Ducky Horror Picture Show (DuckTales Vol 3 Part 13) - 'Toon Reviews 25

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Ducky Horror Picture Show

One subject that almost always turns out creative in animation is monster stories.  They allow for different interpretations of monster looks and mythos.  Often, they astound with portrayals that are more civil than most would expect.  This episode about monsters covers all the usual appealing qualities interestingly. 

Scrooge comes up with another money-making plan of turning an old boardwalk shack into a convention center.  When it’s built, Scrooge gets a call from an organization who wishes to use the convention center.  This organization is Monsters Unanimous consisting of monsters from all over the world.  Right away, there’s a sense of creativity to the monster angle with the organization as a social group staying in touch.  This setup is ahead of its time for being done before the age of social media.  They all send letters and commandeer phone booths to inform the upcoming convention where they’ll meet in person. 

As for the monsters themselves, on their own, they’re just what you’d expect.  Some are duck versions of real world monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein and his bride, a hunchback, and a little man with a scratchy voice transforming into a werewolf.  Others are their own creation like a blob, a creature from the Black Lagoon, and a mummy who is made fun of for wearing bandages.  Together, it’s a combination of experiences from the monsters and their powers. 

The meaning behind these being real monsters is also a huge factor.  Scrooge is unable to get them under control as they rush to their convention, throw him out, and ruin the center.  In addition, they use his mansion as their hotel and are very rowdy and difficult for the staff to handle.  Through it all, it’s hard to imagine that Scrooge can possibly get good out of this situation.  With the convention center wrecked and needing to give the monsters their money back if he kicks them out, much is working against this business deal being successful. 

The biggest thing working against Scrooge is the most problematic.  The monsters doing their thing makes all of Duckburg think they’re all Scrooge pulling publicity stunts for monster movie marathons at his cinema.  Their scorn goes too far and makes them look close-minded for not considering all possibilities.  At least the monsters themselves are likable.  Despite doing things wildly, they seem like relatable decent people.  This is especially true through the friendly bonds they form with the mansion staff. 

Also, while Scrooge’s sympathy comes from unfair means, Monsters Unanimous’ is more believable.  It’s not just about people not seeing them as real monsters, but also being scared by them and bothered by their presence.  When they’re later seen protesting monster movies at Scrooge’s cinema, they’re at their most relatable.  Rather than horror machines, they’re regular citizens who want to be treated equally.  I will say that kids praising them for being scary just as their  protest starts does come a little too fast despite being an appropriate conclusion.  As for Scrooge, he solves his problem by having the monsters give nightly performances.  This is fitting too, but it doesn’t answer why the law finds this ok. It’s technically another publicity stunt which they were getting fed up with.  Logic aside, it’s at least a fun scene to end things off with. 

Aside from a few storytelling issues, this episode is a fun and creative way to show that monsters have feelings too.

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. Duck to the Future
9. Launchpad’s First Crash
10. Jungle Duck
11. Ducky Horror Picture Show
12. All Ducks on Deck
13. The Status Seekers

The next DuckTales review is on the Season 1 finale which places the show in syndication.  It features Scrooge falling in love with a woman who's secretly after his fortune.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is "Dinner for Four" and "Phoebe Skips" from Hey Arnold.

If you would like to check out other DuckTales reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

Monster Reunion (Steven Universe Season 3 Episode 14) - 'Toon Reviews 23

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:

Monster Reunion

At first, it may seem jarring that we go from light-hearted fun cartoons to cartoons all about Gem lore filled with promise for things to come.  However, the way the tone shifts is ingenious and the lore that follows is great expansion on everything we know. 

We start with Steven doing playing with his favorite bear toy, MC Bear-Bear.  Then, his simple gesture of noticing the bear has a tear and kissing it while promising to fix it, magically heals the tear. A big moment of lore that shapes events to come for the season has come from a simple moment fitting for the current stretch of light-hearted cartoons.   In other words, Steven has regained his special healing spit lost way back under the influence of his dad’s lie.  Some could say that this happening now is convenient, but Steven’s powers have always worked when he showed genuine love for people and things in life. Him caring for his toy bringing this power continues the trend. 

