X-Men: Evolution: Season 1 - Episode 6: 'Middleverse' (2001) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know, so far I have to say that I know that, 'X-Men: Evolution' is a show that is more meant for children (I mean the animation and the basic story structure prove that)... But the truth is, is I have found this show to be an awful lot o fun (despite the fact that the series has kind of majorly went off the reservation when it comes to staying true to the comics!)

I mean this series does stay true to the basics, but it is geared up for teens, and I have to say that if you are a fan of, 'The X-Men' or animation, then it is fun for adults as well, and episode 6: 'Middleverse' is no different!

Written by: Adam Beechen (Pink Panther & Pals), Evelyn Gabai (The Mask) & Directed by: Steven E. Gordon (Terminator Salvation). Starring: Meghan Black (Elf), Neil Denis (RoboCop: Alpha Command), Maggie Blue O'Hara (Living With The Dead), Christopher Gray (Fear), Kirby Morrow (InuYasha), Brad Swaile (Dragon Ball Z), Venus Terzo (It) & Sam Vincent (Krypto The Super Dog).

The episode tells the story of how after accidentally discovering the work of a genius mutant by the name of, 'Forge' (Sam Vincent), Nightcrawler (Braid Swaile) is sucked in to an alternate dimension that appears to be just outside of our world, but still apart of it!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="384"] 'Nightcrawler' gets stuck in the middleverse with 'Forge' and are trying to get out of there as quick as they can![/caption]

When he gets there though, he finds out that he is not the only one there, when he ends up discovering that the inventor of the machine that brought Nightcrawler there has been stuck inside the same dimension for decades with out anyway to get out!

And it will take Nightcrawler, Forge & the X-Men to get them both out of there... Because if the team can't do it, then no one can!

Now I can't say that there is anything particularly bad about this episode, the truth is, is this episode just really did not keep me on the edge of my seat like some shows do... But I did enjoy it... And well... You might to!

http://youtu.be/l3HYWJ2VMxc

X-Men: Evolution: Season 1 - Episode 3: 'Rogue Recruit' (2000) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

You know there is this perception with a lot of people that if you watch Cartoons, yet you are an adult, that there is something wrong with you... Yet if you watch certain animated movies like, Persepolis (2007), that everything is A-Ok... Why is that?

Well I can't really say for certain but my suspicion is the fact that if you watch cartoons that you are in some way childish and immature... But if you watch animated movies like, Persepolis that you are cultured and sophisticated... I suppose that could be true if you derive the same type of enjoyment with cartoons as an adult that you did as a kid... But being a fan of animation in both the cartoon and animated form, but no longer (and not since I was a kid), wanting to be Batman anymore, I gotta say that it seems like some one who would say that watching cartoons as an adult being childish and immature, while watching animated movies like, Persepolis, is a little bit of a double standard!

I mean I think that it is great to watch old X-Men cartoons, in some respects it is almost like seeing the comics coming to life!

And that is just one of the reasons that I found X-Men: Evolution: Episode 3: 'Rogue Recruit' so interesting!

Written by: Simon Furman (Transformers: Beginnings) & Directed by: Steven E. Gordon (Terminator Salvation). Starring: Kirby Morrow (Fringe), Scott McNeil (Eve Of Destruction), Venus Terzo (Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog), Maggie Blue O'Hara (Living With The Dead), Christopher Gray (RoboCop: Alpha Commando), Christopher Judge (Stargate SG1), Meghan Black (Edgemont) Brad Swaile (Dragon Ball Z) Kirsten Alter (RV), David Kaye (Up) & Colleen Wheeler (Cabin In The Lake).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320"] Rogue is about to learn the truth about where she really should be![/caption]

Now this is one I am talking about! What I mean by that, is this is the episode features the entrance of another classic X-Man, 'Rogue' (Meghan Black) in to the mix!

