Batman Beyond: Season 2

Boy we upped that episode count like nobody's business.

After a small but respectable 13 episodes in season 1 we jumped all the way to 26 making this the longest season of the show. And after paving the groundwork and setting up the world and characters logic would dictate we vastly expand upon it, which we simultaneously do and yet stick to a good bit of the same. I do strongly appreciate Terry has his own rogues gallery that keeps popping back up while still flourishing some original stories as well, they go kinda out there at times with a backstory episode with Ace, one of Terry's maidenless dweeb schoolmates gets a robo-girlfriend, one of the most fucking gruesome images in children's television is present as the villain early on in the season, we even get a telepathic almost spiritual predecessor to doomed child Ace from Justice League. The variety is strong and we even get a highly welcome addition to the cast in Max who I'm just gonna say it, is a much better candidate for Terry in a relationship than Dana and she's pretty rad as well! I'm right, no questions at this time! Though and I swear whenever I say this I'm not taking shots or giving this show shit I wanna preface that before I say, a lot if not even the overwhelming majority of the episodes this season have pretty...not lackluster but certainly very rushed resolutions. Now am I being a cataclysmic ass for kinda picking on the 22 minute cartoon from the turn of the millenia? Yes, without question. I cannot imagine how difficult it truly is to create a scenario, introduce a threat, make a memorable or compelling story, and have to wrap it up in less than half an hour and have it get gold stars every time. And YET, The Animated Series somehow did with even endings that erupted goosebumps along my body to this day just thinking about it. Maybe slight fatigue was setting in, or maybe the writers didn't have the time frame they needed to make this excellent television but instead very good television, and while indeed the very first time I sat down to watch this season I was game all the way through but right here right now I was taking much more notice of it. Is it absolutely show breaking and I'm gonna eviscerate this series with a flaming buzzsaw? No not at all, I still love the show, I was still engaging with the episodes and some even got big reactions out of me, you just have to acknowledge all the facets. But all the technicals from the animation which is still top notch, to the voice cast who commit lock stock and barrel to the performances, to the music which dear sweet tap dancing Christ was really on my radar this go around and I ain't got no problem saying I'd buy volumes of the score for this series it was that damn good, are on such firm standing much can be forgiven. To throw some favorites out for this season I point to Hidden Agenda which is our first true introduction to Max, Mind Games which has an almost Over The Edge vibe from the last season of The Animated Series to it, The Last Resort which got me raging hardcore at the villain who just reeks of evangelical child absuing pieces of dog shit that makes my skin crawl, and Ace In The Hole because hey I'm a sucker for a Great Dane and it's a compelling story. I like we get more of an expansion with Terry's love life, having Max be an ally who knows the secret is a nice and great shake up, seeing higher stakes in the plot feels like natural escalation, and the more teen after school metaphor episodes are few and far between. Even with it's slight shortcomings and questionable actions from characters on a regular basis, it's still a very very good show and I'll be damned if I said I didn't like it. All in all I give it 3 stars, 8/10, and thankfully next season will not take all flippin' day to finish.

Batman Beyond: Season 1

This has been coming for a long long time.

