First of all, I apologize for my lack of updates the past two days. However, I haven't been completely inactive the last couple of days, as just yesterday I penned a review of the Nintendo game WCW: World Championship Wrestling over at Axe Bomber Magazine. So, if you want to check that out, head on over to the Bomber now at http://www.axebombermag.com/?p=684. Now onto the topic of today's post, a little cartoon from the early 1990s known as Pro Stars. Pro Stars detailed the trails and tribulations of three world class athletes, Wayne Gretzky, Bo Jackson, and Michael Jordan, in their other lives as a crime-fighting team which proclaimed themselves "all about helping kids". They lived in an underground bunker and were assisted by a technical guru known only as Mom and her young apprentice Denise. The cartoon aired on NBC and lasted only 13 episodes, but in that time had two different theme songs. So, with all that said, let's get on with this review.
Episode 1: The Slugger Returns - In the first episode, the pro stars get a tape from young Jimmy Hanks, whose father disappears after a slight disagreement between the two. As it turns out, Jimmy's father is Slugger Hanks, the curator of the Sports Hall of Fame Museum. Mom and Denise come in and show off some of the Pro Stars' new tools of justice. Mom is an over the top old Jewish woman, even to the point of being overly concerned about money. It's a bit offensive, actually. Anyway, the new tools are a wrist band that turns into a hockey stick and a boomerang puck for Wayne, a bat that shoots out baseballs, has a large powered laser, and shoots out a harpoon grappling hook for Bo. As for Michael, he gets some basketballs that fly or something. Anyway, the team takes off in Pro Star 1, a plane that looks like a sneaker, and head to the Hall of Fame museum.
The Pro Stars meet up with young Jimmy, who explains his dad's disappearance. There's a huge statue of Babe Ruth in front of the building, which will come into play later. When the Pro Stars enter the museum, they are greeted by the sweet sounds of mad man Clockwork Delaronge. who explains that he has kidnapped Slugger and is coming after Jimmy next. A statue of former baseball great Cleets Robinson tries to kidnap the kid, but Wayne's boomerang puck stops that. Wayne's hungry, so the Pro Stars go to the snack bar to watch Wayne eat 55 sandwiches. Seriously, he had a stack of sandwiches as tall as Shawn Bradley. Well, Wayne doesn't get to enjoy his sandwiches, be Clockwork Delaronge sends his robot made up of various sporting goods to push a giant basketball at the team. While Michael and Bo dispose of the basketball, another one of Delaronge's remote control statues makes off with Jimmy while Wayne has his back turned. The gang ends up in the hunter's exhibit, and deal unsuccessfully with a giant grizzly bear and a shark, as Wayne and Bo somehow end up in the shark's stomach while Michael takes the mother of all bear hugs. Meanwhile, Clockwork's Delaronge evil plan is revealed, as he's going to lure Slugger into keeping his scheduled meeting with the commissioner of baseball, who is here to present the Babe Ruth statue. Meanwhile, Delaronge is going to control the giant statue through a device to kidnap the commissioner and bankrupt organized baseball. Must be a Cubs fan. Actually, the real reason Clockwork Delaronge is doing this is because he's upset that he didn't play center field as a kid. Um, ok then.
Anyway, Slugger meets with the commissioner, and the two end up trapped in Babe Ruth's belt. Delaronge demands a ransom of either 100 million dollars or the combined salaries of all the left-handed relievers in Major League Baseball. Even in 1991, I highly doubt a 100 million dollar loss would be enough to completely bankrupt baseball, but what do I know. The Pro Stars, now free from their traps, go after Delaronge in his command center in Babe Ruth's right eye. Jordan tries to fly Pro Stars one into the statue, but Delaronge uses the Babe to deliver Michael nearly out of orbit. Although the plane is crashed, Michael ejects and uses his flying basketballs to remain in the air. Meanwhile, Bo and Wayne climb up the statue with special shoes, and Bo delivers a line drive into the control unit on the Babe's wrist. This causes Delaronge to lose control, but also causes the statue to collapse and hang between two buildings. Wayne and Jimmy end up hanging off the nose of the statue, and with the help of the flying basketball, Wayne is able to guide Jimmy down to safety. Meanwhile, Jordan hands his other two basketballs to Slugger and the commissioner, while Bo uses the harpoon grappling hook feature on his bat to make a temporary rope bridge for him and Jordan to cross into safety. Delaronge leaves and promises he'll be back, and everyone ends up happy as Jimmy rejoins his little league team with the knowledge that his dad will support him no matter what. Afterwards, Bo and Wayne answer various viewer questions. As it turns out, both men like to take naps before games in order to be at their best. Also, Wayne would choose Andre Aggasi as the fourth Pro Star, while Bo went with Nolan Ryan. They are both wrong, as the fourth Pro Star should have been Buster Douglas. Well, this was downright silly, as most of the jokes weren't very good and there's a whole bunch of things that bewilder me, such as why is Wayne Gretzky so hungry? Overall, I guess it wasn't all that bad. I'd give the episode a 4.2 out of 10.
