Review

Posted 11 July 2018

Hey Arnold
Nickelodeon
Original Run: 7 October 1996 – 8 June 2004
Movie Air Date: 24 November 2017

It’s Hey Arnold, it has to be good. This latest movie was the continuation and closure we have been waiting for for quite some time. Even in the today’s state of Nickelodeon, if a movie of an old show comes out, namely Hey Arnold, you have to watch it.

Returning in the form of a TV movie, Hey Arnold returns in all its charm as well as many returning cast members (some of the best in the industry like Dan Castellaneta and Tress MacNeille). Francesca Marie Smith also returns and continues to nail it as Helga. There were also some new voices; some were great (Mason Vale Cotton (Arnold) did a fine job), some not so great (for example, Oscar and Mr. Hyunh (both played by Wally Wingert replacing Steve Viksten and Baoan Coleman respectively) just sounded over-exaggerated and not as genuine as in the show). Among those new voices were Jet Jurgensmeyer (Stinky) from the Legends of the Hidden Temple movie. The music sounded great as Jim Lang once again outdoes himself composing the movie’s soundtrack. The characters were slightly redesigned. Let me be the first to say, “Miriam has eyebrows!” In the words of Mr. Hyunh, “Veddy Kleeply!” I also enjoyed the tributes and references to the older episodes. Even though the writers had to remember how to do Hey Arnold after an absence of many years, they sure did pull it off!

This movie is great for those millennials who grew up watching Hey Arnold in the ’90s and ’00s. Like other revival movies, this movie could be an encouragement for those younger kids to gain an interest in the show. The movie surely earns its PG rating as there were more mature elements that were not present in the original series.

To me and many other Hey Arnold fans, I’m sure, this movie is a real dream that has come to life. This fine show deserve the ending it deserved. Before I give the movie its rating, I would like to say that I vaguely remember signing an online petition to get this movie made years ago. I can’t remember whether I signed it or not but as naïve as I was in 2004, I’m sure I signed it at least once. I didn’t think it would happen but it did. I had a good cry at the end of the movie because of this quote at the end of the credits:

“Thank you to all the fans who wrote letters and signed petitions encouraging the making of this movie”

This was being pretty sure that my digital signature was on one of those petitions to make it happen.

The Jungle Movie gets 5 stars. All the changes aside such as updated animation and new voice actors, this was the Hey Arnold I’ve adored for over two decades. It was all there. I expected nothing less from the crew. An excellent series has been crowned with a fitting finale.

Posted 29 June 2018

Legends of the Hidden Temple
Nickelodeon
Original run: 11 September 1993-1995
Movie air date: 26 November 2016

Ah, this was one of the shows of my childhood mostly being raised on Nickelodeon. Just innocently chilling in front of the TV and snaking on cherry Pop Tarts. Now seeing this cheesy game show being made into a 65-minute movie? I was interested in seeing the final product.

This movie wasn’t bad for being made for Nickelodeon in 2016. I’ve seen worse in those times. It was good to see Kirk Fogg make an appearance in this movie and the original voice of Olmec (Dee Bradley Baker) to reprise his role. It drives older viewers who were kids in the ’90s to give this movie a try.  It was funny to see the kids take hours to solve the Shrine of the Silver Monkey puzzle. It makes me wish they sold Shrine of the Silver Monkey puzzles for us to buy and see how fast we can solve them at home.  I feel this movie would have worked better had it been made about 5-10 years after the original series’ ending.  Even though the movie was made 20 years after the last new episode aired, kids of today watching this could be introduced to the concept of the show which can interest them in finding an episode or two of the old show.

Having watched this movie twice, I it was just a movie to me, just a movie based on the Legends of the Hidden Temple game. Even though no one will go home empty handed, I will give this movie 3 stars, a trip to space camp, and a pair of BK Ratch Tech shoes. To think the kids in this movie are too young to remember this show’s original run (According to IMDb, the girl who played oldest sister, Isabella Moner (Sadie) was born in 2001, 6 years after the last episode). Despite that, I feel this movie would be a great introduction to “Legends” for today’s kids as well as those who want to discover the show for the first time if they haven’t already.

Posted 19 June 2018

Was it really worth the wait? What took so long?

On Sunday, I went to go see Incredibles 2 at the theater. In 2004, I saw the original Incredibles movie and I remember liking it a whole lot. I bought it when it came out on DVD (fun fact: it came with a print kit CD-ROM). To brush up on my Incredibles knowledge before watching this new movie, I watched the original movie on that same DVD. I was reminded about the awesomeness of the original movie that I became excited about watching the sequel.

Some years after the first movie came out, I wondered if there was ever going to be a sequel. I wondered if they were even considering it or how good it would be or if there should even be a sequel. When I found out a sequel was coming out, I wasn’t too sure at first. I thought the first Incredibles itself was efficient enough, a gem not to be tainted by a sub par sequel. I wanted the project to get cancelled. As the time grew closer and I saw the link for a trailer online, I thought to myself, “So, they really are doing this.” The other part of me said that I shouldn’t be too quick to judge. As soon as a release date became available I made a mental note. Since I saw Incredibles 1, why not watch Incredibles 2? So that’s what I did.

