DR. BELCH
02-23-2002, 04:10 PM
Static Shock#18: Frozen Out
This one's been gettting a lot of buzz over at AniGen. There were rumors we'd see a death in this episode,which we did...and didn't. I'll explain as we go along.
It's Christmas, and Virgil is torn and exhausted, stuck between his family obligations and his duty as Static. Enter a pallid homeless girl Virgil sees on the street, and later at a shopping center. We see her story--her mother died of emphysema, her stepfather was uncaring and didn't want anything to do with her, and a social worker took her away after her mother died. In trying to escape, she dropped her mom's prize possession, a glass statue, and broke it. Life on the street coupled with her mutation in the Big Bang has left her mildly schizophrenic. When Static asks her if she has a name, she says cryptically, "The voices in the darkness...call me Permafrost."
She causes power blackouts, frosts windows by passing them, freezes the hand of a rude floorwalker solid after he interupts her admiring a glass statue just like her mom's, and ices the entire mall and the generator while running away. Virgil has to leave Daisy behind, making some lame excuse, and moments later, as Static, rescues her from a toppling frozen Christmas. He even gets her name wrong deliberately to throw her off the trail--slick.
Permafrost is nearly pulped by a speeding truck as she escapes, freezing the entire road. Static follows her trail to the underbelly of the city, where he learns more about her--she isn't a monster or a criminal, just a scared, disturbed child. She has her own little room in an abandoned subway tunnel, a tiny spun palace of ice, complete with a replica of her mom's statue.
Later, as Static--grudgingly--makes a public appearance at a tree-lighting ceremony, Permafrost shows up in a snow flurry. He manages to calm her down by calling her by her real name and telling her that he understands what it is to lose a mom at a young age. Then he holds her while she cries. Yes, the "ice princess" has enough warmth in her to weep.
We learn Frieda is Jewish...and there are refs to other holidays thrown in, presumably to appease the multicultural set (Daisy celebrates Kwanzaa?). Note that Virgil is worried she'll be mad at him for skipping out early from the Hanukkah party, leading me to think he may still have tender feelings for her.
The pastor quotes a government homeless figure of 7 million--which is 250% higher than the figure I heard only five years ago, which in itself was likely padded. I do wish the writers, for the kids' sake, would research their figures more.
The end sequence--which seems to be stock footage culled from "Tantrum"--shows a multireligious service, where the pastor gives a splendid sermon about tolerance and brotherhood. Note Richie and his father in atendance...and Virgil's father pleased that he managed to show up after all.
Anyone else expect Virgil to refer to the girl as "Mr. Freeze's daughter"--sort of a nod to his fellow hero in Gotham?
Permafrost gets a happy ending--it seems her condition doesn't force her to live in subzero temps (she assumes normal flesh tone at room temp.), and she may find a home and treatment. I thought she might, seeing no other way out, touch her fingers to her head and freeze her brain solid inside her skull, but that sort of chilly suicide might be a bit intense for KWB.
Favorite line--Virgil to God: "You ever had days like this? [pause] Of course you have."
Jackie Chan Adventures#213: Demon World, Part 2
After Chandu blows fire at Jackie, we see that he is unhurt--because he had grabbed the dog talisman of invulnerability. A simple defensive block knocks Chandu down, showing he had gotten the ox talisman of strength as well. Uncle, Jade, and Jackie also have the levitation, speed, fire breath, and invisibility charms. They escape on a flying rug, using the rabbit and the rooster. Chandu is angered because, even in a world of his own creation, he cannot escape the fact that Jackie Chan is destined to defeat him.
In the Fire Demon's world, all his tormentors are doomed to serve as slaves to him and his kin. Tohru slaves in the Earth Demon's salt mines. Viper sings like a caged bird for the Sky Demon. El Toro is comissioned to wrestle for the Wind Demon's amusement. One by one the Chans seek the domains of each monster, seal his or her door, using the sacred sybols they have brought or that they find in each demon's kingdom, and assemble the J Team.
