Rocky (1976) (Movie Review)

  When it comes to the categories of both Drama’s and Sports movies, the 1976 classic “Rocky” is one of the absolute best. Of course, the movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture, but some would go even further, to label this movie as one of the all-time great motion-picture classics, which is fair, although I personally wouldn’t call this one of my top favorites like others would. Unlike other classic movie Drama’s that rank among my personal favorite movies, like “12 Angry Men”, “The Shawshank Redemption”, and “To Kill a Mockingbird”, “Rocky” is a movie I need to be in a proper mind-set to sit-down and enjoy actively viewing. It’s kind of a curious case in which I love the movie more when I think back on it, and the feelings it left me with, as opposed to actually watching it. It’s not a common case for me, as I’m the kind of guy who loves to watch a variety of different films, but sometimes the feelings a movie leaves me with are stronger than the viewing experience … and “Rocky”, for whatever reason, is one of those films.     

  Small-town, down-on-his-luck boxer Rocky Balboa is arbitrarily chosen to take on the running heavyweight champion, but can this nobody rise to the challenge, and become a somebody? As he prepares for the big fight, he also pursues a relationship with a shy pet-store owner named Adrian, which gives the character more of an emotional anchor. It implies that if everything goes wrong, he has this human support, one that will show him that boxing isn’t his sole reason for getting up in the morning. Also supporting him along the journey is a grouchy boxing coach named Mickey, who wants to see this champ arise to something meaningful. While the plot of “Rocky” is formulaic, and admittedly predictable, it’s down to earth tone, air-tight script, relatable characters, and an iconic leading performance from Sylvester Stallone all add-up to a solid piece of work. It’s just a simple story of a man trying to concur a dream, and in the end, it’s not about emerging triumphant … it’s simply about giving it you’re all, and never backing down from the odds.

  When it comes to a conventional “hero archetype”, I’m always drawn to the underdog the most. The hero’s that rise to the challenge, the ones that face all odds, and for me, Rocky will always be the panicle underdog hero. This is one case in which it’s the lead character that I love more than the overall film. Rocky is that person who always spoke to me, about how an everyday man can go above and beyond. Sylvester Stallone is just so humble and sincere in the role, and so much of it comes from the actor. Stallone of course wrote the screen play, and has said that he couldn’t have made the character of Rocky without a life-time personal experience to draw influence from. While many look back on Stallone as one of those macho-action hero’s, I think they miss how there’s more wisdom and humbleness to the talent then his action movie status would suggest. It’s something that’s captured effectively in this early performance, and at the Oscars, he was rightfully nominated for best actor in his portrayal of Rocky … personally, I think he should have won. Honestly, it’s almost impossible for me not to love this character, as he continues to inspire me to do more with myself, to break out, and make a difference. Even if it’s something small, Rocky has always encouraged me to stick to my passions, and follow them through to the end. 

  Along with the main lead, I think this movie has one of the best ensembles of memorable characters. Talia Shire manages to say a lot in role of Adrien, even though the character speaks very little, and it got her a nomination at the Oscars for best actress in a leading role. 

Burgess Meredith basically steals every scene he’s in as the grumpy trainer Mickey, and delivers the most quotable lines in the film … “Like the guy says, you’re going to eat lightning, and you’re going to crap thunder!”. It’s one of Burgess Meredith’s most famous roles, and naturally, he also received an Oscar nomination for best actor in a supporting role. Not to be overlooked is Rocky’s best friend Paulie, who’s the most emotionally unstable character in the film, as he’s always switching between being the underdogs biggest supporter, to being his biggest doubter. He too is played effectively by Burt Young, and wouldn’t you know it, he too received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in this film. Rounding up the cast is Rocky’s appoint named Apollo, who’s played effectively by Carl Weathers. Despite being the antagonist, and clearly having an ego, he feels grounded in this first film, and it’s appreciated. Although, while every character is perfect in this first film, Apollo is that one character I’d come to love more over the course of the series, as we see all the different peaks and vales he goes through.

