"Suicide Squad" Review (Major Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episodes of Teen Titans Go!, Batman Unlimited, DC Super Hero Girls, The Powerpuff Girls, Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6, and Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution, the last three episodes of the season of LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, the latest episodes of The Lion Guard, Elena Of Avalor, Girl Meets World, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Power Ranger: Dino Super Charge, and the season (series?) finale of Scream.
Upcoming reviews include Doctor Who: Series 9, The X-Files: Season 10, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), Captain America: Civil War (Blu-Ray), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, Deadpool, The Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar (DVD), Zootopia, Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 5, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-Ray), Star Wars Rebels: Season 2, Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow (DVD), Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Cosmic Clash, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Break-Out, Teen Titans Go!: Eat, Dance, Punch!, DC Super Hero Girls: Hero Of The Year, Justice League Vs. Teen Titans, Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (Blu-Ray), The Flash: Season 2, Arrow: Season 4, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 1, Gotham: Season 2, iZombie: Season 1, iZombie: Season 2, Lucifer: Season 1, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Prod.: Hare-Raising Tales, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Powr Rangers: Megaforce: The Complete Seaso, Power Rangers: Super Megaforce: The Complete Season, Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Season 1, Heroes Reborn: The Complete Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Haven: The Final Season, Under The Dome: Season 3, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Tremor 5: Bloodlines, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), Shaun The Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas, 12 Monkeys: Season 1, Grimm: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Peanuts Movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2, Community: Season 6, and Game Of Thrones: Season 5.
Suicide Squad
I'm judging this movie a little differently than I did Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. Both of those movies looked like they were going to suck, so I was pleasantly surprised. Now Man of Steel actually DID suck, but it sucked much less than I was expecting. I expected it to suck a lot.
Suicide Squad however had good trailers and positive buzz. So that means I am more comfortable giving it a negative review. I was legitimately disappointed.
First off, the complaints of sexism in the movie and backlash against Harley Quinn are completely true. Margot Robbie practically prancing around in a thong with her butt cheeks hanging out was beyond distracting. I have no idea why Superhero comics and TV shows still engage with the amount of "fanservice" they do. They are aware that internet porn exists, right? Because all Robbie's butt cheeks do for me is take the movie less seriously.
Interesting idea that Harley got the chemical bath too. I was a little disappointed in Jared Leto as the Joker. With that character design, I expected him to be far scarier than he was. There was one positive thing about the fact that Joker was a bit subdued. You kind of get the impression that he truly loves and cares about Harley. I don't read the comics, but this is literally the first screen project I've seen where that is true. And I think it's kind of cool. When Harley's fondest wish is that she and the Joker were normal and could raise a family together, I no longer think she's delusional. She's just incredibly saddened with the path her life has taken, especially considering how much she and the Joker actually love each other. I like that idea and it was one of the few things I did like.
But this was a let-down otherwise. **1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "Booty Scooty"
Let me state an opinion that most kids who grew up in the 1980's are unaware of: The Goonies is an appallingly terrible motion picture. Surprisingly so given the pedigree behind it, but it is badly written and acted and filled with disgusting jokes and scenes that make me shudder in revulsion.
This episode didn't do the bit with the severed statue penis (the kids actually talked about their mother liking the penis!) but the Truffle Shuffle is exactly as horrible and they did that. I honestly do not know what the producers were thinking with the Truffle Shuffle. It was extremely insulting to the poor kid they forced to do it, and since his nipples are prominently featured, it's also a bit disturbingly sexual. I think Steven Spielberg needed his head examined for signing off on that. And don't get me started on how racist Data is. Ironically, many of the "producer only" movies Spielberg "presented" like Gremlins were actually good. The Goonies is to 80's kids movies what The Transformers was to kids TV cartoons: a big bucket of suck that is appalling to realize how many people look fondly back on. At least people KNOW they are supposed to be ashamed of Saved By The Bell and Full House. Nobody seems to understand exactly how bad The Goonies makes Generation X look. We can complain about all of the current kidcom garbage infecting The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. NONE of that stuff is as bad as The Goonies. Not even Disney's Descendants. That is how horrible The Goonies is.
And the episode points out the obvious: if the Goonies were surely so strapped for cash, they could have just sold the priceless map or many of the other valuable looking treasures in the attic. The worst part of The Goonies seems to me to be that there didn't actually need to be a movie in the first place were the kids smarter.
Teen Titans Go! has its faults for a kids show (to put it mildly) but I liked them going after Goonies because it is one of the few kids franchises they could possibly make fun of where they actually have the high ground. Suffice it to say, that doesn't happen very often. ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Who's Laughing Now"
Revolting episode. The armpit hair and scat were disgusting enough, but Starfire's almost made me lose my lunch. Why is this show invested it making all of its characters as unattractive as possible? Ick.
Things I liked? I liked Cyborg talking about what a scam "bear" college was and Raven realizing that message didn't simply apply to the bears. I like that the bank gives out loans in salmon and honey to pay off bears. And I ESPECIALLY like that the show points out exactly how and why Yogi Bear's mispronunciation of "picnic" is weird. He adds an extra syllable. You don't do that when you say something wrong.
If Dr. Light didn't cameo this would be a Regular Show episode (which would be an automatic zero). Eh, close enough. 0.
Teen Titans Go! "Oregon Trail"
Can I be frank? Nobody under the age of 40 knows what Oregon Trail is. This is a terrible premise for a kids show. Nobody will get the reference. Even most fanboys under 35 will not.
Still, it was a pretty spot-on mocking of the game. There are only two fun parts in the entire game and the rest is just a big bucket of suck. I've only completed the game with nobody dying ONCE. It is a real bummer of a game.
I like that Starfire names the buffalo Hughead and licks him when she get hungry.
I also like that Ghost Beast Boy refers to the ghost animals as his homeys, and that they are very unhappy with Robin. That part of the game always bugged me. You can shoot enough meat to make sure you survive the entire journey, but the game only lets you take 100 lbs. back. It is such a waste and borders on animal cruelty.
Spot-on parody of a game that nobody watching has ever heard of, because it's so boring and unfun that no game designers were ever crazy enough to reboot it. For what it was, it was good. But the show would probably be better off doing topics that don't only appeal to the middle-aged writers. ***1/2.