Episode 2: Gargantus and the Highway of Doom -The Pro Stars are hanging out at Mom's gym watching a video sent in by Shelia from a small town in Australia. Apparently a gang of bikers led by a man named Gargantus really took to Mad Max and The Road Warrior, so they decided to start their own renegade gang with mohawks and motorbikes and everything. To make matters worse, Gargantus and his merry men have taken the townspeople hostage, including Sheila's father, and Shelia's brother Keith has decided to do what he can to join the Gargantuans. In this episode, Mom's gadgets include a boomerang with a surveillance camera mounted on top of it, with the camera's feed going into a portable television, as well as a remote control for Pro Stars One, so no one has to be in the plane in order to control it. That has disaster written all over it, as Wayne Gretzky shows by accidentally backing the plane through a wall. But I guess the plane is fine, as we are off to Australia.
While Wayne complains about his lack of food, the Pro Stars crash their plane trying to avoid a kangaroo. As it turns out, that is Shelia's pet kangaroo. Shelia leads the Pro Stars into town, which as it turns out is deserted since Gargantus enslaved everyone. This upsets Wayne because now he can't eat. Bo uses the spyerang to find out Gargantus' location, which is on the top of a giant mountain where's he having the townspeople build him a castle. Even though Gargantus destroys the boomerang with a rock, the Pro Stars know where to go now. However, Gargantus gets Keith to drive a car into a giant boulder, knocking the boulder down the path the Pro Stars and Shelia are coming up. Uh oh. Fortunately, Michael Jordan has a basketball in his pocket which inflates to the size of the boulder. Unfortunately, the plan backfires as the boulder knocks the ball down the hill instead. However, Jordan uses his hops to leap on the basketball and somehow the three put a stop to the basketball. Also, the boulder bounces off the giant ball right back to the mountain, where it lands of Gargantus' driver Froggy. Well, clearly Gargantus is not pleased by this turn of events, and so he sends his gang down there to capture Shelia and the Pro Stars. Despite their best efforts using Wayne's egg pucks (seriously, their secret weapons were pucks that turned into eggs? It would have been more effective had Wayne just fired some pucks in their faces instead). The Pro Stars are captured and thrown into a makeshift prison. But on the plus side, Shelia is reunited with her father in the prison, so that's something.
Fate intervenes in the Pro Stars' favor, as Shelia's pet kangaroo somehow comes up to the prison undetected with the plane's remote control in it's pouch. Also, since the Gargantuans have decided to pimp out Pro Stars One by adding some spikes to it, Michael is able to quickly move the plane into the wall, creating a giant hole and freeing the Pro Stars. To escape, the Pro Stars slow their opponents down by flinging body cuffs on Gargantus' toadies. Well, that certainly was more effective than the egg pucks. However, the Pro Stars are about to be caught, but Michael produces another giant basketball, this one with a ring around it, so the Pro Stars and their crew bounces off into safety. Wayne finds a truck, and the Pro Stars get in to get away from the Gargantuans and for Wayne to find the nearest Taco Bell so he can shut his damn mouth about wanting food. One of the Gargantuans leaps on the back of the truck and has Jordan by the ankles, but Keith finally comes to his senses and pulls the hooligan from the truck to his sure demise. Meanwhile, Bo uses Wayne's high protein chocolate shake to thwart Froggy, so he falls off the bed of the truck. But the Pro Stars are not out of the woods yet, as here come Gargantus, and he's mad. The two sides decide to play chicken and Gargantus wins because the Pro Stars bail out on the giant basketball by poking a hole in it and floating away. But Gargantus does not win the war, as somehow the Pro Stars and Shelia's family is able to steer the ball on top of Gargantus, freeing the townspeople and sending a message to Mad Max imitators everywhere. Afterwords, the family reunites, and Wayne gets blamed for the defacing of the plane after Mom shows up conveniently late. Also, Wayne and Bo answer a question with all the energy of someone wanting to somewhere else at the moment, but unlike Michael, at least they showed up. What a ridiculous episode, it wasn't good, and Wayne's constant whining about food made me want to smack him across the face. I'll give it a 2.4 out of 10 and never think about it again.
