DR. BELCH
12-15-2001, 02:46 PM
POK-JLC:
*"All That Glitters!"
In today's episode we meet a Murkrow, a bird with a festish for shiny objects--rather like a Pokemon from an earlier ep who liked round objects, except this one doesn't have a cute legend built around it.
Unaware of sinister eyes watching him, Ash is polishing his Johto badges in the woods when a trio of Murkrow--who even greet the kids in perfect three-part harmony a la Larry, Moe, and Curly--swipe them. They then bother Team Rocket, trying to steal Jessy's "irreplacable" earrings, Meowth's charm, and James's pants (well, actually his belt buckle, but that scene looked very disturbing somehow).
They succeed in picking James' pockets and nicking every bottle cap he has. He instantly goes psycho, and for one brief scene dons a pair of white rubber gloves and holds up a huge surgical instrument. Now I've taken the dogs to the vet's office enough to know where the doctor's fingers are going when he pulls on those things, and I shudder to think that Jimmy-boy has in mind. :eek:
I don't know if Ash is stupid or just optomistic, trusting those glorified blackbirds. Misty and Brock warn him not to, but he does...and they atttack him and fly off.
There's a scene where the Murkrow appear to worship Nachtowl--maybe its his size or his bright colors that make him look like a god to them--but they offer him the badge in tribute, and he takes it. The birds are outraged over him giving their offering to a mere boy, but before they can do anything about it a gust of wind knocks all the birds unconscious. It's Team Rocket in a giant flying Murkrow-bot!
The birds defeat the bot by flying around it, causing it to wear out its pistons pivoting too fast...and James is no help cooing over his bottle cap. The kids learn the birds aren't really so bad after all.
This one is rather a retread plot, but again, the sight of James with those rubber gloves is worth the price of admission. :wakko:
*"The Light Fantastic"
In this one we meet a frustrated artist who has spent half his life dreaming of painting the Pokemon version of the Aurora Borealis, a supposedly extinct fish that turns out to be alive and using its talents to come out of the mud every twelve years to build a tower of ice and replenish local underground lakes, and another Nurse Joy for Brock to slaver over.
It seems there was a lost tribe centuries ago--called both "the Tree People" and in honor of the supposedly-extinct fish mentioned above--who ruined the land by building great buildings and caused it to dry up--which disproves the myth that the indigenous people of America/Pokeland were intelligent, peaceful and lived in harmony with the earth a la Pocahantas. There's an environmental message delivered in a very emotional tone of voice by Nurse joy--a bit too Captain Planet, but nice vocal work on the actress' part, I'll give her that.
The old artist's story is that as a young man he was inspired by multicolored lights in the sky to give up Pokemon training to take up trying to draw the lights. But each year he had not enough crayons to capture every shade. Unfortunately this time he misses out because he brought too many and didn't know how to use them all.
A thirsty Team Rocket shows up at the Pokemon center disguised as archaeologists, with Meowth bandaged as a mummy, and get their water. Had they left it at that there'd be no problem, as stealing water isn't a crime...but they decide to go along on the expedition to see the source of the lights. We soon learn about the fish and their habit of replenishing the desert every 12 years with waer gun and ice beam attacks, and that they are hard to catch with a Pokeball because they tend to cluster, which renders balls useless. Clustering, however, makes them easier to net--hence the peril of groupthink. However, a simultaneous watergun propells them upward, hitting and popping the balloon and releasing them, as well as causing the Rockets to blast off again. Then the revelation that the water drops in the air produce rainbows, and some things are simply too beautiful for mere colors and paper to do them justice.
DYN that Wobafett is again heard as the Rockets vanish, though not seen?
One would think a tower of ice several miles out of town would be a tourist attraction, though, rather than some big mystery. Epspecially in the middle of a 110-degree wasteland...wouldn't that stick out like a middle finger on a Los Angeles turnpike?
JCA: "Danger in the Deep Freeze"
Jackie and Jade unearth a Sasquatch monster in the Arctic, which Jade defrosts and dubs him "Duane", for the hairy-backed father of a schoolchum. The beast is docile and enjoys cereal, although there's a local urban legend about him that suggests he is fearsome and brings danger. Jackie is suspicious as to why a supposedly horrible demon like that would be fed and cared for by the tribe, however, and investigates.
It turns out the Inuit chief of the local tribe, who arranged to have Jackie buried in an avalanche, is listening to the counsel of a notorious poacher who plans to explot Duane, and Jackie has to put a stop to it.
Nit: the Inuit chief is ignorant of cell phones, but knows about drive-in restaurants?
The bit with Uncle and the chief fishing at the end was great. Any fisherman here who want to test Uncle's bait of mung beans wrapped in tea leaves and see how well it works?
DYN that Tohru is the only one that isn't wearing a coat in the frigid weather? I suppose a big guy like him doesn't get cold easily (though he should be sweating the most when Jade ups the thermostate to ninety--why didn't he notice the heat?). Also note he's sleeping in the top bunk, which creaks every time he snores.
I'll review X-Men Evolution in the other thread someone else started.
Caught the last few minutes of The Nightmare Room while switching channels. Tippi Hedron was on it. Now I knew she did The Birds, but I never knew she did turkeys as well. :rimshot:
Reruns the next couple of weeks, so I won't have any reviews to write till next year. Just as well--need to stave off burnout. ;)
*"All That Glitters!"