Batman Unlimited "Stone Cold Menace"
I've never seen Victor Fries so happy-go-lucky. ***1/2.
Batman Unlimited "Breakout Or Bust"
Not clear on how Joker or Penguin got back to Gotham after their movies but Penguin's little penguin is cute. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "Franken-Ivy"
I think this was going for cute, but it came out clumsy. **.
DC Super Hero Girls "Hero Of The Month: Katana"
Wow, Katana, a hero with no super powers, can catch a guy falling from the sky with one arm! Totally awesome! And impressive! And not the least bit credible. **.
DC Super Hero Girls "Dude, Where's My Invisible Jet?"
Dumb. Still, it WAS above average. I won't deny that. ***1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Hero Of The Month: Frost"
It's one thing to turn villains like Harley and Ivy into cute superheroes but I always am a bit alarmed that this show is doing the same thing to Killer Frost. They may have gotten rid of the first part of her name but it's the same character and the character is a murderous sociopath. Oh well. Good to see Grundy. **1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Blunder Games"
Eh. Not great. Not terrible either, so that's something. Like Amanda Waller in a Hawaiian shirt though. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "In The Garden Of Good And Eddie"
I like the "The next day" singing title cards. Very Babe.
I laughed at Eddie saying "Good question" when asked why he was called that.
The dump truck covering Bubbles' expletives was funny too.
I loved the expressions on the girls' faces both after the onion belch, and Eddie turning into a coccoon.
Good episode. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Odd Bubbles Out"
I liked Tommy P's "You guys are all right" to the unicorns.
Buttercup was right that all this was a waste of unicorn magic. But maybe someone needs to learn the difference between a face tattoo and a mole.
Bubbles eats gum from under tables and hay. Good to know.
Liked the 2 Hours l8r title card.
Funny. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Presidential Punchout"
Love it. Very insightful to have the studious and overachieving Blossom be a stand-in for Hillary Clinton, the evil and vulgar Princess be a stand-in for Trump, and the likable amd goofy black kid Matt Manser (who winds up winning the whole enchilada) as Barack Obama.
I liked Blossom being equally impressed that she was ahead in the polls and that Terry had lice. Those were both VERY good things to know.
So good. ****1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Cheep Thrills"
That is probably the weirdest, most misleading episode title the series has given us so far. I am astounded they couldn't come up with a better one. Maybe "Bubbles' Pet" or something. But jeez.
Laughed at the cutaway of the professor whimpering.
The end reveal that the Cheepchilla eats its mother proves something true that most people would rather not acknowledge. Nature is horrible. There is no part of it that doesn't suck upon closer inspection. Sure it looks beautiful, but at the end of the day, the Cheepchilla is gonna eat its mother.
Mediocre. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Air Buttercup"
Cute. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Bubble's Beauty Blog But On Video"
Poor Bubbles. Blossom and Buttercup beat-boxing was funny. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Ping Pong Z"
Buttercup doesn't even know what Queensbury rules are. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Run Blossom Run"
Bubbles is cute when she sleeps. Just don't wake up her up. Touch her and she'll end you.
I like that it was actually Sunday and Blossom had made this exact same mistake yesterday. That automatically makes this the funniest take on that joke of all time. ****1/2.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Return To The Spiderverse: Part One"
I loved this. So many funny jokes (for once) and the reveal at the end of the Wolf Spider was terrific. I am on-board this multiparter fully. It is awesome. *****.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Return To The Spiderverse: Part Two"
Howard the Duck! Clever to get Seth Green to voice him. Aside from the fact that he's an easy get, and has done Marvel cartoons in the past, he was Howard in the Guardians movie, even though he went uncreditted. People swear by The Spectacular Spider-Man as far as animated Spidey adaptations go, but I kind of think this show knows what it's doing better. ****.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Return To The Spiderverse: Part Three"
I really like this version of Hulk as Mr. Fix-It, probably because the "Smart Hulks" from Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Avengers Assemble are my favorite interpretations of the character. The Agents of SMASH version was a little too bland, but the one here had personality.
Cool that they Pleasantvilled the Noirverse at the end. Spidey makes everything better for showing up. ***1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution "The Kids Are Alright"
Forget how badly written and cliched this is for a moment. I freaking love Ms. Marvel! Her powers are awesome and she brings a great energy to the show. I could care less about Inferno but I definitely want to see HER again.
Also, this version of Ghost is not terrible. And he could have been considering Ghost was literally the best character on Iron Man: Armored Adventures. It could actually be argued that Ghost was the ONLY good character on that show. But no, this version is pretty good too if not on that level. I liked him.
A cliched episode that I liked for other reasons. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Utron Revolution "The Conqueror"
Do you know what Kang the Conqueror is SUCH a great character? It's the lips. Which is the precise reason X-Men's Apocalypse is great too. It makes every different version of Kang's character design look creepy and boss. He ain't even all that hot as a character. But he LOOKS like he is and that's enough. ***.
Marvel's Avengers: Utron Revolution "Into The Future"
I was getting seriously concerned they weren't gonna do a bald joke by the end of that. It would have been storytelling malpractice. But I like that Hulk has enough of a filter and sense of propriety not to actually give FUTURE Thor the business about it. This version of Hulk contains SUBTLETY and I love him for it.
Super cool episode. Much better than last week. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution "Seeing Double"
Seriously good episode. I love that Hulk acknowledged what a cool thing Widow did by letting him break the programming himself. It would have been easier for Natasha to take the out, instead she allows Hulk his humanity. And it's interesting that this version of Hulk seems to remember everything about Banner, including high school. VERY interesting.
I like that the show isn't setting up a romance for Hulk and Widow, but exploring their relationship anyways. That's probably what Age Of Ultron should have done.
Nice. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution "A Friend In Need"
I like that Hulk seems a little lost when Thor is absent and breaks more stuff than usual. What I love about this Hulk is that he is so freaking earnest and well-meaning. Which is something I've never seen this particular character be before. I think the recent Marvel animation shows really got a good handle on Hulk. He blows the MCU version out of the water.
Vision was okay but I didn't like that they used his movie design. It's okay to go back to his cartoony look from the comics and earlier cartoons. That design looks good in live-action. Animated? Not so much.
