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DuckTales! Season 3, Episode 16 Review

Ah, the wonder of childhood. A time when the world’s new, exciting, and a grand adventure to be had! For Donald and Della Duck, though, it ended up being just that when they got to spend time with their Uncle Scrooge. We all know that Scrooge, Donald, and Della went on countless adventures in their younger days. Until now, though, we’ve never gotten to see what it was like for them. This week’s episode of DuckTales! gives us an adorable heaping of the past as we see the trio’s first adventure!

Did I mention that Lil’ Donald and Della are adorable?

Kids Will Be Kids

After flashing back to the 1960s to reveal the origins of F.O.W.L. (more on that later), we see Scrooge at the point in his life where he’s given up on his adventuring. While he did enjoy it, he only used it as a means to build his business empire up. Then Donald, Della, and a well-time call from the spy agency S.H.U.S.H. comes in, and blam! Scrooge’s forced back into his adventuring ways.

Having seen how the Duck triplets reignited his love for adventure in the pilot, seeing it happen decades earlier via Donald and Della seems like a hit-and-miss. Scrooge’s more or less the same as he was decades later. What really carries the story is seeing Donald and Della fit the kids roles decades later. Even as a kid, you can see so much of Huey, Dewey, and Louie in Della; Mostly Dewey if you ask me. As for Donald, I forgot he went through a grunge phase as a kid; still hilarious.

Overall, the episode, which focuses on this magic papyrus that can make anything written on it come true, is a nice glimpse at where the Duck Family got started, and where they end up going.

Bradford: A Sane Man in a World of Crazies.

As evil as Bradford Buzzard can be, we at least know why he thinks the way he does. All he wants is order and stability, and the Duck Family’s escapades invite chaos and destruction. In this episode, though, we see how he got started on the path that he’d eventually take, and it basically involves him feeling like he’s surrounded by idiots.

Bradford started as an accountant working for S.H.U.S.H. who was the only person sane enough to point out that the agency’s attempts to stop supervillains causes as much collateral damage as the villains themselves. His solution was to have them take over the world and rein in all chaos, and when they rejected it, he created F.O.W.L. to do it instead.

I know Bradford’s the bad guy (even if he insists he isn’t), but he has a point. The heroes escapades leave a lot of damage at times. Plus, when Bradford finds himself helping Black Heron fight Scrooge’s family, you get the sense that he wants to scream at everyone for how illogical their actions are. Why reveal themselves as the bad guys and give the heroes time to stop them? In fact, it’s only through using the Papyrus of Binding to wipe the heroes memories that Bradford keeps his cover. He used logic to win out over Scrooge and worm his way onto his Board of Directors.

What Bradford fails to get is that his solutions, like taking over the world, are no different than the villains. Ergo, he’s a villain. In addition, he fails to understand an inherent fact of life that Donald points out: you gotta embrace the experience, otherwise you’re not truly living.

Overall, I liked this episode. It gave us an origin story for the original Duck team and for F.O.W.L. while setting us up for future conflicts. I look forward to seeing where the show goes from here!

I Give “The First Adventure” A 4/5.

Stray Observations

• That story that Scrooge was telling Donald and Della was the plot for the five-part pilot to the original DuckTales! Nice!

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DuckTales Season 3, Episode 4 Review

I may not have liked last week’s episode, but I loved this week’s episode of DuckTales. Mainly, because it touched on an important life lesson in a hilarious fashion. That lesson being the importance of telling the truth, no matter how hard it may be. And, I might add, it does it while referencing some of Disney’s past work.

The Lost City of Hippie Merfolk

This episode sees the Duck Family (minus Launchpad) try to solve the first mystery from the journal of Isabella Finch. Legends speak of Mervana, a city home to people who turn into merpeople in water, and of a magic talking harp that is there treasure. However, when they find Mervana, they learn its people are underwater hippies. They live under the sea in honor of their King, Honestus, who left to find his “truth” in the sea.

When I first saw Mervana, I immediately thought of The Little Mermaid. The inhabitants and the aesthetics just screamed this Disney classic. Heck, Webby even quotes the first line from the movie’s song “Part of that World.” It also helps that Aletheia, one of their guides, is voiced by Hynden Walch. She has a history of playing Princesses. And to sweeten the hippie vibe even further, their other guide, Vero, is voiced by Greg Cipes. He’s got a history of playing vegan hippies.

Gushing over guest actors aside, Mervana seems too good to be true. At least, to the more cynical members of the Duck family like Beakley or Louie. However, they don’t want to voice their thoughts in front of the ever-optimistic Webby. Her enduring optimism is one of her defining traits, and Mrs. Beakley doesn’t want her to lose that.