In today's episode we meet a Murkrow, a bird with a festish for shiny objects--rather like a Pokemon from an earlier ep who liked round objects, except this one doesn't have a cute legend built around it.
Unaware of sinister eyes watching him, Ash is polishing his Johto badges in the woods when a trio of Murkrow--who even greet the kids in perfect three-part harmony a la Larry, Moe, and Curly--swipe them. They then bother Team Rocket, trying to steal Jessy's "irreplacable" earrings, Meowth's charm, and James's pants (well, actually his belt buckle, but that scene looked very disturbing somehow).
They succeed in picking James' pockets and nicking every bottle cap he has. He instantly goes psycho, and for one brief scene dons a pair of white rubber gloves and holds up a huge surgical instrument. Now I've taken the dogs to the vet's office enough to know where the doctor's fingers are going when he pulls on those things, and I shudder to think that Jimmy-boy has in mind. :eek:
I don't know if Ash is stupid or just optomistic, trusting those glorified blackbirds. Misty and Brock warn him not to, but he does...and they atttack him and fly off.
There's a scene where the Murkrow appear to worship Nachtowl--maybe its his size or his bright colors that make him look like a god to them--but they offer him the badge in tribute, and he takes it. The birds are outraged over him giving their offering to a mere boy, but before they can do anything about it a gust of wind knocks all the birds unconscious. It's Team Rocket in a giant flying Murkrow-bot!
The birds defeat the bot by flying around it, causing it to wear out its pistons pivoting too fast...and James is no help cooing over his bottle cap. The kids learn the birds aren't really so bad after all.
This one is rather a retread plot, but again, the sight of James with those rubber gloves is worth the price of admission. :wakko:
*"The Light Fantastic"
In this one we meet a frustrated artist who has spent half his life dreaming of painting the Pokemon version of the Aurora Borealis, a supposedly extinct fish that turns out to be alive and using its talents to come out of the mud every twelve years to build a tower of ice and replenish local underground lakes, and another Nurse Joy for Brock to slaver over.
It seems there was a lost tribe centuries ago--called both "the Tree People" and in honor of the supposedly-extinct fish mentioned above--who ruined the land by building great buildings and caused it to dry up--which disproves the myth that the indigenous people of America/Pokeland were intelligent, peaceful and lived in harmony with the earth a la Pocahantas. There's an environmental message delivered in a very emotional tone of voice by Nurse joy--a bit too Captain Planet, but nice vocal work on the actress' part, I'll give her that.
The old artist's story is that as a young man he was inspired by multicolored lights in the sky to give up Pokemon training to take up trying to draw the lights. But each year he had not enough crayons to capture every shade. Unfortunately this time he misses out because he brought too many and didn't know how to use them all.
A thirsty Team Rocket shows up at the Pokemon center disguised as archaeologists, with Meowth bandaged as a mummy, and get their water. Had they left it at that there'd be no problem, as stealing water isn't a crime...but they decide to go along on the expedition to see the source of the lights. We soon learn about the fish and their habit of replenishing the desert every 12 years with waer gun and ice beam attacks, and that they are hard to catch with a Pokeball because they tend to cluster, which renders balls useless. Clustering, however, makes them easier to net--hence the peril of groupthink. However, a simultaneous watergun propells them upward, hitting and popping the balloon and releasing them, as well as causing the Rockets to blast off again. Then the revelation that the water drops in the air produce rainbows, and some things are simply too beautiful for mere colors and paper to do them justice.
DYN that Wobafett is again heard as the Rockets vanish, though not seen?
One would think a tower of ice several miles out of town would be a tourist attraction, though, rather than some big mystery. Epspecially in the middle of a 110-degree wasteland...wouldn't that stick out like a middle finger on a Los Angeles turnpike?
JCA: "Danger in the Deep Freeze"
Jackie and Jade unearth a Sasquatch monster in the Arctic, which Jade defrosts and dubs him "Duane", for the hairy-backed father of a schoolchum. The beast is docile and enjoys cereal, although there's a local urban legend about him that suggests he is fearsome and brings danger. Jackie is suspicious as to why a supposedly horrible demon like that would be fed and cared for by the tribe, however, and investigates.
It turns out the Inuit chief of the local tribe, who arranged to have Jackie buried in an avalanche, is listening to the counsel of a notorious poacher who plans to explot Duane, and Jackie has to put a stop to it.
Nit: the Inuit chief is ignorant of cell phones, but knows about drive-in restaurants?
The bit with Uncle and the chief fishing at the end was great. Any fisherman here who want to test Uncle's bait of mung beans wrapped in tea leaves and see how well it works?
DYN that Tohru is the only one that isn't wearing a coat in the frigid weather? I suppose a big guy like him doesn't get cold easily (though he should be sweating the most when Jade ups the thermostate to ninety--why didn't he notice the heat?). Also note he's sleeping in the top bunk, which creaks every time he snores.
I'll review X-Men Evolution in the other thread someone else started.
Caught the last few minutes of The Nightmare Room while switching channels. Tippi Hedron was on it. Now I knew she did The Birds, but I never knew she did turkeys as well. :rimshot:
Reruns the next couple of weeks, so I won't have any reviews to write till next year. Just as well--need to stave off burnout. ;)