A mixed bag, but Hulk makes me forgive a lot. ***1/2.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "Showdown On Hoth"
I liked the ending but not much else. **1/2.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "Duel Of Destiny"
Two things:
1. RO-GR is sublime. Best character on the show. Were the Battle Droids this funny and nuanced on The Clone Wars? Because RO-GR makes me believe he really DOES not want to have to relive the multiple times he was shredded to ribbons by the Jedi.
2. I don't know if this is the first "serious" Lego project but it's the first "serious" Lego Star Wars project. And it makes it work.
Good episode. ****.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "Return Of The Kyber Saber"
I love that they ended the teaser on a joke: the Emperor lamenting that his underlings must have gotten those mugs on sale, directly leading into the heroic and bright opening Star Wars title. SO funny that they actually played a dumb joke as a huge moment in the Narrative.
I also like that Palpatine sometimes uses mouth pops when he talks when he's nervous. I like Palpatine far more in these LEGO projects than I ever did the movies. When he says "I'll make you a Darth. How does Darth Heinous sound?" I will not lie. Were I Rowan, I would have been tempted. That's pretty much the greatest bribe you could dangle in front of somebody. Sure, we all want to be Luke Skywalker or Han Solo. But Darth Heinous would be a truly great consolation prize.
Great episode. ****1/2.
The Lion Guard "Janja's New Crew"
I liked it but I was a little aggravated that Cheezi and Chunga got blamed by Kion for stuff they had nothing to do with. The Lion Guard were treating them as more sinister than they are, and I think they would have been perfectly fine with staying in the Pridelands and eating leftovers.
I like Fuli changing her mind quickly and instantly believing their story. Good gag.
This episode shows something interesting: The reason Janja is in charge is because he's surrounded by stupid people. But he's really thick himself. He reminds me of Trump in being a total idiot who surrounds himself with even worse people so he vanity will never have to admit he's actually a total dope. That's Janja.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
Elena Of Avalor "Spellbound"
About the first five or ten minutes was terrible, but once they got into the adventure it was good. ***1/2.
Girl Meets World "Girl Meets Bear"
Zay and Maya? I have yet to see the chemistry to justify it, but I'll roll with it, especially since Zay asked Josh's permission.
Bears don't simply walk off on their own. The resolution was very unsatisfying to me.
The Auggie in the flashback was WAY too old. Granted he was as young as a child actor could be, but he literally looks August Maturo's age in season 1.
So-so. **1/2.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "City At War"
Suffice it to say, that was nothing like the comics. It wasn't bad, but they should have called it something else.
Still, I cannot tell you how glad I am the main title is back. Those overwrought Turtles In Space recaps were getting tiring. I just want to hum along to the Turtles theme.
Pretty good for what it was. ***.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Broken Foot"
Burning the money at the beginning was genius. Because that means the Foot can never get it back. As long is it still exists, it's a loose end. This is probably why The Black Knight from the Don Rosa Uncle Scrooge comics is probably Scrooge McDuck's most horrible nemesis of all. Destroying the money is something you cannot come back from. Ever.
I liked how dire the climax was, but I had mixed feelings about Karai healing her face using skin shedding powers. On the one hand, it's a REALLY cool power. I mean, super cool. Girl's practically Wolverine with that. However, it is also a cop-out. If she had kept the scar, it would have meant something. That she had made a sacrifice. That she had paid for her sins. Instantly being healed means no price has ultimately been paid for her foolishness. Which is ironic because the show mutates characters as punishment all the time. Would it be to much to ask for a "real" change to her character design to actually show growth?
Love Leo's new costume. I hope the other Turtles get similar makeovers in the coming weeks. It is bad@$$ in the way the lame Vision Quest or passable Spacesuit costumes are not. They are a variant worth buying at the toy store.
Mixed bag this week. **1/2.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "The Insecta Trifecta"
This was dumb and badly written. Those cops mistaking bug monsters for hippies shows about the level of intelligence of the writers.
And yet... I cannot deny the Ninja Grapplers are incredibly cool. I question how each other the Turtles can expertly handle such a complicated weapon so flawlessly on the first go, but the visuals are cool enough that that is a plothole I'm willing to overlook. I liked Mikey's Turflytle fake-out ("I'm in your head now, fool!") and his observation that his role was to bring sanity to the team.
But seriously, this was dumb. But the Ninja Grapples make me forgive a lot. **1/2.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Mutant Gangland"
What I just saw was awesome. I will stipulate that. It was awesome for what it was. But I kind of think if they had done a few things differently, it would have easily wound up the best episode of the series. And it wasn't by a longshot.
Really, I shouldn't be nitpicking or complaining about that, but I'm gonna.
The TV-Y7 rating is killing this show. Because the Don is easily the most dangerous villain the Turtles have ever faced. The only thing he wants is their destruction. And as with all bigots, he cannot be reasoned with. He is one of those villains the Turtles should be okay with using lethal force against. He is THAT dangerous, and answers to no-one. But because this is a kids show, they can't actually have the Turtles do what actually needs to be done in this particular scenario. The Don is a maniac whose sole purpose is indiscriminately killing all mutants. He's basically Bin Laden, and I can't help wishing the Turtles were a team of Navy Seals in this scenario. Donnie cheers when he flies away at the end, but he really shouldn't. The problem has not been solved. I even would have accepted the idea that he was either put in prison, or taken captive by the Mutanimals. "The Bad Guy Gets Away" Saturday morning ending has never felt more unearned or unsatisfying.
The second reason the TV-Y7 rating sucks is the Don says one of the Turtles is "down" and the other Turtles react with horror as if something terrible was happening. And I get what they were trying to go for, but "down" can mean many things. I think the Nick censors should have allowed the producers to say "dead" just this once, especially because he wasn't really, and the audience already knew that.
The third complaint I have is something they still could have fixed on a TV-Y7 rating. Where are Shredder's goons? They are equally at risk from this threat (Karai and April too) and they have legit reason to team up with the Turtles. And the Turtles knowing how their last team-up with Team Shredder during the Triceraton invasion went would make the stakes and drama extra high. Can Tiger Claw be reasoned with if that lunatic Shredder isn't ready to destroy the world for his vengeance? That is the question I wish had been asked this episode. To be fair, it might come up in a future episode, which is the ONLY good thing about the Don getting away.
