This is another of my favorite classic Hanna Barbara cartoons. I remember seeing this show on "Cartoon Network" in the 90's, back when "Cartoon Network" was like what "Nick at Nite" was to old TV shows. Seeing this show blew me away from setting my sights on those monsters for the first time and seeing giant monsters fight alongside humans against a common threat. Let alone there really aren't that many animated shows that feature giant monsters as the main stars. Only ones I can think of that I think are "Inhumanoids" from the 80's (show I reviewed) and "Godzilla the Series" from the 90's (show I'll review another time); other than that there really hasn't been any others since.
The show obviously was inspired by the giant monster movies going on in the 50's and 60's mainly the films from Ray Harryhausen. I really like the premise, which was unique for its time, I like that the show was a bit of a flip on the whole super-sized foe/giant monster sub-genre. Most of the time in that subgenre the giant monsters are always the bad guys that are chasing or killing the good guys that were unequal in size. But in this show for once the giant monsters are fighting on the good guy's side. You could even say this is kind of a wishforfillment fantasy for kids or even just monster movie fans and lovers, on just having monsters on your side and just beat the hell out of anything that is threatening your life in any way. Shame we couldn't have called the Herculoids in reality, would have been very handy in dealing with bullies.
I really like the animation it's pretty much some of the animation you would expect from Hanna Barbara which is alright by me, I wouldn't want it any other way. The animation style is the same kind you'd see from mainly from the action line up from Hanna Barbara most notably "Johnny Quest" and "Space Ghost" (both shows I'll review another time. I really like the background and features of this savage otherworld, despite some of the same features as Earth from air, water, and vegetation there are a lot of significant differences that make it alien to our senses, I won't give them away as you must see them for yourself.
The human characters are solid they serve their functions, their sort of Tarzan, Jane, and their Son but all in space. I just simply thought it was a cool thought of having a whole planet as your home, where you just have unlimited freedom, you can make all kinds of friends or should I say monsters, explore, adventure, provides for all your needs just anything.
However, this show we're all really in it for the action and the monsters and that's what were all here for with pulp sci-fi fantasy stories, where most of them were never concerned so much with logic or even plot but just simply delivering the goods which this show does.
I really love the Herculoid monsters, in a way by their nature their all-assault vehicles but their all-living creatures and even have distinctive personality as three of them talk, which makes it cool to further show how otherworldly the place truly is but also just to add some humor as the show doesn't take itself too seriously You have your ground support from this Triceratops that acts as a tank as he has these horns that shoot out these explosive Nitro Glisern rocks, how the heck the monster stores so much ammo or makes it is anyone's guess.
An ape like creature whose you can say is Kong but in space which makes it all the cooler. He my favorite as he almost reminds me a little of Ben Grimm/ The Thing from "Fantastic Four" or even B. A. from "The A Team" as he's the muscle of the group, as he clears away obstacles or even throw boulders and will beat up just about anything that threatens the lives of both he and his family, even if it's bigger than him it doesn't matter as threats are always equal size. I really that he has the strong persona to boot as his strength is surpassed by the courage and determination in his heart, he doesn't take crap from anyone but is also by his nature really a gentle soul as he really cares for the son as both have a good repore in the show.
There is a dragon who is the air support he is armed with laser eyes, which that's cool as it's a break on the common cleche on dragons always armed with fire breath. And of course, my second favorite Herculoids are Gleep and Gloop, those two are so cute which is strange to say but it's probably in their movements with those expressive gentle eyes of their that have this playful innocence to them. Both are pretty much Blobs but their good. Despite not really fighters of the bunch, they are extremely useful which makes them both you can say tech or emergency officers of the group. They can transform themselves into just about anything you need, like if your falling down from a huge height they form a parachute. Or even sometimes they can act as lassos to wrap around enemies just to slow them down.
The action is solid it's well choregraphed and has more explosions than a Michael Bay film or Super Sentai show. You have some solid villains; the villains are mainly just your villains of the weak which is alright because it means they have a different challenge each week. It mainly consisted of robots or some evil aliens that use technology to both Plunder the planet and kill all the species living there. That's part of what made the battles in the show truly interesting was that it was based on the old motif of nature verses technology, I always found that kind of fascinating just seeing how the elements of nature and survival skills can undermine technology However, that is also the show's misfire as they don't have a reacuring villian/s. It would have been cool if the show did that way it would have increased the challenge factor. Like maybe there is some fascist faction they must contend with that refuses to leave making it not the usual get in and out battle but a war to fight. Or better yet have them fight of against more giant evil monsters, like some sort of evil rogue version of the Herculoids, which would also increase the challenge as they would meet their match. But oh well, the show is still fine as it is as the non-stop occurring action keeps me interested.
It would be cool though a long shot if there was some animated revival. Or better yet since "DC Comics" does licensed comics for Hanna Barbara why not a modern-day miniseries, or even a story from that anthology comic series "Future Quest" for this show that is if they decide to have more issues. Well, their nice thoughts to consider.
