A Review of Captain Flamingo

I've stated before that I consider 2005-2009 to be one of the darkest times in television animation, next to the 1970s it was an age of cartoons that ranged from mediocre to poor. In fact, I don't think I like this era at all. Unlike most people, I believed that the quality of animated series in the 2000s decade dropped around this time. There were good cartoons during the era, but they were few and far between. Part of this comes from the fact that I did grow out of children's cartoons around this time (as well as children's entertainment in general); I think we all go through a rite of passage where we think the cartoons we watched in our childhood are way better than the ones children nowadays watch. No matter which decade you've grown up in, we all have this notion. Now I'm not going to put the blame on those specific 4 years for the quality of these cartoons, it just so happens that they came out during this time frame to justify the late 2000s as being a "dark period". Case and point Captain Flamingo.

I've also mentioned how they're cartoons that parody the superhero genre by taking it in a more
comedic direction. But there is also this sub-genre in which the heroes are children. Throughout the 2000s, there have been plenty of cartoons that have young characters that fight crime using special powers or gadgets. This trend was popular because of 'The Powerpuff Girls'; while not the first show to use this concept, the original series was such a hit that many animation companies wanted a piece of the super-powered pie of righteousness. Created by Suzanne Bolch and John May, Captain Flamingo is one of these young superhero cartoons that took the concept in a much different direction than you would think. The inception for this idea first appeared in an episode of May's first show 'Deke Wilson's Mini Mysteries', in which a character wanted to be a bird-themed superhero of the same name. I remember watching this show when I had nothing better to do. It was on towards what I consider to be the end of my childhood, and it made up my decision to give up on the super kid genre. Not many people seem to remember this show; until recently there was not much about it online. But unlike 'Stickin' Around', this was an obscure cartoon I don't have the fondest memories of. It's quite a pity considering Suzanne and John did work on 'Stickin' Around', but I digress. But was Captain Flamingo the unsung hero animation needed at the time, or was it the 'Teen Titans Go!' of its day. Let's all put our birdbrains together and find out how.

The show is about a young boy called Milo Powell, who one day is tired of how much more privileged older people are than children, decides to become a superhero much like his favourite hero Quantum Vigilante. Albeit a bird-themed one, so he takes on the alter ego Captain Flamingo. But what makes Captain Flamingo different from other kid heroes is that he doesn't fight crime or save the town from monsters, instead, he fights in the name of child justice. So with his trusty bag of novelty items and the help of his sidekick Lizbeth, they go on missions to help those children in need. Each episode would start with Milo facing a certain predicament or having to achieve a personal goal. But then he gets called upon to carry out a mission. You know how there are superheroes that have their call of action; Batman has the bat signal, Spiderman has his spidey senses, whenever a kid would be in trouble they would shout "Uh-Oh Flamingo!" He and Lizbeth try to fix the kid's problem the best they can, but the captain ends up making things worse. The Captain then counts on his "Bird Brain" to think of a solution, when really its Lizbeth giving a suggestion. He still assumes that it's his own instinct; but he often misinterprets Lizbeth's advice, it doesn't matter as the captain inadvertently fixes the issue. Milo's actions in aiding the person lead to an outcome for his personal goals. In other words 'Captain Flamingo' has a main protagonist who defends the rights for kids everywhere, it tries to depict the problems children go through as high stake adventures, and teens as the antagonists. Well, I think there's a cartoon that does that concept a lot better. As you can tell; the show is very formulaic, but it barely does anything to mix up the formula or make each episode interesting enough to come back to. In each episode; the captain would come across a kid from his neighbourhood with a problem (big or small). In this case, it's not so much children's predicaments that are exaggerated as large, grandiose adventures, it's that each kid's problem gets out of control and comedically out of proportion. It kind of reminds me of the cartoon 'Hong Kong Phooey', in that it's always the sidekick who comes up with a way to save the day, yet the main hero always takes the credit. Normally in these types of shows, they try to reduce something serious to be silly or add impact to even the most average and mundane of activities. The aim of this show is to solve a series of unfortunate mishaps; however, it makes the dilemmas too simplistic to where it can only thrill an audience that's the same age as Milo. It also tries to leave you in suspense, but once you become accustomed to the formula, the novelty can wear thin for some people. It's not that the stories/scenarios aren't or can't be interesting, it's just they're not as interesting as they could be.

