Aquabats Super Show

The Aquabats are a band that's been around since 1994. They've specialized in a sort of high concept ultra weird stage show and it's about time they've taken it to TV.

The Aquabats are quasi super heroes, adventures, and a band. Their leader has an awesome painted on moustache and missing tooth. One member is super fast. The other can fire lasers from his guitar. One is very strong and the final member is a robot. In the show they have a series of adventures both real and animated. They also have satirical commercials and other features making it a rich stew of weirdness. The feel of the show is somewhere between 1970 Sid & Marty Kroft, Adult Swim, and The Mighty Boosh. If you can't a show with nonsense lines like: "Do you think pancakes can talk in heaven?" "No, we have had this discussion. Pancakes don't talk." Then perhaps you better steer yourself to more mainstream entertainments.

The Nutcracker, The Untold Story

The unhinged story more like it. This was released last year in 3D and bombed like shoe bomber doing tap lessons. Bad music and bad ideas lead the way for the reason why this is as a loved as porcupine hug. Mixing in Albert Einstein and making the rats nazis is just insane. Making the rats super scary when they grow teeth like tigers is a really good idea for a children's film.

All in all, a waste but a fascinating one.

Spy Kids: All the Time In The World

This is the fourth Spy Kids movie and would almost count as a reboot if it weren't for some familiar faces now grown up. In this chapter we have Jessica Alba as super spy and mother. Wanting to concentrate on family she does one more job while just about to give birth to new addition. This leads to some fun watching a super spy with baby mountain beat down on the bad guys. It sets the incredibly silly tone of the movie. There's nothing that can't happen in a Spy Kid's movie and it would fly apart like a bugs bunny cartoon set on blend if it weren't for the emotional core that tethers all the baby fart jokes and weirdo bond style weapons.

That core is mostly in the tension between young rebecca and her stepmom. Of course she doesn't know that her stepmom is a super cool ex spy, what she does feel is that she is trying to take the place of her real mother. This makes Rebecca act out by creating elaborate pranks. Her brother is a lot cooler about the situation but he has his own issues involving his need to wear hearing aids. Both siblings are also having to deal with the new baby which is always a pain.

All this mini angst gets tossed aside when suddenly they are being attacked by goons and mom is brought back into the service. Life suddenly becomes ultra cool, even their mutt turns out to be a talking android dog. They find themselves trying to get away from the Time Keeper who is literally trying to stop all the time in the world. His main goon talks like a helium junkie and has "time" bombs that can freeze you.

This threat is bigger than our family so the old crew comes back. Carman and Juni, though they are having big sibling problems themselves. Can they catch the villain? Can they resolve their issues? Will Dad ever learn that his wife is a spy? Will the talking dog shut up? Watch and see of course.

I liked this film. It doesn't have the weight of "Super 8" but it was never meant to. This was designed to be a light romp and that's what it is, though I will say that at the end they actually did something with the villain to give him real gravitas. All the actors were fine and looked like they were having a hoot. The talking dog was voiced by Ricky Gervais and I betcha there are some choice out takes out there somewhere not fit for children.

This movie though is fit for children, lots of fun, and as Bill Cosby used to say, "If you aren't careful, you might learn something."

HEY HEY HEY

Doctor Who: The Chase

I have never seen outside of stills any of the original Doctor Who series. So it was something of a treat that "The Chase" has come out on DVD. Much has been made in fandom about which Doctor is the Doctor you'd call for your own housecall. Let me just say that for me, it is not William Hartnell. He's perfectly good as the Doctor mind you, but if I need a crotchity person calling himself a Doctor I'll vote for "Bones" McCoy thank you very much. For the record it will always be Tom Baker for me, long may his scarf flutter.

With that out of the way, the story is an exciting one. The Doctor is being chased through time and space by the Daleks who finally figured out how to make their own time machine. The chase lands them on both alien planets and New York (Wonderfully funny attempts of Brits to do a Texan and a New York accent), and the Marie Celeste. For the most part the plot and acting are very good for children tv at that time. A view from later on from an older viewer might have wanted a bit more twists in a chase between two time machines. To me it would be a lot more like an aerial dogfight.. "Oh he's going to triassic, ah no he faked us out to the post apocalypse..."

Of course one can't watch this without looking at the production values which are both incredible given the time and cheesy given now. The Daleks for the most part look great, but their time machine is wonderfully laughable. I love the prints with the spinning wheels on the walls. I didn't know daleks were into pop art. As for some of the other races, they are good enough even if their leotards are a little ill fitting.

Over all a wonderful show, that would still engage a child's imagination to this day. Also, it is one of those story arcs that have a very satisfying end for some of the Doctor's friends. If you like Doctor Who watch it for sure.