Because of the return of his healing powers, Steven convinces the Crystal Gems to have him try to heal the Gems turned into monsters during the Gem War.  The chosen monster is the first one ever seen in the series and the only one so far Steven has some sort of connection with, Centipeetle.  While Steven’s healing spit does help Centipeetle regain her arms and legs, it doesn’t completely work as she still has a monster-like face and can’t talk.  This leads to huge insights on what’s up with the monsters.  It was mentioned before that the monsters used to be humanoid Gems who became “corrupted and broken.”  At the time, it felt like they meant the same thing even though they were different words.  However, the meaning of the description turned out to be purposefully vague so Steven could get a clearer meaning based on his attempt.  Broken Gems are those with a crack on their gemstones such as those he’s previously healed.  Corrupted Gems are much different.  Their minds became damaged by the Diamonds during the Gem War. 

The reveal of the fascinating information continues when Steven decides to take Centipeetle in since his healing worked part of the way.  She doesn’t seem to remember him, but charming interactions get her to realize her bond from Steven humming the jingle of her favorite chips to communicating with crayon drawings. 

Actually, the use of crayons turns out to be a great and unique way to explain heavy Gem history.  Simple stick figures reveal Centipeetle’s background such as how she was a commander with her own army. She also makes for an effective use out of her simple drawings which depict the Gem War.  Crew members getting crossed out represent those killed in battle.  Ripping a drawing of her and her crew represents how she got separated.  Finally, a big white scribble represents the flashing light that corrupted her and many other Gems who were left behind.  The light was seen in full form in an earlier cartoon, but while these are mere crayon drawings, it’s put into context better here.  It’s a move so primitive revealing huge information, yet it still brings an emotional response. 

While you’re taking in the details of the Gem War’s effects, emotions still ride high as the memory causes Centipeetle to turn back into a monster as she tries to find her old crew.  The reverting goes so fast that it’s a mad dash to get to her old ship.  They eventually make it just as Centipeetle completely reverts, so she ultimately remains a monster and forgets her identity. It’s at least heartwarming that she’s reunited with her crew who are also monsters. 

Through a simple moment of leisure, Gem lore is greatly welcomed back to the forefront in this cartoon. Here though, it stands out for the interesting expansions on what’s known, creative ways of showing it, and especially stronger endearment for the monster characters.

A+

The Ranking

1. Mr. Greg
2. Monster Reunion
3. Gem Drill
4. Super Watermelon Island
5. Too Short to Ride
6. Beach City Drift
7. Barn Mates
8. Hit the Diamond
9. Same Old World
10. Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service
11. Steven Floats
12. Restaurant Wars
13. The New Lars
14. Drop Beat Dad

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where another big Gem lore element is set up for expansion in the rest of the season as Steven and Greg take Lapis for a boat ride.

If you would like to check out other Steven Universe reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.

'Toon Reviews 20: Star vs the Forces of Evil Season 2 Episode 11: Hungry Larry/Spider with a Top Hat

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:

Hungry Larry

Halloween episodes help exercise a show’s imagination through scaring the audience.  Coming from a show with magic spells, alternate dimensions, and strange creatures, you’d think this episode delivers in that regard, and you’d be right.  This Halloween episode reminds the audience that real frights can come from the simplest beings. 

The main character is a surprising one to be developed, Marco’s dad Rafael.  He sets up a haunted house every year to scare trick-or-treaters.  However, with Marco only able to bring a few kids, and Rafael not having the acting for true horror, no one finds his house scary.  After many years of this kind of failure, he’s depressed. 

Star tries to help the haunted house be scarier by summoning a creature called Hungry Larry.  Even with a moody incantation introducing the creature, Hungry Larry himself doesn’t seem threatening at all.  He’s a really small creature with a sheet over his body and sticklike arms and legs, and casually walks in to enhance the haunted house.  There’s nothing monstrous about him and he feels more like a nerdy business client than anything else.  You’re led to believe that he’s not the answer to the haunted house problem.  However, that’s when the idea of fear coming from simple creatures comes into play. 