The show also tries to mix action with comedy, again there's another cartoon that does that much better. You might notice that the show tries to throw in any joke it can at any given moment. I know 'Mucha Lucha' has a similar style and tone of humour, but the jokes in that show I can actually remember and they managed to make me laugh. Whether they're verbal or visual, the jokes aren't that funny and even as a teenager I heard them all before. I assume younger viewers may find the gags amusing; there might be a joke that might lead them to ask their parents to fully get it, but they are mostly low-hanging fruit on the writer's part. The jokes can also be very lowbrow, but not done in a way that's clever or worth a smirk. When it comes to the action, it's mostly slapstick based. Much of it comes from the captain trying to fix the problem, resulting in a lot of havoc to break out. These gags involve the Captain and the other characters having to go through these shenanigans, as well as the effect it has on the people around him. Even so, the physical humour doesn't have enough of an impact; it would have worked if the set-up was made more gripping to give the more humorous gag a stronger result. I've stated this before in my review of 'Teen Titans Go!' but an action-comedy still needs to capture the weight and feel of its genre, that way the punch lines have more of a punch. There are also moments in which the captain fantasizes the predicament or the antagonist as much more threatening. But the fantasy also finds its way into the real world, they're bizarre occurrences that appear as either a random gag or a plot point. If the show wanted to be internally consistent, the fantasies should either be a figment of the main character's imagination or be a part of its world; you can't have it both ways. I know in cartoons like this they like to blur the line between what is real and what is not, but this show jumps from one side to another. I can accept a show taking a plot in an 'out there' direction, so long as it runs with the potential. These surreal occurrences feel like a deus ex machina or they can be pulled out from nowhere. Once again there's another cartoon that does a better job of showing things through the imagination of a child. How is it that someone that isn't interested in superheroes, understands how to parody the genre?

The animation for this series was done at Atomic Cartoons, a Canadian company who were one of the earliest pioneers in Adobe Animate (or Flash as it was once called) during the 2000s. And like a lot of Canadian cartoons, the visuals here haven't aged very well. The whole look of the show contains very generic designs that have been seen in plenty of other cartoons. Nothing about the show looks or feels unique or inspired, neither the designs on the characters or the backgrounds leave much to the imagination. I guess it's trying to go for a retro style, but the muted colour scheme makes it plain looking. I could see where it's going with the pulp styled title cards though. It doesn't help the character's movements are pretty minimal and automated; it follows the typical criteria of any Flash cartoon from that era, which makes it look even cheaper. Contrary to what you may think, I'm not opposed to Flash animation. I'm well aware people have done impressive things with the animation software, and that it has heavily evolved since then. The show seems to have the humour as the main driving force rather than the visuals, but as a superhero show, the action should be an important tool. Even if the show is primarily a comedy, the action scenes need to feel dynamic enough (at least in this day and age). When it tries to display all the slapstick or mishaps, it doesn't do anything to make it stand out from its contemporaries. I mean the movements are passable the animators did a decent job, not that it's anything remarkable. Atomic Cartoons had the potential to make interesting looking shows, but they have been affiliated with mediocre flash animation, and even now they've yet to push their own boundaries. On that note, this was also a co-production in the Philippines, so it predates 'The NutShack' by a year.

Characters and heroes in comic books are universally recognised, to the point where many see them as the modern-day myths. So how do the characters in this show fare? Let's start with our hero, Milo. He tries his best to prove himself as a hero, while also having to go through his own hardships. He also has to balance his responsibilities at home and duty to help kids in need. There's a quixotism to how he sees life as a comic book adventure, with a utility bag of his father's novelty items, he takes these predicaments on with a wing and a prayer (so to speak). Even with these items at his disposal, he doesn't get it right the first time. I suppose he's meant to be a protagonist the younger viewers can relate and look up to. But he can get so clueless to what's going on, and that habit of him misinterpreting things with his own "strategies" can get old pretty quick. But you can't argue with results. I consider Tabitha St. Germain an underrated voice actress, but the spunky little boy voice she gives him becomes a little too much. He sounds like a prepubescent Ryan Reynolds. I can't help but to imagine what Milo will be like when he's older; will he grow out of the superhero persona, or will he continue to live in his own delusions. I mean we all used to imagine ourselves as heroes, so you cannot fault him for that. I know I used to have fantasies at that age, but I grew out of it just ask my imaginary sister Helena. Lizbeth is the captain's sidekick and neighbour from across the street; she also has a crush on him even if he's unaware of her flirting. She's actually the more levelheaded one, so she's one of the more tolerable characters to me. Even though she has to put up with the captain ignoring her. Like Spot from 'Hong Kong Phooey' Lizbeth is the one who comes up with the ideas, yet she rarely (if ever) gets the appreciation she deserves for helping to solve the conflict.

Many of the child citizens the captain has to help have certain traits that the writers like to exploit. There's Max who's the youngest with a speech impediment, Owen Only who has a really overprotective mother, Avi who is cursed to cause an accidental chain of mounting disasters, Rutger the boy who puts himself in bad situations he can't get himself out of. Tabitha is an overachieving honour student who gets really stressed whenever things don't turn out for her, Otto is the strange foreign child who has an interest in the science of machinery and rocks (as well as picking his nose). The rest are more or less similar to one another, like having vague nationalities. Considering this is a superhero comedy, you'd think it would have a vast rogue gallery. But there aren't a lot of recurring villains. There's Warrior Monkey, the captain's arch-nemesis who is a regular monkey who Milo imagines as an anthropomorphic one in samurai armour. I've kept making comparisons to other cartoons; but some of you might think he's a copy of 'Mojo Jojo', now just because the characters are the same species that doesn't mean they're alike. But when the show is about a young superhero and the main villain is a primate, it's hard not to see the parallels. He just comes off as a wild animal that harms kids and causes mischief. Wendall, Milo's cousin brags about being an eighth of an inch taller than him. Whenever he makes an appearance, he and Milo are shown competing with each other. There's also Megan, who's a bossy teenage babysitter; she doesn't come off as that intimidating, as she ends up joining the kid's side in the end. Milo's parents have significant roles; with the mother who's caught up with errands and Milo's toddler brother Thor, she can also be quite firm with Milo. The father owns the joke shop where Milo gets his items from, he has a monotone voice and average mannerisms in contrast to his son's innocent roleplaying. Though Milo might have inherited his heroism from one of his parents. This show also has a narrator, and he does that thing in which he addresses the characters. I had a super dramatic announcer once I wonder where he went? The missions revolve around these recurring characters, and all of them are not badly written, but they're only memorable by their traits and the predicaments they get into. I mean would you want to spend the day helping them?

