Powerpuff Girls Episode Analysis

Vote for your favorite PPG episodes!


Finally, two great episodes.   Reviewed 8/00

Something's A Ms. (4.5)
Great action. Great Story. And most of all, excellent dialogue. The mayor's tragic soliloquy is of Citizen Kane proportions. Really a first rate episode.

Slumbering with the Enemy (4.0)
Clever story, cute ending. An amusing variation of Mojo dialogue.

Okay, they really mailed these two in.   Reviewed 7/00

Mo Job (3.0)
It's okay, has its moments, but overall, is nothing special.

Pet Feud (2.5)
Not that great. A new twist on Gremlins or just unoriginal? Are we still surprised when lots of people get eaten? Let this not be anyone's first PPG episode.

Two episodes that speak to important elements of the childhood psyche.   Reviewed 7/00

Imaginary Friend (4.0)
A very good episode. Lots of good moments. Great storyline.

Cootie Gras (3.5)
Interesting, a little gross, with that kissing sound being about as freaky as it gets. Overall, not bad.

Two more episodes-one good, one really good.   Reviewed 7/00

The Powerpuff Girls Best Rainy Day Adventure Ever (4.0)
Very good. Very clever. I'm not sure it would be so good in a vacuum, but if you're already a fan, it's definitely a must see. A wonderful tribute to the late, great Richard Scary.

Just Desserts (3.5)
It's weird enough, somewhat amusing, very psychotic and has a good ending.

One Good, One Bad   Reviewed 11/99

A Very Special Blossom (3.0)
Daylight Savings (4.5)

This Thanksgiving, we have one more PPG episode to be thankful for and A Very Special Blossom is not it. Blossom reading the paper, Bubbles smelling the liver and some interesting backgrounds (especially the burnt yellow in the outdoor scenes and the T.S. Eliot like street atmosphere make it worth a look. Otherwise, the story is flat tired. Daylight Savings is quite another story. There is just too much good stuff here to cover it all, but a few moments are worth pointing out. The book slamming heads up answers are amusing although it must be pointed out that borscht is a reference to Daffy Duck's Mexican Joyride where he says "bring on the tamales, enchildas, tacos, frijoles, tostados, serapes and a side dish of borscht." The cheese sequence with mojo's little flying machine is another example of the tight hyperbolic animation we need from Craig and company. Notice the moment where Mojo fires his ray gun randomly at the ground. This is extremely funny and recalls a similar moment in one of those Mugsy and Bugsy Looney Tunes where Mugsy shoots directly into the wall in front of him. Ha ha ha. The parent teacher conference recalls the perspiration of Sergio Leone's final stare down in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly and was probably inspired by the famous Interview Sketch John Cleese just stares at Grahm Chapman and writes notes. Finally, notice the Professor's "Sony, Flipper, San Fransisco" style house from the stairs to the wall art to the reclining chair in front of his imac television. Way consistent.

Animation Rocks On Despite Faltering Storylines  Reviewed 10/99

Slave the Day (3.0)
Los Dos Mojos (2.5)

The story is less than memorable in Slave the Day, but the animation still rocks. The view from under the chin shot, the great sound effect of the professor hitting his watch are the kind of gems we've come to expect from Powerpuff episodes. The French train conductor and silent film music is great recalling that old character from that Penelope Pitstop cartoon, and notice the little French flag on Ace's sleeve. What a nice touch. That kind of animattention to detail recalls Elmer Fudd's little roman skirt pleats in What's Opera Doc?.In Los Dos Mojos, again the story lets us down a little in two ways. First, the excessive joke overkill on the Mojo Jojo speech thing wastes precious animation time. Second, the Monty Python tributes are flat. The "3 is right out" from the Holy Grail is tired. Whereas before, they were putting a new twist on old Monty Python concepts, this smells like a force job. But again, the animation rocks. Mojo's flying around like one of those toys that come in the little plastic ball for 25 cents is cool. And the letters flashing as the school bus crashes into them is a new twist on the old BLAM technique. More comments later.

Two More Hot Episodes   Reviewed 9/99

Dream Scheme (4.5?)
You Snooze, You Loose (4.0)

Just when you thought it was safe to stop watching, Craig and crew come up with two brilliant new Powerpuff episodes! Dream Scheme is pushing the envelope. Like most great art, it is so unusual that we won't really appreciate it until after Craig's dead. Just kidding. But it really is way out there. The dream sequence is a Pink Floyd rock laser show, Alice in Wonderland and Alfred Hitchock all in one fruit roll-up. You Snooze, You Loose relies on a great story rather than gripping animation. Hey, nothing wrong with that. This is the best use of the amoeba boys I've seen. Mojo shouting "Why won't it stop, why won't it stop!" recaptures the extreme anguish in the Telltale Heart with the unrelenting pounding from underneath the floor planks. And the whole concept for the story is truly genius. The only thing keeping it under 4.5 of 5 is the par ending. With each new episode, I'm thinking now they've done everything. How could there possibly be any more new plots left? And apparently, I continue to be wrong.

The Show So Far   Reviewed 8/99

Supper Villain (4.0)
Too Pooped to Puff (4.0)

The second Powerpuff season shows no sign of deterioration whatsoever, Supper Villain and Too Pooped to Puff being two very impressive episodes. The story in Supper Villain is original enough as Walter Mitty turns evil villain, and there are some truly innovative animatory gems. The scrolling dinner table sequence recalls the scrolling barracks shot in Full Metal Jacket, and the mayor's walk and bouncing hat are brilliant. Also, the mayor's public address captures the whole Pink Floyd's Wall/Third Reich feel. Too Pooped to Puff has a great scene in which the girls help the citizens of Townsville come up with their own solution. It combines the humor from Monty Python's Holy Grail [.wav] and Life of Brian [.wav] And it has some great animatory moments as well. The pullaway shot with the girls on the cloud is nothing less than the opening sequence in Hitchock's Rear Window. This is truly a wonderful time for animation.

Results From Previous Vote

Bubblevicious 24
Monkey See, Doggie Do 17
Rowdy Ruff Boys 17
Mime For A Change 13
Boogie Frights 11
Telephonies 10
Fuzzy Logic 9
Powerpuff Bluff 9
Uh Oh Dynamo 8
Mommy Fearest 6

Tough Love
Him is awesome as always. A little bit cool, a little bit sexy.

Octi-Evil
Rules. Him rules. This is brilliant. This is better than Silence of the Lambs.

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