yojoedave Reviews

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987–1996)

80s quality cartoon carried into the 90s

[2 January 2004]

This was probably the cartoon that saved the animation of the 90s from being really awful. The last of the great, great 80s cartoons.

Great writing, great characters, voice talent, stories, humour. This is only reiterated by its long running air time in syndication, and its slot on CBS Saturday morning.

I remember the syndicated episodes and the CBS episodes being slightly different.

Now for my real beef: Don't be fooled by the remakes and redoings, live-action, animated or otherwise of TMNT that you see now a days. They're all INFERIOR products compared to the original 80s cartoon. If you want to see the quality that was TMNT...you must see the 1987 syndicated and CBS series.

The New Adventures of Jonny Quest (1986–1987)

A Decent updated Johnny Quest series

[6 September 2001]

This was a decent 80s version of the original. The plots may have been a bit sillier, but the animation was far superior to the original, no doubt about that. While the look of the original is nostalgic and the artwork is pretty good, the 80s version moved less rigidly and looked much less like a comic book.

Bionic Six (1987)

Amazing 80s animation

[6 September 2001]

Bionic Six - oooh ooh!

This show rocks!

If you get a chance to see this show, you should agree with me that it's a visually amazing production. The characters have depth, are well-drawn, and the animation is of above average quality for an animated program of that era.

The stories and writing are typical, and feature typical situations that you'll find protagonists of a super-hero action/adventure show involved in.

The concept is definitely refreshing, and it's definitely a show you should take a look at in your nostalgic endevours.

MASK (1985–1986)

An important part of 80s action animation nostalgia

[6 September 2001]

This is a good cartoon to check out if you're looking for those cool action toons you grew up with. Just becareful you don't run into any of the final season racing episodes -- those will sour your views of this amazing show...(make sure you get the episodes made by DIC Animation, NOT KENNER!)

A covert team of superheros lead by Matt Tracker, use the powerful technology of MASK to attain super powers in order to combat the evil forces of VENOM. Each MASK member has a special cool-looking vehicle to help them in their fight. The catch is, VENOM forces also have special mask technology which makes them somewhat formidable foes.

I grew up with this show - I too had to wake up at 6:00 am to see it, but it was worth it!

This has to be one of DIC's better shows. It's action-packed, with reasonably interesting storylines. The characters are drawn and animated with depth - basically the artwork is polished and very desirable to look at. It's definitely well worth looking into in your 80s toon nostalgic quest!

G.I. Joe (1985–1986)

One of the few 80s cartoons that has a chance of appealing to youth today.

[6 September 2001]

As a skeptical TV watcher (especially of old stuff) this is one of those 80s "made-for-kids" cartoons that can appeal to youth of today, as well as be interesting enough for teens/adults to watch.

This cartoon has the action, thrills and memorable characters that a 6 year old seeks, but has the literary complexity, subtle humour, and general excellent entertainment value that teens and adults would appreciate.

The Joes, a diverse team of commandos, fight the evil forces of Cobra day in and day out. Each Joe brings a different attribute and personality to the team (personalities that come to life thanks to the talented voice cast - read the credits, you'll see!)

The plots always entail an interesting and often elaborate storyline featuring a diabolical plot for world-domination by Cobra Commander and/or his subordinates (Destro, Baroness, Crimson Guard Twins, Maj. Bludd e.t.c...)

The art quality is excellent - it has an 80s super-hero comic style to it which adds a lot to that nostalgic effect. The animation is satisfactory; it varies between episodes.

Best part is learning the names (real and code) of all of the characters (good and bad), as there are literally tons of characters mixed into the salad bowl that is G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero.

For you 80s toon a-holics out there, this is an absolute MUST HAVE in your library. I only wish it was still on TV for today's generation to see.

G.I. Joe (1985–1986)

Highlight of 80s animation

[12 August 2001]

Forget the toys!

Yes this show was based on Hasbro's toys, but this show gave life and personality to the plastic figures!

There were so many characters, so many personalities and an abundance of stories to tell. The action was non-stop and the plot lines were on the border of unbelievable. The writing quality is top notch, and at times filled with humour, satire, and sarcasm. (I love the old 80s colloquialisms and clichés).

Like any cartoon created in the 1980s the artwork quality is also top of the line. Resembling american comic-style, All the characters are brightly drawn, and well animated (especially in the 1st season).

The voice acting was ahead of the game, featuring the popular talent of that time (and now, still), Ed Gilbert, Frank Welker, Neil Ross, Chriss Latta e.t.c... you can tell they enjoyed working on the show together, just by the effort they put into it.

My only regret is that Hasbro didn't renew their contract with Marvel/Sunbow for a 3rd season after the movie.

It doesn't get much better than this folks. This would definitely be a show I would want my kids to grow up on....I wonder what happened to wholesome Saturday mornings/Weekday afternoons?