Category: Movies

I never thought I’d be telling anyone this, but I have a terrible terrible secret. Although I consider myself a loving husband, father and just plain regular Joe, I can’t stay in the closet any longer. Here goes…

I watch the Powerpuff Girls.

Whew! You know what? I feel better! It’s like a giant weight has been lifted off of my shoulders!

Yep, once we got Direct TV and Cartoon Network, I found myself watching Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles fighting crime with their “ultra super powers” fairly regularly.

So I was intrigued when I discovered ‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas and thought I’d give it a shot.

The plot centers around little red-haired girl (no, not that one) Princess Morbucks’ Christmas wish for the only thing money has been unable to buy her – membership in the Powerpuff Girls.

After receiving a truckload of coal instead, Princess decides her only chance to is to break into Santa’s workshop (in a wonderful Mission Impossible sort of way) and switch the nice and naughty lists around to her advantage.

Of course the girls save the day, Princess is added to Santa’s permanent naughty plaque (to quote Santa, “Dum, dum dummmmmmmmmm!”) and everyone gets to enjoy Christmas thanks to the Powerpuff Girls.

There’s a lot of really nice jokes (especially with the Morbucks’ chauffer, butler and nanny) and the funny looks, goofy repetition and hilarious uncomfortable silences that are McCracken and crew’s cartoon calling card.

There’s even a nod to that most beloved of Christmas movies, A Christmas Story, when Buttercup is told she’ll “shoot her eye out!”

The simple yet deceptively clever art and character design continues to serve the series well (I especially enjoyed the t-shirt clad Santa with the giant hairy belly button) and the writing continues to shine, although at times it felt like they were stretching to fill the 44 minutes. I’d bet a little prudent editing and this would have been a killer 22 minutes.

All in all a pretty decent offering, and certainly better than the slew of commercial Christmas cartoon crap that’s out there. But in the end I think a little less ‘Twas the Fight Before Christmas would have been a lot more.

Based on acclaimed illustrator Gary Baseman‘s fascinating work (think Cranium), Disney’s Teacher’s Pet is visually stunning, musically hysterical and just plain fun to watch.

Nathan Lane voices Spot, a dog who desperately wants to be a boy (dig the Pinocchio nod at the beginning of the film) while his boy, Leonard Helperman, desperately wants Spot to be a dog.

Spot comes across mad scientist Ivan Crank, voiced expertly by Kelsey Grammer, while watching a Jerry Springer-like show on TV and decides to disguise himself and hitch a ride with the Helpermans to find Crank.

Jerry Stiller and David Ogden Stiers also turn in wonderful performances as Spot’s pet compatriots that come to the rescue when Spot, thanks to the disparity between human and dog years, is turned into a hairy middle-aged guy with back pain.

In the end it all works out (it’s Disney after all) but the film veers far from normal so often that you don’t mind.

The music is simply wonderful throughout. The song in which Leonard and his mother, played with goofy glee by Debra Jo Rupp, go through every state in the union is especially brilliant and deserves at least a few viewings to catch all of the jokes.

But for me, the best part of the film was simply the Baseman vibe. It’s such a welcome departure from most animated films that it’s like a cartoon Altoid for your head.

While Teacher’s Pet is still certainly a kid’s film first, there are enough hip, intelligent, and deftly hidden jokes that observant adults will be rewarded too.

I didn’t like Shrek. There. I said it and I’m glad.

I thought the story was so-so, Eddie Murphy grated on me after about five minutes, and if I want that much bathroom humor I’ll draw cartoons on the john.

That said, oddly enough, I really liked Shrek 2!

The story seemed to me to be more complete and fuller somehow. I know we didn’t have to worry about exposition and all that, but that doesn’t fully account for it.

It really felt like the Shrek crew rolled up their sleeves after the wild success of the first one and set about topping themselves and creating something not only popular, but clever too.

John Cleese and Julie Andrews were about as perfect a casting job as you can imagine for Fiona’s parents. And Antonio Banderas as the vicous/disarmingly adorable Puss in Boots had me in stitches. (The hairball coughing and licking scenes in particular had me howling.)

The animation and direction is wonderful, the music is a ton of fun (“Funkytown” for entering Far Far Away was inspired), and even the slew of pop culture references seems more ably placed than the original.

So, yeah, I really liked Shrek 2! (Maybe I need to go back and give Shrek another looksie?)

Broadcast first in 1973, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving isn’t on the same level as It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown or A Charlie Brown Christmas, but it’s certainly no It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown, Snoopy’s Getting Married, Charlie Brown or Welcome to Puberty, Charlie Brown either. (OK, I made that last one up.)

The story revolves around Peppermint Patty inviting herself, Marcie and Franklin over to “Chuck’s” house for Thanksgiving dinner. (IMDB will tell you Charlie Brown invites them, but don’t you believe it!)

Of course Charlie Brown can’t cook and won’t cancel, so Linus, Snoopy and Woodstock pitch in to create a Thanksgiving feast out of toast, popcorn, pretzels and more toast. (Ahhh… the pre-Atkins days…)

Peppermint Patty throws a fit, but eventually send Marcie to apologize for her and we all learn the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

The special includes the standard great Guaraldi music, as well as his funky “Little Birdie.” (I dare you to not dig this song. I dare you!)

The DVD also included “The Mayflower Voyagers” but I declined to watch it.

Watching this film a few questions thoughts popped into my head and, with your permission, I’d like to pop them back out:

1) What is it with Patty’s crush on Charlie Brown?! I’m not the first to say this, but I’d always figured she was more interested in Marcie. (I’d also like to say that I think Marcie and Charlie Brown would make a charming couple.)

2) Notice that when they’re all sitting at the ping pong table for dinner that Franklin is forced to sit all by himself on one side, while four other characters sit on the other. What the hell!? If I was Franklin I’d call the NAACP!

3) Is Charlie Brown’s grandmother also his teacher? They both have the same trombone-with-plunger voice. What’s the deal?! The network wouldn’t spring for a French horn?!

4) And finally, I found it disturbing that Woodstock is happily devouring another bird with Snoopy at the end of the film. Hel-LO!!! Anyone else think this is weird?! Does the Audubon society know about this?!

OK, fun stuff aside this is not a bad Charlie Brown special, it’s just not a great one. If you can check it out of the library, by all mean do – it’s sorta fun. But if you’re gonna buy Peanuts specials, make sure you get Christmas and Halloween first.