Movie Review: G.I. JOE: Retaliation

In 2009, Paramount released G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra following the popularity of the 80's Hasbro toy based movies like Transformers (2007). Directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing), the first G.I. Joe live-action movie was not very successful (barely making $150 million) and was panned by critics for its camp and cheesiness, although it remains simply a fun action movie, it was not taken very seriously. Whether it was a combination of directing, writing or casting (especially Marlon Wayans as Ripcord?!), The Rise of Cobra did not "wow" fans as it had hoped. Despite it's shortcomings, it left several open plot-points to be addressed in the sequel, which many doubted would even be made. With the release of G.I. JOE: Retaliation (2013), almost the entire cast has been replaced except for a few vital characters and fan-favorites. At the end of The Rise of Cobra, both Cobra Commander (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Destro (Christopher Eccleston) (both actors whom do NOT return for the sequel) were captured and imprisoned as their plan to launch nanomite missiles at major cities was thwarted by G.I. JOE, however Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) had successfully taken the place of The President of the U.S.A. (Jonathan Pryce)!

Now in command of G.I. JOE, Duke (Channing Tatum), leads his team on a mission in North Korea only to be ambushed afterwards by agents of Cobra. The only survivors are Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Flint (D.J. Cotrona) and Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki). With the G.I. JOE team presumed dead, The President/Zartan condemns the G.I. JOE team allowing Cobra to take over and begin their plan to launch satellite weapons called Project Zeus into orbit which will target every major city in the world! While Snake-Eyes (Ray Park) is away to train new recruit Jinx (Elodie Yung), Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) and Firefly (Ray Stevenson) break Cobra Commander (now played by Luke Bracey) out of his heavily guarded and sophisticated, underground prison, leaving Destro literally "out of the band". While the Joes find a way to reveal The President for who he really is, they enlist the help of retired General Joe Colton (Bruce Willis) to stop Cobra from taking over!
Jon M. Chu, director of such teen-oriented/music/dance movies such as Step Up 3D (2010) and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011) seemed an unlikely choice to direct a special-effects driven action movie, but after seeing it, I was thoroughly impressed. Gone are the hokey, low-budget looks of The Rise of Cobra as well as the Sci-Fi-like costumes and weapons, in favor of a more Modern Warfare style with the G.I. JOEs wearing basic military camouflage instead of the black-tight, armor of the first movie (with the exception of Snake-Eyes).
As for the plot, every element in the movie is very much like the original G.I. JOE cartoons we all know and love, right down to the ultimate weapon of mass destruction and Cobra's desire to rule the world. As for the characters, really, the only ones who return from the first movie to make a significant impact in the movie is Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow, whose life-long feud hearkens back to the original comic books and their origins in the first movie. As for the other main JOEs like Duke, played by Channing Tatum, who has a very "brief" appearance in the movie, Roadblock, played by former wrestler Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is the most prominently featured character in the movie and could almost hold the whole film by himself. As for Snake-Eyes' (played by the versatile stunt-actor Ray Park, who also played Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I) part, while exciting (and with ninjas!), seems more like a side-story compared to the rest of the plot. The famous couple of Flint and Lady Jaye is featured, although Flint is somewhat bland, forgettable and is in no way like his character, he doesn't even wear his signature green beret! Lady Jaye however makes for an interesting character and is given an emotional backstory, unlike Scarlett (Rachel Nichols), who came across as very cold and stiff in the first movie. The addition of Joe Colton, played by Bruce Willis is somewhat ancillary as his function is to fill the void left by General Hawk (Dennis Quaid, who also does not return) from the last movie. Like most aging action-stars, Willis does make a few "old" jokes like in The Expendables 2, but it is not as overdone.
The villains in Retaliation are much more like their cartoon/toy counterparts. Although we see nothing of Destro, who was a major part of the first movie, he is rumored to come back in the third movie. In the new movie, Cobra Commander appears in a few scenes complete with uniform and his trademark silver face-mask, along with his new, deep, Darth Vader-esque voice, he is a very imposing figure. The Cobra symbol, which was almost non-existent in the first movie, is boldly displayed in the movie, although sadly they refrain from using their famous "COBRA!" battle-cry. Firefly, played by Ray Stevenson (Punisher: War Zone (2008), makes for an interesting villain as the fan-favorite Cobra saboteur, who even uses tiny, robotic, fireflies! As Cobra takes over the government, proudly raising their flags over the capitol, you can't help but consider the subject of The White House being taken over by terrorists which is starting to become a popular trend with upcoming films like Olympus Has Fallen starring Gerard Butler and White House Down (coincidentally also starring Channing Tatum) which seems to suggest a possible political agenda.
Originally, G.I. JOE: Retaliation was set to be released back in June 2012, but due to the recent popularity of 3D movies, it was pushed back to March 2013 so that it could be converted to 3D. The 3D effect, however provides very little improvement as suspected. February and March have always been a "dead time" for movie box offices, with movies like Oz the Great and Powerful pushing for $200 million, Summer blockbusters like The Avengers, which made over $600 million over the Summer. The G.I. JOE movie franchise has surprisingly improved in quality but has yet to surpass the opening weekend numbers of the first movie of $50 million, only bringing in $40.5 million so far.
Despite the huge fan-following and heavy Internet promotion with YouTube and Cobra Special Forces.com, G.I. JOE: Retaliation, I fear, will be just another mediocre action movie franchise. Most of its appeal relies mostly on the nostalgia factor and for those like me, who were kids during the 1980's. Now as adults, we can enjoy the Transformers and G.I. JOE movies without taking it too seriously, yet for those of us who still love and cherish those childhood memories, we can take these movies as homages to those toys and characters we spent countless hours playing with in our own little imaginations. While the first movie almost seemed like a parody of G.I. JOE, this new movie seems to try and take those characters and put them respectfully in a more of real-world setting and the film presents us with more believable characters and scenarios. If you were a JOE fan like me, than you just might feel the need to stand up in the theater and shout "YO JOE!"