Bottom line, Captain Flamingo isn't much of a super show. The stories use the same formula without doing anything unique to the kid hero concept, the animation leaves a lot to be desired, the humour is by the numbers and the characters are one-note. Whatever it tries to do has been done better in other shows, it's like it tries to take aspects from such similar shows and put them together in order to make the "ultimate kid show". But it wasn't put in the right hands. Much of it is not as compelling or as funny as it could be, the main joke is that it makes mishaps out of simple dilemmas. Do I think this show is as bad as 'Teen Titans Go!' No not by a long shot. I wouldn't even say this killed the 'kid hero' trend; I believe that 'Fanboy and ChumChum' has that distinction. My recommendation for it is to see how it compares to other 'kid hero' cartoons, even though this trend may have been overhyped. Don't expect it to play the action genre straight, or parody the conventions, that is if you're big. If you're little; you might like this for the slapstick humour and characters. If you were a fan of this as a child, then more power to you. But if you were one of those teens who looked down on children for liking it, it's not like you were any better at that age. I'm sure this little flamingo tried to join among the likes of other comedic superheroes, but the only merit I can give him is a 3/5.

For the record, I'm not blaming this show for the state of cartoons during this era, not at all. Maybe it's not that I was too old to be watching these shows, maybe it's because my tastes and understanding of topics were developing, so this show didn't appeal to me. And if you were a child during this era, you may have grown out of shows like this, or you may have not. I should keep in mind that not every show from my childhood is as good as I remember it to be, I mean when was the last time you've even watched The Powerpuff Girls? But this is one hero that I'm too big to call for his help. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to......

*heavy breathing* I'm terribly sorry I'm late, *heavy breathing* I was stuck in traffic.
Well, the review is over now announcer guy, besides I haven't needed you for the past 6 years.
Then I guess you don't need my assistance anymore, good day.
Wait, Wait, don't take it the wrong way. It's just; when was the last time I did a review in this fashion?
You never even do one, all you ever touched upon was the more funny superhero shows, not the serious ones. I wasn't even used when you reviewed 'Teen Titans Go!
Those are really out of my comfort zone.
Don't you think it's your responsibility to review anything, regardless if you like it or not?
It's not like this blog is my lively hood.
Look mister; whether you review more superhero shows, or I'm out of here.
Fine go. Who needs you anyway? I don't, and I don't need this cartoon either! Goodbye.
*slams door* I knew I should have worked with that Mr Enter guy.

Man, I might have been too harsh on him.

Don't Be Horrid Henry!

So it has come to my attention that the animated series 'Horrid Henry', the show based on the British children's book series is getting another season.

People's reactions: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

I've never said this to anyone at all, but I have somewhat of a history with this particular cartoon. The reason why is because there was nothing about it I wanted to share, it was honestly a show I didn't want my peers to know I saw (for fear of what they'd think of me). But I had an itch that I've been meaning to scratch, so it's about time to give my thoughts on it.

I'll start this off by saying that I never read the Horrid Henry books as a child, I was aware of them as they were a hit where I'm from. But something about them didn't catch my attention. That was until the animated series came out, so I thought that it could get me into the book series. The Horrid Henry series has gained a bad reputation, (mostly among older watchers) but if I could give an unpopular opinion, I didn't really mind it that much. For what the series is; the plots stayed true to the source material, the animation had effort put into it (if wonky at times) and the characters can have their moments. Much like 'The Cramp Twins'; the show exaggerates childhood situations that centre around a young anti-hero with a brother he has nothing in common with. Each episode would have Henry; this naughty brat who is faced with a certain problem, he then retaliates using trouble-making antics to achieve his goal. But more often than not, it would end with Henry facing the consequences of his actions. When it comes to TV shows based on kid's books, I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of mileage to come out of it. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I ever liked this series very much. The writing wasn't high calibre, there were times where the characters could go too far with their traits and that it would relay on sophomoric/gross-out humour. Needless to say, it got obnoxious at times. But I think it was trying to appeal to the adolescence, much of it comes from how it tries to embrace a child's inner rebellion. There was a certain edge to it with how far Henry's anti-social behaviour can go, that it can be seen as a cautionary tale. So the juvenile nature is warranted for a show with this character. As long as the show wasn't too shocking, and as long as young viewers didn't imitate Henry's antics, I didn't find the show offensive (for the most part). So I was very indifferent towards it, that was until the third season. 