"We don't talk about Pigeon Pete." Deep line. First off, I don't frequent Turtles message boards or anything, but I have to imagine Pete was probably the most unpopular Turtles character since Venus De Milo from Next Mutation or Starly from Fast Forward. There is just nothing about that dude that doesn't suck, from his repulsive character design, to his personality cribbed from Jar-Jar Binks. So I'm betting the producers got a LOT of negative feedback about him, especially the insane decision to make him a founding member of the Mutantimals, and that line is the producers' way of saying "The fans were right. Let's move on." That's what I think that line meant. Making Mondo Gecko his obvious replacement seems a mea culpa that this is what they should have done all along.
But there is another thing the line COULD have meant. Because if Pigeon Pete had died, Slash would have just said so, so the Turtles could mourn him. That line suggests to me that Pete TURNED, and betrayed the Mutanimals, possibly because he was evil all along. The producers might take the tack the Scooby Doo movies did with the equally hated Scrappy Doo and wind up making him an Ultimate Evil as punishment for how much he sucks. I'm not saying they'll do that. But that line means they CAN do it if they want.
God, I enjoyed every minute of this. And spent every minute wishing I could enjoy it more than I did. ****.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Bat In The Belfry"
Interesting interpretations of Wingnut and Screwloose. It's a shame they got put back into the comic book at the end. They would have made a good addition to the supporting cast. Good potential members for the Mighty Mutanimals too.
I'm worried about April. I'm worried because I'm starting to seriously dislike her, which as big as a Mary Sue she has always been, has never been the case for me. I hope this is temporary, and they have her shape up, because as of now, I've got nothing but distaste for the character.
Good to see the Turtle grapplers again.
So-so. **1/2.
Power Rangers Dino Super Charge "Besties 4Eva!"
I'm not going to get into how fast and loose the franchise plays with the villains knowing the heroes' secret identity. This incarnation is better than most about that. My problem is the character of Erin is portrayed as a problem to fix. Someone who can be reasoned with. In reality, Erin is the Boy Who Cried Wolf if he never had to face any consequences for his actions. We didn't even see her become a social pariah at the end. It's not only unrealistic that everybody admires her newfound honesty, but it's WRONG too. That's the wrong lesson.
When Keeper tells Shelby that if she doesn't talk to Erin, Erin will never change, I was actually a bit angry at the show. And this affects most kids TV too. But Power Rangers is operating under the assumption that sociopaths like Erin can and want to change. As if it's Shelby's responsibility to bring her to the light. Honestly? I'd tell Shelby to dump her as a friend. She doesn't need somebody that toxic in her life. Sociopathic liars do not change in real life or ever feel guilty for their actions. Maybe it is unrealistic to expect a pre-school superhero show to give kids such a dark moral, but it's got to be better than lying to them and saying that people like Erin can see the error of their ways. Shelby says "She's my bestie. What can I do?" She can walk away and make one of the other Rangers her new bestie. Erin is nothing but a hot mess.
And may I just be super unkind for a moment and point out that the actress for this teenager looks to be in her mid-thirties? She's got some Luke Perry crow's feet going on there. I'll stop now.
I hate this episode, but I hate it for reasons that aren't just specific to this show. This effects all kids shows, even otherwise good ones. Granted, this show is actually terrible, but that isn't the reason I hated this particular episode. *.
Power Rangers Dino Super Charge "Gone Fishin"
The worm stuff was disgusting and if this was a better show it would have ruined the episode. Since this suckfest ALREADY sucked it was just major league unpleasant.
I have to say though, that scene of Hekyll at the end ferreting out the traitor was super cool, at least for this franchise. I stand by my opinion that Hekyll is the best Power Rangers villain I've seen, simply based upon the way the guy plays him. It's hammy and overacted, but so is Captain Cold on Flash and we love him. So why CAN'T I love Hekyll? Just because his show sucks? I'll just acknowledge the only time it DOESN'T suck is when he is onscreen. **.
Powe Rangers Dino Super Charge "Love At First Fight"
I actually liked it. I liked that the girlfriend was allowed in on the secret. There is no reason she shouldn't be. The show changes up casts every season. There is no actual canon ground being broken here. It will not affect the long-term health of the show or the larger mythology. Because the entire premise only goes for a single season (or two if you count the recent "Super" seasons).
I also liked the last scene because I couldn't figure out what was going on. And for a Power Rangers project, that is quite unusual. I won't dismiss that. ****.
Power Rangers Dino Super Charge "Catching Some Rays"
Why do I watch this show? Why do I torture myself? What am I getting out of it?
Sure, it's fun to write snarky reviews and make fun something so stupid. But this is taking a LOT of time in my life digesting crap that could possibly be used better elsewhere. It's not like there aren't a ton of interesting looking shows that I should binge instead.
Two things:
If that monster is 100,000 years old, why does it have an ice cream cone arm, and surfboards stuck to its back? The show refuses to even try. It makes the monsters completely incidental to the action premise of the episode and that is why it sucks.
Koda wearing a tarp, a sun hat, and sunglasses wouldn't actually protect him from the infected sunlight. Because his skin is still very clearly getting shined upon. The show didn't even have the sense to have him put on his full body protecting Ranger costume every single moment he was out in the sun. The show had a ready made explanation to how to get Koda out of that fix and it decides to be stupid instead.
I am seriously thinking about going back to Toon Zone and seriously shellacking the idiots like Knux Five there for talking up this show. It is amazing to me this actually has adult fans. WWE wrestling is just as stupid, I suppose but at least that is geared, more or less, towards adults. The entire sensibility of this show is geared towards toddlers. I watch some toddler stuff like Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers if I ever see reruns. But at least those shows are good. There is nothing in Power Rangers that should appeal to a sane adult. Ugh. 0.
Scream "When A Stranger Calls"
Well played, Scream. I was SO sure last year it was Kieran, that Piper felt like not only like a disappointment, but an unfair rip-off too. And once he was "cleared" I expected him to stay that way. Good for the show for not doing that.
My biggest complaint against Eli is that there is nothing he could do to explain his behavior last week. Except, all of the explanations he had implicated Kieran. Emma and Audrey were framed by the killer. Shouldn't I have assumed the same was true of the prime suspect?