Chandu is apprised by his siblings that the Chans are headed to the Forbidden Zone and the Book of Ages. He and his remaining bretheren--Moon and Water--follow. When the team splits up, heading into several tunnels in search of the Book, the demons follow. Though Toro is defeated by the Moon Demon and Viper by the Water Demon, the Chans manage to reach the Book and begin to try to rewrite Chandu's New World Order. Not being able to find his markings, Jade makes her own (there's a whole scene where Jackie and Toro both keep growing that's right out of Tex Avery's "King-Size Canary"). Uncle suggests to write that the demons are bound and sent to their proper dimension...which they are. The Chans find the rewritten pages and restore the torn pge--ending up back at Jade's parents' house. Jackie tells his cousin, when he says Jade must have learned a lot from her uncle, that he learned so much more. That's so true--we really do get taught more from kids than we can teach them.
A perfect full-circle moment comes as Jackie learns martial arts from Jade, just as he once taught her. She's called upon to recall his training, which proves she's capable of listening after all.
Chandu is about 30 feet tall corporeal, as noted when Jacke stands about chest-high to him when he grows to twenty feet. Also, he returns to Hell in his body, which will limit his opportunities to escape and possess his victims...and make the torture from his siblings hurt more, I imagine.
Slugs seem to be a demon delicacy. Both Po Ku and Chandu have been observed eating them. Table manners, however, are not a demon's strong point.
DYN Captain Black isn't among the tormented? I guess Chandu doesn't consider him a threat, or doesn't know he even exists.
Paco carries castanets in his pocket (to seal the Thunder Demon, who visits his brother Wind)? Contrivance or fate? You be the judge....
Pokémon#434: The Dunsparse Deception
Why anyone would want a Dunsparse is beyond me. They are fat bugs that resemble hideously mutated honeybees, and they do nothing but eat and sleep. Yet the kids of a small town Ash and company visit are nuts for them. They bathe them, race them, brag about them incessantly, measure them to see whose is bigger (which is vaguely disturbing somehow), and treat them like pedigree dogs.
One boy, however, doesn't have a Dunsparse; he has to make do in a race with a Caterpie (which is like racing a toy poodle agianst a pack of greyhounds). Team Twerp calls out all their best Pokemon to help. The kid finds one, but Team Rocket, in making an unsuccessful grab at Pikachu, grab the bug instead.
James is wearing his Roger the Cabin Boy outfit, which he's used before--normally he doesn't recycle costumes, but Meowth explains there was a mixup at the cleaners'. Jessy, demonstrating her leadership, is decked head to toe in a handsome Revolutionary War-era admiral's uniform.
The Rocket costumes are really the high point of this ep. Later, Jessy gets the idea to put on a stage show for the kids to get them to cough up their Dunsparse--reasoning one ugly Pokemon isn't much, but a few dozen ugly ones might equal one pretty prizewinner in the boss' eyes. So James gets stuck in a Moultres costme not half as cool as the one from "The Fortune Hunters", and Meowth is jammed into a skintight Dunsparse suit he can barely move in. While they perform a lame mock-battle for the less-than-impressed kids, Jessy coaches from the wings, and kicks her Wobafett in the butt a couple of times. I was trying so desperately to hold it while James and Meowth play-acted, it was so bad, but completely lost it and cracked up at James' line about "...ambassadors to the flaming Pokemon!" Someone here is flaming, Jimmy-boy, and it isn't the Pokemon.... :p
Though the show is no great shakes, the kids perk up at the promise of a Moultres in exchange for their bugs, but thanks to a gadget right out of "Tricks of the Trade", the Rockets take off with the bugs and leave the crumb-crunchers with worthless empty dummy balls.
However, the tables are turned when Team Twerp shows up with the kids in tow several miles down the road to battle Jessy and James. The kids command their bugs to Stomp and Glare Arbok into submission, then Caterpie hoses them down with white goo (eww). The Rockets blast off again, and the kids finally gets his bug.
Misty spends much of this ep hiding behind trees, blue in the face from fear. Now if Brock--or Ash--really loved her, they'd hold her and comfort her when she got this way. And there are no girls for Brock to make passes at--not that Misty would be able to muster up enough courage to come out of hiding to put her ear-pinching fingers to work anyway....
Jessy says Dunsparse is "slimy and snakey" and wonders who would want such a thing--ironically forgetting she owns a snake....