You see, Rogue is a down south girl from Mississippi where she is just about to come in to, 'contact' with her soon to be burgeoning mutant, 'Super Power'... That being when she touches some one she ends up draining some of their life force!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] And that boy touches Rogue, she definitely will leave a mark that he will never forget, and neither will she![/caption]

Well when she comes in to contact with the School jock and puts him in to a comma, her mutant power signals Cerbero (Sort of a mutant super computer.)  Because of this, Professor Xavier (David Kaye) and the other side end up sending representatives down to try and persuade her to join with them... The only problem is that since Mystique (Colleen Wheeler), tends to be more persuasive in these matters, it looks like Rogue will end up being left to her own devices for the time being!

Now the truth is, is that I do like this episode... even if it is not canonically accurate! (Ultimately in the comics Rogue ends up meeting up with the X-Men years later after doing many evil deeds (including sucking all of the powers out of a super hero!)

But never the less, it a fun episode and more then well worth the time!

http://youtu.be/7Z7chBBJx1o

Ultimate Avengers (2006) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_330" align="alignright" width="220"] Official Score = 2 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Marvel has been hitting it big in the new millenium, what with having released movies that for the most part almost all of them were summber block busters! Such movies as the X-Men series, the Spider-Man series,the Iron Man series, and now with the success of the big screen box office smash hit, The Avengers (2012)! And speaking of the Avengers, before the recently released movie came out... As a matter of fact, before most of the sub-series for the characters from this team was released, there was great animated movie series version of, 'The Avengers', (which I also belive may have eventual spawned a cartoon series on TV) called, Ultimate Avengers (2006)! Written by: Greg Johnston (Planet Hulk) and Directed by: Curt Geda (Batman: The Mystery Of The Batwoman), Steven E. Gordon (Terminator: Salvation) & Bob Richardson (Daredevil Vs. Spider Man). Starring: Justin Gross (Ninja Gaiden), Grey DeLisle (Bolt), Michael Massee (Millenium), Oliviia d'Abo (Point Of No Return), Marc Worden (Sky Blue), Nolan North (TMNT), Andre Ware (The Cost Of Heaven), David Boat (The Super Hero Squad Show) and Fred Tatasciore (Team America: World Police).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="290"] Captain America & Black Widow as they are trying to recruit Iron Man for the, 'Avengers'![/caption]

The first thing that I thought that I should mention that I thought that you guys would find pretty interesting is the fact that this Avengers Team is very different then the one that you saw in the live action movie! What I mean by that is that in the live action movie that came out just a few months ago, that, 'Avengers' team consisted of, Iron Man, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, and the members of S.h.i.e.l.d. that they work with... In the, 'Ultimate Avengers', the team consists of Captain America (Gross), The Wasp (DeLisle), Bruce Banner (Not the Hulk, and he is voiced by Michael Massee), Black Widow (d'Abo), Iron Man (Worden), Giant Man (North) as well as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Crew that work with them! As for the story, this movie (which I was really quite impressed with the animation for), tells the story of how near the end of World War 2, Captain America and his United States Soldier, are about to win the war when Nazi Germany gets some help by an Alien race that has given the Nazis the technology for the Atom Bomb! Now of course this can't work for Captain America, and takes out the nuclear weapon while it is in mid air, the only problem is that after he takes out the bomb, and with the U.S. Millitary giving him up as being killed in action, Captain America falls in the the Atlantic and freezes in to a glacier (where he is able to stay alive by being kept in suspended animation! 60 years later, the U.S. Government and the people who work at S.H.I.E.L.D. are fighting a super secret war against the Aliens that have stayed on Earth... When they find Captain America and thaw him out, General Nick Fury (Ware), is ordered to iniiate the, 'Avengers' program and bring together the above mentioned heros to fight against the alien invasion and stop this secret war before it comes out in the opening!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="448"] Nick Fury, Black Widow & Captain America as they are prepping to kick some major ass![/caption]

Now like I mentioned above, the animation in this movie really was cool, the reason for that is the fact that I always enjoy watching the comic book characters (literally) come to life in the style that they were drawn in the comic books... (With the exception of Thor, and to a degree Iron Man... But still the animation was great!) Also I have to admit that story was a lot of fun! The last thing that I thought that I would mention is that this movie would in the end produce a sequel, as well as I believe a really awesome cartoon series!

http://youtu.be/R_Tgw6f61Vg