Well, thanks for reading. Have any memories about Pro Stars or thoughts about this review. Then share them by leaving a comment. Also, if you have an idea for a future post, then let me know about those either by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Miami Dolphins vs. Houston Oilers - November 20, 1978
Today's post is about the 1978 Monday Night Football classic between the Miami Dolphins and the Houston Oilers. I guess I could have waited another day to watch some NFL football, but since my viewing area always shows Carolina Panthers games, I decided to watch some good football instead. Well, let me tell you, this was one heck of a football game between two quality teams who laid it all out there on the field in front of a rabid Houston audience. The Oilers eventually won the game, 35-30. A few notes about this game.
- This game is primarily remembered as being Earl Campbell's breakout game, as the fullback scored four touchdowns in front of a national television audience. In his prime, Campbell was a force of nature. Not only was he the most punishing runner of his time and maybe of all-time, Campbell also possessed the speed to break off huge runs, as he did in this game with an 81-yard scamper, blowing by the entire Dolphins defense with nary a hand touching him. While that was impressive, I was more impressed with a 3 yard-run by Campbell early in the game. On this play, Campbell lowered his shoulder and lifted a defensive back in the air with a charging run. On another play, Campbell rammed his head into a linebacker, and the linebacker fell straight down on his butt. Overall, Campbell put together a tremendous performance, and for my money, he's the best power back to ever play in the NFL with the exception of Jim Brown.
- Of course, a running back is only as good as the blocking in front of him, and Campbell had some excellent blocking in front of him on this night, especially from his fullback Tim Wilson. Wilson, a man who would go on to play eight years in the NFL, did an excellent job blocking for his halfback. It seemed like the Oilers could run the ball at will, and a lot of that was due to Wilson, who constantly sealed off Miami's athletic linebackers and opened huge holes for Campbell to run through. As a whole, the Oilers' offensive line was very solid, despite losing starting guard George Reihner early in the game.
- Two things about Miami QB Bob Griese. One, Griese was wearing these huge black eyeglasses under his helmet the whole game, which is quite a rare look for an NFL player. To be honest, it looked as if an accountant was playing quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. Two, Griese played a heck of a ballgame, throwing the ball with surgical precision and spreading the ball around to nine different receivers. Overall, Griese went 23 of 33 for 349 yards, and should have had even better numbers, as the Dolphins' receivers dropped a couple of easy passes. Griese only made one mistake in the game, and it happened to come at the worst possible time. With the Dolphins down 28-23 and driving down the field, Griese launched a pass down the middle of the field to his tight end, Andre Tillman. Unfortunately, the ball sailed on Griese and led Tillman into safety Mike Reinfeldt, who not only laid out Tillman with a big hit, but tipped the ball into the hands of Oilers linebacker Steve Kiner for the game clinching interception. Still, Griese was quite impressive, and announcer Howard Cosell repeatedly referred to Griese as the best quarterback in the game.
- Come to think of it, both Cosell and Frank Gifford were rather positive throughout the game. Sure, they weren't quite as complimentary as Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski on today's version of MNF, but the two were rather quick to dish out praise. Some of it was deserved, but a couple of comments were rather silly in hindsight, such as Cosell claiming that Dolphins linebacker Kim Bokamper would be better than Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks.
- At the beginning of the game, Dolphins RB Delvin Williams was the league's leading rusher. While Williams displayed a wide array of skills, from speed to pass catching to running tough up the middle, and played well, he did have one weakness that came into focus during the game. On more than one occasion, Williams decided to run backwards when faced with some traffic, which resulted in some big losses late in the game. These days, running backs are always taught to go forward, and this game showed why, as Williams had two runs with a 7-yard loss. Of course, he then followed up those losses with big runs, so I guess it evened out in the end.