Hearing Some Hard Truths

As it turns out, Beakley and Louie were right, as Mervana has a dark secret that not even its people know about. When they find the Harp of Mervana, she explains what happens to Honestus: he ignored the Harp’s brutal honesty and went to live alone in the sea away from his problems. As a result, he turned into a Lovecraftian-esque fish-monster. Worse, the Harp also tells Webby that her grandmother was lying to her about her suspicions regarding Mervana.

This dual-realization hits Webby pretty hard. Like, it almost shatters her worldview. As a result, she briefly becomes more of a cynic than Louie. It stinks seeing the upbeat and optimistic Webby devastated like this. However, an important part of life is learning that not everyone has the best of intentions.

Ironically, it’s Louie of all people who ends up getting Webby’s groove back. He basically tells how that while it’s important to always see the positives in life, you shouldn’t let it blind you to potential danger. It’s a balancing act, and a truth that Webby had to learn sooner or later. I’m honestly glad she learned it now, though, as it could end up hurting her even more in the future.

Speaking of learning some hard truths, once the Duck family brings Honestus to his senses, Mervana learns some hard truths. By running from their problems, they wound up making them worse. So, they have to work to fix them. And it starts by fixing Mervana. Or as Scrooge hilariously calls it “get a job, you hippie’s!” Classic Scrooge.

One Mystery Solved

So, one big mystery gets solved by the Duck family, and Webby learns a valuable life lesson about truth. Beakley said she did as well, but the Harp claims in the final moments that she’s still keeping secrets from her granddaughter. Which begs the question: what sort of secrets is she keeping?

It certainly makes for an interesting plot thread to pick up on as the season progresses. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing where this leads. With F.O.W.L. on the hunt for the Duck Family, this is the kind of tension that could spell disaster in the end. I can’t wait to see how it turns out over the summer!

I Give “The Lost Harp of Mervana” A 4/5

Stray Observations

• I found Della’s hatred of fish to be hilarious. She was stuck on the Moon for ten years, but she still hates fish.

• Donald’s never looked so peaceful before. Too bad it didn’t last.

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Ducktales, “The Duck Knight Rises” Review

When there’s trouble, you call DW! DARKWING DUCK! I may not have been alive when the show came out, but that doesn’t diminish the fact that I am a fan of Darkwing Duck! It also helps that he’s voiced by Jim Cummings, a man with a thousand voices. I ended up watching the show years later online, and I fell in love with it almost right away. So when I heard that DW was going to make an appearance in Ducktales, I was over the moon! No offense to Della!

After watching the new episode of Ducktales, and then rewatching it at least half a dozen times, I conclude that this episode was a love letter to Darkwing Duck. The thing that stood out the most to me, though, was the conflict that I saw between the different aspects f Darkwing Duck’s fandom. I’ve seen how these conflicts can tear a long-lasting fan base apart, and it’s not pretty.

First, we have the old guard, the original generation of fans and actors personified by Launchpad and Jim Starling. Launchpad has always been Darkwing’s biggest fan, be it the reboot or the original. So when he hears they’re rebooting the show as a film, he’s esctatic beyond belief. The same goes for Jim Starling (played by Jim Cummings). They’re overjoyed, but for different reasons. And when they discover that they hate the movie, it’s also for different reasons.

In Launchpad’s case, he’s mad because the director’s idea of Darkwing’s channeling the worst aspects of the DCEU’s Batman. He’s worried that what he loved will be tarnished. Jim, whose channeling the worst apsects of the classic DW (his giant ego), is only made because he’s lost his one chance at winning back his fame. So they team up to save the movie.

Then we have the writers and directors and the people who have to make sure the film sticks the landing. None of them see all that cut out for it, though. The director’s a copy of Francis Ford Coppola, because he’s overbudget, wants to make this a psychological look “at the inhumanity in humanity” or whatever, and the trailer he made is pure nonsense. And Scrooge (who owns the studio) is of no help, for once. He’s the old guy who has no clue about what the film’s based on and only cares about money. He insists that the villain has a mustache! And there’s Dewey, who doesn’t get what the director’s trying to do and wants to add in things that he thinks are cool, but has no idea what he’s doing. He’s the problem with trying to make a film appeal to the youngest target audience when they don’t know what makes a good movie! It’s a recipe for disaster that almost always angers fans.