  The next talent who needs to be addressed is director John G. Avildsen, who’s vision of the film compliments Stallone’s screen-play like bread and butter. He gives the movie a very quiet, slow-moving, yet humble, and absorbing approach. It’s kind of a double edge sword for me, and is the main reason I need to be in a proper mind-set to appreciate this movie. While technically well made, the experience overall can feel a little slow, and sometimes boring to watch … that is, if I’m not in the right state of mind to appreciate it’s grounded and absorbing atmosphere. Obviously, putting my feelings aside, Avildsen’s approach to the film was the right choice, as it effectively characterized the film, and it paid-off in the long run as John G. Avildsen's work on "Rocky" won him the Academy Award for Best Director. Richard Halsey and Scott Conrad also won the Academy Award for Best Editing, and there were two other nominations for best sound design, and best original screen play by Stallone. The last talent who needs to be addressed is music composer Bill Conti, who’s score for “Rocky” is one of the great classics, as it cared the passionate drive of the film, and again received the Oscar nomination for best original music score.

  Even though this isn’t one of my personal favorite movies, it does feature one of my all-time favorite individual scenes every put to film, in which Rocky’s intense training is propelled into one of the most famous workout montages that cinema has ever known. Set to the Oscar nominated Original Song “Gonna Fly Now”, we see the champ push himself to the limit, as he barrels down the streets of Philadelphia, and reaches his destination on the septs of the city’s art museum. 

This scene was effectively built-up earlier, as we saw Rocky jogging, and got too exhausted to reach the top of the steps … but now things have changed. The overall theme of the movie is rising up to the challenge, building yourself up to accomplish the impossible, and this one moment with Rocky finally making it to the top of the steps perfectly captures the theme of the film. It’s an unforgettable image, and whenever he turns to the rising sun and raises his hands up triumphantly … it leaves me with a special feeling that few other scenes do. Obviously, it’s symbolic of his status, going from the top to the bottom, and every day you can see people in Philadelphia running up those same steps, raising their arms up in the air just to capture that same triumphant feeling that Rocky demonstrated to us. It’s one of those select moments that always springs into my subconscious whenever I accomplish something that seemed impossible. Like I said, it’s one of my favorite scenes ever put to film, and it continues to leave an impression on viewers all these years later.   

    It’s also worth noting that, despite fitting the category of a sports movie, there really isn’t much Boxing until the very end of the film. This threw me off when I first saw the movie as a teenager, as I was expecting more matches, but I quickly appreciated the films narrative choice, and how I was connecting to the characters before the big showdown. The climactic boxing match is brutal and exhilarating, yet it is that emotional connection established that really propels this fight into one of the greats. Quick spoiler warning, but I feel it’s worth mentioning the outcome. In a case of brilliant righting, Rocky doesn’t actually win the match, yet it still feels like a victory, as we saw him push himself to the limit, he never backed down once, and when he’s lovingly embraced by Adrien, it’s clear that the champ has everything … and the outcome of the match doesn’t matter. It’s brilliant, and one of those finales that just leaves me feeling good all over. Without question, even though it’s not my overall favorite battle in the series, it is my favorite ending by far.  

    In the end, watching this movie goes through many varying peaks and vales, as it can be profound and depressing, but also uplifting and powerful all at once. While not consistently fun to view, it’s the driving heart at the center of this film that makes it so captivating. Whether you take this film seriously or not, it’s never the less a movie that can always pick me up, and give me that extra confidence to push through some of my own personal struggles. More than anything, it’s the character that continues to inspire me to make the most of myself … to break out … push myself … and make a difference in my own simple way. Throw in an iconic music score, a solid supporting cast, and you've got a classic that not only deserved it's Best Picture trophy, but is highly recommendable for anyone to see whether their sports fans or not.

Thanks for reading my review of the classic 1976 Drama “Rocky” … and continue to enjoy the movies you love!

DuckTales (2017-2021) (TV Series Review)

  The original 1987 cartoon “DuckTales” was a Disney channel staple for over a decade, and after all these years is still regarded as one of the greatest animated programs to ever air on the station. I certainly watched the original show back in my childhood, and have some reserved nostalgia for it, but it’s never really stuck with me as one of my absolute Disney favorites either. I’ve never had any interest in looking back at the show, and never gave it much thought over the years … but then something happened. 

