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willydefalco
Reviews
The Little Mermaid (1992)
Successful spin-off in my eyes
Being a fan of the Disney movie it was natural for me to see how Disney would do on translating it to a weekly TV series. And I was pretty happy with the results. Throughout it's three season life it managed to bring out more of the characters that I loved from the movie, while bringing new characters to enjoy.
In the series Ariel was maybe three or four years younger than in the movie and still headstrong about seeing the world above her. Flounder is still a yellow guppie scared of everything and best pals with Ariel. Sebastion is still the babysitter of Ariel but less stricter. (I don't recall him ever ratting out Ariel throughout the course) The rest of the cast are still pretty much the same too.
Of the new characters the best recurring ones have to be the Lobster Mobster and his sidekick the Shrimp. Two spoofs on Al Capone and one of his goons. They always showed up trying to take over things but in the end ended up doing more damage to themselves than to other. There was also Urchin, an orphan who through the Lobster Mobster eventually became another friend with Ariel, even hinting as a love interest in the future.
The show even threw in references to the movie, with an occasional visit from Ursula and even Erik the prince, who commented on one day meeting that mermaid he saw in that certain episode.
The show ended with an episode dedicated to Hans Christian Anderson, telling it through an animated Hans reading his classic story to a group of children, the story involving Ariel and Flounder and the entire gang. The last image was perhaps the best of the show, a painted image of Ariel lying on a rock by the sea, smiling, looking out at the distance.
I'm glad that Disney still shows this cartoon on their channel even after many years, and I still look forward to seeing each episode. I only hope that the new sequel will provide Disney with the motivation to continue once again with the series.
Salute Your Shorts (1991)
Simple and childish series, but in a good way
I remember watching the first premiere episode several years ago on Nickelodeon, introducing us to the main character at the time Mike, and then abruptly introducing us to the camp's ritual to inductees, raising their boxer shorts on a flagpole and saluting them. Watching this act, I knew I was prepared for a very unique show. "Salute your Shorts" was a short lived series that centered on the activities of several kids in a summer camp, their daily adventures and meetings, all involving funny and warmful situations, simple and childish. There was Ug Lee, the camp counselor, sort of an Jim Varney's Ernest lesser man. Then there was the first main character, Mike, a usual kid stuck in a camp he didn't want to be in. There was Budnick, the camp bully and the "initiator" of inductees. "Donkeylips", his fat and obedient cohort. "Sponge" the camp bookworm and intellectual source. Z.Z, the camp environmentalist and humanitarian. Telly, the camp jock, with the exception of her being a girl. And Dina, the camp snob, always trying a chance to buy anything out. All these colorful characters added to fun and exciting episodes, some of them focusing on sports and accomplishments, and others focusing on usual camp stuff, such as sleepovers and camp competitions with other camps. The series slightly changed however when the main character, Mike, was replaced for reasons unbeknowest with another character, Pinsky. That episode was one of the best ones Nick did, saying goodbye to a character I wished really didn't have to go but at the same time introducing me to another character I also grew to like. But my personal favorite remains the one when "Donkeylips" falls in love with Dina. Dina, despite several attempts by him, rejects him, but with the help of the entire cast they eventually get together. This episode really showcased the entire cast in separate scenes, fleshing out their characters and understandings. The series unfortunately ended abruptly, leaving me an afterthought of a camp I wish really existed and which I could could have enrolled in. I only hope that one day Nick decides to start repeating the series again, so that others can see this camp Anawana (it's official name) and realize what a great series this was.
Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999)
Inventive, original Cartoon Cartoon
Cartoon Network really hit the gold mine with this show. This show, "Ed, Edd, Eddy" is one of the most original and creative shows I have ever seen, not including just cartoons. The wacky adventures of three friends all with the same name never ends, each episode playing with the same theme as the one before but still very entertaining. There's Ed, the tall and strong one of the group. He's always happy, in a state of nirvana, yet has the mind of a six year old, never on the moment. Then there's Edd, or "Double D" as everyone calls him, the brain of the group. He's always the naysayer, seeing trouble coming from a mile away but still going along to be with his friends. Then, last but not least, there's Eddy, the leader of the group. He's always the tryer, the doer, the greedy one who never knows when to quit. All three of them are always trying to find a way to get those gigantic concrete candy balls known as jawbreakers through any means possible, but are just never seeming to be able to quite reach them. The rest of the cast are all very colorful and fun to watch. Kevin, the dumb bully with the mental limitations of only one remark. Rulf, the immigrant with strange customs and actions. Johnny, the loner with an imaginary friend as a 2x4 piece of wood. Jimmy, the coward with the impossibly large retainer. Sarah, the acid spewing small sister. And of course, Naz, the trend setter and the girl whom everyone likes. When you mix all of these characters together, you get nothing but offbeat adventures and hilarious conclusions. But the heart and soul of the show lies with the three main characters, whom you keep coming back to again and again, wanting to see more and more of them. I only hope that Cartoon Network decides to keep this show running for a long time, so that new fans can enjoy this inventive, original cartoon.
