An Animation Lover's Wish Come True!
First of all... This is NOT the Mighty Mouse most people are familiar with. It's not the TerryToons Mighty Mouse you can find on any public domain DVD of "50 classic cartoons", nor is it the 70's Filmation Mighty Mouse that was so bad it was funny... This Mighty Mouse IS funny!
From the depraved mind of Ralph Bakshi and the animation genius of John Kricfalusi, this cartoon remains to be one of the funniest cartoons of the 80's. It featured a satirical approach to the superhero genre blending wackiness, weirdness and often social parody.
This is THE cartoon that was forcibly removed from the airways because an overzealous Kentucky soccer mom accused Mighty Mouse of snorting cocaine (when in reality the morally conscious mouse was simply stopping to smell the flowers).
This cartoon is wild! Classic Mighty Mouse characters such as girlfriend Pearl Pureheart and villain Oil Can Harry return, but not quite as we remember them. The series introduces...
Brilliant, Except When it Isn't
I was in middle-school when this show was on TV, and it stuck in my mind long after other cartoons had been forgotten. Thrilled as I was to see it again on DVD, I approached with some trepidation ... after re-watching TinyToons last year and being disappointed at how poorly THOSE had held up, I was ready for the agony of acknowledging my distorted recollection of another favorite from my youth. Thankfully "Mighty Mouse the New Adventures" is every bit as good as I remember. Mostly.
It's an amazing show. The writing is brilliant and it is full of visual gags that were lacking in most Saturday Morning tripe at that time. The animation renaissance of the early 1990s can be traced directly to this show. It shows clearly the origins of the Spumco style .. Here are the strange, retro/cubist character and background designs, the bizarre story and gag ideas, the emphasis on emoting rather than on constant frenetic movement, and the use of voices that don't sound like typical...
Be patient with this, and pay attention!
In watching these for the first time in many, many years, I realize that, like a lot of cartoons, much of it is hit and miss. But this is a very fast-paced 'toon, and there are tons of pop culture send-ups and references, sexual innuendos and throw-away lines that need your attention and do, in fact, remain pretty hilarious. Some of it verges on greatness. And also keep in mind that this particular cartoon in large part ushered in the era of Ren and Stimpy, et. al. that has ultimately led to Adult Swim. In that regard, it's influence cannot be overstated.
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