A new animated reboot series of “DuckTales” premiered in 2017 on Disney XD, and a little twinkle of excitement sparked within me. I wasn’t expecting too much, but I wanted to give it a quick look, and see if the kids of a new generation had something special to watch, and grow-up with. To my surprise and delight … the show not only revived long forgotten feelings of the original program … but it hooked me in, captivated my imagination, took me for an existing adventure, and 2017’s “DuckTales” genuinely became a series I loved experiencing to the end. With the series now concluded, and me getting over the shock that I liked it so much … I wanted to give credit where it’s due, and give this show a well-earned review. 

  Like the original, this series follows the many adventures of the elder Scrooge McDuck, along with his three nephews Huey, Dewey & Louie, and his surgent doubter Webby, as they travel the glob to uncover ancient mysteries, search for riches, foil the schemes of villains, and strengthen their bonds of family through the experiences. Oh … and that theme song … still the dang catchiest theme song ever. 

Unlike the original, this series balanced its episodic formula with layered stories, and character arc’s that covered the span of each season. New elements were also added to the formula, including deeper character drama, layered mysterious with personal ties to our five leads, and villains that presented a looming threat over the show. This series still highlighted its villains of the week formula, but this time it also felt like there was a larger narrative being told, and no shortage of surprises. The comedy, while accessible to little kids, also had a wide appeal for all ages, and could even get a little adult at times. 

Actually, despite being a mostly kid friendly show, it still had a little bit of an edge, and wasn’t afraid to utilize a level of mature content in order to tell an engaging story, or to deliver an emotional punch, and sometimes utilized to make the villains more imposing. Some of the imagery could get mildly disturbing, and while I’m sure it would have shocked me as a child, it would have also made the experience feel all the more exciting. On that note, the animation in this series is extraordinary, with vibrant colors, fast movement, gorgeous lighting, and some terrific character expressions. Specking of which … let’s talk about the characters.    

 

Scrooge McDuck (voiced by David Tennant) 

Following in the mighty footsteps of the late Alan Young, who had originally voiced Scrooge for over three decades, was no small task. However, David Tennant of “Doctor Who” fame was an inspired choice, and managed to breath fresh life into the role. While many of Scrooges trademark characteristics were preserved, he was also properly updated to have equal love for thrill-seeking and adventure, and wasn’t quiet as single minded for riches as he was in the previous show. I also loved that he had different relations with the individual kids, as opposed to simply being a father figure for all four of them. The only thing I didn't like was Scrooges new all-red look, when I always found blue his signature color. 

 

Huey, Dewey & Louie (voiced by Danny Pudi, Ben Schwartz, and Bobby Moynihan) 

Unlike in the original show, Scrooges three nephews are now voiced by three separate talents, as opposed to a single vocal talent, and are also given individual personalities, and goals. Back in the original, they were simply separated by their colors, but now their far more interesting with their own individual story arc’s, and personal character quirks. They all share an equal love for adventure, and exploration, but each with their own interests at heart, which is great, and makes these three kids feel all the more interesting. Huey is a scholar who eagerly seeks knowledge and information that he can share with the world. Dewey is a thrill-seeker, loves the excitement of facing danger, and proving that he can accomplish the seemingly impossible. Louie is basically a young version of Scrooge, and is equally hungry for riches, and sizing lost treasure.     

 

Webby (voiced by Kate Micucci) 

Of course, the character who basically steals the whole show is Scrooges surgent doubter Webby. It’s funny how in the original show, she was always my least favorite character, but in this series … she’s my absolute favorite by far. Webby is an insane wildcard, who can be gentle and cute at one moment … then unhinged and out of control the next. She could even be cynical, and a touch mean, but I love it when a character can have a variety of different quirks and emotions. This made her unpredictable, and a constant joy to watch. Counterpointing the three boys, Webby has extensive knowledge on the mysterious and mythical elements of the world, as well as acrobatic survival skills, but has absolutely no social skills, or life outside her house. This made her friendship with the boys extremely engaging, as each offered something meaningful to her growth, and she in-turn often helped get them out of tight spots. Just like with Scrooge, I loved that she had different relations with the individual boys, and each friendship was nothing short of sweet. 