I am very happy. *****.
Upcoming reviews include Doctor Who: Series 9, The X-Files: Season 10, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), Captain America: Civil War (Blu-Ray), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, Deadpool, The Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar (DVD), Zootopia, Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 5, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-Ray), Star Wars Rebels: Season 2, Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow (DVD), Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Cosmic Clash, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Break-Out, Teen Titans Go!: Eat, Dance, Punch!, DC Super Hero Girls: Hero Of The Year, Justice League Vs. Teen Titans, Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice (Blu-Ray), The Flash: Season 2, Arrow: Season 4, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 1, Gotham: Season 2, iZombie: Season 1, iZombie: Season 2, Lucifer: Season 1, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Prod.: Hare-Raising Tales, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Powr Rangers: Megaforce: The Complete Seaso, Power Rangers: Super Megaforce: The Complete Season, Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Season 1, Heroes Reborn: The Complete Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Haven: The Final Season, Under The Dome: Season 3, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Tremor 5: Bloodlines, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), Shaun The Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas, 12 Monkeys: Season 1, Grimm: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Peanuts Movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 2, Community: Season 6, and Game Of Thrones: Season 5.
Suicide Squad
I'm judging this movie a little differently than I did Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. Both of those movies looked like they were going to suck, so I was pleasantly surprised. Now Man of Steel actually DID suck, but it sucked much less than I was expecting. I expected it to suck a lot.
Suicide Squad however had good trailers and positive buzz. So that means I am more comfortable giving it a negative review. I was legitimately disappointed.
First off, the complaints of sexism in the movie and backlash against Harley Quinn are completely true. Margot Robbie practically prancing around in a thong with her butt cheeks hanging out was beyond distracting. I have no idea why Superhero comics and TV shows still engage with the amount of "fanservice" they do. They are aware that internet porn exists, right? Because all Robbie's butt cheeks do for me is take the movie less seriously.
Interesting idea that Harley got the chemical bath too. I was a little disappointed in Jared Leto as the Joker. With that character design, I expected him to be far scarier than he was. There was one positive thing about the fact that Joker was a bit subdued. You kind of get the impression that he truly loves and cares about Harley. I don't read the comics, but this is literally the first screen project I've seen where that is true. And I think it's kind of cool. When Harley's fondest wish is that she and the Joker were normal and could raise a family together, I no longer think she's delusional. She's just incredibly saddened with the path her life has taken, especially considering how much she and the Joker actually love each other. I like that idea and it was one of the few things I did like.
But this was a let-down otherwise. **1/2.
Teen Titans Go! "Booty Scooty"
Let me state an opinion that most kids who grew up in the 1980's are unaware of: The Goonies is an appallingly terrible motion picture. Surprisingly so given the pedigree behind it, but it is badly written and acted and filled with disgusting jokes and scenes that make me shudder in revulsion.
This episode didn't do the bit with the severed statue penis (the kids actually talked about their mother liking the penis!) but the Truffle Shuffle is exactly as horrible and they did that. I honestly do not know what the producers were thinking with the Truffle Shuffle. It was extremely insulting to the poor kid they forced to do it, and since his nipples are prominently featured, it's also a bit disturbingly sexual. I think Steven Spielberg needed his head examined for signing off on that. And don't get me started on how racist Data is. Ironically, many of the "producer only" movies Spielberg "presented" like Gremlins were actually good. The Goonies is to 80's kids movies what The Transformers was to kids TV cartoons: a big bucket of suck that is appalling to realize how many people look fondly back on. At least people KNOW they are supposed to be ashamed of Saved By The Bell and Full House. Nobody seems to understand exactly how bad The Goonies makes Generation X look. We can complain about all of the current kidcom garbage infecting The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. NONE of that stuff is as bad as The Goonies. Not even Disney's Descendants. That is how horrible The Goonies is.
And the episode points out the obvious: if the Goonies were surely so strapped for cash, they could have just sold the priceless map or many of the other valuable looking treasures in the attic. The worst part of The Goonies seems to me to be that there didn't actually need to be a movie in the first place were the kids smarter.
Teen Titans Go! has its faults for a kids show (to put it mildly) but I liked them going after Goonies because it is one of the few kids franchises they could possibly make fun of where they actually have the high ground. Suffice it to say, that doesn't happen very often. ****.
Teen Titans Go! "Who's Laughing Now"
Revolting episode. The armpit hair and scat were disgusting enough, but Starfire's almost made me lose my lunch. Why is this show invested it making all of its characters as unattractive as possible? Ick.
Things I liked? I liked Cyborg talking about what a scam "bear" college was and Raven realizing that message didn't simply apply to the bears. I like that the bank gives out loans in salmon and honey to pay off bears. And I ESPECIALLY like that the show points out exactly how and why Yogi Bear's mispronunciation of "picnic" is weird. He adds an extra syllable. You don't do that when you say something wrong.
If Dr. Light didn't cameo this would be a Regular Show episode (which would be an automatic zero). Eh, close enough. 0.
Teen Titans Go! "Oregon Trail"
Can I be frank? Nobody under the age of 40 knows what Oregon Trail is. This is a terrible premise for a kids show. Nobody will get the reference. Even most fanboys under 35 will not.
Still, it was a pretty spot-on mocking of the game. There are only two fun parts in the entire game and the rest is just a big bucket of suck. I've only completed the game with nobody dying ONCE. It is a real bummer of a game.
I like that Starfire names the buffalo Hughead and licks him when she get hungry.
I also like that Ghost Beast Boy refers to the ghost animals as his homeys, and that they are very unhappy with Robin. That part of the game always bugged me. You can shoot enough meat to make sure you survive the entire journey, but the game only lets you take 100 lbs. back. It is such a waste and borders on animal cruelty.
Spot-on parody of a game that nobody watching has ever heard of, because it's so boring and unfun that no game designers were ever crazy enough to reboot it. For what it was, it was good. But the show would probably be better off doing topics that don't only appeal to the middle-aged writers. ***1/2.
Batman Unlimited "Stone Cold Menace"
I've never seen Victor Fries so happy-go-lucky. ***1/2.