- One player on Houston's defense that I couldn't help noticing was outside linebacker Robert Brazile. Brazile possessed incredible speed for a 230 lb man, and was the key man in Houston's 3-4 defense. In fact, I couldn't help but notice that Houston used Brazile much like the Giants would use Lawrence Taylor in later years, moving Brazile from one side to the other and constantly sending him on blitzes. I found this rather interesting because it is Taylor that is credited for being the original 3-4 rush linebacker, when three years prior to Taylor's debut, the Oilers were utilizing Brazile in the same manner, although he was sent into coverage quite often as well. The point I'm trying to make, I guess, is that maybe we should take a second look at Brazile's accomplishments, as even though Brazlie played in seven Pro Bowls and was named to the All 1970s team, he is largely forgotten today, and that's a shame.
Well, I guess that's enough for now, as I am tired and I want to go to bed. If you have any memories or thoughts about this game, then I would like for you to post those in the comments section. Also, if you have any ideas for future posts, then let me know about them either by leaving a comment of by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
- This game is primarily remembered as being Earl Campbell's breakout game, as the fullback scored four touchdowns in front of a national television audience. In his prime, Campbell was a force of nature. Not only was he the most punishing runner of his time and maybe of all-time, Campbell also possessed the speed to break off huge runs, as he did in this game with an 81-yard scamper, blowing by the entire Dolphins defense with nary a hand touching him. While that was impressive, I was more impressed with a 3 yard-run by Campbell early in the game. On this play, Campbell lowered his shoulder and lifted a defensive back in the air with a charging run. On another play, Campbell rammed his head into a linebacker, and the linebacker fell straight down on his butt. Overall, Campbell put together a tremendous performance, and for my money, he's the best power back to ever play in the NFL with the exception of Jim Brown.
- Of course, a running back is only as good as the blocking in front of him, and Campbell had some excellent blocking in front of him on this night, especially from his fullback Tim Wilson. Wilson, a man who would go on to play eight years in the NFL, did an excellent job blocking for his halfback. It seemed like the Oilers could run the ball at will, and a lot of that was due to Wilson, who constantly sealed off Miami's athletic linebackers and opened huge holes for Campbell to run through. As a whole, the Oilers' offensive line was very solid, despite losing starting guard George Reihner early in the game.
- Two things about Miami QB Bob Griese. One, Griese was wearing these huge black eyeglasses under his helmet the whole game, which is quite a rare look for an NFL player. To be honest, it looked as if an accountant was playing quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. Two, Griese played a heck of a ballgame, throwing the ball with surgical precision and spreading the ball around to nine different receivers. Overall, Griese went 23 of 33 for 349 yards, and should have had even better numbers, as the Dolphins' receivers dropped a couple of easy passes. Griese only made one mistake in the game, and it happened to come at the worst possible time. With the Dolphins down 28-23 and driving down the field, Griese launched a pass down the middle of the field to his tight end, Andre Tillman. Unfortunately, the ball sailed on Griese and led Tillman into safety Mike Reinfeldt, who not only laid out Tillman with a big hit, but tipped the ball into the hands of Oilers linebacker Steve Kiner for the game clinching interception. Still, Griese was quite impressive, and announcer Howard Cosell repeatedly referred to Griese as the best quarterback in the game.
- Come to think of it, both Cosell and Frank Gifford were rather positive throughout the game. Sure, they weren't quite as complimentary as Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski on today's version of MNF, but the two were rather quick to dish out praise. Some of it was deserved, but a couple of comments were rather silly in hindsight, such as Cosell claiming that Dolphins linebacker Kim Bokamper would be better than Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks.
- At the beginning of the game, Dolphins RB Delvin Williams was the league's leading rusher. While Williams displayed a wide array of skills, from speed to pass catching to running tough up the middle, and played well, he did have one weakness that came into focus during the game. On more than one occasion, Williams decided to run backwards when faced with some traffic, which resulted in some big losses late in the game. These days, running backs are always taught to go forward, and this game showed why, as Williams had two runs with a 7-yard loss. Of course, he then followed up those losses with big runs, so I guess it evened out in the end.