Huey was always determined to make her feel comfortable, and a part of the family. Louie was her polar opposite, who always presented a chance for her to experience something new. Dewey was her equal, who could match her energy, her love for excitement, and felt the most like a sibling. For whatever it’s worth, of all the close friendships present in this show, Dewey and Webby’s was my favorite by far, as they had adorable chemistry, and their little buddy harmony is just the sweetest thing.

 

Donald Duck (voiced by Tony Anselmo) 

In general, Donald Duck has always been one of my all-time favorite cartoon characters, and my personal childhood favorite of all the classic Disney icons. As with all the other characters, Donald’s classic trademarks were consistently present, but with new layers added. Honestly, this show accomplished the unthinkable, and made Donald Duck feel the most human, and relatable he’s ever been. I remember back when “Fantasia 2000” first premiered, and it was the first time I felt any kind of emotional punch from the character. Well, this series takes it up a notch, giving him deeper emotional ties with the characters, gives him identifiable struggles, and makes him feel like a hero in his own unique way. My only problem once again is the characters new color, which has gone from bright blue to dark black ... and I don't like it, I wish he kept his signature bright blue colored outfit.     

 

Della Duck (voiced by Paget Brewster) 

While Webby is my personal favorite character, I think the absolute best thing this show did was create an original new character who came in the form of Huey, Dewey & Louie’s biological mother named Della. This marked the first time these three boys had a biological parent, which is cool, but the appeal of the character doesn’t stop there. Her journey is arguably given the most layers, and packs the most emotional punch. In the first season, she’s absent, and her whereabouts presented a looming mystery for the kids to solve. In season two, we see her lengthy, and emotional journey to get back home to her kids. Eventually, she becomes one of the shows main characters, but has to learn to become a mother. Wares most mother characters feel interchangeable in animated productions, it’s certainly not the case here. 

There is only one Dela Duck, who has a distinct personality, an engaging character arc, and voice actress Paget Brewster delivers my favorite vocal performance in the show. After Dela was absent for a decade, she obviously aged, but hasn’t grown past the mindset of a youthful teenager, and has to discover the responsibilities of not only being a parent … but also growing-up in general, and it’s not often we see a mother character go through an arc like that. Quick side note, her little lullaby for her boys is probably the most touching and emotional mother song I’ve heard in an animated production sense Moses lullaby in “The Prince of Egypt”.            

 

Other DuckTales Alumni 

As with the original show, there’s a number of reoccurring characters who all add something to the charm of the series. Most of the holdover characters like the goofball pilot Launchpad, and the superhero Gizmo Duck are virtually interchangeable from the original series … but in a good way. There’s something appealing about seeing these familiar characters, with all their initial strengths and appeals still in check. However, other hold-over characters like Scrooge’s house-maid Mrs. Beakley are completely different, but in a way that works to the shows advantage. 

While Mrs. Beakley’s role is still the same, she’s also built like an ox, is more active in the action, and is given a backstory as a former agent who used to go on missions with Scrooge. There are also new characters added into the mix, including two female best friends for Webby … the first of which named Lena was secretly in service to one of the shows main villains, but broke free, and became her own individual. Donald’s romantic interest Daisy Duck is also present, and she wasn’t even featured in the original show.

 

The Villains 

As with the reoccurring villains of the show, I was pleased to see a variety between familiar foes carried over from the original series, along with brand new villains, and even obscure ones pulled from other Disney sources. For instance, characters like the Beagle Boys were main rouges from the original show, and they properly carried over into this series. 

Then there’s characters like the Phantom Blot, who originated from the old Disney comics, and it’s cool to see lesser-known rouges represented in the series. Even villains from the other original Disney Channel programs of the 90’s made appearances, including air pirate Don Karnage from “TaleSpin”, and the sinister organization F.O.W.L from “Darkwing Duck”. Actually, all of Darkwing Ducks rouges make an appearance, including Steal Beak, and vocal legend Jim Cummings reprised his signature role of Nega Duck. However, let’s quickly single-out the big villains of the show …  

 

Flintheart Glomgold (voiced by Deith Ferguson) 

Just like in the original series, Scrooge’s arch rivel, and the main reoccurring antagonist of the series is one Flintheart Glombold, who’s eager to surpass Scrooge as the richest person on the planet. While the original “Ducktales” certainly portrayed him with a hammy charm … this show took the ham … and ran all the way to the moon with it. Seriously, there isn’t an ounce of subtilty to this portrayal of the character, as his personality is highly animated, very over-the-top, but still charming in his own goofy way.