LINKS: G.I. JOE Movie Official Site, Cobra Special Forces, G.I. JOE YouTube Channel,
Hasbro, YoJoe.com

Top 10 Best G.I. Joe Episodes

I was a child of the 1980's, and while there were many popular cartoons and action figure properties like Transformers, He-Man and Thundercats, there was one that I was particularly obsessed with and that was G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. By the time I was seven years old I had just about every G.I. Joe action figure and vehicle (I even had the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Flagg!), not to mention an avid collector of the Marvel comic books! With the release of the popular Hasbro action figures and the Marvel comic book, Sunbow and Marvel Productions developed a 95-episode series (1983-1986), to follow the success of the toy line. When the show premiered in 1983, it began with the 5-episode mini-series in which Cobra developed the M.A.S.S. device to steal a satellite. With the second mini-series in 1984: "The Revenge of Cobra", Cobra creates the Weather Dominator and wreaks havoc on the world. With the success of the two mini-series, they began production with the first season of G.I. Joe with 55 episodes. They began the second season in 1985 with the 5-part "Arise, Serpentor, Arise!" which introduced the Cobra Emperor: Serpentor. As the series was coming to a close, in 1987 they produced G.I. Joe: The Movie which was a direct to video release which was syndicated later on TV hosted by non-other than Sgt. Slaughter himself! While DIC Entertainment tried to bring the cartoon back in 1989, it lasted only 2 short seasons until 1991. In celebration of the March 28th release of the film G.I. Joe Retaliation next week and as this year also marks the 30th Anniversary of the premiere of the animated series, CHERNOBOG'S BLOG proudly presents: Top 10 Best G.I. Joe Episodes, "Yo Joe!"