After the 'Horrid Henry movie', something went off with the TV series. I noticed that each episode

would get increasingly worse as it went on. The writing became very lacklustre, the stories stopped being as coherent as before, they either went nowhere or fell completely flat on its face. Not that the show was any good to begin with, but by comparison, the writing in the last 2 seasons felt very lazy. Even if you didn't like the show before, or you just thought it was okay, the later episodes would make the early ones seem not so bad. The antics became watered down, the dialogue made very little sense, the situations were no longer engaging in any way, that it would even resort to anti-humour which is not the least bit funny. Everything would drag on other than focussing on anything of importance, that anyone watching would lose any investment. The show had lost any edge it might have had, you could say I was too old to watch the show at the time, but even a child would find it dull. It doesn't even feel finished like the writer just turned in the first draft and did not add any further development to it. Whereas 'The Cramp Twins' had more story potential and should have gotten closure, the HH cartoon just kept going much longer without making much of a point. Now Horrid Henry's seasonal rot is nowhere near as bad as other shows, whereas those were noteworthy in how they declined in quality, HH just left me bored and underwhelmed. Even in its worst seasons; Spongebob at the very least had interesting ideas and concepts, with HH I could barely remember a thing. 

With how much source material there was to work with, you'd think the makers would be a lot more inspired. It feels like the producer was trying to sabotage the series. Why do I think this? Well, it seems that showrunner Lucinda Whitely has been calling the shots with the writing department; almost like she's become judge, jury and executioner. It's like people are afraid to tell her what she should and shouldn't do, as the episodes she' wrote show a lack of restraint. I'm sure she did put time into these scripts, but that has become very questionable as the final project doesn't show this. I don't see why they couldn't give creative control to Francesca Simon, seeing how it's her baby. I don't even know how much involvement she has with the series, or even she's aware of what's going on. It's like nobody is even trying anymore. Again the later episodes ain't remarkably bad, but that doesn't change how boring it got. I think children and fans of Horrid Henry deserve better than this. 

With all that said, how much more can they milk from this bratty child. I thought the franchise ended

3 and a half years ago, but it occurred to me that the show goes on these long hiatuses because the episodes do take that long to animate. Not only has the book series been around as long as I have, but the TV series has been on for nearly 13 years, even 'Johnny Test' didn't go on for that long. But if there's going to be another Toy Story and Shrek film, I guess any franchise has the chance to continue for an eternity. Even though I don't want to have anything to do with this series, maybe it might redeem itself. Perhaps Lucinda Whitely has listened to the criticism and that the upcoming season might be an improvement. But if this is going to be the last season, then I think it's for the best. Hopefully, it'll end on a relatively brighter note; rather than its soiled reputation. It would be better off that way. Or maybe the show will stoop to a whole new low and be a zombie of what it used to be. I'm not going to act like I was a fan of this show, but you could tell the makers did put their all into its early seasons. Even for how juvenile it was, many HH fans would agree it got as lazy as Lazy Linda. While I personally think people should put their focus on making a Cramp Twins revival, and just stop it with Horrid Henry. No matter how Season 5 turns out, this show needs to be left in the past with whatever dignity it has left. But at the end of the day, the Horrid Henry series is not great, nor is it "horrid", it's just mediocre.

The Top 10 Good Things About The Modern Fairly Odd Parents Episodes

When I was a child, I always watched Nicktoons and one of those certain shows that I always enjoyed was Butch Hartman's 'Fairly Odd Parents'. Starting life as a series of shorts for Nick's Oh Yeah Cartoons; the Fairly Odd Parents was a 2000s cartoon that revolved around a simple-minded 10 year old named Timmy Turner, whose life is made miserable by his evil babysitter Vicky. That is until he's given 2 fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda who use their magic to improve Timmy's life and all shenanigans ensue. Since it's first run the show has been known for showcasing Hartman's signature style of cartoony animation, gag related humour as well as the consequences of using magic and wishes (if they were possible in reality). I'm not gonna lie, at the time this was becoming popular; the Fairly Odd Parents was one of my favourite shows as a child. I liked how unique the premise was with how it mixed fairy tale aesthetics with modern comedy; I remember being obsessed with the magical antics of Timmy and the memorable cast of characters as well as the variety of stories it told. Sure the writing wasn't always strong, but it totally made up for it with its humorous lines, colourful visuals and clever execution of morals.

But after the tv movie "Fairy Idol" aired, the series went on a year-long hiatus; which resulted with many fans to assume that the magic had ended. To put a long story short, our favourite fairies returned with a new character Poof, Cosmo and Wanda's not godchild. The fans of the show thought, what could possibly go wrong?
Sadly this stunt resulted in splitting its fan base as well as the general audiences down the middle. For many fans; the addition of Poof as the "4th wheel" was seen as "jumping the shark through a pair of giant scissors". So to speak. The writing is not as clever they say, all the comedy has become obnoxious they say, and the characters have become prey to 'Flanderization' they say. I don't know whether it's because most of the fans grew out of the show, or that maybe they have a point.

As for my two cents on these 2008-Present episodes; well while I can't take the show seriously anymore because it doesn't take it's self seriously, I actually think the Fairly Odd Parents still has it's good moments. I mean think about it; there's probably a good reason why Nickelodeon and Butch Hartman decided to bring it back, and as you can imagine a lot of money and attention was put into these episodes. Like all tv shows these later Fairly Odd Parents episodes shouldn't be ignored, because it's good to see where all that effort pays off. Prepare to wish to be a kid again, here's my list of what I consider the redeeming qualities of The Modern Fairly Odd Parents Episodes.