And how impressed I was! I’m glad I took the chance. Yes, the first movie was great but I’d say this second movie was even greater. It even looked like the animation was slightly better (of course, due to 14 years of improvements). It did a great job carrying on where the first movie left off. I’d say this movie had a lot more action and suspense. It had my attention the entire time. You have to enjoy the scene when Bob struggles with Jack Jack late at night.  It sure was something. It was also great to see Edna making a return as well. Oh, and SEIZURE WARNING: there might be times when something seizure-inducing comes up very briefly. Just look away slightly and you can see it end with the corner of you eye. You’ll know when you see it.

This is how a sequel should be. I hope other movie makers take note whenever they decide to make sequels of their own movies. Whether it took this movie 4 years or 14 years to get to us, it was so worth the wait. This movie gets a solid 5 stars. Would I like to see another sequel? Likely, even if we have to wait another 14 years or so for it to be completed. I’m glad this sequel was made.

Posted 12 June 2018

Written 15 December 2016

First Aired: 9 July 2011
Nickelodeon

Twenty-three-year-old Timmy Turner refuses to move on with his life so he can keep his fairies. He learns he has to deal with growing up eventually. Everybody does it. It cannot be stopped. I enjoy this moral.

The guy who played Mr. Crocker did a really great job sounding and acting like him as his live-action double. That had me fooled with the real voice actor. Creator Butch Hartman participated in many ways for this movie. Be on the lookout for him during Timmy and Tootie’s restaurant scene – a part I liked. I didn’t watch the televised cuts that showed other favorite characters in their live-action form such as Vicky and Chester. I only streamed this movie on Hulu so I only watched the cut version.

But, one word to describe this: corny! Why, just why? Why live-action? I wished for another FOP move after “Abra-Catastrophe” and this was not what I had in mind. Drake Bell as Timmy Turner? Hardly a match there. Combining animated and live-action elements produces cheesy effects. If you liked it: REJOICE! Otherwise…this show wasn’t the same after it got canceled in 2006 then returned later. I miss the old FOP. The new FOP is less fun to watch.

I feel this movie was not for me. If you want real FOP, use 100% animation. Watching this totally turns me off watching the other sequels. I give this movie ONE STAR (1) but this star is a respectful star. Upon watching this, it could be even more difficult to watch the sequels. Were they really necessary?

Posted 10 June 2018

Written 8 October 2016 but is still relevant

“The Electric Piper” was an animated tv movie shown on Nickelodeon in the early 2000’s. It was only shown a few times. There have been copyright reasons why the movie has not been released to home media. It was posted on YouTube and that’s where I saw it my second time after 13 years.

Life would be so much more interesting if everybody could just break out into well-rehearsed song and dance. Taking place in the 1960’s, this rare, colorfully cheerful musical shows the lives of Mick and Janis Dixon and the kids of Hamlin putting up with the strict rules of their parents and surviving a huge rat infestation. Sly, a Jimi Hendrix-like guitarist magician, takes care of the rats and takes the kids away from their drab, parent-led lifestyles.

I like how accurately life in the 1960s was portrayed from the portrayal of the common nuclear family (notice how each family had 2 children) to the changing of idea of how things should be to the building and fashion designs at the time. It all just screams “60s!” even if I wasn’t born by then.

My favorite part of the movie was the songs. Each song had nice charm to it, especially the vintage-sounding ones. Nothing wrong with that! As a Beatles fan, I liked the Sgt. Pepper/Yellow Submarine-like animation in the song “F.S.R.” (“Fabulous Swimming Rats”) (plus many other musical references I found). I especially enjoyed the song “Sly’s the Guy.”  Bill Burnett was quite the songwriter at this time. Possibly burning out through writing songs for “ChalkZone” (which lasted several seasons), his songs were as catchy here as they were on his show, especially in the earlier episodes (mostly seasons 1 and 2). Music is a very important aspect in entertainment. The music compliments the time period where this movie takes place. It takes the modern viewer back to a time where what was acceptable and what was not was being redefined.

Overall, fine storytelling, nice songs to which you want to learn the lyrics, and a guy with a powerful guitar leading bunch of kids in song. I only watched this movie once in 2003. I did not tape it. After rewatching 13 years later, I’m glad I didn’t tape it partly due to the risk of internet-goers charging at my door for my copy. This movie gets better and better every time I watch it which is why I will give it 4 stars. The thing that held it back was how the character design was not quite of my taste. Most of the characters seemed a bit stiff in posture. Other than that, an unforgettable piece that REALLY SHOULD be released to home media if Nickelodeon cooperates. It also makes me want to eat mac and cheese when I’m through watching it.