Batman Unlimited "Breakout Or Bust"
Not clear on how Joker or Penguin got back to Gotham after their movies but Penguin's little penguin is cute. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "Franken-Ivy"
I think this was going for cute, but it came out clumsy. **.
DC Super Hero Girls "Hero Of The Month: Katana"
Wow, Katana, a hero with no super powers, can catch a guy falling from the sky with one arm! Totally awesome! And impressive! And not the least bit credible. **.
DC Super Hero Girls "Dude, Where's My Invisible Jet?"
Dumb. Still, it WAS above average. I won't deny that. ***1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Hero Of The Month: Frost"
It's one thing to turn villains like Harley and Ivy into cute superheroes but I always am a bit alarmed that this show is doing the same thing to Killer Frost. They may have gotten rid of the first part of her name but it's the same character and the character is a murderous sociopath. Oh well. Good to see Grundy. **1/2.
DC Super Hero Girls "Blunder Games"
Eh. Not great. Not terrible either, so that's something. Like Amanda Waller in a Hawaiian shirt though. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "In The Garden Of Good And Eddie"
I like the "The next day" singing title cards. Very Babe.
I laughed at Eddie saying "Good question" when asked why he was called that.
The dump truck covering Bubbles' expletives was funny too.
I loved the expressions on the girls' faces both after the onion belch, and Eddie turning into a coccoon.
Good episode. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Odd Bubbles Out"
I liked Tommy P's "You guys are all right" to the unicorns.
Buttercup was right that all this was a waste of unicorn magic. But maybe someone needs to learn the difference between a face tattoo and a mole.
Bubbles eats gum from under tables and hay. Good to know.
Liked the 2 Hours l8r title card.
Funny. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Presidential Punchout"
Love it. Very insightful to have the studious and overachieving Blossom be a stand-in for Hillary Clinton, the evil and vulgar Princess be a stand-in for Trump, and the likable amd goofy black kid Matt Manser (who winds up winning the whole enchilada) as Barack Obama.
I liked Blossom being equally impressed that she was ahead in the polls and that Terry had lice. Those were both VERY good things to know.
So good. ****1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Cheep Thrills"
That is probably the weirdest, most misleading episode title the series has given us so far. I am astounded they couldn't come up with a better one. Maybe "Bubbles' Pet" or something. But jeez.
Laughed at the cutaway of the professor whimpering.
The end reveal that the Cheepchilla eats its mother proves something true that most people would rather not acknowledge. Nature is horrible. There is no part of it that doesn't suck upon closer inspection. Sure it looks beautiful, but at the end of the day, the Cheepchilla is gonna eat its mother.
Mediocre. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Air Buttercup"
Cute. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Bubble's Beauty Blog But On Video"
Poor Bubbles. Blossom and Buttercup beat-boxing was funny. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Ping Pong Z"
Buttercup doesn't even know what Queensbury rules are. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Run Blossom Run"
Bubbles is cute when she sleeps. Just don't wake up her up. Touch her and she'll end you.
I like that it was actually Sunday and Blossom had made this exact same mistake yesterday. That automatically makes this the funniest take on that joke of all time. ****1/2.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Return To The Spiderverse: Part One"
I loved this. So many funny jokes (for once) and the reveal at the end of the Wolf Spider was terrific. I am on-board this multiparter fully. It is awesome. *****.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Return To The Spiderverse: Part Two"
Howard the Duck! Clever to get Seth Green to voice him. Aside from the fact that he's an easy get, and has done Marvel cartoons in the past, he was Howard in the Guardians movie, even though he went uncreditted. People swear by The Spectacular Spider-Man as far as animated Spidey adaptations go, but I kind of think this show knows what it's doing better. ****.
Ultimate Spider-Man Vs. The Sinister 6 "Return To The Spiderverse: Part Three"
I really like this version of Hulk as Mr. Fix-It, probably because the "Smart Hulks" from Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Avengers Assemble are my favorite interpretations of the character. The Agents of SMASH version was a little too bland, but the one here had personality.
Cool that they Pleasantvilled the Noirverse at the end. Spidey makes everything better for showing up. ***1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution "The Kids Are Alright"
Forget how badly written and cliched this is for a moment. I freaking love Ms. Marvel! Her powers are awesome and she brings a great energy to the show. I could care less about Inferno but I definitely want to see HER again.
Also, this version of Ghost is not terrible. And he could have been considering Ghost was literally the best character on Iron Man: Armored Adventures. It could actually be argued that Ghost was the ONLY good character on that show. But no, this version is pretty good too if not on that level. I liked him.
A cliched episode that I liked for other reasons. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Utron Revolution "The Conqueror"
Do you know what Kang the Conqueror is SUCH a great character? It's the lips. Which is the precise reason X-Men's Apocalypse is great too. It makes every different version of Kang's character design look creepy and boss. He ain't even all that hot as a character. But he LOOKS like he is and that's enough. ***.
Marvel's Avengers: Utron Revolution "Into The Future"
I was getting seriously concerned they weren't gonna do a bald joke by the end of that. It would have been storytelling malpractice. But I like that Hulk has enough of a filter and sense of propriety not to actually give FUTURE Thor the business about it. This version of Hulk contains SUBTLETY and I love him for it.
Super cool episode. Much better than last week. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution "Seeing Double"
Seriously good episode. I love that Hulk acknowledged what a cool thing Widow did by letting him break the programming himself. It would have been easier for Natasha to take the out, instead she allows Hulk his humanity. And it's interesting that this version of Hulk seems to remember everything about Banner, including high school. VERY interesting.
I like that the show isn't setting up a romance for Hulk and Widow, but exploring their relationship anyways. That's probably what Age Of Ultron should have done.
Nice. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Ultron Revolution "A Friend In Need"
I like that Hulk seems a little lost when Thor is absent and breaks more stuff than usual. What I love about this Hulk is that he is so freaking earnest and well-meaning. Which is something I've never seen this particular character be before. I think the recent Marvel animation shows really got a good handle on Hulk. He blows the MCU version out of the water.
Vision was okay but I didn't like that they used his movie design. It's okay to go back to his cartoony look from the comics and earlier cartoons. That design looks good in live-action. Animated? Not so much.