 

Magica De Spell (voiced by Catherine Tate) 

While Glomgold was the big reoccurring villain, each season’s story had their own main villain to face, and the first came in the form of the shadowy Witch named Magica De Spell. Back when I was a kid watching the original show, the evil sorcerous Magica was always my favorite of the main reoccurring villains. I was thrilled to see her present in this series, and updated in a way that I honestly feel surpassed the original. Her redesign was awesome, and this time around, her manic personality was matched with the same level of intimidation and presence that made high-profile Disney villains in the vein of Maleficent so exciting to watch. Once again, she stands as my favorite villain of the show, but this time … I’d honestly place her among the greatest of Disney’s female villains. 

 

General Lunaris of the Moon (voiced by Lance Reddick) 

In season two, Della’s quest to get back home also leads to the discovery of aliens living on the moon … and their leader is none too happy with the people of Earth. After a life-time of living in fear of Earth, the alien General Lunaris has decided that Earth shall live in fear of them. As far as I remember, Lunaris wasn’t in the original show, but he stands as my favorite new villain of this series. In general, I loved that this show didn’t just rely on familiar holdover characters to leave a memorable impression. Contrasting Magica De Spell, Lunaris doesn’t look like much of a threat, and his design is very basic … yet, he still has the same imposing presence, and proves to be an effective adversary. He’s more of an intelligent threat, who’s always one step ahead of our hero’s, and it leads to a number of exciting confrontations.  

 

Bradford Buzzard of F.O.W.L (voiced by Marc Evan Jackson) 

Rounding-up the shows main villains is one Bradford Buzzard, who’s a business consultant working under Scrooge, but secretly leads the sinister “F.O.W.L” agency in their plan to rid the world of all things adventurous … including the McDuck family themselves. He’s one of those villains who deludes himself into thinking he’s doing a service to the world … yet obviously still presents a high threat level to our hero’s. While an effective, even proper final villain for the show, I still couldn’t help but find him a little less exciting then his two predecessors. 

 

Crossovers with other Disney Channel Characters

As stated above, this series utilized villains from other animated Disney programs of the 90’s … but that’s only the beginning. As someone who grew-up in the decade of the original Disney Afternoon, I was so pleased to see so many call-backs, Easter Eggs, and guest appearances from all the other popular animated Disney programs of my childhood. You name it, “Goof Troop”, “Tale Spin”, “Quack Pack”, “Bonkers”, “Gummy Bears”, and especially “Darkwing Duck” are all made present in some form. I also grew-up with Disney’s “The Three Caballeros”, and I was very pleased to see Donald reunite with his two feathered friends. The character Darkwing Duck just couldn’t be left alone, as he’s a reoccurring character, given a completed origin story, and even a two-part back-door piolet episode in season 3 titled “Let’s Get Dangerous!” 

However, the big one that honestly had me drop a brick was in the season 3 episode titled “Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!”, which featured a special guest appearance from The Rescue Rangers. Oh-my goodness gracious … the original “Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers” was my absolute favorite Disney childhood program, and seeing them in their original designs, but with contemporary animation, just made me … this thirty-something year-old, feel like he was in his single digits again, and in the happiest way. 

There were even nods to the animated Disney Channel inspired movies of the decade, which was also welcome. Being honest, 1995’s “A Goofy Movie” is still one of my all-time favorite animated pictures, and seeing little Easter Eggs to that film throughout the shows run was an absolute joy. I loved seeing Dewey and his mother Dela sing the Powerline song “Stand Out”, and when Goofy makes a guest appearance, we get a special collection of photos mostly aimed at the film … Max apparently took Roxane to his Senior Prom … which is great!    

With all the important points covered, I want to wrap things up by highlighting my own personal Top 10 Favorite Episodes from the show. Granted, this was not an easy list to construct, as there’s a lot of solid episodes worth recommending. I also had to draw a line between favorite episodes, and favorite individual scenes from episodes that aren’t exactly favorites all the way through. For instance, the season 2 episode titled “Nothing can Stop Dela Duck” feature’s one of the shows absolute greatest scenes, but it’s not one of my favorite episodes overall. Still, if you’re unsure of committing to the series, but are still a little curious … here are my ten personal favorite episodes, which might just give you a good place to start.  