#10  "Cold Slither" (Ep.#151) - Destro and Cobra Commander gets Zartan and the Dreadnoks to form a rock n' roll band called "Cold Slither" to perform music with subliminal messages in an attempt to take control of the minds of the masses. But G.I. Joe puts a stop to Cobra's plan by forming their own band called "The Average Joe Band" to counteract Cobra's message!
#9 "Lights! Camera! Cobra!" (Ep.#119) - Cobra infiltrates a Hollywood studio where they are filming "The G.I. Joe Story"!
#8 "Memories of Mara" (Ep.#145) - G.I. Joe finds a nuclear submarine called the Nerka, and rescue a crew being held captive by Cobra. Also Shipwreck falls in love with Mara, a woman with blue skin who has been genetically modified by Cobra to be the first of many "aquatic commandos".
#7 "Cobra's Creatures" (Ep.#111) - Cobra uses a special weapon called "Hi-Freq", a mind control device to take over the minds of all animals in the world, including Mutt's dog Junkyard!
#6 "The Traitor" (Ep.#s 146-147) - G.I. Joe designs a new armor treatment that's impenetrable to laser fire and missiles. Dusty is accused of being a traitor and selling secrets to Cobra!
#5 "Nightmare Assault" (EP.#224) - Doctor Mindbender invents a machine that turns the Joes' dreams into nightmares, but Lowlight is the only person who can help them overcome their fears.
#4 "The Viper is Coming" (Ep.#129) - Barbecue keeps getting phone calls from a man who calls himself "The Viper", which sends the Joes on a wild goose chase to find this mysterious man.
#3 "Sink the Montana!" (Ep.#208) - At the decommissioning ceremony for a battleship the U.S.S. Montana. Cobra recruits retiring Admiral Lattimer, former Captain of the Montana and betrays the Joes!
#2 "There's No Place Like Springfield" (Ep.#s154-155) - Shipwreck passes out trying to escape after a Cobra assault and wakes up six years later in a place called Springfield, with Mara as his wife and a daughter named Alfea but soon discovers they are synthoid copies made by Cobra!
#1 "Worlds Without End" (Ep#s 136-137) - Cobra steals a matter transformer which sends the Joes into an alternate reality where Cobra rules the world!

 

LINKS: GIJoeMovie.com, Hasbro/G.I. Joe Toys, YoJoe.com,

Batman Animated Series 20th Anniversary - Top 10 Favorite Episodes

After the success of director Tim Burton's Batman films (Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992)) on September 5, 1992, Fox Kids aired one of the best and most beloved animated series in the last twenty years: Batman: The Animated Series! From 1992 to 1995, Batman was the most popular animated series on Saturday morning sparking a renewed interest in Batman, especially for kids. By its third season in 1994, the show changed its name to The Adventures of Batman & Robin, (although originally, the show never featured a title until then which was very unusual for an animated series) as Robin (Loren Lester) was featured more prominently in the show, along with Batgirl (Melissa Gilbert). The show's remarkable creative team which included writer/producer Paul Dini and artist/producer Bruce Timm helped to create the unique, dark/deco, style of the show. Some of the best and well-known voice actors like Kevin Conroy (Batman), Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (Alfred), Bob Hastings (Commissioner Gordon), Adrienne Barbeau (Catwoman), Richard Moll (Harvey Dent/Two Face), Paul Williams (The Penguin), Ron Perlman (Clayface) and of course Mark Hamill (The Joker), also added to the shows quality and immense success.

When the series ended after three seasons, The WB Network aired a continuation with The New Batman Adventures (1997-1999) featuring a slightly different animation style including a younger Robin (Tim Drake) with Dick Grayson as Nightwing. The show's success also led to a spin-off: Batman Beyond (1999-2001), a futuristic Batman animated series and the creation of Superman: The Animated Series (1996-2000) later the highly popular Justice League (2001-2004) and Justice League: Unlimited (2004-2006) animated series on Cartoon Network. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Batman - The Animated Series, CHERNOBOG'S BLOG PROUDLY PRESENTS: My Top 10 Favorite Episodes! (Note: These Top 10 episodes focus only on the original run of the Batman Animated Series with some commentary)...Enjoy!

#10 "Trial" (Aired: 5/16/1994) - Many of Batman's deadliest villains including Two-Face, Poison Ivy, and The Mad Hatter kidnap Batman and put him on trial at Arkham Asylum for creating them with The Joker as the judge! With Janet Van Dorn (Stephanie Zimbalist), a shrewd attorney representing him, she proves that they in fact created themselves without Batman's help! I was always excited when the show involved the infamous Arkham Asylum, where all of Batman's villains resided at one time or another. It was always a popular location in the comics and was even later featured as part of the highly popular video game Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009).

#9 Perchance to Dream" (Aired: 10/19/1992) - Bruce Wayne wakes up to discover his parents are still alive, he's engaged to Selina Kyle (a.k.a. Catwoman) and someone else is impersonating Batman! Soon he discovers he is trapped in a dream world created by The Mad Hatter (Roddy McDowall). This was a very different episode giving us a look into what Bruce Wayne's life would be like if his parents had never been murdered and he had never become Batman. You really feel for Bruce when he finally accepts his new life and just want him to be happy but feel just as frustrated when he does realize that it's all a dream.