10. Poof's Design

Whether you think Poof was necessary or not, you can't deny how cute his design is. During his appearance, I just thought he looked adorable being a baby and what not; so Poof never really bothered me, part of that comes from the fact that I couldn't resist that design.

For me, Poof was a good example of how the animation crew can design cute things. With his round body, big eyes and sweet smile; even if he doesn't do anything it's that design that makes the character stick out. Nothing more I can say but I consider this one of the cutest designs the show has offered, just as he was intended. I mean there's no way you can make Poof not cute?

........Shut up.

9. Balance of Flour

When Timmy and his fairies visit Jorgen's grandmother Nana Boom Boom's bakery, they discover Nana's Brownies, which she made for the annual bake-off between the fairies and the anti-fairies. It's not long till Poof gets addicted to the brownies and eats the entire batch before Nana and Jorgen can make more Timmy and Cosmo (who also want the brownies) steal the recipe by processing it into Timmy's brain. As soon as Anti-Cosmo and Wanda find out, they are bent on taking the recipe for themselves.

For me, this episode is what how you'd imagine what the show would do with a cooking contest, but things get into much higher stakes here. We also learn a bit of the history of Fairy World, as it turns out the baking contest determines the fate of who gets god-children. It has you guessing how everyone is going to get the brownie recipe, and it has you concerned. However I don't want to spoil how this episode turns out, so check it out for yourself if you haven't. All I can say is that it's a recipe for a good episode.

8. Freaks and Greeks
When Timmy's parents go to a Greek-themed party, he and his fairies decide to have a Greek party of their own. So they visit Mount Olympus, in which the gods and goddesses like Zeus, Poseidon, Dionysus and Artemis are there celebrating. But due to an accident; Timmy destroys Mount Olympus so the gods now have their party at Timmy's house. Not only does Timmy try to get rid of them before his parents get back home, but he has to protect their glass figurine collection.

As a fan of Greek Mythology, it was nice to see this show finally tackle this subject matter. It's fun to see how they interpreted these gods and goddesses, we also see how they react to what the modern world has to offer; though it makes me wonder how fairies have a modern lifestyle while the gods don't. But anyway, you feel for Timmy as he has to put up with the Gods' rowdy behaviour. However, this episode does raise some questions towards the end like why couldn't Wanda just fix Mount Olympus with the snap of a finger; but it works for the sake of a story. Nitpicking aside it's still a party of an episode that incorporates something I'm fascinated by in its own Fairly Odd way.

7. The Fairy Beginning

Fans only seem to remember the ninth season for how it retconned previous episodes, so of all things, it decided to end it off with an origin episode. When Jorgen tells Cosmo he never graduated from Fairy Academy, which will result in Cosmo losing his job. To investigate who could have sabotaged Cosmo's chances of passing, he tells the gang his school days. The episode continues to show what Cosmo, Wanda, Jorgen, Juandisimo, The Tooth Fairy and Cupid were like in their teen years, and how they came to be who they are today. There are even some similarities to Hogwarts with the Fairy Academy. It combines the flashback episode and a mystery aspect to make you guess how things turn out for these characters. It's decent how the show decided to give us a little prequel to cap off this season; though considering it continued to go on this long, I kind of wish this is how they cap off the entire series. But don't take my word for it, give this episode a look if you're still curious about the show's history.

This episode also has a scene that kinda makes fun at Trump's expense, but I think I've made enough fun of Trump at this point.

6. Bad Heir Day
We all know Denzil Crocker as the series' main antagonist and his determination to capture Timmy's

fairies and use them for his own purposes. But his character has managed to stay consistent throughout the series and has not been 'flanderised' in the least, Some viewers have even said that Crooker is the highlight of the later seasons. However, it's this episode that shows Crooker still has some goodness in his heart despite his gradual descent to madness. On Crooker's birthday, he decides that he wants to have a child and start a family After failed attempts to find one, Timmy then loses Poof at Crocker's home. Poof then accidentally ends up wearing Crocker's outfit, leading Crocker to believe that Poof is his son. This leads to Crocker showing Poof his plans and life goals, while Timmy looks for him.

Out of the Crocker episodes from the Modern Era, this is probably the most heartfelt. It feels genuine to see Crocker bond with Poof, even if he's not aware that's his so-called heir is a fairy baby. That and how Poof gives Crocker the experience of having a child of his own. People say that Poof didn't have much of a purpose, but this is one of the cases in which he did. It's also a nice change of pace to have an episode where Crocker's isn't diabolical or villainous, it shows a more human side to him. It shows that Crocker's former self is still deep within him; as he offers Poof kindness, even if it's in his own way. Because of this; you start to feel for him, it's also nice to see Poof warm up to Crocker the more they spend time with each other. It has it's fair share of funny and heartwarming moments, 'Bad Heir Day' is anything but bad.

