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Maybe this series will improve with time, however, based on the first episode, it does not appear to be a worthy successor to Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
Clearly a lot of attention has been paid to try to make this show seem fast paced; alas, it comes across as much ado about nothing. While the characters are busy being frenetic, the episode itself drags. Although it works hard to be zany, the effort is the only thing that come through; all the wackiness feels forced and consequently falls completely flat. Before the first episode was halfway over, I had already stopped caring about what, if anything, was going to happen. I liken it to someone flailing around telling you the world is going to end; after watching them freak out for ten minutes straight, it begins to feel like they are wasting both their time and yours.
Ironically, returning with slicker animation also detracts from the charm of the show. Part of the appeal of Harvey Birdman was that it was evocative of the old school Saturday morning cartoons of the 1980s. This iteration trades in that charm for an updated style that is actually far less appealing than any of its predecessors. The face of Judy Ken Sebben/Birdgirl is particularly off putting, with large, dead eyes that make her look more like a reject from a Nickelodeon show than anything from the Hanna-Barbera universe.
Another serious problem with Birdgirl is that a majority of the characters in this show aren't really characters at all. With only a few nods to the original line-up of Harvey Birdman, most of the new cast are simply generic people who are completely forgettable. Sadly, the titular character herself is written in such a way that even the talented Paget Brewster appears unable to make her likable or memorable. In fact, at the end of the first episode, the only characters you will be likely to recall at all will be the ones directly tied in some way to earlier Hanna-Barbera shows; the other function more like NPCs.
While I cannot be sure how those unfamiliar with Harvey Birdman will respond to Birdgirl, I can't imagine fans of that show finding much to like about this one. There is always a possibility that this series will find its feet after the pilot...
At the same time, considering the obstacles it has to overcome related to animation, contrived lunacy, and lackluster characters, I fear that will be a very steep uphill climb.
score 5/10
lusciousmuffins 5 April 2021
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw6783284/ |
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7-4-2021 22:25:02