#8 "Dreams In Darkness" (Aired: 5/3/1993) -  Batman is exposed to The Scarecrow's (Henry Polic II) fear toxin, driven insane, Batman is locked up in Arkham Asylum, where he is haunted by terrifying visions of his parents' murder. This was a considerably frightening episode full of disturbing imagery, especially seeing Batman at his weakest point tied in a straight-jacket! The Scarecrow was another one of my favorite villains, and was usually the most frightening. This wasn't so however in his first appearance in the episode "Nothing To Fear" (Aired: 9/15/92) where the Scarecrow's mask was very simple. In "Dreams In Darkness" we are introduced to Scarecrow's new mask which is much more shocking, featuring a distorted burlap face with jagged teeth and straw hair.

#7 "Night of the Ninja"/"Day of the Samurai" (Aired:10/26/92 & 2/23/93) - These two episodes go together perfectly as they both feature the ninja Kyodai Ken (Robert Ito), who was once Bruce Wayne's rival while he trained in the martial arts in Japan under Yoru Sensei (Chao Li Chi). In "Night of the Ninja" Ken tries to destroy the Wayne fortune and ultimately kidnaps him and reporter Summer Gleeson (Mari Devon). Wayne cannot reveal his martial arts talent while Summer watches without a little help from Robin. In "Day of the Samurai" Ken kidnaps a student of Yoru Sensei and challenges Batman to a duel on the slopes of an active volcano. However Ken believes he has an edge as he has learned an ancient, forbidden martial arts technique that can kill with a touch! I have long had a fascination with Japan and the Samurai ever since I saw the Sean Connery/James Bond movie You Only Live Twice (1967) with my Dad. Since then I have been a fan of the Japanese samurai and Jidaigeki/Samurai films, especially those of Akira Kurosawa (i.e. Seven Samurai and Yojimbo). Batman has always had both a certain ninja appeal to his character (as in the movie Batman Begins (2005), he trains in a ninja style with the League of Shadows under Ra's Al Ghul.) But in "Day of the Samurai" Kyodai Ken says to Batman "You would've made a good ninja." Batman replies: "I would prefer to be a Samurai!" Also, the addition of using real Japanese dialogue added to the episode's atmosphere.

#6 "Tyger, Tyger" (Aired: 10/30/1992) - Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Adrienne Barbeau) is kidnapped by Dr. Emile Dorian (Joseph Maher), a mad scientist experimenting with cats, who transforms her into a real Cat-woman! When Batman tracks her to the doctor's island to rescue her, he has to battle the doctor's favorite creation: Tygrus (Jim Cummings), a huge humanoid-cat creature! This episode always fascinated me. Batman had several episodes dealing with animal transformation particularly with the character of Man-Bat ("On Leather Wings" and "Terror In the Sky" or Woman-Bat) and even werewolves ("Moon of the Wolf"). This episode had a very strong Island of Dr. Moreau vibe which I loved and seeing Catwoman in her feline form thrilled me! The reference to and the excerpt from the poem "The Tyger" by William Blake also added a special touch of class to the episode.



#5 "The Demon's Quest" (Aired: 11/3/1992) - Written by Dennis O' Neil and based on his story "Daughter of the Demon" (Detective Comics #232, June 1971). When Robin and is kidnapped, Ra's Al Ghul (David Warner) reveals himself to Batman/Bruce Wayne and embarks on a world-wide quest to rescue him and his daughter Talia (Helen Slater). Batman was unaware that Ra's Al Ghul was the one responsible for the kidnapping and wished to test Batman to see if he was worthy of becoming his heir. Batman denies and later foils Ra's megalomaniacal plot to destroy the world using the power of the Lazarus Pits which has granted him longer life. Ra's Al Ghul quickly became my favorite Batman villain and I sought out older stories including "Tales of the Demon" by Dennis O'Neil, who also became my favorite Batman writer. This episode has such an epic feel, right out of the comics it is almost like the original story somewhat condensed. The climactic sword duel between Batman and Ra's Al Ghul is a particularly exciting moment!