 

#10 “The First Adventure!” 

A rare episode set entirely in the past, this outing shows Scrooge McDuck set-off on his very first adventure, along with the young child versions of Donald Duck and his sister Della. The three are on a quest through the mountains to retrieve a Mystical Papyrus that will transform anything written on the parchment into reality … and their enemies from F.O.W.L are seeking it too. Aside from being an effective set-up for events that will culminate in the series finale, there’s something incredibly rewarding about seeing where the McDuck families love for adventure first takes shape. 

It was so effective in fact, it made me want to watch a spin-off series just with these three, and what kind of adventures they’d share. While the piolet episode titled “Woo-Ho” is a good start, I’d honestly recommend anyone new to the series to begin with this episode as a cold opening. It gives terrific insight into who these characters were back in their prime, and it makes things all the more rewarding when we see their stories come full circle. The series finale will also make a number of effective callbacks to this episode, including a statement from Dela that “The Original Three” are back together.     

 

#9 “The Fight for Castle McDuck!” 

Upon returning to Scrooges family home, he’s reunited with his sister Matilda … and the two are quick to reignite a long-standing sibling rivalry. Webby, being the loving surrogate daughter that she is, aims to end this feud once and for all, remind everyone the value of family ties, and restore the dignity of the McDuck family name. 

Meanwhile, lurking in the shadows is F.O.W.L’s sneakiest agent, the Phantom Blot, who’s looking for a mystical item in the castle that can bring about the demise of clan McDuck. While the themes of family binding are present throughout the show, this marked an important growth for both Webby and Scrooge, and would pay-off in the series finale. Aside from that, I find this one of the funniest episodes of the whole show, as every attempt to bring the family together leads to a hilarious outcome. Even the villain has a funny running gag, as he’s paired with a goofy partner. On a side note, this episode marked the final pairing of Webby and Dewy, resulting in one of their funniest schemes ever. Throw in an awesome climax with giant statues coming to life, and it’s a solid episode that shouldn’t be overlooked.      

 

#8 “GlomTales!” 

In the aftermath of a previous episode, Louie is grounded, and forced to stay home while the rest of the family go out exploring. Meanwhile, Scrooge’s arch foe Glomgold has come up with the perfect plan to be rid of the McDuck family … by creating one of his own. Thus, he rounds up all the main villains of the show, including the Beagle Boys, Mark Beaks, the Pirate Don Karnage, and of course Magica Dispel, for one grand assault on the family house. 

Louie then finds himself in a position to enact his biggest scheme yet, and it starts by joining Glomgld’s team of villains. This episode marks an important development for Louie’s story arch, but beyond that … it’s the simple novelty of seeing all the shows key villains together for the first time that makes this a personal favorite. It’s like seeing all the Batman rouges together playing poker, and the interactions between these characters is priceless. It all builds to a satisfying brawl between hero’s and villains, plus a twist ending that leaves Louie’s whole character in question. 

 

#7 “A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!” 

In the aftermath of the season one finale, Webby’s mysterious friend Lena has become a full-time ally, and severed all ties to her evil Aunt … the wicked sorcerous Magica Dispel. However, reforming was only the first step, breaking away from the villain’s reach is the next challenge. During a group sleepover, Magica unleashes a spell on Lena and the kids, in which their all trapped in one shared dream ... or in Lina’s case … a living nightmare. I’ve always adored the concept of characters lost in dreamworlds, and this episode takes full advantage of it’s creative potential. 

We see different sides to our characters, lots of fun visuals, detailed environments, musical montages, and a fine blending of comedy with an undercurrent of darkness. It all builds to a thrilling showdown, in which Lina has to battle her own inner demons, and with the help of her friends, vanquish their long-standing enemy from tormenting her mind. While the premise of exploring dreams has been done to death, this series managed to bring something fresh and new to the table, while also adding new layers to the characters along the way. It also gives a little hint at Webby’s parentage when we see what manifests in her subconscious, which was both a smart and effective detail.    

