Thoughts from after I saw this in the theaters after its original release: In all the talk about why the Powerpuff Girls Movie failed, they have mentioned almost every excuse from too many animated films to the fact most theatres were not showing it past dinner time, to over saturation of the market, to the "fact TV spin offs usually don't work while the show is still on TV.
What I find curious is that with all the talk no one at any point mentioned the fact is that the movie isn't all that wonderful. Don't get me wrong its not bad, its just not all that great.
I went to see this when the movie was on the verge of disappearing from theaters going to the only one in literally 25 miles that was showing the movie. It was packed with kids and their parents, mostly kids under 7, which isn't a bad thing especially when you have a three or four year old repeating every line of Buttercup's, and the whole thing takes on a surreal Rocky Horror sort of feel.
The movie is essentially the story of how the girls and Mojo Jo Jo were created. In the early going things weren't bad. It was like a good TV episode on the big screen. However once the second act hits- where the girls are shunned after a game of tag goes horribly wrong - the whole thing grinds to a halt. Yes, it has it moments but it tends to just go on and on. Then the movie shifts gears again once the third act hits and Mojo is revealed to be the villain and all of the other monkeys attempt to take over the world. Everything is rapid fire and I know I missed several of the references and jokes that litter the screen. (I didn't catch the words spelled out in the girls color trails until they were fading from the screen.) Where act two was too slow act three is too fast and I couldn't help the feeling that this was taking the term throw away gag to a new level, so much was happening that it was all lost.
Its not bad mind you its just that its an extended TV episode with no real reason to be on the big screen. Hell I bet you there isn't a sharp eyed viewer who won't be able to pick out every place a commercial will appear when Cartoon runs it next spring or summer.
Yes I laughed. No, I don't hate it. But in a year where animated cartoons are coming into their own, with Ice Age, Lilo, Metropolis, Escaflowne, Spirit, Jimmy Neutron and Monsters Inc, in less than 12 months (plus Cowboy Bebop , Spirited Away and Treasure Planet before years end) I really can't see the point of putting out a movie thats just the TV show only bigger. (Is it any wonder Hey Arnold also tanked?) Frankly I'm glad is bombing at the box office since I can not see any reason that this movie exists other than to cash in on the Powerpuff Girls bandwagon. This was a movie that was released for the sake of greed (and to have Baboon Butt Bombs) and no other reason. This was not a story that needed to be told on the big screen since they do nothing with it. Frankly other than a louder ("mommy my ears hurt") soundtrack and "funky" hip movie like freeze frames and shots there is nothing that says to me there was any thought put into how make it a movie, it was simply was and is more of the same.
Even the 5.75 bargain matinée was too much to ask.
I look forward to seeing the DVD. I want to hear the commentary and go back and see what I missed- I want to know the in jokes which I sense are there. But beyond that...Who knows.
What I find curious is that with all the talk no one at any point mentioned the fact is that the movie isn't all that wonderful. Don't get me wrong its not bad, its just not all that great.
I went to see this when the movie was on the verge of disappearing from theaters going to the only one in literally 25 miles that was showing the movie. It was packed with kids and their parents, mostly kids under 7, which isn't a bad thing especially when you have a three or four year old repeating every line of Buttercup's, and the whole thing takes on a surreal Rocky Horror sort of feel.
The movie is essentially the story of how the girls and Mojo Jo Jo were created. In the early going things weren't bad. It was like a good TV episode on the big screen. However once the second act hits- where the girls are shunned after a game of tag goes horribly wrong - the whole thing grinds to a halt. Yes, it has it moments but it tends to just go on and on. Then the movie shifts gears again once the third act hits and Mojo is revealed to be the villain and all of the other monkeys attempt to take over the world. Everything is rapid fire and I know I missed several of the references and jokes that litter the screen. (I didn't catch the words spelled out in the girls color trails until they were fading from the screen.) Where act two was too slow act three is too fast and I couldn't help the feeling that this was taking the term throw away gag to a new level, so much was happening that it was all lost.
Its not bad mind you its just that its an extended TV episode with no real reason to be on the big screen. Hell I bet you there isn't a sharp eyed viewer who won't be able to pick out every place a commercial will appear when Cartoon runs it next spring or summer.
Yes I laughed. No, I don't hate it. But in a year where animated cartoons are coming into their own, with Ice Age, Lilo, Metropolis, Escaflowne, Spirit, Jimmy Neutron and Monsters Inc, in less than 12 months (plus Cowboy Bebop , Spirited Away and Treasure Planet before years end) I really can't see the point of putting out a movie thats just the TV show only bigger. (Is it any wonder Hey Arnold also tanked?) Frankly I'm glad is bombing at the box office since I can not see any reason that this movie exists other than to cash in on the Powerpuff Girls bandwagon. This was a movie that was released for the sake of greed (and to have Baboon Butt Bombs) and no other reason. This was not a story that needed to be told on the big screen since they do nothing with it. Frankly other than a louder ("mommy my ears hurt") soundtrack and "funky" hip movie like freeze frames and shots there is nothing that says to me there was any thought put into how make it a movie, it was simply was and is more of the same.
Even the 5.75 bargain matinée was too much to ask.
I look forward to seeing the DVD. I want to hear the commentary and go back and see what I missed- I want to know the in jokes which I sense are there. But beyond that...Who knows.