Then, we have our third party, the new guy who’s playing Darkwing Duck, played by Chris Diamntopoulous . While some people may only take the role for the fame or money, his reasons are more altruistic. He’s a true fanboy of the show, and most important, he took the lessons of the show to heart. He got bullied a lot as a kid, but it was seeing Darkwing that taught him to always get back up and keep fighting. He truly loves the role he’s gotten, and he wants to pass that love and inspiration to the next generation. Make it his own while respecting where it came from.

When Launchpad how much the young actor cares about the role, he realizes that he’s the best person to take up the role. I see this as a reconciliation between the two generations of fans, united by a common love for something. It doesn’t have to be the same thing in each iteration. Look at Batman or Doctor Who. Countless people have played them over the years. The fans may not always like them, but they still love the character.

Jim Starling… doesn’t see it like that. He ends up going crazy with jealousy and starts a fire on the set.

That’s when the new Darkwing appears to save the day from the original. The fight between these two was by far the best part of the episode. And the Chris Darkwing proves to everyone that he owns the role, matching the Jim Cummings Darkwing in hamminess, determination, and ability to handle slapstick. It was EPIC! And then that tragic explosion that seemingly claims the life of Jim Starling.
Fed up, Scrooge pulls the plug on the film, and it seems like Darkwing’s days are done. But in a meta twist, Launchpad inspires the young actor to become Darkwing Duck in real life. To be a hero. This could either lead to a spin-off, or at least more episodes featuring the new Darkwing Duck fighting crime. My brain’s already thinking up fanfiction where he teams up with Gizmoduck and the Duck Family.

In the second meta twist, we finally learn the actor’s name: Drake Mallard, Darkwing Duck’s alter ego. He was truly born to be the Duck.

Then, in the episode’s final moments, we get the biggest twist possible. Jim Starling survived the explosion, but the man he once was is gone. His bitterness over losing his rule and the explosion have driven him insane, and as we see him in the sewers, his costume’s take on a color scheme that any Darkwing Duck fan should know.

I clapped so hard at this moment. The original Negaduck was an evil twin from a parralel universe, but having him be the original Darkwing Duck!?!?!? That’s so brilliant!!

Now that fanboying is over, it should be apparent that I think this was one of the best episodes in the entire show. Am I saying because I’m partial to superheroes and Disney? Maybe. Or is this because I’m acknowledge the fact that the show’s writers remained faithful to the original show while telling a new and exciting story? Without a doubt. This episode opens up new doorways for story in Ducktales, and I hope the writers are smart enough to capitalize on them.
Sadly, we have to wait until September when the new episodes come out. And now I have nothing to distract me from the fact that another hit Disney show, Star vs. The Forces of Evil, is clocking out (until they make a movie or something. I’m hopeful). Or that Game of Thrones is ending.

If there’s one thing this decade has taught me, it’s that good cartoons are never confined to one generation. That’s why I keep watching them, and why I want to make sure future generations can see that as well.

I Give “The Duck Knight Rises” a 5 Purple Hats out of 5.

Stray Observations

• Did you guys notice the model of the Thunderquack in Drake Mallard’s trailer?
• What is it with Scrooge and twirly mustaches? None of his enemies have mustaches.
• Did you guys notice the fat guy in the parking lot? His shirt had the same design that Saitama from “One Punch Man” has on his shirt. The “Oppai” one, but censored.
• I just realized that those electric tower things were Powerline from A Goofy Movie
• “I added chainsaw jugglers. You’re welcome”.
• I really should have gotten Jim Cumming’s autograph when I had the chance.
• Darkwing’s hatred of Gizmoduck is universal!
• They made the opening credits purple!

Ducktales, “Raiders of the Doomsday Vault” Review

You know what I really love about the modern reboot of Ducktales? Aside from the fact that David Tennant’s voicing Scrooge McDuck and the retro look to the show, it’s how the writers are constantly making references to other Disney properties. The first season saw nods to classic Disney Shows like Gummibears, TaleSpin, Darkwing Duck, and more! Plus, look me in the eye and tell me that the dog reporter from the pilot doesn’t look like Roxanne from A Goofy Movie

I think one secret to a long and successful show is world building and adding to the series lore, and Ducktales has done a great job with that since it came on in 2017. And Tuesday’s episode of Ducktales kept building on that lore while giving us new opportunities for story telling.

With Della Duck now back in the game, she’s spending every minute trying to make for lost time, starting with Dewey in “Raiders of the Doomsday Vault!” While Huey, Dewey, and Louie got traits from Della, Dewey’s arguably the one who’s most like her. So when Scrooge goes to the island of Boarway to secure a contract to repair the Doomsday Seed Vault, they tag along for the ride.

