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.

A Bash on Teen Titans Go!

You may remember that I reviewed the British cartoon "Pet Squad", that short-lived series about 3 super powered animals that took the superhero genre in a comedic direction. The one that tried to imitate the works of Jay Ward; even though it didn't use their tongue in cheek charm and wit. And despite the fact it had talented people working on it, it never really took off. Well, I take back what I said about it. Hell, I take back what I said about Clutch Cargo, Mighty Man and Yukk, Transformers, Captain Planet, Jonny Quest and Dynomutt Dog Wonder. I take it all back because I'm convinced I've seen the absolute worst cartoon the action/superhero genre has had to offer. What is this cartoon that's so bad you ask, it's none other than Teen Titans Go!

Based on the DC comic book series, this franchise has a concept of a team of teenage crime fighters;

however, the characters people mostly associate with the Teen Titans are Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy and Raven. And their most well-known incarnation that featured those aforementioned characters was the Cartoon Network series from 2003. Now what can I say about the 2003 series, I'll admit when I was younger I remember watching some episodes out of morbid curiosity, but since then I haven't seen or thought of it considering I don't care for DC. Even though I didn't hold on to it; looking back there were admirable things like the voice acting, how it balanced action with comedy relief and its characters. Hell, there was even a tear-jerking moment, so I can understand why it had a strong and dedicated fan base.

Why I do I bring this up, well 10 years later there came a new cartoon based on the Teen Titans. Not only did it have the same main characters, not only did it adapt the same designs to a more cartoony style but the same voice actors returned to reprise their roles. So you can imagine it gained a bit of attention as well as hype. However this latest incarnation focuses more on the comedic aspect than the early one; fans were quite hesitant but when they saw the final product, it would be regarded as the biggest slaps in the face of the decade. Instead of giving us a revival of the 2000s series, they gave us a series that has become so infamous that even the mention of its name would strike fear to superhero and cartoon fans alike. In fact, it has gone by different names like Toddler Titans, Teen Titans No, Teen Titans Go F*** Yourself, but I would like to call it Teen Titans Go Away.
An animated series that has become so reviled in recent history, that practically everyone on the web has covered; now it's my turn.

To start this review off; I will not associate this with the 2003 series or anything from the Teen Titans franchise, I'll be strictly looking at this show on its own. Teen Titans Go! revolves around the same team of 5 titans; only in this comedic take on the superhero genre, it shows them in a variety of scenarios. And when I say variety, I mean it's less about fighting crime or trying to save the world; but more about the titan's goofy shenanigans! The plot basically has the Titans minding their own business, they get into a predicament, the story gets blown out of proportion as it goes on and it ends with the Titans either resolving the conflict or failing in a comical fashion. These plots have a typical set up you see in other comedic shows; but here, it's executed badly. This show seems to be trying to do what "The Justice Friends" segments from Dexter's Lab did; in this case, the writers did a poor attempt. Other than having consistent storytelling, it focuses more on telling jokes and being as silly as possible. Not only do the plots go in outrageous directions, but also it has this mean spirited vibe towards the protagonists.

But you know what else Teen Titans Go! offers in its subject matter? The titan's adventures would involve using the bathroom, eating vegetables, what to do on a rainy day, and seeing how many times you just say the word 'waffles'. I know this show is aimed at older kids and teenagers, but I think this show was secretly made for 4 year olds. You know those spin-offs that had well-known cartoon characters and made them younger; well this is what this show feels like. This is on par with 'Bobinogs' it's that bad. No wonder they call this "Toddler Titans". Even if that is the case, it doesn't work because there have been instances where it inverts lessons. There were times where it is seemingly trying to teach a moral, but they turn out to be false or spoof aesops. Yes, the show is playing itself for laughs, but I worry that the younger audience would take it seriously. And those kids who are expecting it to be action-packed would feel deceived.