Watch for the Rocket's tribute to/variant on the Laugh-In popping door gag....
This one's been gettting a lot of buzz over at AniGen. There were rumors we'd see a death in this episode,which we did...and didn't. I'll explain as we go along.
It's Christmas, and Virgil is torn and exhausted, stuck between his family obligations and his duty as Static. Enter a pallid homeless girl Virgil sees on the street, and later at a shopping center. We see her story--her mother died of emphysema, her stepfather was uncaring and didn't want anything to do with her, and a social worker took her away after her mother died. In trying to escape, she dropped her mom's prize possession, a glass statue, and broke it. Life on the street coupled with her mutation in the Big Bang has left her mildly schizophrenic. When Static asks her if she has a name, she says cryptically, "The voices in the darkness...call me Permafrost."
She causes power blackouts, frosts windows by passing them, freezes the hand of a rude floorwalker solid after he interupts her admiring a glass statue just like her mom's, and ices the entire mall and the generator while running away. Virgil has to leave Daisy behind, making some lame excuse, and moments later, as Static, rescues her from a toppling frozen Christmas. He even gets her name wrong deliberately to throw her off the trail--slick.
Permafrost is nearly pulped by a speeding truck as she escapes, freezing the entire road. Static follows her trail to the underbelly of the city, where he learns more about her--she isn't a monster or a criminal, just a scared, disturbed child. She has her own little room in an abandoned subway tunnel, a tiny spun palace of ice, complete with a replica of her mom's statue.
Later, as Static--grudgingly--makes a public appearance at a tree-lighting ceremony, Permafrost shows up in a snow flurry. He manages to calm her down by calling her by her real name and telling her that he understands what it is to lose a mom at a young age. Then he holds her while she cries. Yes, the "ice princess" has enough warmth in her to weep.
We learn Frieda is Jewish...and there are refs to other holidays thrown in, presumably to appease the multicultural set (Daisy celebrates Kwanzaa?). Note that Virgil is worried she'll be mad at him for skipping out early from the Hanukkah party, leading me to think he may still have tender feelings for her.
The pastor quotes a government homeless figure of 7 million--which is 250% higher than the figure I heard only five years ago, which in itself was likely padded. I do wish the writers, for the kids' sake, would research their figures more.
The end sequence--which seems to be stock footage culled from "Tantrum"--shows a multireligious service, where the pastor gives a splendid sermon about tolerance and brotherhood. Note Richie and his father in atendance...and Virgil's father pleased that he managed to show up after all.
Anyone else expect Virgil to refer to the girl as "Mr. Freeze's daughter"--sort of a nod to his fellow hero in Gotham?
Permafrost gets a happy ending--it seems her condition doesn't force her to live in subzero temps (she assumes normal flesh tone at room temp.), and she may find a home and treatment. I thought she might, seeing no other way out, touch her fingers to her head and freeze her brain solid inside her skull, but that sort of chilly suicide might be a bit intense for KWB.
Favorite line--Virgil to God: "You ever had days like this? [pause] Of course you have."
Jackie Chan Adventures#213: Demon World, Part 2
After Chandu blows fire at Jackie, we see that he is unhurt--because he had grabbed the dog talisman of invulnerability. A simple defensive block knocks Chandu down, showing he had gotten the ox talisman of strength as well. Uncle, Jade, and Jackie also have the levitation, speed, fire breath, and invisibility charms. They escape on a flying rug, using the rabbit and the rooster. Chandu is angered because, even in a world of his own creation, he cannot escape the fact that Jackie Chan is destined to defeat him.
In the Fire Demon's world, all his tormentors are doomed to serve as slaves to him and his kin. Tohru slaves in the Earth Demon's salt mines. Viper sings like a caged bird for the Sky Demon. El Toro is comissioned to wrestle for the Wind Demon's amusement. One by one the Chans seek the domains of each monster, seal his or her door, using the sacred sybols they have brought or that they find in each demon's kingdom, and assemble the J Team.
