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Besides being the only enjoyable cartoon I can think of that sports a mostly-animal cast of super heroes, Krypto is a highly colorful and fun-to-watch show with eye-catching animation and the premise that Superman's dog, Krypto, lives with a young boy named Kevin and fights crime with the partnership of several other characters that make the show far more interesting. Of course, the roughly 10-minute story lines are fairly simple and lighthearted, leaving plenty of room for speculation about the intriguing characters that aren't gone into great depth about. Krypto himself is a friendly and heroic-looking, solid white dog, with a lab-like face that kids would recognize as a "good guy," and a body chock full of powers from incredible physical strength to super-senses. His comrade, the accidental super-cat Streaky, is a more effective and useful partner than he might seem, and is as likable an orange cartoon kitty as Oliver, Heathcliff, or Garfield. The problems Krypto and his buddies have to face range from large-scale plots concocted by troublemakers and crimes committed by villains, to smaller issues that play out in Krypto's own backyard, and strained relationships among characters. The main villains Krypto needs to commonly thwart include Mechanikat, a devious feline with big plans that can affect not just Earth but other galaxies, and who employs various minions from the sneaky little kitten Snooky Wookums to the ravishing catwoman Delilah. Speaking of Catwoman, her Siamese cat Isis is also one to give Krypto trouble, often with her cohorts, the Joker's two red hyenas Bud and Lou. Ace, the bathound, is arguably the funniest character and completely unintentionally on his part--he's always attempting to be over-serious and his voice can render many of his statements quite amusing. Ignatius, Lex Luther's pet iguana, is another frequent cause of problems, though not really due to a villainous nature; it's more that he's a total self-server with access to lots of high-tech machinery that can help him get what he wants for a time, while disregarding what happens to everyone else in the process. There's a colorful cast of characters that reappear from time to time, such as the pack of three ruffian Downtown Dogs and the furry green rat Jimmy. Every so often, an episode will stand out from others for whatever reason, such as the one in which Muttsie (the bulldog leader of the Downtown Dogs) picks up a little spaniel mix named Rosie. Despite Muttsie's promise that using the temporarily amnesiac Krypto will turn her stray life around, Rosie becomes more impressed with the super dog than with Muttsie's scheming. To the statement that she could be living like a show dog, Rosie says, "Not if it means hurting him."
My personal favorite episode of this show, however, is simply any one featuring the Dog Star Patrol--a mish-moshed gang of dogs with super powers who sail the universe in their hydrant-shaped ship fighting crime. They're like X-Men, Pokémon, & the Incredibles in one. There are seven Dog Stars; the English gentleman with the bull horns sprouting from his head, Bull Dog; the tiny pink Chihuahua who actually does not have a Mexican accent and can inflate herself like a balloon, Mammoth Mutt; the ultra psychic short-coated lavender/violet Afghan hound (actually Saluki) with a myriad of mental powers including telepathy, telekinetics & thought-projection, Brainy Baker; the the spunky lime green Scottie with the elastic tail and the western accent, Tail Terrier; the bright red, pyrokinetic Dachshund who can 'Fireblast' the way Pikachu Thundershocks, Hot Dog; the extra-legged, speedy hound dog, Paw Pooch; & the French Canadian spitz dog with the walrus-like super-tooth that can drill (and who says "eh?" a lot), Tusky Husky. My favorite three characters from Krypto, period, are Brainy Barker (female leader who looks an awful lot like Sasha LaFleur, woo-hoo!), Hot Dog, & Tail Terrier.
I think that, while the show might not entertain everyone (and what show does?), it deserves more popularity than a great majority of other cartoons that are on TV at this time, and viewers should anticipate a good second season.
score 10/10
thereseuphemiaabernathy 14 August 2005
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1150554/ |
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27-10-2020 02:17:05