Techtite's TV Reviews!

"The crew behind Kim Possible may not be well known in the cartoon biz, though I sense they will be soon."

---from the review

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The road to decent super- heroines. Sure, you can name a few heroines in modern TV, off the top of your head. Yet while mentioning the likes of Xena Warrior Princess or The Pink Power Ranger, nothing seems quite up to snuff like Batman, Superman, Spider-man, and the typical X-man...does it? That's a shame, because any red-blooded male who was a boy in the 1970's will admit; while The Six Million Dollar Man was cool, so was The Bionic Woman. Wonder Woman too. Yet the only super-heroines these days seem to be "The Powerpuff Girls"...and they are kindergarteners. Dare I go into how Superman's feminine equivalent is Supergirl, and Batman's is Batgirl? No, let's not go there. Let's just say this series is cool, and I'd love to see more like it...and leave it at that.

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Kim Possible

A Review by Techtite

(review posted August 12th, 2002)

I may not be a girl, though I do have a goddaughter, whose still-innocent, wide-eyed view of the world makes me feel bad about the "super-heroine" factor for girls her age. Sure, there are the Disney movie heroines like The Little Mermaid, though there hasn't been a definitive "Wonder Woman" since Lynda Carter took on the role in 1978, while boys get to see films and TV series galore, of Batman, Superman, Spider-man, yada yada yada. Disney/ABC offers the teenage super-spy Kim Possible to resolve this dilemma, and the end result is so inspired, every girl and boy in your family will want to give it a look.

As with any good cartoon, the premise is innovative yet explainable in the catchy opening theme song. Kim Possible (voiced by real-life teenager Christy Carlson Romano) is a typical high school cheerleader by day and a teen super-spy by night. Her parents are successful doctors --mom (Jean Smart) is a brain surgeon; dad (Gary Cole) is a rocket scientist-- so they are totally supportive of Kim's extra-curricular "spy" activities...as long as it's not on a school night! Along with best friend Ron Stoppable (Will Friedle) and the internet-savvy Wade (Tahj Mowry), she defeats a bad guy every week...all while trying to keep Bonnie from taking her place as Cheerleader Captain. The work of a teenage girl is never done!

This formula allows for jokes on both sides: teen life in high school, and spy-spoofing galore. My favorite joke so far would have to be when the evil Dr. Drakken tells henchwoman Shego about his plan to place "nano bombs" on little robot ticks. When she needs Drakken to explain that nano means "mini," she asks what everyone has wondered since Star Trek popularized the term "nano" in 1989; if you mean "mini," why not just use the word mini? "Because 'nano' sounds 100 times cooler," replies Drak. It's believable, comedic conversations like this that make this show a winner. Other jokes --like the source of Kim's secret knockout gas; Wade's old sweat socks-- are equally funny. Some jokes may go over younger kids heads --like the high school bulletin board which says, "Procrastinator's Club Meeting: Postponed"-- yet are fun for parents who watch this with their younger kids.

Animation may not be Beauty & the Beast quality, and yet it is leaps and bounds better than recent Disney fare like Atlantis and Cinderella 2. This is mostly due to the dead-on-perfect facial expressions, which are so expressive, you'd wonder if 75% of the time to draw each animation cel went into the faces alone. Kim has a "look" for everything, from a winning smile to her friends, to the aghast expression she gives a slime monster, when told she is stuck in "mutating slime." When Kim doesn't get what she wants from Mom and Dad, she pouts and gives them "the lip," like any teen girl would try. Such mannerisms make Kim the most likeable, original Disney character to come to TV in a long, long time.

Sure there are rough edges; what brand-new cartoon doesn't have them? I mean, just look at the first season of The Simpsons! Such rough edges, in this case, include the inevitable female chauvinism. Sure, a cartoon with a teenage girl in the lead is bound to have "girls rule" undertones, though the "clumsy sidekick," comic relief antics of Ron get old very fast. On the other hand, it evens out if you look closely enough; Kim may be athletic and daring, though she's no Hercules, and not a know-it-all, either. When a more experienced spy who knows 15 languages looks down his nose at her, Kim remarks, "Um, well, I am taking French..." She's not perfect. Then again, what is up with Kim pouting to her mom one episode, that "cheerleaders don't get detention"...? You'd think a teenage girl spy --yes, even a "cheerleader"-- would prioritize her problems better. However, admittedly, these are small nitpicks for an otherwise well done, truly inspired new cartoon series.

The crew behind Kim Possible may not be well known in the cartoon biz, though I sense they will be soon. Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle are the series creators as well as executive producers, fresh from the underdog hit, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. Chris Bailey's offers his first attempt directing a full TV series, after completing numerous works for Disney in the past, including the direction of theme park projects like "It's Tough To Be a Bug," plus animation work in films like The Little Mermaid and Hercules. Will Friedle and and Christy Romano are fresh from popular Disney series for older teens, and their teen voices here enhance the believability of the characters, far more than some Mel Blanc wannabe ever would. Of course, no kudos should be without major praise for the singer of the perfect opening theme song, Christina Milian. You'll be humming this song for hours after seeing the first episode.

The end result is a cartoon with a lot of promise. Take away the mild flaws, and you have the first original Disney TV cartoon concept to hit the mark since the days of Darkwing Duck and Gargoyles. If interested, you can see this series on both The Disney Channel and Toon Disney, as well as ABC's Saturday Morning lineup this fall. Sounds like Disney knows when they have a potential hit on their hands. Let's just hope they handle it right.

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