#4 "Almost Got 'Im" (Aired: 11/10/1992) - The Joker, Two-Face, Penguin, Poison Ivy and Killer Croc gather to play Poker and reminisce about the times they "almost got" Batman. This is a delightful, although very far-fetched episode. It allows for an interesting look at the villains in an almost normal but comical setting. The only one who doesn't get a vignette is Killer Croc (Aron Kincaid) whose very short story always makes me laugh:

Killer Croc: "He [Batman] was getting closer... Closer...!"
Poison Ivy: "And?"
Killer Croc: "I threw a rock at him!"
[Awkward Silence as they all stare at him.]
Killer Croc: "It was a big rock..."



Harley Quinn

#3 "I Am The Night" (Aired: 11/9/1992) - During a botched stakeout, Commissioner Gordon (Bob Hastings) is shot by Jimmy "The Jazzman" Peake (Brian George). Meanwhile Batman helps a young drifter named Wizard (Seth Green) turn his life around. This was a very emotionally powerful episode. We see Batman at his ultimate low having failed Commissioner Gordon and basically throwing a fit, even smashing his own equipment with outbursts of rage! As he contemplates whether or not being Batman is actually helping the police he comes the closest to actually quiting. Gordon recovers and Batman has a renewed outlook on his purpose.

#2 "The Laughing Fish" (Aired: 1/10/1993) - Based on "The Laughing Fish" and "Sign of the Joker", (Detective Comics #475-476, Feb./Mar. 1978), The Joker chemically enhances all the fish in Gotham, luring Batman into a death-trap with a Great White Shark! This episode features Harley Quinn (a.k.a. Dr. Harleen Quinzel, Arleen Sorkin) who was created specifically for the show and was first introduced in the episode "Joker's Favor" (9/11/92)  as Joker's hench-wench, who quickly became a fan favorite and soon appeared in the regular Batman comic books, achieving her own title.

#1 "Beware the Gray Ghost" (Aired: 11/4/1992) - During a series of bombings, Batman/Bruce Wayne is reminded of a TV show from his childhood: "The Gray Ghost". When he tracks down the star, Simon Trent (Adam West), now a has-been actor, Batman teams up with his child-hood TV hero to bring a the mad bomber to justice! This has always been my favorite episode, most obviously for the reason that Adam West, the Batman of the '60's made an appearance (who I instantly recognized).  The fact that it always spoke to my love of nostalgia, I have always related to it. I can always see myself when it shows a flashback of a young Bruce Wayne watching "The Gray Ghost" on the floor in front of the TV, clutching his Gray Ghost action figure and wearing a Gray Ghost hat and cape.



PERSONAL NOTE: The Batman animated series came at a perfect time in my life when I was growing up. I was already a big Batman fan, having seen reruns of the older 1970's Batman and Super Friends and '80s Super Powers cartoons and of course, I enjoyed the "Batman" (1966) TV show starring Adam West. I distinctly remember seeing the 1989 Batman movie on or around my 10th birthday and from then on I was a Bat-fan for life! I began collecting the Batman comic books and when the new animated series aired, I was extremely excited. I felt that the '90s animated series was MY Batman, and I have enjoyed it for many years. I even own all 4 of the DVD volumes and still watch them to this day. See you next time fellow Bat-Fans, "same bat-Time, same Bat-Channel"!

NOTE: Be sure to check out the wonderful book Batman: Animated by Paul Dini and Chip Kidd!
LINKS: Watch full episodes of Batman: The Animated Series on The WB.com, Batman: The Animated Series is currently airing late-night on The Hub cable channel.

Father's Day: Top 10 Cartoon Dads

It's Father's Day! A day to celebrate fathers, fatherhood, barbecue and beer! For the last 100 years we set aside a day to honor Dad. In the world of cartoons and animation there have been many famous Dad's and despite how great or how neglectful they may be. We all see a little bit of our own Dad in them. From "The Flintstones" to "The Simpsons" and every Disney single parent, what would we do without them? To honor Father's Day CHERNOBOG'S BLOG Presents: The Top 10 Cartoon Dads! Happy Father's Day!