- One player on Houston's defense that I couldn't help noticing was outside linebacker Robert Brazile. Brazile possessed incredible speed for a 230 lb man, and was the key man in Houston's 3-4 defense. In fact, I couldn't help but notice that Houston used Brazile much like the Giants would use Lawrence Taylor in later years, moving Brazile from one side to the other and constantly sending him on blitzes. I found this rather interesting because it is Taylor that is credited for being the original 3-4 rush linebacker, when three years prior to Taylor's debut, the Oilers were utilizing Brazile in the same manner, although he was sent into coverage quite often as well. The point I'm trying to make, I guess, is that maybe we should take a second look at Brazile's accomplishments, as even though Brazlie played in seven Pro Bowls and was named to the All 1970s team, he is largely forgotten today, and that's a shame.
Well, I guess that's enough for now, as I am tired and I want to go to bed. If you have any memories or thoughts about this game, then I would like for you to post those in the comments section. Also, if you have any ideas for future posts, then let me know about them either by leaving a comment of by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Canon Movie Review: Breaker Morant
I was in the mood to watch a movie tonight, so I decided to watch Australia's Best Picture Award winner of 1980, Breaker Morant. Actually, Breaker Morant won 10 Australian Film Institute awards in 1980, and was nominated for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. Breaker Morant is the story of a court-martial of three Australian volunteers for the British in the Boer War. The men were serving for a special forces group known as the Bushveldt Carbineers, a group created to counter to guerrilla tactics of the Boers with guerrilla tactics of their own. The three men, George Witton, Peter Handcock, and the titular character Harry "Breaker" Morant, are charged with the murder of both war prisoners and German missionary Rev. Hesse. The movie was based upon an Austrailian play of the same name and was directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy). Breaker Morant stars Edward Woodward (The Equalizer) as Morant, Bryan Brown (Cocktail, F/X) as Handcock, Lewis Fitz-Gerald as Witten, and Jack Thompson (The Good German, Attack of the Clones) as the man called on to defend the three, J.F. Thomas. A few notes about this film, and there will probably be SPOILERS.
- Breaker Morant may be a war movie, but most of the movie does not take place on the battlefield. Rather, the majority of the movie is set in a small room where the court-martial takes place. It is there where the majority of the drama takes place. Also, flashbacks are used the illustrate the actions of the three men on trial, as well as getting a deeper look at the soilders. For example, we see a scene of Handcock, a bit of a wild man who was having affairs with two women while in South Africa, explaining to his wife that he doesn't write letters, and that if you hear something from him, something bad has happened. This serves to give another dimension to Handcock's character.
- Ultimately, the film is seemingly trying to convince the viewer that Breaker Morant and his two fellow soilders were pawns sacrificed by the English government for what they felt was a greater good. In fact, the commander of the British Army, Lord Kitchner, admits as much in the film. This theme is played up throughout the movie, as men just as guilty as Morant and the other on trial, such as Capt. Alfred Taylor, is cleared of their charges in exchange for their testimony in this case. However, the film also does not make the British prosecutors out to be monsters. Rather, they are painted as a group of men who are basically sacrificing these three in order to appease the Boers for possible peace talks as well as preventing the Germans to get involved after one of their missionaries is murdered. The commanders of the British Army are mainly concerned with covering their own butts, so they basically sacrifice three Austrailians in exchange for a possible end to the war. so what's On the one hand, you can somewhat see their point, but on the other hand, it is not right to sacrifice the lives of three men in exchange for a hope of political gain and harmony.
- Morant and Handcock were guilty of their crimes. However, it is unclear whether or not they are being punished for following orders, as Morant and Thomas both repeatedly claim in their defense. According to Thomas, Morant and his men were ordered to a) shoot any Boer wearing a British soilder's uniform, and b) not to bring any prisoners to their base in South Africa, doing with them as they see fit. Although the film presents Morant as being accurate in this regard, it is also hard to prove because Morant's commanding officer, Capt. Hunt, was brutally murdered by the Boers during a skirmish, and that most of the men that knew of this order had conveniently been sent to India just before the trial.
- The guy that got a raw deal in this movie was George Witton. For one, Witton did not participate in the firing squads involved with killing the prisoners and had no knowledge of who killed the missionary. Yes, he did kill a Boar prisoner, but only in self defense after the prisoner attacked Witton and reached for his gun. Yet here he is being tried for a bunch of charges that he had little to no involvement in.
