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  Blog \Blôg\, n. [Jrg, fr. Jrg. "Web-log".
     See {Blogger, BlogSpot, LiveJournal}.]
     A stream-of-consciousness Web journal, containing
     links, commentary, and pointless drivel.


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Tuesday, January 1, 2002
21:55 - Well, at least it was better than listening to sports all night...

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Okay, so I'd been seeing the trailers for Jimmy Neutron, and I'd written it off as a second-rate, low-budget play by Nickelodeon to gain a "Boy Genius" property like Cartoon Network's "Dexter's Laboratory". I really didn't have much interest in seeing it.

But then I read that CNN.com's Paul Tatara had weighed in with a review of Jimmy Neutron as one of his ten best films of the year. Given that all nine other films that he mentioned were obscure artsy and/or foreign movies that nobody will ever see, and because I always appreciate Tatara's reviews which-- while intellectual-- tend to agree with my opinions on things, I decided to give it a go.

And, well, now I must rethink my opinion of Tatara.

Jimmy Neutron is a low-budget, canned insta-movie that really has very little going for it. There are a number of good gags, and even some that are fairly intelligent and inspired, and the premise is absurdist at best, but there's a formulaic quality to the movie that cripples any possibilities it might have. The animation is second-rate, and I don't think DNA Productions (this is their maiden voyage) will be playing cards at the grown-ups' table anytime soon. The run-cycles are atrocious, everything bounces and floats like a "Mind's Eye" video from 1991, and characters' mouths are consistently lit from within for some reason.

Patrick Stewart is kinda fun in his role as the evil alien king, but he must really not be in high demand if he was willing to demean himself with this turkey (or is that chicken?). One thing I couldn't help but notice is that almost every other cast member played two, three, or as many as five roles. I've never seen that before outside of TV.

Enjoyability-wise, very much "eh". A few good giggles, but for the most part a pedestrian effort that's good for pleasing the 8-year-olds who make up most of the audience, but not a great deal else. This won't be any kind of landmark in CG history, that's for sure. Pixar has nothing to worry about from this quarter.

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