#10 Gepetto, Pinocchio (1940) Home: Italy - When puppetmaker Gepetto makes a wooden boy marionette and wishes upon a star to make him a real boy, the Blue Fairy grants him his wish and brings Pinoccchio to life. But it is only after he sacrifices himself to save his father from the hale Monstro that the Blue fairy turns Pinocchio into a human boy. Based on the 1883 children's book by Carlo Collodi it was adapted into Walt Disney's second animated feature film and became an instant classic.
#9 Dr. Thaddeus "Rusty" Venture, The Venture Bros. (2003-Current) Home: Venture Industries - The son of renowned super-scientist adventurer Dr. Jonas Venture. Rusty was a former boy adventurer and the inspiration for the 'Rusty venture' cartoon series. Now head of Venture Industries, and a single father, he lives with his two sons Hank and Dean Venture. The family used to live with Brock Sampson, their former bodyguard, they recently hired Sgt. hatred a former super-villain as their current bodyguard. Created by Jackson Publick, The venture Bros. is a popular animated series on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim.
#8 George Jetson, The Jetsons (1962-1963, 1985-1987) Home: Orbit City - The original Space-Age Dad, George and is married to Jane and has two kids, Judy and Elroy. With their dog Astro and robotic-maid Rosey The Jetsons live in in a floating apartment building called Skypad Apartments. George works at Spacely Sprockets and tries to deal with the hectic and fast-paced futuristic lifestyle. Produced by Hanna-Barbara, The Jetsons were the Space Age counterparts to The Flintstones.
#7 Hank Hill, King of the Hill (1997-2009) Home: Arlen, Texas - Hank Hill works at Strickland Propane and is married to Peggy and has one son, Bobby, they also live with Luanne Platter, Peggy's niece. A former high school football star, hank is fond of his propane grill and drinking beer with his buddies by the fence. Created by Mike Judge (Beavis & Butthead) after 13 seasons, King of the Hill was the third longest running prime-time animated series next to The Simpsons and South Park.
#6 Fred Flintstone, The Flintstones (1960-1966) Home: Bedrock - Produced by Hanna-Barbara, this Stone Age family was the first prime-time, animated, family sitcom. Fred, a quick-tempered, accident-prone, caveman is married to Wilma, they have one infant daughter Pebbles, they have a pet dinosaur named Dino. Fred works at Slate stone quarry. The Flintstones live next door to their friends The Rubbles: Barney, Betty and Bamm-Bamm.
#5 Stan Smith, American Dad (2005-Current) Home: Langley Falls, Virginia - Stan works for the C.I.A. and is married to Francine. They have two children, Hayley and Steve. They also live with Roger the alien and have a pet goldfish named Klaus whose brain was transferred from a humans. Stan is a staunch conservative and patriot, prone to paranoia about terrorism. Created by Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman it is currently in its seventh season.
#4 Peter Griffin, Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005- Current) Home: Quahog, Rhode Island - Peter and is married to Lois. They have three children: Meg, Chris and Stewie, they live with their dog Brian. Peter is an dimwitted, overweight, alcoholic, Irish-American who constantly endangers the lives of his family with his antics. Formerly an employee at the Happy-Go-Lucky Toy Factory, Peter currently works for "Pawtucket Patriot" Brewery. Created by Seth MacFarlane, the show was originally featured as two short animated films called Larry and Steve (1997).
#3 Mufasa, The Lion King (1994) Home: The Pride Lands, Africa - King of the Jungle, father to Simba and mate to Sarabi. Mufasa was murdered by his brother Scar. Feared he would be blamed, Simba ran away only to return with help and reclaim the throne from his uncle. The Lion King is Walt Disney Pictures' 32nd animated feature film and remains one of its most popular and successful films remaining one of the highest grossing hand-drawn animated films of all time. It was adapted into a Broadway musical in 1997.
#2 Marlin, Finding Nemo (2003) Home: The Ocean - A not-so-funny Clownfish and single-father, Marlin lost his only son, Nemo, who was captured by divers off the coast of Australia. With the help of Dory, a Blue Tang and other aquatic friends he was able to find his son. Developed by Pixar Animation Studios, Finding Nemo was the highest grossing computer animated film until the release of Toy Story 3.
#1 Homer Simpson, The Simpsons (1989-Current) Home: Springfield, U.S.A. - The bumbling, overweight, alcoholic father of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, Homer is married to Marge. They live with their dog Santa's Little Helper and cat Snowball II. Homer currently works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Created by Matt Groening, The Simpsons have been the most popular prime-time, animated sitcom for the last 23 years.

