Show #59: Tiger Doesn't Make Any Sense

There's big trouble in Little China and all over the world as well in the third season of Jackie Chan Adventures!

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It's Jackie Chan Adventures! So obviously we love it, although this season is littered with caveats. The writing feels a lot less sharp in places than previous episodes, with dialogue and storylines clearly targeting a younger audience than before. On the plus side we have the wonderful James Hong channeling Lo Pan to great effect and the better plots take enough crazy turns to justify viewing.

THE SHORT VERSION

Better call Jack Burton

A makeover

You guys suck!

Show #58: Powered By Puns

It's a spine tingly dingly Halloween edition of SOTSM with the cursed comedy and horrifying humour of Count Duckula!

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Springing from Cosgrove Hall's Danger Mouse into his own spin-off series is everybody's favourite vegetarian vampire duck and his gang of gruesome servants. The comedy routines are often a bit stale and the frequent use of cultural stereotypes for cheap laughs do the show no favours either but it's buoyed up by some great voice work, extending to the narrator who does an excellent job selling the supposedly sinister side of the cartoon. Your tolerance of David Jason's American accent as Duckula may make or break it for you so consider yourself forewarned! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

THE SHORT VERSION

Cultural insensitivity

Old jokes

True terror

Show #57: Wot A Noice Asgard You Got 'Ere

We journey into the mysterious realm of motion comics with the theatrical stylings of Thor & Loki: Blood Brothers!

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The 1966 Gantray-Lawrence Marvel Super-Heroes cartoons were a lesson in just how limited animation could get and still be able for worthwhile discussion here at SOTSM. Going off that we deemed motion comics as worthy topics for podcasting and thus we return to the Marvel universe and their Asgardian heroes.

Blood Brothers delivers Loki's perspective on the never-ending struggle against his sibling and adoptive parents, filled with pathos & tragedy and showing the complex motivations that led him down his villainous path. Esad Ribic's artwork is reverently handled with some subtle techniques employed to put it into motion while Robert Rodi's writing is brought to life by a talented cast of stage actors, David Blair as Loki being the standout performance. Warning: This podcast contains silly voices.

THE SHORT VERSION

Bullying

The ravages of villainy

THIS face

Show #56: Regular Old Brown Lions

After a few weeks of consternation where the tyrannical producers of SOTSM demanded rewrite after rewrite we finally bring you the strange story of Disney's The Emperor's New Groove.

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The Emperor's New Groove is a competent, fairly entertaining piece of animation bouyed up by a very strong cast and an unusual choice of protagonist. The real meat of this podcast however delves behind the scenes of the film's creation; a six year saga of heartache, corporate interference and general all round frustration, all preserved for posterity in Trudie Styler's illuminating documentary The Sweatbox.

Throw in some speculation about the production woes afflicting other areas of the media and this show is just about worth the wait. Hey, maybe they'll make a documentary about the troubled production of this episode in the future!

THE SHORT VERSION

Friendship

Moral Choices

The wonderful Eartha Kitt

Show #55: Romantagonist

Ninjas! Robots! Aliens! Abominations of nature! It's all kicking off in the latter half of the first season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012!

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This new iteration of the popular Turtles franchise was off to a flying start when last we talked about it and it just about maintains that pace as it finishes it's debut season. A steady escalation of events build to a heady climax with space to develop in later seasons but not without a few missteps along the way. Turtles fans have got it pretty good at the moment, so enjoy it now before you undoubtedly get mad at Michael Bay's bizarre live-action feature arriving next year!

THE SHORT VERSION

Tim, Nice But Dim

DO NOT TRUST

High job turnover

Show #54: Anime Didn't Invent Character Development

Niall and Dwayne embrace their destiny to master all animation as they get stuck into the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender!

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The Legend Of Korra returns for it's second season on September 13th with much expectation already heaped upon it. What better way to get into the mood and brush up on our Avatar lore than revisiting the series where it all started? Well regarded for it's vibrant art style, quality of writing which deftly balances humour, poignancy and drama and most certainly for super powered kung fu this first season does a great job escaping a formulaic opening and developing into a cartoon of substance and style.

Cautiously looking forward to Korra Season 2, and if you wanna know why we went over all that in our earlier podcast on Korra Season 1, which should bring you up to your recommended daily allowance of Avatar related media.

THE SHORT VERSION

Super Kung Fu

Positive Role Models

Anime?

Show #53: CHUNG IS KING! CHUNG IS KING!

Keep an eye on the shadows, because Niall and Dwayne are sneaking up to shank you with The Chronicles Of Riddick: Dark Fury!

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Riddick fever is back! Sort of! Vin Diesel returns to cinemas as your favourite gravelly voiced convict/ knife fancier / space emperor and let's not forget his animated appearance in this tie-in short for the 2004 film, directed by the equally appreciated and maligned Peter Chung. It actually works out to be fairly okay if straightforward with a little more variety in its art direction than usual from Mr Chung, but ultimately feels completely unnecessary unless you're really hankering for the continuing adventures of Richard B. Riddick.

THE SHORT VERSION

Peter Chung-iness

Techno Trousers

A completely different movie!