A mixed bag, but Hulk makes me forgive a lot. ***1/2.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "Showdown On Hoth"
I liked the ending but not much else. **1/2.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "Duel Of Destiny"
Two things:
1. RO-GR is sublime. Best character on the show. Were the Battle Droids this funny and nuanced on The Clone Wars? Because RO-GR makes me believe he really DOES not want to have to relive the multiple times he was shredded to ribbons by the Jedi.
2. I don't know if this is the first "serious" Lego project but it's the first "serious" Lego Star Wars project. And it makes it work.
Good episode. ****.
LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures "Return Of The Kyber Saber"
I love that they ended the teaser on a joke: the Emperor lamenting that his underlings must have gotten those mugs on sale, directly leading into the heroic and bright opening Star Wars title. SO funny that they actually played a dumb joke as a huge moment in the Narrative.
I also like that Palpatine sometimes uses mouth pops when he talks when he's nervous. I like Palpatine far more in these LEGO projects than I ever did the movies. When he says "I'll make you a Darth. How does Darth Heinous sound?" I will not lie. Were I Rowan, I would have been tempted. That's pretty much the greatest bribe you could dangle in front of somebody. Sure, we all want to be Luke Skywalker or Han Solo. But Darth Heinous would be a truly great consolation prize.
Great episode. ****1/2.
The Lion Guard "Janja's New Crew"
I liked it but I was a little aggravated that Cheezi and Chunga got blamed by Kion for stuff they had nothing to do with. The Lion Guard were treating them as more sinister than they are, and I think they would have been perfectly fine with staying in the Pridelands and eating leftovers.
I like Fuli changing her mind quickly and instantly believing their story. Good gag.
This episode shows something interesting: The reason Janja is in charge is because he's surrounded by stupid people. But he's really thick himself. He reminds me of Trump in being a total idiot who surrounds himself with even worse people so he vanity will never have to admit he's actually a total dope. That's Janja.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
Elena Of Avalor "Spellbound"
About the first five or ten minutes was terrible, but once they got into the adventure it was good. ***1/2.
Girl Meets World "Girl Meets Bear"
Zay and Maya? I have yet to see the chemistry to justify it, but I'll roll with it, especially since Zay asked Josh's permission.
Bears don't simply walk off on their own. The resolution was very unsatisfying to me.
The Auggie in the flashback was WAY too old. Granted he was as young as a child actor could be, but he literally looks August Maturo's age in season 1.
So-so. **1/2.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "City At War"
Suffice it to say, that was nothing like the comics. It wasn't bad, but they should have called it something else.
Still, I cannot tell you how glad I am the main title is back. Those overwrought Turtles In Space recaps were getting tiring. I just want to hum along to the Turtles theme.
Pretty good for what it was. ***.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Broken Foot"
Burning the money at the beginning was genius. Because that means the Foot can never get it back. As long is it still exists, it's a loose end. This is probably why The Black Knight from the Don Rosa Uncle Scrooge comics is probably Scrooge McDuck's most horrible nemesis of all. Destroying the money is something you cannot come back from. Ever.
I liked how dire the climax was, but I had mixed feelings about Karai healing her face using skin shedding powers. On the one hand, it's a REALLY cool power. I mean, super cool. Girl's practically Wolverine with that. However, it is also a cop-out. If she had kept the scar, it would have meant something. That she had made a sacrifice. That she had paid for her sins. Instantly being healed means no price has ultimately been paid for her foolishness. Which is ironic because the show mutates characters as punishment all the time. Would it be to much to ask for a "real" change to her character design to actually show growth?
Love Leo's new costume. I hope the other Turtles get similar makeovers in the coming weeks. It is bad@$$ in the way the lame Vision Quest or passable Spacesuit costumes are not. They are a variant worth buying at the toy store.
Mixed bag this week. **1/2.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "The Insecta Trifecta"
This was dumb and badly written. Those cops mistaking bug monsters for hippies shows about the level of intelligence of the writers.
And yet... I cannot deny the Ninja Grapplers are incredibly cool. I question how each other the Turtles can expertly handle such a complicated weapon so flawlessly on the first go, but the visuals are cool enough that that is a plothole I'm willing to overlook. I liked Mikey's Turflytle fake-out ("I'm in your head now, fool!") and his observation that his role was to bring sanity to the team.
But seriously, this was dumb. But the Ninja Grapples make me forgive a lot. **1/2.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Mutant Gangland"
What I just saw was awesome. I will stipulate that. It was awesome for what it was. But I kind of think if they had done a few things differently, it would have easily wound up the best episode of the series. And it wasn't by a longshot.
Really, I shouldn't be nitpicking or complaining about that, but I'm gonna.
The TV-Y7 rating is killing this show. Because the Don is easily the most dangerous villain the Turtles have ever faced. The only thing he wants is their destruction. And as with all bigots, he cannot be reasoned with. He is one of those villains the Turtles should be okay with using lethal force against. He is THAT dangerous, and answers to no-one. But because this is a kids show, they can't actually have the Turtles do what actually needs to be done in this particular scenario. The Don is a maniac whose sole purpose is indiscriminately killing all mutants. He's basically Bin Laden, and I can't help wishing the Turtles were a team of Navy Seals in this scenario. Donnie cheers when he flies away at the end, but he really shouldn't. The problem has not been solved. I even would have accepted the idea that he was either put in prison, or taken captive by the Mutanimals. "The Bad Guy Gets Away" Saturday morning ending has never felt more unearned or unsatisfying.
The second reason the TV-Y7 rating sucks is the Don says one of the Turtles is "down" and the other Turtles react with horror as if something terrible was happening. And I get what they were trying to go for, but "down" can mean many things. I think the Nick censors should have allowed the producers to say "dead" just this once, especially because he wasn't really, and the audience already knew that.
The third complaint I have is something they still could have fixed on a TV-Y7 rating. Where are Shredder's goons? They are equally at risk from this threat (Karai and April too) and they have legit reason to team up with the Turtles. And the Turtles knowing how their last team-up with Team Shredder during the Triceraton invasion went would make the stakes and drama extra high. Can Tiger Claw be reasoned with if that lunatic Shredder isn't ready to destroy the world for his vengeance? That is the question I wish had been asked this episode. To be fair, it might come up in a future episode, which is the ONLY good thing about the Don getting away.