"Remember as far as anyone knows, we're a nice normal family." - Homer Simpson

TOP 10 90'S CARTOONS

The 1990's were a turbulent time; both socially, politically and culturally. It was the time of Operation Desert Storm, grunge music, and the Internet! It was also one of the most important decades of my life! I was a teenager during the 1990's and what better way to distract me from all the craziness then with some of the best KICK ASS CARTOONS!!! I hope you had as much fun watching them as I did! I spent many an hour glued to the TV lost in animated bliss...(maybe that's what's wrong with me?) Lol! CHERNOBOG'S BLOG presents the TOP 10 90'S CARTOONS! Enjoy... 

#10 Beavis and Butt-head (1993-1997) Created, voiced, co-written and directed by Mike Judge (also "King of the Hill"), these two teenage losers first appeared on their couch on late night MTV and started a huge phenomenon as teenagers (despite their Parent's outrage) watched these two skip school, attempt crazy pre-"Jackass" stunts and watch music videos... they even got their own movie Beavis and Butt-head Do America in 1996. Later, one of their supporting characters, Daria Morgendorffer, spun-off in her own series: Daria (1997-2002).

#9 The Ren and Stimpy Show (1991-1996) This popular Nickelodeon cartoon featured the insane duo of Ren Höek, a psychotic chihuahua and Stimpson J. Cat, a dimwitted cat, in one of the most offensive and disgusting shows of all time... and that's why we loved it! "You eeee-diot!"

#8 ReBoot (1994-2001) Original and groundbreaking, "ReBoot" was produced by a Canadian/Vancouver based production company and was the very first completely computer-generated animated series. The series featured Bob, a guardian of the Mainframe who protects the computer-world from Megabyte, a villainous computer virus. With characters and story elements based on real-world computer technology this highly creative Tron-like world paved the way for modern CGI feature TV shows and films.

#7 Darkwing Duck (1991-1992) After the success of Disney's "Ducktales" (1987) cartoon series, with Disney's new weekday afternoon lineup included shows such as "Talespin", "Goof Troop" featuring already established Disney characters. Disney introduced a new superhero based in the Ducktales-like animal world it featured a semi-dark themed crime fighter "Darkwing Duck" a.k.a. Drake Mallard as a caped crime-fighter who used a variety of gas-guns, very reminiscent of "The Shadow" or "The Sandman". A sort-of spin-off of "Duck Tales", it featured the character of Launchpad McQuack as DW's sidekick and later also featured Gizmo-Duck. With some of the funniest Batman/James Bond-like super villains such as Steelbeak, Megavolt, Quackerjack, and his arch-nemesis Negaduck! "Let's get dangerous!"

#6 The Tick (1994-1996) Based on the independent comic book series created by Ben Edlund in 1986, the Fox Network introduced the wacky (and most likely insane) unlikely superhero The Tick (Townsend Coleman) and his sidekick Arthur (Rob Paulsen)! Featuring some of the craziest allies such as Die Fledermaus, American Maid and super villains from Chairface Chippendale to Brainchild just to name a few! "Spoooooon!!!"

#5 Animaniacs (1993-1998) "It's time for Animaniacs, and we're zany to the max..." In the new renaissance of Warner Bros. animation in collaboration with Steven Spielberg which included such titles as "Tiny Toon Adventures", "Animaniacs" was a revolution of animation entertaining both kids and adults! With a huge cast original characters including the Warner Brothers and their sister Dot, along with Pinky & the Brain (which got their own spin-off in 1995), Slappy and Skippy Squirrel, Rita and Runt, and The Goodfeathers! With often very adult-oriented and sometimes suggestive themes (Hello Nurse) and pop-culture references from both movie and cartoon history the show even including some current political themes with an appearance from Bill Clinton!

