Edgar Rice Burroughs’ titular Tarzan has gone through a ton of botched adaptations over the last few decades. Speaking as a fan of the character and story arc, Disney’s “Tarzan” is probably my favorite adaptation of all time. Surely, it suffers from Disney tropes that make it very much a Disney movie, but damn it, it’s also a heart felt tale about a hero fighting for his unofficial family teeming with excellent performances and a haunting soundtrack. Plus, it garners the classic Disney themes of lost parents and a child being forced to grow up very quickly.
Tag Archives: Kids
The Mighty Ducks (1992)
“The Mighty Ducks” is just one in a long line of “Bad News Bears” wannabes that pits a crotchety man with a bunch of misfit athletes to use sports as a form of self realization. Thankfully “The Mighty Ducks” is one of the best of the bunch, choosing hockey this time to help a group of smart aleck kids come of age. There’s also Emilio Estevez who is a cynical businessman with the heart of a hockey player, who finds that he still loves the game despite his regrets.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
It’s surprising that for a movie about anthropomorphic talking turtles that director Steve Barron takes the premise with as much seriousness as possible. Director Barron just seems to get the appeal of the Ninja Turtles, walking the line between the mainstream versions and the original Eastman and Laird R rated comic book. The turtles here have a hard edge, but are entertaining sympathetic heroes, and they’re the center of what is still a damn good action film about family, revenge, unity.
The New Adventures of Superman: Season 2 & 3 (DVD)
“The New Adventures of Superman” are mainly just shorts trimmed from the series “The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure” from the sixties, and given their own spotlight. Not that I’m complaining, mind you, but you can sense that the shorts here were once a part of something bigger and more diverse. That said, “The New Adventures of Superman” works considerably well if you’re okay with crude animation.
“The Burka Avenger”: Fighting Ignorance with Knowledge
Knowledge is true power and Miss Jiya, a teacher for a local school in Pakistan wields her knowledge with the ferocity of the superheroine “The Burka Avenger.” In a world where heroines are sexualized, it’s interesting to see that the Burka Avenger primarily clothes herself from head to toe in a burka, which allows her a stealth and grace that make her a deadly opponent; but definitely not deadly in the violent sense, but deadly in implementing non-violence and her intellect to defeat her foes.
Beware the Batman: Shadows of Gotham – Season 1, Part 1 [Blu-Ray]
Yet another animated iteration of the dark knight, Glenn Murakami’s “Beware the Batman” tries to meet Cartoon Network in America down the middle. It’s an attempt to rework the Batman universe, while opening its world up to potential merchandise opportunities. Hence why much of the Batman universe here is filled with pandering, and characters so obviously built toward becoming action figures, it’s pretty sad. All things considered, the series was pulled very quickly by Cartoon Network, and it’s not difficult to figure out why. “Beware the Batman” is the most lifeless and lethargic of the animated Batman adventures, and we once had “The Batman.”
Batman The Brave & The Bold: The Complete First Season [Blu-ray]
For Batman fans that prefers their Batman with less substance and much more of the Adam West camp and adventure, “Batman: The Brave and the Bold” is right up your alley. With unique animation and solid voice work from Diedrich Bader, “Brave and the Bold” is mostly fan service, teaming Batman up with some of the most obscure and interesting Batman superheroes, while celebrating the more serial oriented side of the characters. There’s less of Bruce Wayne and his world involved in the series, with Batman mainly playing center to most of the events that occur.