But considering this is a comedy; is it at least funny. Well, this show is just as funny as cancer. This

series throws in every different type of joke it can, and none of them tickle my funny bone. Much like the stories, the "humour" tries its hardest to be over the top and lampoon the superhero genre. To put it simply, it really takes the mick here. Depending on who you are, it might get one or two chuckles out of you, but that's how desperate it is to make you laugh. But anyone with common sense would not laugh at all. I throw the phrase 'lowest common denominator around, but that's the best way to describe its brand of "humour". Much of the jokes contain very lowbrow toilet humour, pop culture references, they also have a tendency to use running jokes throughout one episode. It gets really frustrating and the jokes aren't even funny to begin with. It gets so zany and wacky to the point the stories become stupid and ridiculous. It's noteworthy how it's able to push your suspension of disbelief, but your patience as well. Now there's nothing inherently wrong with making a funny cartoon that includes action, but you have to capture the spirit of the specific genre. Play around with the conventions and make sure to have a balance of action and humour. The 2003 series did have moments of comic relief, it came from the character's expressions going really cartoony and exaggerated. However, those humorous elements were only an ingredient, with TTG it's like making a sundae only to end up serving a bowl of sprinkles. I also throw the word stupid a lot but that's the best way to describe this excuse for "comedy".  There's a difference between 'laughing with' and 'laughing at' someone, but in this case, it's the latter. What do I mean by this; because the only time you see TTG and 'laughing' in the same sentence, is that it would be a laughing stock to the animation industry.

As a comical show, the visuals are meant to be much more cartoony than your typical superhero fare. In a similar vein to 'The Powerpuff Girls', the character design has bold outlines and the heads are different shapes and sizes. But the whole look doesn't appeal to me; it's a very generic use of a style that doesn't do anything for me. The colours are also very saturated; I get sick of seeing the same colour scheme for each location. One detail I notice with the background designs is that there's this jagged pattern effect that gives a shading illusion from a distance. The movements are done in Adobe Animate (or Flash, as people used to call it); despite the fact that the tool has come a long way in the past decade, it doesn't make the designs look any better. I can tell that the timing is very fast, but by modern cartoon standards, the movement makes the show look awfully cheap and minimalist. I can't get by the lip movements and how obvious it cuts corners. When it does incorporate fight scenes, they don't lead much to the viewer's imagination. It uses the same basic composition as opposed to adding any depth or dynamic angles. It's able to think of wild expressions, but like the writing it gets overbearing. I must say the mediocre art direction does match with the quality of the writing. I really feel sorry for the artists and animators who had to work on this, because I'm sure they're doing the best they can with the material they're given. It's too bad what they have to work with are garbage scripts, it's upsetting that their talents are being put to waste. You know what's ironic; in the 60s when we started to get more action/adventure cartoons, I never cared for the action shows that went for a pseudo realistic look, yet I respect the shows that tried to take that genre for a comical approach. But when it comes to Teen Titans, it's the complete inverse.

Now let's get to what people really hate about this show, and that's its characters, starting with

the titans themselves. Robin, the leader of the group is a former sidekick who aspires to be a great leader and hero. Unfortunately, he often gets the short end of his staff and never catches a break. He gets into humungous tantrums whenever things don't go his way; he becomes so assertive and bossy towards the others that he comes off a loudmouth. Though can you blame him when he has to put up with the other characters? He just wants to take his missions seriously, yet no one else appreciates him and has to put up with his orders. Cyborg is a half human half robotic hero with hidden weapons and gadget at his disposal. Beast Boy, who is able to turn into every animal, is also the laid back one. He also speaks in slang and tends to use the suffix 'es' with certain words. They're both slackers who would rather ditch their responsibilities so they can lie around doing their own thing. While Cyborg is the 'party dude', Beast Boy is a dimwitted slob. The female titans are not much better. Starfire appears to be the one member who's gentle and kind, but even she has moments where she uses non sequitur phrases. She has a sunny disposition, in which she's shown to be happy and naive. Because she still hasn't gotten used to earth customs, she can get into misunderstandings and becomes obsessed over things (like cats). Raven is the demonic gothic member with dark, sinister powers. You'd think she would be the sensible straight man who acts as the voice of reason, but even she can act goofy and expressive at times. One of her traits is that she likes a girl's cartoon about ponies, which is obviously a reference to the fact that her voice actress Tara Strong voices the main character of 'My Little Pony Friendship is Magic'. The girls on the team are also the love interests for Robin and Beast Boy, yet they don't show the same feelings. I hate these characters; they're not even good at their jobs as heroes. They're utterly incompetent as they barely save the day or achieve what they set to do. They even cause more problems than solving them, and they don't develop through their lessons. It makes it hard to root for them when they act so immature. It's stated the titans are supposed to be teenagers, but they act too juvenile to be considered as such. They often yell out their lines in an over the top fashion, which makes them even more obnoxious. Now can you understand why people call this 'Toddler Titans".

