This is another one of my favorite TV shows of all time, when I saw this show when I was about 12 and it also was a show that didn't come a moment too soon as it in a way played a significant roll in my life.
It came at a time when I was in the fifth grade which to me was the worst school year of my life that should never have happened, or probably should never of been in that classroom as it was filled with a lot of bullying scumbags that targeted me. Seeing this show really lifted me up from all that, as it surprisingly showed how these characters, we're going through the same troubles I was, but seeing how they endured and fought though it really showed me that even though prejudice and intolerance existed so does heroism and justice.
I really love the story line, it's pretty much taking fantasy into the modern-day world which is an awesome concept, It's sort of plays out like a Neil Gaiman tale as his stories most of the time did the same thing; let alone predates other urban fantasy shows like "Grimm" and "Once Upon a Time". The show is also kind of educational as it brought not just mythology and fantasy but also Shakespeare as there are dozens of references and a few characters most notably from Shakespeare's play "A Midnight Summers Dream" which is cool since that's one of my favorite plays.
Really love that theme song which is one of my favorite themes just sings epic fantasy which this is. The animation is great it is just top notch, from the character animation but also in the environment, I really love the use of darkness and shadow giving the show a noir look, making the world the Gargoyles occupy both fascinating but at the same time dangerous there can easily be danger hidden in the next shadow or the next turn. The action is also great well-choregraphed, I really like seeing the Gargoyles abilities from climbing buildings with their claws much like "Spider Man" can crawl on walls. Really like the flying sequences, they really capture the illusion of flight very well.
The characters are great, really like how three dimensional they make them from not just the Gargoyles but also human and other non-human characters; that was one of the things that make the show stand out and was rare for animated shows at the time except for anime but that's a different matter. It just went to show just because characters are animated doesn't mean they can't be characters.
The voice acting ensemble is awesome, this show has one of the best damn ensembles I've ever seen up there with the DC animated shows "Batman the Animated Series", "Justice League" etc. One of the things it has going for the ensemble is most of them consist of "Star Trek" alumni which is just awesome since I'm a fan of the franchise and like/love all the shows (except "Star Trek Discovery", not on my list); there's Kate Mulgrew, Bret Spinner, Johnathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, etc. Sometimes when I watched episode of a show I always try and spot another "Star Trek" alumi as much as anyone trying to find Waldo in a "Where's Waldo" book. I'll just state some since so many characters and the actors playing them are excellent.
Hudson by Ed Asner is great, this is probably my favorite voice acting role from him as I found his Scottish accent convincing also like the gravely quality of it which reflects his toughness. He's a bit of a mentor/father figure for the "Gargoyles" really like that despite his age, he can still kick serious ass but also still can learn some new tricks which shows he's capable of adaptation.
Zanatos voiced by Johnathan Frakes, he's an interesting character whom is bit Bruce Wayne like but slightly different, he's not really a straight forward villain he's more of a person that is in a grey area. What I love about this character is how much a cypher he truly is, you never really know his true motives are. Sometimes it seems he wants to kill the Gargoyles but then he doesn't, does he fascinate or envy them, is he tussling with them just to inflate his ego or just because he's bored. Your never sure he's one of those characters you can draw your own conclusions about or none. But what I like about him is he's like someone I could be friends with as he really does possess and display humanity even when it doesn't show.
Macbeth voiced by one of my favorite actors John Rys Davies he is just excellent in the role. What I like about his character is how much depth he truly has which also makes him tragic hence his name as we see he's a person that has lost more than he's gained. To me he's not a real bad guy but a person that also like Zanatos is in a grey area, he's aware of what he's doing but feels it's necessary to accomplish whatever goal he has in mind.
Elisa voiced by Salli Richardson she is awesome, she one of my favorite feme fatales. Really love the character animation for her character which is modeled after the actress herself which I though was a good decision as the actress is hot. I really like how she's a strong well-rounded character that is a smart strong detective, she can kick ass, she has sharp charisma and warmth.
Of course, my favorite characters and fictional heroes is Goliath voiced by one of my favorite actors Keith David. His character is also awesome, much like with Optimus Prime on "Transformers" he is just the strong leader that you just want to follow. This guy is not just strong in muscle and command but what makes him truly strong emotions as he cares not just about his clan but also humanity as a whole.
He's also a character that is sympathetic as you sense he carries a great sadness whenever he feels in his mind he fails in some way or even when his clan is nowhere near the future they want for themselves. However, he always finds a way to persevere, to continue on no matter what; it goes with the old saying "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger".
I really like the dynamic between both Alisa and Goliath both are one of my favorite fictional couples. It's sort of the "Beauty and the Beast" dynamic but what I like about this is we see both genuinely interact with each other, which I think is beautiful because despite their differences it doesn't matter because they along with we just seen them as simply two people. Both really are a good dynamic as Alisa is a person that is not just his guide in the modern world but also a rock for him, likewise with him for her.
Though it's not all fun and games, one of the reasons this show is dark is that it deals with the social issue of racism which they do in a suttle manner and it's not preachy. We see that sadly despite all the Gargoyles do most of the time they are not accepted into modern day society or among the human populace as their regarded as monsters. But the Gargoyles aren't monsters, despite the appearance of the Gargoyles and their abilities their also mortal, you shoot and stab them they can die like anyone else, let alone have wants and needs as any other which makes them no different.
The real monsters are prejudice and intolerance which not just makes monsters out of anyone that exercises them but destroys the humanity they possess. The show suttlely gives an anti-racism message as to the importance of not just getting along but to be able to judge a person not by appearance alone but content of character.