 

#6 “Timephoon!” 

While preparing for a massive hurricane, Louie hatches a scheme to go treasure hunting by traveling through time, and taking riches from the past. 

Little does he know that his actions, paired with the bad weather, have created a freak vortex, colorfully referred to as a “Timephoon”, as it’s randomly sending his family through time, and replacing them with various people and creatures from the past. This episode is significant for a number of reasons … it sets the final stage for Louie’s character arc … it brings back the cave-duck Bubba from the original series … and it even adds new dimensions to Della’s character, as she initially wasn’t very strict to her kids, but has to learn to make the hard choices that come with being a mother. On top of all that, this is just a plain fun episode, with a crazy premise, lots of excitement, big laughs, high stakes, and some fun call-backs for long time fans of the series.  

 

#5 “The Last Adventure!” 

With the whole McDuck family and all their friends gathered to celebrate Webby’s birthday, Huey decides they have the strength and means to be rid of F.O.W.L once of for all. However, after raiding their secret base, the family is shocked to discover that the enemy has one last card to play … and it comes in the form of two little girls cloned from Webby. Questions are raised, distrust begins to build, and between it all, Webby is eager to make both girls part of the family … even if they may secretly, even likely be F.O.W.L agents sent to infiltrate the McDuck inner circle. 

As the enemies begin capturing both family and friends, more and more secrets are revealed, including the truth of Webby’s origin, and the chase is on to beat the villains … before their family is erased, and all adventure lost. After so much build-up, this epic three-part series finale delivers all the goods, with rock-solid action, story arcs reaching satisfying conclusions, and the biggest round-up of players in one thrilling climax. It’s an all-around near-perfect send-off for the show, with countless details to experience … including an amazing little nod to the “Gargoyles” tv show … and more than enough emotional character interactions. 

One of my favorite little sub-plots is Dela excepting that her brother Donald needs to make a life of his own, even if that means going separate ways after just coming back together. However, for the last episode, I would have liked a little more between Webby and the boys, and a little more reflection on the journey the four shared together. I will also admit, I would have liked this episode even more if the twist revolving Webby’s origin tied into Della Duck, and that Webby was secretly her missing daughter the whole time … but that’s just me. What we get still works, the final showdown with the villain Bradford is great, and it leaves us satisfied with the adventure we embarked on with these wonderful characters.     

 

#4 “What Ever Happened to Donald Duck?” 

Just as Della Duck reunited with Scrooge, and tearfully met her three boys for the very first time … her brother Donald Duck had the misfortune of taking her spot trapped on the moon. Now at the mercy of the evil alien General Lunaris, Donald’s only hope to get back home to his family lies within the aid of a female alien named Penny … who was formally Della’s roommate. What ensues is a great escape from his alien captors, which is equal parts funny and exciting. 

As if this episode didn’t have enough going for it … back on Earth, Dewey and Webby are eager for a new mystery to solve, and the lack of communication from Donald leaves them suspicious. Thus, the two embark on a mission to discover his whereabouts, and maybe even learn a little more about their uncle in the process. This is my personal favorite of Dewey and Webby’s paired adventure episodes, as their scenes are nothing short of delightful, while also brilliantly paralleling the events of Donald’s harrowing escape. It all culminates into a brilliant climax in which it’s revealed that Donald’s trade mark outbursts of anger all stem from a place of love and caring. In this one riveting showdown with the villain, my favorite classic Disney cartoon character Donald Duck suddenly feels more special then ever before … and it’s not something I expected from this series.    

 

#3 “The Shadow War!” 

Following after the events of a previous episode, Scrooge has cut all ties to his family, the boys have left the mansion, leaving the richest duck on earth to feel nothing but poor in spirit. This opens the door for Scrooges deadliest enemy Magica Dispel to finally emerge from the shadows, take her revenge, and plunge the whole city into a spell of darkness. On the other side of town, it’s up to Webby and Donald Duck to heal their family wounds … and work together to stop this threat. 