5. Micecapades

For those who don't know, my favourite cartoon of all time is 'Tom and Jerry' so what happens when you combine that cartoon with this cartoon? You get this. So this episode starts with the boys watching "Sleazy and Cheezy", a version of the classic cat and mouse duo in the show's universe (probably so the creators wouldn't get sued). Wanda decides to turn off the tv because she's concerned the cartoon may be a bad influence on Poof. As for Timmy, he is forced to have Vicky look after him while his dad has to tend to a special kind of cheese he got. When Poof sees Timmy defending himself, he's reminded of 'Sleazy and Cheezy" and turns Vicky to a cartoon cat and Timmy into a cartoon mouse.


Now, this is not the first and only time Vicky and Timmy assume the roles of Tom and Jerry, they pretty much did this in the tv movie "Channel Chaser". But here they take this idea and build an entire episode around it. This episode is a good homage to the classic T&J shorts; capturing the slapstick, and cartoon violence they're known for, in that Fairly Odd Parents style. When it's not paying homage to the animated works of Hanna Barbera;  it manages to way to tie these plot points together, laced with a sense of timing and energy much similar to the aforementioned cat and mouse cartoon. Much like 'Freaks and Geeks', I do wish the ending could have used a bit more fine-tuning. But as it is; it does a good job paying tribute to an iconic cartoon, so T&J fans including me can appreciate it.

4. Food Fight

Not to be confused with that episode of 'The Cramp Twins' or that god awful animated film, this season 8 episode stands out for different reasons. When Timmy and his dad can't stand Timmy's Mom's cooking, she then finds out what they both think of it. She even discovers that they've been hiding the meals she has cooked for them, so not to hurt her feelings (to which it does). Feeling guilty Timmy wishes that his mom was the best cook ever. Timmy's mom starts to cook up many extraordinary and delicious dishes with these new found skills; she even turns her kitchen into a paradise made from food that's so appetising to look at, there's even a field made of sausages. Her meals are so good that she turns her home into a restaurant, so everyone in town can taste her cooking. This also catches the attention of a german TV chief who wants Timmy's mom as a contestant on his extreme TV cooking contest, but will Timmy's mom's magic cooking skills be able to last long?

Now in previous episodes, I don't remember it being implied that Timmy's mom ever was bad at cooking. Sure there have been examples of instances where she wasn't the best cook in earlier episodes, heck the best meal she ever made was a bowl of 'cold cereal and milk'. But it works for the sake of telling a story, and in this case, it is a very good story.
What really makes this episode so good is how imaginative it can be with food, they really came up with interesting and creative visuals and designs with the different dishes Timmy's Mom has made. You can practically smell and taste these dishes, don't you just want to go through these sausage fields? But the cherry on top for "Food Fight' is the resolution at the end, which I won't spoil here. All I can is that it's a nice and touching moral that doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a well-prepared episode that'll satisfy your tastes and a real feast for the eyes. Now if you excuse me I'm going to run through the sausage fields, I FEEL SO GREASY!

3. King Chang

If you have watched the show around the 4th season; you'd know there was an overarching story with the alien character Mark Chang. In which he is forced to marry the alien princess Mandie to bring their planets together to take over the galaxy; but Mark runs away because he doesn't find her attractive (if you know Mark's alien race think that beauty is ugly and vice versa). Mandie has been determined to hunt down Mark while he has been hiding on earth ever since then. In this instalment; someone is planning on assassinating Mark's father, the king of Yugopotamia. He finds Mark so he can use him to take over the kingdom while he resides on Earth. So while Mark takes on his new responsibility, Timmy becomes a bodyguard and find out who the assassin is. It turns out to be an elaborate plan by Mandie, in order to marry Mark. But will she succeed in her evil plans and what does this mean for the fate of Mark and Yugopotamia?

The reason why I consider this a good episode is because it gives closure to a story arc the show had for a long time; the fans have been wondering the outcome of this series of episodes, and this episode doesn't disappoint at all. The action is good, the writing takes unpredictable turns, that it seems almost suspenseful. Mandie is also a bigger threat in this episode and is more intimidating as she ever was. I'm just thankful they eventually got around to giving this story arc a conclusion; it feels like Season 6 was green-lighted to make this episode, even though they could've done this in a previous season. Regardless we should thank the galaxies this show got a chance to achieve one of its goals with one of its recurring characters. And speaking of goals.

2. He Poofs He Scores

Though I also consider it's sister episode 'The Boss of Me' to have a good story; I gave it some thought and it came down to which could do more than the earlier seasons. In this episode, Timmy doesn't seem to be doing well in his little league football (soccer) game, as he keeps kicking the ball into the other team's net. His dad who's the coach; pressures Timmy to do better so he can beat his rival Dinkleberg's team, the Dinkle Ducks. So Timmy wants to wish he could win the game; but if you've been watching the show, Timmy can't use magic in a competition. So what happens; Poof get in Timmy's cereal, gets himself swallowed and ends up in Timmy's head as well. As Poof plays around with Timmy's brain, his magic causes Timmy to be a better player. But will he still be able to have these new found skills for the final match against the Dinkle Ducks?