The Devil's Own (1997)
A touching, moving, and absorbing film
One of the most underrated movies of 1997. I saw The Devil's Own later on in it's theater release to see a movie with my sister, and I was expecting your typical Hollywood thriller. But I walked out of that theater really moved by what I had just seen. The Devil's Own has some of the best acting ever portrayed by it's two leading actors, and directing by acclaimed late director Alan J. Pakula. Harrison Ford looked and felt like he was a cop who had worked for twenty plus years in the force who was unwillingly thrown into an awkward situation. And Brad Pitt, with his very authentic accent, also looked and felt like an Irish Republican whose life was torn by an early childhood incident that would impend his future tragic actions. When these two actors were in the same scene, you only wanted more of these scenes when they went through. But what really moved the film was the story. The two main characters were so fleshed and rendered out in the film, that it made me want to know a lot more about them outside of the film as well. To have seen what Harrison Ford's character was doing before the arrival of Brad's, to see how he ran his job and what his daily life was like. Or to have seen what Brad's character would be doing if he had never met Harrison's character at the end, and instead gone away successfully. But what we got with the movie is fine enough, flawlessly directed by Alan J. Pakula. He perfectly managed to fit in strong acting with a strong absorbing story, perfectly keeping its material away from all of the other Hollywood mainstream movies. I'm not quite sure why this movie was so overlooked by the public. Maybe it didn't have Harrison quoting his usual one-liners, or maybe it wasn't dark enough for the Brad Pitt fans, but either way I am glad to have seen it myself. I have left this review virtually spoil free because I only hope that one day other people see this film and realize what a wonderful and moving film this was, from the late and great Alan J. Pakula. (RIP)
The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994)
Quite possibly the greatest TV show ever
Where do I begin on explaining the greatness of this show. One of the things I like most about movies or tv shows is the fact when we can relate to said movie or tv show. "The Secret World of Alex Mack" does just that, enabling us to enter the world of a normal teenager thrown out of order due to a unique circumstance of Alex having superpowers. And in a way we can relate to it, because I'm quite certain that all of us in that period of our lives felt out of whack with the world and we all felt as if we were outsiders trying to fit in. We bond with Alex because she is contemplating thoughts and behavior that many of us have done during those periods. But enough about the symbolism of the show. What really made the show shine was the lead actress, Larisa Oleynik. Had it not been for her leading the show, I'm pretty sure that it would have been hard for the show to have the same quality as it did. Larisa brought such talented acting to the part, that I was surprised when I read that during most scenes she would memorize the lines about 20 minutes before the scene would be shot. If that doesn't tell you star quality acting I don't know what does. Another thing that made the show memorable were the storylines. One of my favorite episodes *SPOILER* was the one when the show took place during Christmas, and Alex was forced to take a job to try and help out with the Christmas chores. During the course of the show, she ends up saving a monkey just like herself in superpowers, or at least she thing she does, and later mourns and hopes that the monkey turned out alright, which he does. Then the episode ends with one of the most moving scenes from the series. Alex, after going through so much trouble in the episode, still wants peace and happiness for others by shining a peace sign in the night sky with her powers. She never thinks about herself, only about others. A classic episode. Tragically, the series ended all to early, I'm not sure whether due to Larisa calling it quits or to the all familiar low ratings. And then Nickelodeon about a few months ago took the show off of syndication in its channel, and since then I have not seen a single episode aired since. I only hope that one day Nickelodeon one day decides to open up a channel where they showcase old Nick shows, with "The Secret World of Alex Mack" being in them. Luckily for me I managed to audio tape record eight episodes, and to me they're worth gold. Here's hoping that other people find out about this show and realize that it was quite possibly one of the greatest tv shows ever.