For the first season finale, this two-parter hits it out of the park, with some of the shows most thrilling action, a tight story bringing closure to both Dewey’s arc, as well as the long-awaited arrival of the show’s best villain in all her sinister glory. We also get the novelty of hearing Donald Duck speak clearly for the first time, as well as Webby’s best friend Lina making the ultimate sacrifice to break away from her evil Aunt, in favor of protecting her new family. Throw in an exciting tease for next season, and this finale left me eager for more. While “The Last Adventure!” had a touch more going on, I still found this event to be a little more special … it’s when I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that I was hooked on this series.      

 

#2 “The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!” 

Leading into the season 1 finale is my favorite individual episode of the show that isn’t a multiparter. While on the journey to a new adventure, Scrooge accidently crashes the plane, and it’s stuck doing a balancing act on the tip of a mountain. Meanwhile, Dewy and the kids are on the verge of uncovering the secret of their currently missing mother, which Scrooge is apprehensive of the kids discovering. Despite being set in this one single location the whole time, this episode dose everything in its power to create a perfect twenty minutes of TV programing. 

The atmosphere is tight, claustrophobic, and puts you right in the situation. There’s also a funny running gag in which the kid’s inflight movie is reduced to a menu screen that’s stuck on a loop. The lighting in this episode is especially gorgeous, and compliments the built-up emotion, and turmoil in the characters. It all leads to a suspenseful climax in which Dewy puts his life on the line just to get the answers he’s been searching for. In a heartbreaking twist, Scrooge finally reveals the truth of their mother’s disappearance … resulting in his nephews abandoning him, and leaving their uncle in his denied remorse. It perfectly sets the stage for the finale to come, and is an air-tight episode in of itself, full of suspense and emotional highs.     

 

Before I reveal my #1 favorite, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …

“The Trickening!” (Halloween Special)

“From the Confidential Casefiles of Agent 22!”

“Woo-oo!” (The 2 Part Pilot)

“New Gods on the Block!”

“Last Christmas!”

 

#1 “Moonvasion!“ 

The epic finale of season 2 is about as perfect as they get, and is hands down my favorite episode of the whole series. After a season of build-up, the Moon-aliens finally invade earth with an unstoppable army, and take most of the population prisoner. The evil General Lunaris aims to make the planet fear the Moon as the dominate force of the galaxy, and has an air-tight plan of outsmarting Scrooge and his family. Della, realizing how hopeless the situation is, grabs the four kids, and flees to safety. Meanwhile, Scrooge and his allies try to mount a daring insurrection against the invaders. 

This two-part event almost has too many highlights to re-cap, including the long-awaited reunion between Donald and his sister Della, the first major gathering of various hero’s, a hilarious pairing of Scrooge with his arch rival Glom Gold, tinny yet delightful Dewy and Webby moments sprinkled in, and a beautifully animated, action-packed climax in space. However, the big reason this finale works so perfectly is how it intertwines the conclusion of Della’s journey with her son Louie’s arc. Seeing Louie overcome his faults, and be a figurative parent for his mother is nothing short of beautiful, and it’s this emotional piece at the center which makes the action spectacles feel all the more rewarding. “The Last Adventure!” may have been a perfect conclusion for the show … but “Moonvasion!” is an absolutely perfect episode, and for me was the highlight of the series as a whole.     

   In the end, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this new “DuckTales”, and it highlights that a reboot of an older show can still have value. There’s even a reasonable debate on weather or not this series is superior to the original or not. While I can’t make an objective argument, I will say that I personally prefer this new series, and I think it’s all around one of the best Disney channel programs to come out of the past decade. 

It had the same timeless charm of the original show, lased with the contemporary appeals, comedy, and storytelling of shows like “Gravity Falls”. It may not have broken any new ground, but it proved that Disney can still create quality shows that can still appeal to various ages and demographics. Like I said, I watched the original as a kid, but I’ve never had any interest in re-watching any of it as an adult. This new show however not only appealed to me as an adult, but it also hooked me in with its lovable cast of characters, engaging stories, imaginative outings, and was just a plain good show all around. It takes a lot for an animated program to engage me as an adult, and this show, through its own charm, and qualities managed to do just that. It’s an easy show to recommend to kids, and one even worth recommending to older viewers … especially those of us who grew-up with the original, and are in need of something nostalgic, yet can also stand as something great on its own.

Thanks for reading my review of the 2017 “DuckTales” TV series … and continue to enjoy the shows you love.