There have been sports-related episodes in the show, and this episode pulls it off in a way the Fairly Odd Parents could do. One detail the episode does well is how the other football (soccer) teams have their own distinct identities and uniforms, that have a certain theme to them. The animators also thought of fun ways to show Timmy scoring. They could've easily made Timmy's Dad selfish and resent Timmy, but they show that he wants his son to do the best of his ability. Timmy may be exploiting Poof, but his actions also don't come from a selfish place either. It's another episode where he isn't useless as most fans think; even he doesn't mean any harm when he has fun with Timmy's brain. Its the justifications of these character's actions that make this episode a field goal in my book.

And I'll stop with the goal analogies there. Also Cosmo, you have no room to judge Timmy's intelligence.

Before I get to number 1, I like to give an honourable mention.

Fairly Oddlympics: To promote the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the makers of the show put together a special sporting event for Fairy World. When the fairies argue with the Anti Fairies and the Pixies; to see who's the best, Timmy puts together The Fairy World Games. This special does everything you can imagine with fairies doing these sports, while also making some of them to be more magical. They even managed to get Scott Hamilton to guest star. Like many other Fairly Odd Parents episodes, it has a good moral; that shows that winners never cheat and that cheaters only cheat themselves. Wait a minute why is there a cheetah doing here?

And the number 1 good thing about Modern Fairly Odd Parents Episodes is..........

1. The Wishology Trilogy

The Fairly Odd Parents have always done TV movies; there have even been recurring aspects here and there, to start Season 7 with a bang the show did something different. This was no ordinary special, but a trilogy of specials which revolve around an ancient prophecy. Many years ago the fairies fought against a mysterious black hole known 'The Darkness'; but when it returns, it sends a group of evil robots known as the 'Eliminators' to destroy none other than Timmy himself. Jorgen tells Timmy that he is the 'chosen one' who was foretold to defeat 'The Darkness' by retrieving 3 mystical wands.

What can I say about this series of episodes, they show that the franchise was willing to go above and beyond than what was done in the past. It's just as big as any of the TV movies of the early seasons, and it feels closer to the spirit of 'The Fairly Odd Parents'. The premise really expands on the lore of Fairy World, and add a layer to the universe of the show. The Darkness and the 'Eliminators' pose as a real threat like any good antagonist, and they're not one-dimensional villains either. The Wishology trilogy really embrace the fantasy aspect, while making many references to well-known film series. They also have guest stars whose roles are important to the plot; speaking of character, this series utilises many characters to take on roles you wouldn't imagine them being in. It also has plenty of suspenseful action scenes, the concepts and the designs capture the same imagination the show is known for. Every plot point serves a particular purpose, and really subverts your expectations.

The makers of the show made an extra effort to make this series of specials feel like a movie than an extended episode. They also feel much grander in scale; the stakes have risen, the writing feels solid enough to fit that format. It takes the series to epic proportions; which is what the live-action movies with Drake Bell were missing (And I'll get to those someday). From my point of view; this trilogy managed to take the franchise to new heights, instead of being a ratings trap it told an engaging story that ties all these things together. It took different twists and turns, and each part was told in a distinctive way. I'm not gonna act like this is a perfect trilogy, but I still consider it the best thing to come out of the seasonal rot, and I still stand by that. I totally recommend this to fans of the show, as well as those who are fans of epic trilogies.

So there's a list of what I consider the best things about The Modern Fairly Odd Parents Episodes. And it just goes to show; that even if a TV show or franchise has passed it's prime, it can still have some value to it. These moments show that the cartoon still has creative potential left in it and that Butch Hartman does still care about what made it work in the first place. This list proves that this show can still be as good and funny as it once was. Sure you have to go through the duds, but it's worth finding those diamonds in the rough. If you've been put off by the Fairly Odd Parents in it's later years; just keep this list in mind, because I believe the positive qualities of the later episodes should be acknowledged. So tell me what you think is the best episode or aspect of the Modern Fairly Odd Parents seasons, and tell me if you agree with me or not. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get this cheetah get out of my house.

A Review of Mouk

Hello, bonjour, hola, hallo, ciao, okay let's skip the introduction and move on to the review, please. When it comes to animated tv shows for the little kids, Disney Junior seems to have a poor line up, Special Agent Oso....hate it, Jungle Junction.....despise it, and Micky Mouse's Clubhouse is a straight-up insult to the classic Micky Mouse cartoons. However there is one cartoon series that has taken me by surprise, a show that stands up among the rest and comes off as original and unique, what show is that you may ask, read the title, jackass, this is Mouk.

Now, this is the part where I speak about the show and its premise, so here we go. Mouk is an animated show based on the cult children's book by Marc Boutavant. The show it'self centres around a young bear named Mouk and his friend Chavapa and how they travel all around the world on their bikes, from America to Australia and from Greece to China both Mouk and Chavapa learn all about different cultures, environments and traditions on their travels. Each episode would keep to a simple structure, Mouk and Chavapa would be in a different country and while there Mouk would chat to his friends Mita and Popo via laptop, about their adventures (like a journal if you will) the whole show would continue from here on. 

So what do I think of this show, I have to say I actually enjoy it. I mean honestly it's just a blessing to see a children's show that has so much effort and so much charm put into it, it's been a long time since we've seen a show like this and for a show that's on Disney Junior, it's just pleasant. I'm serious, never have I been so invested in something meant for little kids, oh sweet Arthur Rackham! Thank the Holy Grapes of God!