When Janna, dressed as a monster businesswoman, goes to fire Hungry Larry, she gives a loud scream and mysteriously doesn’t return.  Then a crowd of little kids rush to the Diaz house, believing they’re in for a real haunted house experience. They run up, give bloodcurdling screams, and everything goes silent.  The frightening mystery is solved upon investigating a darkly lit room.  Abandoned candy and black saliva all over the floor suggests something is not quite right and Hungry Larry is scarier than he first let on.  The suggestion proves true when Star finds herself all alone at the mercy of Hungry Larry now turned into a demonic blob, dropping down to eat her. He brings quite a jump scare that stands out more coming from a previously conceived waste of a fright. 

Then when Rafael notices black saliva from the ceiling, suspicious of what it means, he rushes up to the room and is the only one to see Hungry Larry's true form.  After eating so many kids, he’s an overgrown blob with the sheet covering his body as his full stomach.  The screaming children inside his mouth add to the horror factor.  The greatest thing about this final encounter is that after Rafael failed to be scary many times, he saves the day with much love for his family. He forces the now stuffed Hungry Larry into eating him, and Larry throws up everyone he ate.  This way, we end the episode with a strong satisfaction that Rafael turned out to be scary and a good laugh as Hungry Larry leaves casually despite turning out to be so dangerous. 

With a great buildup to genuine scares, and development from characters you wouldn’t expect to see this episode is successful Halloween material.

A+

Spider with a Top Hat

This is an interesting episode that builds a story around a creative concept.  We see what goes on inside Star’s wand, and how the magical objects of her spells are created.  They intermingle in a big open area, and when Star saying the name of a spell is heard, the respective object goes out into the real world to play a part.  Their major source of entertainment is the Spider with a Top Hat who provides them with refreshments and jokes. 

It’s a creative way to show the inner workings of the wand and all, but the question is soon begged why there’s a whole episode about this.  The concept is all right for a short scene in between action, but isn’t enough to carry a whole episode. The story makes a huge deal of how Spider is used for comedy while all the other spells are used for fighting.  As a result, Spider keeps trying to prove he’s as good at fighting.  All his attempts fail and everyone around him hammers in that he’s simply funny and nothing more. 

We’re expected to take this seriously, but an idea this absurd and the fact that the character going through all this trouble is a little spider is hard to see as more than a joke.  There’s little sympathy when Spider laments about not being good for fighting and unable to do intense exercises.  Plus, everyone else’s reactions to Spider’s feeble attempts feel very repetitive. They always amount to how serious fighting is, how he could get hurt trying, and how he’s better off being funny.  It doesn’t make for the most interesting or entertaining of plots. 

Even so, when Spider pouts over not being serious and doesn't wake everyone up with comedy, the thing he’s supposed to do, it is nice that no one’s too hard on him.  The payoff is also decent when Star goes on a spree of firing many spells at once, even ones that aren’t fighting-related, and Spider is the last one to be called.  There’s a random werewolf creature attacking Star and Marco, which is very different from normal. When all the other spells can’t beat it, Spider is the last resort.  He takes an earlier malapropism of having a “hat of a warrior” too seriously and brings out a machine gun that saves the day.  While it’s somewhat nice to see Spider find his inner fighting power, it feels forced that his hat can become a machine gun.  It doesn’t tie into the exercises he tried throughout the episode, and the earlier statement doesn’t work because the phrase was supposed to be “heart of a warrior.” 

As you can see, this episode has good intensions through building itself around world-building, but is sloppy with storytelling and shows that some ideas are best left as short jokes.  However, it’s a harmless watch with a few goodhearted moments, so you can enjoy it.  There just really isn't any need to devote a whole episode to the inside of Star’s wand, at least not until next episode...

C

The Ranking

1. Ludo in the Wild
2. Hungry Larry
3. Game of Flags
4. On the Job
5. Sleepover
6. Is Mystery
7. Mr. Candle Cares
8. Wand to Wand
9. Starstruck
10. Girls’ Day Out
11. By the Book
12. Friendenemies
13. Gift of the Card
14. Starsitting
15. Star on Wheels
16. Camping Trip
17. My New Wand
18. Red Belt
19. Spider with a Top Hat
20. Star vs Echo Creek
21. Fetch
22. Goblin Dogs

The next Star vs the Forces of Evil review covers a much more interesting look inside Star's wand, and another adventure featuring some of the worst of Pony Head.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episode, "We're Captured."

If you would like to check out other Star vs the Forces of Evil reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.