gurgitoy2 Reviews

Foofur (1986–1988)

Foofur wasn't that bad

[6/10 · 15 June 2007]

I actually do remember watching this first run. I forget what network, but maybe NBC or ABC. It was on Saturday mornings at first. In fact, I remember there was some promotion for the show before it aired, which got me interested.

So, I have not seen this show since it's original broadcast, but I do remember it pretty well. Foofur, the main character was a big, blue hound dog. Maybe a bloodhound? Anyway, he had a deep voice that sounded kind of like Bing Crosby, or a stoned Huckleberry Hound. He was very laid back...kind of the stabilizer for all the other crazy characters. He lived in a run down house with all of his misfit friends. Some of them had no homes, so they stayed with him.

This was a pretty cute show, nothing earth shattering, but fun watching. This was one of those 80's cartoons like Kissyfur that ended up in obscurity. Maybe it will see a DVD release, but who knows?

The Autograph Hound (1939)

One of my favorite Donald Duck shorts!

[3 May 2006]

I love this short! Somebody mentioned that this one lacks much of a plot, but to me it doesn't really need one. It's just Donald simply trying to get autographs and being chased around the studio the whole time. I love the caricatures of celebrities; it has a very stylized look. It's cute when Donald comes upon Sonia Henning and she skates an autograph...which Donald proceeds to cut out of the ice and carry on his back! I also love the steps which Donald takes to outwit the security guard. One of my favorites has to be when Donald hides in the large serving dish and the guard asks what's inside, the chef says "rroast-a biff", the guard asks "roast beef?", then Donald pops out and says "Yeah, rroast-a biff...flatfoot!". It's just so zany, and almost Warner Brothers like. In fact, there was a VERY similar Daffy Duck short in which he tries to sneak into the studio lot, and is also chased by the guard.

All-in-all, I think this is one of the more unique Donald Duck shorts, and I'm glad it's available on DVD.

Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-Lot (2004 Video)

Better than I ever thought it would be

[8/10 · 7 September 2005]

Well, I'm a child of the 80's, and LOVED the Care Bears back then, and watch the TV show, saw the movies...owned a few myself. So, when I saw that there was a new movie, in CGI, I was a bit skeptical. First, I know just how many awful CGI movies there have been, and I wasn't sure anybody could be trusted with the Care Bears. So, I saw Journey to Joke-a-Lot come and go, and wasn't that interested in seeing it.

So, last night I happened to stumble on it on the Disney Channel, and decided to finally watch it. I was very surprised at how good it actually was. Yes, some of the classic things like the Care Bear Stare and the Cousins were not around, but that didn't really bother me at all. I found the animation to be very good for a direct-to-video affair, and much, much better than those awful Barbie movies.

The bears looked so cute, furry, and round in CGI, and the other characters were interesting. Even the rat had computerized fur. The songs were surprisingly good too, and seemed like something from a feature film, or a Disney film. I also liked some of the references to other movies like 2001: A Space Odessey. That happened when Funnybone would try to get into the vault where the treasure was hidden and the computer was much like Hal from 2001. It even called Funnybone "Dave" every time.

I really enjoyed this movie much more than I thought I would, and would highly recommend it to anyone. I have to say that even though I grew up watching the original Care Bears cartoons and movies, I would rate this one above those due to it's not pandering to kids and dumbing everything down. This movie had a nice balance, and would be easy for parents to watch with the kids.