  There’s a depth to him where he can’t fit into the modern customs of this new country and longs to return to his home; and he’s shown to value his customs so much that he goes into mourning when they’re disrespected and resorts to a duel to settle things.  Rolf is also very active in more out-of-the-ordinary roles like a boss for a hired farmhand or leader of the Urban Rangers scout troop on a camping trip.  He’s also the bright spot in weaker cartoons, such as being the only one to help Eddy with his pimple problem while everyone else mocks him despite some questionable results.  If that’s not enough, even when Rolf’s not the focus of a cartoon, his presence almost always leads to a memorable moment.  Whether he’s a victim of antics, used as a hilariously aggressive running gag, or livens up moments with his eccentric personality, Rolf certainly has a way of entertaining.  This in turn is a testament to how well the show works its characters.

Of course, the real characters to drive everything are the Eds themselves.  As their dynamic is basically the center of the series, it’s a welcome circumstance that several cartoons this season specifically showcase their appeal as characters.  Different ones do so in a variety of ways which in turn presents the overall concept as a great idea for a series.  Some feature the idea of each of the Eds being a different side of a single human whole with Eddy’s aggression, Double D’s fuss over detail, and Ed’s escapist simplicity.  This is best shown when they recap events of a day as a bedtime story for Jonny with each Ed presenting their exaggerated worldview, a collection of vastly different perspectives.  Some cartoons feature good heart where in spite of their differences that lead to difficulty, the Eds work well as a team and show legitimate care for each other.  Eddy may start a cartoon by pranking Double D, but he’s capable of being moved enough to make up for it for his sake; when Ed is seemingly unjustly grounded for unexplained reasons, his friends come in to help him escape even if they fail; and even an Ed’s simplest problem like new chapters in their lives or frightening areas of growing up lead to the whole team working together to solve everything. 

Then there are cartoons that look into an Ed’s individual persona to highlight them as characters and make for a variety of stories to tell.  For Ed, his stories demonstrate the extent of his overactive imagination with random steps to a curse; a nightmare creatively implying parental abuse he endures; and getting way too into character as a monster.  Double D’s stories feature an obsessive studious and overly-analytical worldview as his attention to sticky notes and thinking all the kids need a strict education.  As for Eddy, his stories surprisingly bring the most development.  Some of the strongest cartoons this season highlight this idea.  One of them has Eddy pull off a rumor to get his peers to respect him by saying his brother’s coming home which ultimately feels more like fear-mongering.  In fact, it serves as strong foreshadowing of his brother’s true appearance later on.  Another is an elaborately authentic video presentation of Eddy’s daily life staged to feel like it's shot on a legit handheld camera.  In addition to attempts to make himself look cool and mature for his brother, this performance stands for a lot more.  It’s like a big tribute to the setting the audience has grown accustomed to, the variety of personalities, the smart comedy, emphasis on childhood memories, the list goes on.  That’s one big way to show how this season stands as something great, in turn highlighting the extent of its appeal. 

There is, however, one work here that somewhat goes against the depths to the Eds’ dynamic with “My Fair Ed.” There, it feels like it’s going for the simple idea that those who are smart and lenient to the rules are good while those who have any sort of fun are bad.  In turn, it makes it seem like Double D is the only character worthy of sympathy, disregarding the layers to everyone in this group and established heart.  This isn’t too big a deal this season for only happening once, but it should be known that it becomes more frequent in the show going forward.  While this one instance gives something to look out for, it’s still clear that Season 3 has a lot more to enjoy, promptly overpowering any weak point.

With several interesting story ideas, strong character moments, engaging tones, and all-around strong entertainment, Season 3 is a grand presentation for Ed Edd n Eddy.  In fact, with how impressive it is, it’s not only the peak of the series, but maybe one of the closest things to perfection in TV animation.  This does signal that everything after this is going to be significantly weaker, so look out for that, but it’s still rewarding to have this season to present this show at its fullest potential.

Highly Recommended

With the end of another review set and since we're now in the month of December, look out for a few Christmas special reviews on this blog.  Then, when we come back in the New Year, we'll be kicking things off with new simultaneous season review sets for The Owl House and Amphibia.  Until then:

Stay Animated Folks!