The straight man in this show would have to be the supporting characters and villains. Each antagonist would have to put up with the titans' immature antics; even the other teenage heroes find them a nuisance. But if I could take a moment to compare any character from the 2003 series, it would have to be Terra. She is a villain with elemental abilities and is Beast boy's other love interest. Let me just say that it breaks my heart what they did to her in this series, it really does. As a kid's show, the titans don't even set any good examples. No child would want to look up to these so-called heroes at all.

Bottom line, I Hate Teen Titans Go! Folks I find that very a strong word, and I'm not one to hop on the bandwagon, but that's how I legitimately feel about it. What more can I say that hasn't already been said? The writing is awful and poorly executed, the humour is obnoxious, the characters are either puerile or ones you feel bad for and the animation is cheap by current animation standards. It's a show that fails on all accounts, it's super bad! I should have heed people's opinions on the show because I can completely understand why it's considered one of the worst animated shows of the 2010s. If there's anything positive to come out of this show, is that it made comic book fans appreciate the 2003 series more. Even if you don't know a lot about superhero comics, you'll be least likely to enjoy this regardless. My distaste for this show isn't based on any bias of mine either, I hate it for my own reasons. But your criticism of this show is also my criticism; it is the epitome of everything wrong with modern cartoons. At this point; hating on TTG has pretty become the equivalent of beating a dead horse, with gratuitously superhuman strength and special powers I may add.

To add insult to injury is the show's constant airing in the US. I really feel bad for the folks over there or anyone who has to be subjected to this tripe. It doesn't look good on Cartoon Network's part as well. The fact that such a show has become a ratings hit makes me worry for the children of this generation. I want to believe that the people working on Teen Titans Go had good intentions, but the end result tells me that the two creators Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath are some of the most incompetent people in the animation industry at the moment. Don't believe me, there have been episodes that are dedicated to argue with haters and critics. These two have used episodes like 'The Return of Slade' (the worst offender of this) as excuses for the show's quality, it's like they don't want to listen to people's criticism. We all make jokes on how the heads of bad superhero productions are the "real villains", but I couldn't have picked a better analogy for this circumstance.

Those who are looking for a cartoon that mixes comedy with action won't find anything to like here, and it's not the right show to expose little children to superheroes. But if you're courageous enough to check this show out for yourself, you better believe what people are saying about it. You better believe it. And if you happen to like TTG for whatever reason, I'm not one to judge, just explain to me why you like it just so I could see your point of view. As for me, this show gets a 1/5.
But you know what, I know children are smarter than this. I also know they deserve better quality programming than this. I hope that the younger viewers watching it will realise that they don't like this show, they'll probably learn to hate it as much as we do. I hope that producers will also smell the coffee and see that people have had enough of it and that we'd be better off without it. The only way we could defeat this menace of a series is if we could just ignore it, don't even bother bringing attention to it because it's not worth your time. If we just ignore it, then shows like Teen Titans Go! won't be the norm. And maybe, maybe this show will just go away. The sooner it does, the bett........

GOD DAMN IT!!!

All right; I also don't think this is worth seeing either, because I pretty much worry for the human race at this point. If there's any silver lining to this, then it'll probably get people interested in releasing hand-drawn animation in theatres again. I mean there's no way anyone in their right mind would give this any positive notoriety.........

...........SON OF A B****!