Gargoyles soar high with adventure and heart.
Rating: 4 stars
It came at a time when I was in the fifth grade which to me was the worst school year of my life that should never have happened, or probably should never of been in that classroom as it was filled with a lot of bullying scumbags that targeted me. Seeing this show really lifted me up from all that, as it surprisingly showed how these characters, we're going through the same troubles I was, but seeing how they endured and fought though it really showed me that even though prejudice and intolerance existed so does heroism and justice.
I really love the story line, it's pretty much taking fantasy into the modern-day world which is an awesome concept, It's sort of plays out like a Neil Gaiman tale as his stories most of the time did the same thing; let alone predates other urban fantasy shows like "Grimm" and "Once Upon a Time". The show is also kind of educational as it brought not just mythology and fantasy but also Shakespeare as there are dozens of references and a few characters most notably from Shakespeare's play "A Midnight Summers Dream" which is cool since that's one of my favorite plays.
Really love that theme song which is one of my favorite themes just sings epic fantasy which this is. The animation is great it is just top notch, from the character animation but also in the environment, I really love the use of darkness and shadow giving the show a noir look, making the world the Gargoyles occupy both fascinating but at the same time dangerous there can easily be danger hidden in the next shadow or the next turn. The action is also great well-choregraphed, I really like seeing the Gargoyles abilities from climbing buildings with their claws much like "Spider Man" can crawl on walls. Really like the flying sequences, they really capture the illusion of flight very well.
The characters are great, really like how three dimensional they make them from not just the Gargoyles but also human and other non-human characters; that was one of the things that make the show stand out and was rare for animated shows at the time except for anime but that's a different matter. It just went to show just because characters are animated doesn't mean they can't be characters.
The voice acting ensemble is awesome, this show has one of the best damn ensembles I've ever seen up there with the DC animated shows "Batman the Animated Series", "Justice League" etc. One of the things it has going for the ensemble is most of them consist of "Star Trek" alumni which is just awesome since I'm a fan of the franchise and like/love all the shows (except "Star Trek Discovery", not on my list); there's Kate Mulgrew, Bret Spinner, Johnathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, etc. Sometimes when I watched episode of a show I always try and spot another "Star Trek" alumi as much as anyone trying to find Waldo in a "Where's Waldo" book. I'll just state some since so many characters and the actors playing them are excellent.
Hudson by Ed Asner is great, this is probably my favorite voice acting role from him as I found his Scottish accent convincing also like the gravely quality of it which reflects his toughness. He's a bit of a mentor/father figure for the "Gargoyles" really like that despite his age, he can still kick serious ass but also still can learn some new tricks which shows he's capable of adaptation.
Zanatos voiced by Johnathan Frakes, he's an interesting character whom is bit Bruce Wayne like but slightly different, he's not really a straight forward villain he's more of a person that is in a grey area. What I love about this character is how much a cypher he truly is, you never really know his true motives are. Sometimes it seems he wants to kill the Gargoyles but then he doesn't, does he fascinate or envy them, is he tussling with them just to inflate his ego or just because he's bored. Your never sure he's one of those characters you can draw your own conclusions about or none. But what I like about him is he's like someone I could be friends with as he really does possess and display humanity even when it doesn't show.
Macbeth voiced by one of my favorite actors John Rys Davies he is just excellent in the role. What I like about his character is how much depth he truly has which also makes him tragic hence his name as we see he's a person that has lost more than he's gained. To me he's not a real bad guy but a person that also like Zanatos is in a grey area, he's aware of what he's doing but feels it's necessary to accomplish whatever goal he has in mind.
Elisa voiced by Salli Richardson she is awesome, she one of my favorite feme fatales. Really love the character animation for her character which is modeled after the actress herself which I though was a good decision as the actress is hot. I really like how she's a strong well-rounded character that is a smart strong detective, she can kick ass, she has sharp charisma and warmth.
Of course, my favorite characters and fictional heroes is Goliath voiced by one of my favorite actors Keith David. His character is also awesome, much like with Optimus Prime on "Transformers" he is just the strong leader that you just want to follow. This guy is not just strong in muscle and command but what makes him truly strong emotions as he cares not just about his clan but also humanity as a whole.
He's also a character that is sympathetic as you sense he carries a great sadness whenever he feels in his mind he fails in some way or even when his clan is nowhere near the future they want for themselves. However, he always finds a way to persevere, to continue on no matter what; it goes with the old saying "That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger".
I really like the dynamic between both Alisa and Goliath both are one of my favorite fictional couples. It's sort of the "Beauty and the Beast" dynamic but what I like about this is we see both genuinely interact with each other, which I think is beautiful because despite their differences it doesn't matter because they along with we just seen them as simply two people. Both really are a good dynamic as Alisa is a person that is not just his guide in the modern world but also a rock for him, likewise with him for her.
Though it's not all fun and games, one of the reasons this show is dark is that it deals with the social issue of racism which they do in a suttle manner and it's not preachy. We see that sadly despite all the Gargoyles do most of the time they are not accepted into modern day society or among the human populace as their regarded as monsters. But the Gargoyles aren't monsters, despite the appearance of the Gargoyles and their abilities their also mortal, you shoot and stab them they can die like anyone else, let alone have wants and needs as any other which makes them no different.
The real monsters are prejudice and intolerance which not just makes monsters out of anyone that exercises them but destroys the humanity they possess. The show suttlely gives an anti-racism message as to the importance of not just getting along but to be able to judge a person not by appearance alone but content of character.
Gargoyles soar high with adventure and heart.
Rating: 4 stars