For fans of Hanna Barbara or just yesteryear toons, "The Herculoids" is worth a shot as its explosive monstrous fun.
Rating: 3 and a half stars.
The show obviously was inspired by the giant monster movies going on in the 50's and 60's mainly the films from Ray Harryhausen. I really like the premise, which was unique for its time, I like that the show was a bit of a flip on the whole super-sized foe/giant monster sub-genre. Most of the time in that subgenre the giant monsters are always the bad guys that are chasing or killing the good guys that were unequal in size. But in this show for once the giant monsters are fighting on the good guy's side. You could even say this is kind of a wishforfillment fantasy for kids or even just monster movie fans and lovers, on just having monsters on your side and just beat the hell out of anything that is threatening your life in any way. Shame we couldn't have called the Herculoids in reality, would have been very handy in dealing with bullies.
I really like the animation it's pretty much some of the animation you would expect from Hanna Barbara which is alright by me, I wouldn't want it any other way. The animation style is the same kind you'd see from mainly from the action line up from Hanna Barbara most notably "Johnny Quest" and "Space Ghost" (both shows I'll review another time. I really like the background and features of this savage otherworld, despite some of the same features as Earth from air, water, and vegetation there are a lot of significant differences that make it alien to our senses, I won't give them away as you must see them for yourself.
The human characters are solid they serve their functions, their sort of Tarzan, Jane, and their Son but all in space. I just simply thought it was a cool thought of having a whole planet as your home, where you just have unlimited freedom, you can make all kinds of friends or should I say monsters, explore, adventure, provides for all your needs just anything.
However, this show we're all really in it for the action and the monsters and that's what were all here for with pulp sci-fi fantasy stories, where most of them were never concerned so much with logic or even plot but just simply delivering the goods which this show does.
I really love the Herculoid monsters, in a way by their nature their all-assault vehicles but their all-living creatures and even have distinctive personality as three of them talk, which makes it cool to further show how otherworldly the place truly is but also just to add some humor as the show doesn't take itself too seriously You have your ground support from this Triceratops that acts as a tank as he has these horns that shoot out these explosive Nitro Glisern rocks, how the heck the monster stores so much ammo or makes it is anyone's guess.
An ape like creature whose you can say is Kong but in space which makes it all the cooler. He my favorite as he almost reminds me a little of Ben Grimm/ The Thing from "Fantastic Four" or even B. A. from "The A Team" as he's the muscle of the group, as he clears away obstacles or even throw boulders and will beat up just about anything that threatens the lives of both he and his family, even if it's bigger than him it doesn't matter as threats are always equal size. I really that he has the strong persona to boot as his strength is surpassed by the courage and determination in his heart, he doesn't take crap from anyone but is also by his nature really a gentle soul as he really cares for the son as both have a good repore in the show.
There is a dragon who is the air support he is armed with laser eyes, which that's cool as it's a break on the common cleche on dragons always armed with fire breath. And of course, my second favorite Herculoids are Gleep and Gloop, those two are so cute which is strange to say but it's probably in their movements with those expressive gentle eyes of their that have this playful innocence to them. Both are pretty much Blobs but their good. Despite not really fighters of the bunch, they are extremely useful which makes them both you can say tech or emergency officers of the group. They can transform themselves into just about anything you need, like if your falling down from a huge height they form a parachute. Or even sometimes they can act as lassos to wrap around enemies just to slow them down.
The action is solid it's well choregraphed and has more explosions than a Michael Bay film or Super Sentai show. You have some solid villains; the villains are mainly just your villains of the weak which is alright because it means they have a different challenge each week. It mainly consisted of robots or some evil aliens that use technology to both Plunder the planet and kill all the species living there. That's part of what made the battles in the show truly interesting was that it was based on the old motif of nature verses technology, I always found that kind of fascinating just seeing how the elements of nature and survival skills can undermine technology However, that is also the show's misfire as they don't have a reacuring villian/s. It would have been cool if the show did that way it would have increased the challenge factor. Like maybe there is some fascist faction they must contend with that refuses to leave making it not the usual get in and out battle but a war to fight. Or better yet have them fight of against more giant evil monsters, like some sort of evil rogue version of the Herculoids, which would also increase the challenge as they would meet their match. But oh well, the show is still fine as it is as the non-stop occurring action keeps me interested.
It would be cool though a long shot if there was some animated revival. Or better yet since "DC Comics" does licensed comics for Hanna Barbara why not a modern-day miniseries, or even a story from that anthology comic series "Future Quest" for this show that is if they decide to have more issues. Well, their nice thoughts to consider.
For fans of Hanna Barbara or just yesteryear toons, "The Herculoids" is worth a shot as its explosive monstrous fun.
Rating: 3 and a half stars.