 Now when this show came out, I didn't really care about it much because I tended to watch Adventure Time and Fish Hooks as the only recent cartoons I was into at the moment. But a year later my mother saw bits of it and asked me to watch more of it, so I did. And much to my surprise, I liked it more than I expected. What really caught my eye was the art style and how unique it was, so I glanced a hand full of episodes and it didn't bother me at all. There's no bad forth wall jokes, there's no live-action sequences, there's no annoying characters and it doesn't rely on being condescending to the audience; it just tells a straight forward story and I like that. It has that same charm that "The Busy World of Richard Scarry" has, meaning it keeps it's self true to the source material which makes people interested in what it's based on. 

The writing is well done and like I said it's nothing you would ever see in any recent kid's show; it

tells a real story that's adventurous and educational at the same time. Like I said, there's no stupid live-action sequences that interrupt the episode and shows kids how things work, it simply tells them through plot and animation. The writers have taken inspiration from all these cultures to create unique plots, for example, there was an episode where Mouk and Chavapa were in Brazil and wanted to watch the football, but when birds mess with the satellite they try to fix it by using a machine that works through kicking a ball at a target. That there is how you educate the viewers through visual storytelling, and it's INTERESTING.....I mean take some bloody notes Stupid Agent Oso! This show is more educational in one episode than you are in a whole season! but I digress. 

The way it presents these different cultures is not only INTERESTING but it's also told in a simplistic fashion so younger viewers would understand. But maybe it goes a little too simplistic, don't get me wrong, when it's good it's at it's best but when it has to keep its self as a "preschool show" it shows a moment of weakness. I don't know maybe if the writing was much more clever as well as the humour, I mean the best part of something like "The Amazing World of Gumball" is the humour and I was wondering if this show would go the same direction but still. But here it isn't really distracting because of how decent everything else is, because it doesn't treat its viewers like idiots I forgive the writers for their approach. For a show like this, the simplicity works much better than in other Disney Jr shows in my opinion, I just wanted to see more in the joke department. 

And for those who have a problem with the tone of Mouk, it's called flaming SUBTLETY!!!

What makes Mouk stand out from other "little kid's" cartoons other than the writing is the animation, where do I begin. The animation and the artwork is beyond creative and even beautiful, the attention to detail on the character design, the colours, the backgrounds and the movement is done to a "t" there's so much to look at, it's a real feast.....no wait, scratch that! it's a real banquet for the eyes. 

It really stays true to the Boutavant design, this is saying a lot for me considering I'm not a fan of Boutavant's work; but after seeing this show I immediately wanted to check out his art, heck I didn't know who this guy was until I came across this show! The animators need to give themselves a pat on the back for bringing his gorgeous illustrations to life.

Of course, you can't judge characters on their designs but on their personalities, which brings me to another point why this show works. Unlike other "Disney Jr" shows the characters don't annoy you to the point where you want to punch them, in-fact their performances are so subtle, to say the least. Mouk is one of those very laid back characters who are also adventurous, characters like Snoopy or Brother Bear from the Berenstain Bears, but he also takes things seriously which is more than I can say for other Disney Jr characters. Chavapa is just as optimistic and as adventurous as Mouk only he gets the most jokes, as well as having an appetite he often brags a little bit but he still has a big heart much like Mouk. Popo and Mita are just like the younger brother and sister/cousins you know, especially if you're British.

And the side characters Mouk and Chavapa meet across are also kind and even interesting, again they're not generic or condescending unlike the characters from a certain piece of crap I won't mention*****cough***bobinogs****cough**** Though I was kind of expecting the accents to be more diverse but like everything else in the show I don't really see that as a problem. You could tell this show has a cast of 4 voice actors and they don't do a bad job at voicing the different characters; though some people may not get into the voice acting at first they'll get used to it, hey I can tolerate the voices way more than Eliot Kid. At least it doesn't resort to using offensive stereotypes. 

Overall Mouk is an adorable animated show that I'm glad to have checked out, sure the writing may not be top-notch it makes up for it with it's gorgeous animation, lovable characters, educational value and originality. Never in a long time have I seen a Disney Jr show to have so much effort put into it, it amazes me how it doesn't act condescending towards the younger audience but instead teaches different culture in a unique and creative way which is rare to see in a kid's show. It may not be at the same level as Arthur but that's really a hard act to follow, and as far as "little kid's cartoons" go this is a step in the right direction.

I highly recommend this show not just to children but fans of illustration and Marc Boutavant as well. I'm glad my mother made me watch this show because I've never would have enjoyed such a piece, it's that type of show that gives me hope for animation as well as the entertainment industry in general which is why it gets a 4/5 from me. If it's a modern show I like, then you know it's worth checking out! so if you excuse me I have to look at my photos from Barcelona.

Happy Aniversery Cramp Twins

A year ago I posted this video on You Tube, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Cramp Twins, considering Cartoon Network wouldn't anyway. This video shows some background history on the show and how much it means to me and other CT fans. Let I said, it's also available to watch on my You Tube channel (check link below) hope you'll enjoy it.
(http://www.youtube.com/user/cmtvable1?feature=mhee)