"We don't talk about Pigeon Pete." Deep line. First off, I don't frequent Turtles message boards or anything, but I have to imagine Pete was probably the most unpopular Turtles character since Venus De Milo from Next Mutation or Starly from Fast Forward. There is just nothing about that dude that doesn't suck, from his repulsive character design, to his personality cribbed from Jar-Jar Binks. So I'm betting the producers got a LOT of negative feedback about him, especially the insane decision to make him a founding member of the Mutantimals, and that line is the producers' way of saying "The fans were right. Let's move on." That's what I think that line meant. Making Mondo Gecko his obvious replacement seems a mea culpa that this is what they should have done all along.
But there is another thing the line COULD have meant. Because if Pigeon Pete had died, Slash would have just said so, so the Turtles could mourn him. That line suggests to me that Pete TURNED, and betrayed the Mutanimals, possibly because he was evil all along. The producers might take the tack the Scooby Doo movies did with the equally hated Scrappy Doo and wind up making him an Ultimate Evil as punishment for how much he sucks. I'm not saying they'll do that. But that line means they CAN do it if they want.
God, I enjoyed every minute of this. And spent every minute wishing I could enjoy it more than I did. ****.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles "Bat In The Belfry"
Interesting interpretations of Wingnut and Screwloose. It's a shame they got put back into the comic book at the end. They would have made a good addition to the supporting cast. Good potential members for the Mighty Mutanimals too.
I'm worried about April. I'm worried because I'm starting to seriously dislike her, which as big as a Mary Sue she has always been, has never been the case for me. I hope this is temporary, and they have her shape up, because as of now, I've got nothing but distaste for the character.
Good to see the Turtle grapplers again.
So-so. **1/2.
Power Rangers Dino Super Charge "Besties 4Eva!"
I'm not going to get into how fast and loose the franchise plays with the villains knowing the heroes' secret identity. This incarnation is better than most about that. My problem is the character of Erin is portrayed as a problem to fix. Someone who can be reasoned with. In reality, Erin is the Boy Who Cried Wolf if he never had to face any consequences for his actions. We didn't even see her become a social pariah at the end. It's not only unrealistic that everybody admires her newfound honesty, but it's WRONG too. That's the wrong lesson.
When Keeper tells Shelby that if she doesn't talk to Erin, Erin will never change, I was actually a bit angry at the show. And this affects most kids TV too. But Power Rangers is operating under the assumption that sociopaths like Erin can and want to change. As if it's Shelby's responsibility to bring her to the light. Honestly? I'd tell Shelby to dump her as a friend. She doesn't need somebody that toxic in her life. Sociopathic liars do not change in real life or ever feel guilty for their actions. Maybe it is unrealistic to expect a pre-school superhero show to give kids such a dark moral, but it's got to be better than lying to them and saying that people like Erin can see the error of their ways. Shelby says "She's my bestie. What can I do?" She can walk away and make one of the other Rangers her new bestie. Erin is nothing but a hot mess.
And may I just be super unkind for a moment and point out that the actress for this teenager looks to be in her mid-thirties? She's got some Luke Perry crow's feet going on there. I'll stop now.
I hate this episode, but I hate it for reasons that aren't just specific to this show. This effects all kids shows, even otherwise good ones. Granted, this show is actually terrible, but that isn't the reason I hated this particular episode. *.
Power Rangers Dino Super Charge "Gone Fishin"
The worm stuff was disgusting and if this was a better show it would have ruined the episode. Since this suckfest ALREADY sucked it was just major league unpleasant.
I have to say though, that scene of Hekyll at the end ferreting out the traitor was super cool, at least for this franchise. I stand by my opinion that Hekyll is the best Power Rangers villain I've seen, simply based upon the way the guy plays him. It's hammy and overacted, but so is Captain Cold on Flash and we love him. So why CAN'T I love Hekyll? Just because his show sucks? I'll just acknowledge the only time it DOESN'T suck is when he is onscreen. **.
Powe Rangers Dino Super Charge "Love At First Fight"
I actually liked it. I liked that the girlfriend was allowed in on the secret. There is no reason she shouldn't be. The show changes up casts every season. There is no actual canon ground being broken here. It will not affect the long-term health of the show or the larger mythology. Because the entire premise only goes for a single season (or two if you count the recent "Super" seasons).
I also liked the last scene because I couldn't figure out what was going on. And for a Power Rangers project, that is quite unusual. I won't dismiss that. ****.
Power Rangers Dino Super Charge "Catching Some Rays"
Why do I watch this show? Why do I torture myself? What am I getting out of it?
Sure, it's fun to write snarky reviews and make fun something so stupid. But this is taking a LOT of time in my life digesting crap that could possibly be used better elsewhere. It's not like there aren't a ton of interesting looking shows that I should binge instead.
Two things:
If that monster is 100,000 years old, why does it have an ice cream cone arm, and surfboards stuck to its back? The show refuses to even try. It makes the monsters completely incidental to the action premise of the episode and that is why it sucks.
Koda wearing a tarp, a sun hat, and sunglasses wouldn't actually protect him from the infected sunlight. Because his skin is still very clearly getting shined upon. The show didn't even have the sense to have him put on his full body protecting Ranger costume every single moment he was out in the sun. The show had a ready made explanation to how to get Koda out of that fix and it decides to be stupid instead.
I am seriously thinking about going back to Toon Zone and seriously shellacking the idiots like Knux Five there for talking up this show. It is amazing to me this actually has adult fans. WWE wrestling is just as stupid, I suppose but at least that is geared, more or less, towards adults. The entire sensibility of this show is geared towards toddlers. I watch some toddler stuff like Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers if I ever see reruns. But at least those shows are good. There is nothing in Power Rangers that should appeal to a sane adult. Ugh. 0.
Scream "When A Stranger Calls"
Well played, Scream. I was SO sure last year it was Kieran, that Piper felt like not only like a disappointment, but an unfair rip-off too. And once he was "cleared" I expected him to stay that way. Good for the show for not doing that.
My biggest complaint against Eli is that there is nothing he could do to explain his behavior last week. Except, all of the explanations he had implicated Kieran. Emma and Audrey were framed by the killer. Shouldn't I have assumed the same was true of the prime suspect?
I am very happy. *****.