One of those seeds just happens to be for the Aurumoros, a literal golden tree that grows money. Soon as they hear about it, Dewey and Della take the Sunchaser (it’s real name is the cooler Cloudslayer, though) and run off to the vault. And they sing this song from A Goofy Movie while doing so!

I may not have seen Ducktales as a kid, but I did see A Goofy Movie. It was one of my favorites as a little kid, so hearing them sing the song from the film made me grin! The fact that the two are able to sing it in perfect sync is a testament to how strong their bond already is.

Unfortunately, the fact that they took the Cloudslayer means Scrooge’s stranded and has to chase them all the way to the vault. And Glomgold comes because he wants to steal the money tree seed. He even said he was going to do so when he tried to win the contract. And Scrooge gets very frustrated dealing with Glomgold’s stupidity and how reckless Della seems to be.

Meanwhile, Dewey’s desperate to prove to his mom that he’s great at adventuring, and puts a lot of pressure on him. And in the end, the combination of that pressure, and Della being Della, leads to the Money Tree seed being released and growing exponentially. That finally makes Della’s maternal instincts kick in and realize that “oh my gosh, I never should have done this”.

In the end, Dewey and Della manage to get everyone out, Dewey realizes he doesn’t have to prove anything to his mom, and Della uses the Money Tree to repair the vault. I think.

So, this episode followed the basic Ducktales formula for an adventure, but with a new spin on it thanks to Della being a part. She does bring about some interesting adventures, and I think it’s a nice change of pace from seeing Donald complaining all the time. But now I want to hear more Powerline!

I Give “Raiders of the Doomsday Vault” 4/5

Stray Observations

• I’m surprised that Owlson hasn’t just quit working for that idiot Glomgold by now. He’s infuriating!
• Loved the appearance of Ludwig Von Drake. I remember watching him as the host of the Disney Sing-Alongs on VHS!
• No seriously, I really want a cover song of “Stand Out”.
• Loved the reference to Indiana Jones in the title
• There is a real seed vault in Norway meant to preserve our planet’s plants in the event of a catastrophe. It’s only been used once as of now.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, everyone! It’s time to kick off my 25 days of Christmas. I watch a new Christmas Special every day and talk about it with you guys. And it just so happens that a new one came on this morning. So, here’s my first special, Last Christmas from Disney’s Ducktales!

A Dr. Scrooge Christmas

Next to Ducktales, Scrooge McDuck is probably most famous for playing his namesake in Mickey’s A Christmas Carol. When this special starts, he also seems to hate Christmas as much as Ebeneezer Scrooge did. He scoffs at everything Christmas related, and even goes “Bah, humbug!” It looks like he’s set for another Christmas Ghost visit. And he gets it… though not in the way you’d think!

Turns out the Ghosts of Christmas met him years ago after mistaking him for Ebeneezer, and every year they go back in time to party for Christmas. Scrooge’s just faking hating Christmas… except for Santa, he hates him.

Things Get Crazy

Long story short, Scrooge goes off to party, only for the Ghost of Christmas Past to get upset at the idea of Scrooge leaving them to spend Christmas with his family. Fight ensues, and Past (played by Jack McBrayer) gets stranded in the past.

The second half… okay, I didn’t pay attention as much as I should have. But Dewey ends up back in the past where he meets his Uncle Donald as a kid. He also manages to meet his mom as a kid. Considering how hard he tried to find out what happened to their mom last season, this was a very emotional moment for him. It doesn’t take long for Donald and Della to figure out he’s a relative from the future (Duck Family after all) and then Scrooge comes to get him, along with Past.

Oh, yeah! Past got stuck in the past and got turned into a monster because he was so lonely missing Scrooge. So to make up to him, Scrooge invites the Ghosts to a Christmas Party with his family.

I Love This!

I loved this special overall. The “Christmas Carol” premise has been repeated a lot in the annals of Pop Culture, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it subverted and then tossed like this! There were also plenty of references to Mickey’s A Christmas Carol, and even a reference to Scrooge’s first appearance! But the best part is that we get a look at Della in the present day. The Season One finale revealed that she’s still alive and stuck on the Moon (how is she breathing, though?), and from the looks of things, she’s working on making a new spaceship to get her home. I really hope we get to see that play out to the end. Ducktales is one of the best cartoons Disney has right now, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Overall, this was a memorable Christmas special and the perfect way to start my countdown. Happy Holidays Everyone! I love Ducktales Christmas!

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