Pretty early on I knew I wanted to review The Animated Series and Batman Beyond but you would be surprised how long it actually took me to come around to this show. I have a fairly clear memory of when I was about 5 or 6 and my cousins were over and gonna watch Batman Beyond on Kids WB, and I said outright that I'll just stick to The Animated Series. Fast forward to the year 2011, the hype for Arkham City is unreal, and everybody is losing their shit hardcore over the Beyond skin for DLC whereas I was most stoked for the Dark Knight Returns and once again The Animated Series skin. And finally about 3 years later when I was in college I finally decided to know what this show was about and gave it a watch. I kind of have a track record with brushing off really damn good shows for significant amounts of time. So let's get this show on the road. Premiering in the year 1999 this show is a follow up to The New Batman Adventures following somewhat in the art direction style as we jump ahead to a cyberpunk futuristic rendition of Gotham as we meet high schooler Terry McGinnis who after a run in with a gang crosses paths with an elderly Bruce Wayne and kinda stumbles upon the secret under stately Wayne Manor, before taking up the cowl against Bruce's wishes until he's more or less "hired" for the job. This has such a stark and definitive look and style that is evident straight from the opening which is pretty kickass in my estimation and is easily one of the best intros to any animated show. They essentially took the goth out of gotham, it's all futuristic with flying cars, mega skyscrapers, and barely a dark alley to it's name yet I'm surprised how well it still works and I'd kill to have this Gotham in a game to play! Obviously the timeframe isn't stated lending to the more timeless aspect of this animated world but it's a solid shake up that I can see younger more novice viewers easily able to jump in and the older veterans can still dig as well. The animation is really nicely done feeling still akin to that turn of the millenium DC animated vibe but still retaining an identity of it's own, with a lot of blues and purples in play (the red sky is not even prevalent) which makes the batsuit and villains really pop. I now see why people rave about this suit, undeniably minimalistic and I'm just a sucker for red and black color combos, the ears I swing between looking stylistic and awesome or closer to bunny ears depending on the angle, but all the tech built into it and the wingspan are such cool attributes so I'm definitely a fan now. The music also is actually pretty fantastic, foregoing the themes of individual characters and villains but delivering a more metal edge at times, why people don't comment more on the score baffles me because I genuinely adored it! Now obviously I was quite young when this show was going on and I have no recollection as to the reaction and fandom that was there since day one, but people nowadays claim it as an underrated gem that was stuck in the shadow of it's Emmy award winning predecessor which isn't far from the mark. Comprising of only 13 episodes for this season it does a pretty remarkable job setting up all the world building details and character introductions, giving a small taste of what is to come. Will Friedle as Terry is a very very good lead, though still a teenager it never feels outlandish or dumb that he becomes the Batman and almost is a precursor to when Dick Grayson took up the cape and cowl in the comics years on down the road, he's more upbeat and jokey and has good chemistry with Bruce who takes on a stronger mentor role, he struggles with the balance of the identities, and you know he's still a kid who has more to learn in his years so it's never a case of seeing him act stupid and thinking he's insufferable. Of course Kevin Conroy (God rest his strong soul) is back and I almost feel I love him more in this role than any other time he has voiced The Batman, simply because it is so different and while he can still deck a fool he's more in the background of events taking on a more Oracle-ish role giving Terry support and information from the Batcave, and just seeing Bruce as this grumpy old man won me over quick. Not too many side characters at play here besisdes Terry's sweetheart Dana who thank God they just made them a couple already and didn't slip oh so easily into that will they/won't they on again off again relationship nonsense that plagues maaaany teen orientated shows, it just shows another aspect of how it's hard for Terry to maintain a stable life. The show takes on a severe episode of the week stance, this before animated shows became almost serialized with overarching plots and character development, with a few reoccuring villains as far as I know all made specifically for the show, the main one being Derek Powers who now owns the vast majority of Wayne Enterprises and hires the help of various supervillains to progress his schemes which comprise of shapeshifting blob woman Inque, technician and sound guy Shriek, he even has a hand in ressurecting Mr. Freeze. We got some independent evil doers as well including hypnotist and laziest robber ever Spellbinder, aristocratic card enthusiasts the Royal Flush Gang, and The Fantastic Four. How DC did not get sued over that is a mystery for another day, stretch armstrong dude, translucent lady woman, and a literal flaming beast of a man, kinda on the nose there guys! Thankfully no bad epsiodes to speak of or a shred of filler, if I had to pick favorites here I'd go with the opening two parter Rebirth or Mr. Freeze's return in Meltdown. And for not even a 5 hour sit it's well worth it for this season. I give it 3.5 stars, 8.5/10!

Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Well I'll be damned.

I liked it way better than the first! Pretty much every aspect has been improved and the lore has been expanded, the hallmarks of any good sequel are present here. So the story goes after Princess Rosalina has been captured our plumbing brothers and the princess in another castle set out to free her while Bowser reconnects with his son in dastardly deeds. That's the base story but trust me you get a lot of cool stuff along with it. I feel the animators are just showing off in this, if you thought the first film was beatific and colorful to the max throw in the cosmic aspect and it's peaked at a whole other level in my opinion. Performance wise from our original roster they all do great and I'm happy Luigi gets more to do, and I was quite invested in Bowser's storyline, and as for our new arrivals I knew Brie Larson was gonna rock it as Rosalina and Donald Glover was a unique choice for Yoshi but welcome just the same. The plot moves just as brisk as the first and never ever gets boring with maybe not as much easter eggs you can shake a stick at but some surprise reveals that more than make up for it. In fact one particular reveal nearly pushed me to scream in the theater, as they are my main choice in the Super Smash Bros. games. But I like all the nods to Super Mario Bros. 2, or should I really say Doki Doki Panic for those who are initiated and getting to see stuff I'm actually surprised wasn't in the first. It's a very fun and I'd easily say funnier movie as well, with an easy to grasp plot, damn good animation, and come what may if they decide to do a third they will have my attention. I give it 3 stars, 8/10, and I really gotta check the upcoming releases for this month and see what else might strike my fancy.