Chandu is apprised by his siblings that the Chans are headed to the Forbidden Zone and the Book of Ages. He and his remaining bretheren--Moon and Water--follow. When the team splits up, heading into several tunnels in search of the Book, the demons follow. Though Toro is defeated by the Moon Demon and Viper by the Water Demon, the Chans manage to reach the Book and begin to try to rewrite Chandu's New World Order. Not being able to find his markings, Jade makes her own (there's a whole scene where Jackie and Toro both keep growing that's right out of Tex Avery's "King-Size Canary"). Uncle suggests to write that the demons are bound and sent to their proper dimension...which they are. The Chans find the rewritten pages and restore the torn pge--ending up back at Jade's parents' house. Jackie tells his cousin, when he says Jade must have learned a lot from her uncle, that he learned so much more. That's so true--we really do get taught more from kids than we can teach them.
A perfect full-circle moment comes as Jackie learns martial arts from Jade, just as he once taught her. She's called upon to recall his training, which proves she's capable of listening after all.
Chandu is about 30 feet tall corporeal, as noted when Jacke stands about chest-high to him when he grows to twenty feet. Also, he returns to Hell in his body, which will limit his opportunities to escape and possess his victims...and make the torture from his siblings hurt more, I imagine.
Slugs seem to be a demon delicacy. Both Po Ku and Chandu have been observed eating them. Table manners, however, are not a demon's strong point.
DYN Captain Black isn't among the tormented? I guess Chandu doesn't consider him a threat, or doesn't know he even exists.
Paco carries castanets in his pocket (to seal the Thunder Demon, who visits his brother Wind)? Contrivance or fate? You be the judge....
Pokémon#434: The Dunsparse Deception
Why anyone would want a Dunsparse is beyond me. They are fat bugs that resemble hideously mutated honeybees, and they do nothing but eat and sleep. Yet the kids of a small town Ash and company visit are nuts for them. They bathe them, race them, brag about them incessantly, measure them to see whose is bigger (which is vaguely disturbing somehow), and treat them like pedigree dogs.
One boy, however, doesn't have a Dunsparse; he has to make do in a race with a Caterpie (which is like racing a toy poodle agianst a pack of greyhounds). Team Twerp calls out all their best Pokemon to help. The kid finds one, but Team Rocket, in making an unsuccessful grab at Pikachu, grab the bug instead.
James is wearing his Roger the Cabin Boy outfit, which he's used before--normally he doesn't recycle costumes, but Meowth explains there was a mixup at the cleaners'. Jessy, demonstrating her leadership, is decked head to toe in a handsome Revolutionary War-era admiral's uniform.
The Rocket costumes are really the high point of this ep. Later, Jessy gets the idea to put on a stage show for the kids to get them to cough up their Dunsparse--reasoning one ugly Pokemon isn't much, but a few dozen ugly ones might equal one pretty prizewinner in the boss' eyes. So James gets stuck in a Moultres costme not half as cool as the one from "The Fortune Hunters", and Meowth is jammed into a skintight Dunsparse suit he can barely move in. While they perform a lame mock-battle for the less-than-impressed kids, Jessy coaches from the wings, and kicks her Wobafett in the butt a couple of times. I was trying so desperately to hold it while James and Meowth play-acted, it was so bad, but completely lost it and cracked up at James' line about "...ambassadors to the flaming Pokemon!" Someone here is flaming, Jimmy-boy, and it isn't the Pokemon.... :p
Though the show is no great shakes, the kids perk up at the promise of a Moultres in exchange for their bugs, but thanks to a gadget right out of "Tricks of the Trade", the Rockets take off with the bugs and leave the crumb-crunchers with worthless empty dummy balls.
However, the tables are turned when Team Twerp shows up with the kids in tow several miles down the road to battle Jessy and James. The kids command their bugs to Stomp and Glare Arbok into submission, then Caterpie hoses them down with white goo (eww). The Rockets blast off again, and the kids finally gets his bug.
Misty spends much of this ep hiding behind trees, blue in the face from fear. Now if Brock--or Ash--really loved her, they'd hold her and comfort her when she got this way. And there are no girls for Brock to make passes at--not that Misty would be able to muster up enough courage to come out of hiding to put her ear-pinching fingers to work anyway....
Jessy says Dunsparse is "slimy and snakey" and wonders who would want such a thing--ironically forgetting she owns a snake....
Watch for the Rocket's tribute to/variant on the Laugh-In popping door gag....