#4 X-Men (1992-1997) Although the X-Men were not new to animation with appearances in the 1980's with "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" (1981) to a failed "X-Men" pilot starring Kitty Pryde in 1989. As "The X-Men" Marvel comic book had experienced renewed interest with an all-star talent and popular new characters (i.e. Gambit, Jubilee, Bishop). The Fox Network produced a popular animated series featuring some of the most popular mutant characters creating even more success for Wolverine, who had already been the X-Men's most popular character. The series also re-introduced an older character, Morph (a.k.a. Changeling), who started out as an extraneous character but soon became the center of a major plot line as they killed off his character in the pilot episode! The show featured original stories as well as those based on past comic story-arcs such as "Days of Future Past" and "The (Dark) Phoenix Saga".

#3 Gargoyles (1994-1997) Whoever thought that Disney would have created one of the best action/fantasy cartoon series ever! "Stone by day, warriors by night!" With Keith David as the voice of the heroic Goliath and Marina Sirtis as the femme fatale Demona, it was dark, violent, even scary at sometimes! There was even a controversial episode called "Deadly Force" involving the lead Hispanic damsel Elisa Maza getting shot! An amazing show, it featured an intense episodic storyline and often highly-intellectual content featuring influences from the works of William Shakespeare!

#2 Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) I have been a huge Batman fan even from an early age and following the "Batman" movies directed by Tim Burton (1989-1992), Warner Bros. produced a new Emmy-winning animated series featuring the work of Bruce Timm and Paul Dini. With some of the best voice actors like Kevin Conroy as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and memorable villains starring such actors as Mark Hamill as The Joker, Richard Moll as Two-Face, Ron Perlman as Clayface, Adrienne Barbeau as Catwoman and David Warner as Ra's Al Ghul. Later the show introduced a much older teenage Robin (Dick Grayson) and Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) and retitled in it's 2nd season as "The Adventures of Batman & Robin" and was then later reworked into "The New Batman Adventures" featuring a new younger Robin (Tim Drake) and Nightwing. The show spawned two feature films including the theatrical release of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993). "I am vengeance...I am the night...I AM BATMAN!"

#1 The Simpsons (1989-Current) Although it technically premiered on "The Tracy Ullman Show" in 1987 and it's first episode aired on December 17, 1989, The Simpsons were the defining dysfunctional family of the 1990's. Now it has become the single-longest running TV show of all time with worldwide popularity and is currently in it's 22nd season having released a theatrical movie in 2007 (The Simpsons Movie), along with billions of dollars in merchandise! "Ay Caramba!"

TOP 10 80'S CARTOONS

     With the resurgence of 80's toy properties in movies and TV I felt like I should acknowledge those cartoons which entertained millions of kids (like myself) during the 1980's! It was a great time to be a kid and I like many others spent countless Saturday mornings glued to some of the most groundbreaking and exciting cartoons ever! Here goes...

#10 "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends" (1981) After several cartoons featuring the popular web-slinger, Marvel decided to team Spider-Man up with two other heroes: Iceman and Firestar! (and a dog named Miss Lion?)

#9 "Super-Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show" (1984) Although technically a continuation from the 1973 "Super-Friends" cartoon but in a new format with new super-heroes like Firestorm and villains including Darkseid!

#8 "Voltron: Defender of the Universe" (1985) An American version of the Japanese anime series "Go-Lion".

#7 "Robotech" (1985) An American version of the Japanese anime series "Macross".

#6 "Defenders of the Earth" (1986) Flash Gordon: Savior of the Universe, The Phantom: The Ghost Who Walks, Mandrake: The Magician and Lothar? VS. Ming the Merciless!

#5  "Thundercats" (1986) This was one of the most popular series of the 80's and one of the longest running. "Thundercats Ho!"

#4 "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" (1983) One of the most defining cartoons of the 80's and one of the biggest toy lines also!

#3 "The Real Ghostbusters" (1986) (Not to be confused with Filmation's "Ghostbusters") After the successful "Ghostbusters" (1984) film Columbia created a spin-off cartoon series with the ghost Slimer as a "mascot"?

#2 "Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye" (1984) Probably THE most popular cartoon of the 1980's which have survived in numerous incarnations over the years and spawned the blockbuster movies by director Michael Bay!
#1 "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" (1983) After two successful mini-series G.I. Joe earned its own long running series which ran until 1989. This was ultimately my favorite cartoon and also toy series (for which I had VERY many of, even the aircraft carrier!)