- The acting in this movie is top notch, as Edward Woodward does an excellent job as Breaker Morant. However, I think the real star was Jack Thompson as the defender J.F. Thomas. At first, Thompson is able to portray Thomas as a bit of an inexperienced attorney, which really he was, as the British saw it fit to provide the three with a defender who never tried a court-martial and had a whopping total of one day to prepare. But as the film progresses and Thomas becomes more and more of a thorn in the British's side with a passionate defense, Thompson really begins to shine, and stands out amongst a crowd of very talented actors. Of particular excellence was Thompson's performance during the closing statement of the court-martial, which is one of the better monologues I have seen in any film.
Overall, this is a very good film, deserving of its Oscar nomination and probably meriting a few more. The script is very well written and plays to the actors' strengths, and the actors are more than able to hold their own. Everything about this film is well done, and although it starts out a bit slow, the movie picks up and provides a very interesting tale of a very interesting historic event. Overall, I'd give Breaker Morant an 8.7 out of 10. Thanks for reading, and if you have ever seen this movie, than feel free to share your comments about the film or this post. Also, if you have any ideas for future reviews, then share them either by leaving a comment or by e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com
- Breaker Morant may be a war movie, but most of the movie does not take place on the battlefield. Rather, the majority of the movie is set in a small room where the court-martial takes place. It is there where the majority of the drama takes place. Also, flashbacks are used the illustrate the actions of the three men on trial, as well as getting a deeper look at the soilders. For example, we see a scene of Handcock, a bit of a wild man who was having affairs with two women while in South Africa, explaining to his wife that he doesn't write letters, and that if you hear something from him, something bad has happened. This serves to give another dimension to Handcock's character.
- Ultimately, the film is seemingly trying to convince the viewer that Breaker Morant and his two fellow soilders were pawns sacrificed by the English government for what they felt was a greater good. In fact, the commander of the British Army, Lord Kitchner, admits as much in the film. This theme is played up throughout the movie, as men just as guilty as Morant and the other on trial, such as Capt. Alfred Taylor, is cleared of their charges in exchange for their testimony in this case. However, the film also does not make the British prosecutors out to be monsters. Rather, they are painted as a group of men who are basically sacrificing these three in order to appease the Boers for possible peace talks as well as preventing the Germans to get involved after one of their missionaries is murdered. The commanders of the British Army are mainly concerned with covering their own butts, so they basically sacrifice three Austrailians in exchange for a possible end to the war. so what's On the one hand, you can somewhat see their point, but on the other hand, it is not right to sacrifice the lives of three men in exchange for a hope of political gain and harmony.
- Morant and Handcock were guilty of their crimes. However, it is unclear whether or not they are being punished for following orders, as Morant and Thomas both repeatedly claim in their defense. According to Thomas, Morant and his men were ordered to a) shoot any Boer wearing a British soilder's uniform, and b) not to bring any prisoners to their base in South Africa, doing with them as they see fit. Although the film presents Morant as being accurate in this regard, it is also hard to prove because Morant's commanding officer, Capt. Hunt, was brutally murdered by the Boers during a skirmish, and that most of the men that knew of this order had conveniently been sent to India just before the trial.
- The guy that got a raw deal in this movie was George Witton. For one, Witton did not participate in the firing squads involved with killing the prisoners and had no knowledge of who killed the missionary. Yes, he did kill a Boar prisoner, but only in self defense after the prisoner attacked Witton and reached for his gun. Yet here he is being tried for a bunch of charges that he had little to no involvement in.
- The acting in this movie is top notch, as Edward Woodward does an excellent job as Breaker Morant. However, I think the real star was Jack Thompson as the defender J.F. Thomas. At first, Thompson is able to portray Thomas as a bit of an inexperienced attorney, which really he was, as the British saw it fit to provide the three with a defender who never tried a court-martial and had a whopping total of one day to prepare. But as the film progresses and Thomas becomes more and more of a thorn in the British's side with a passionate defense, Thompson really begins to shine, and stands out amongst a crowd of very talented actors. Of particular excellence was Thompson's performance during the closing statement of the court-martial, which is one of the better monologues I have seen in any film.
Overall, this is a very good film, deserving of its Oscar nomination and probably meriting a few more. The script is very well written and plays to the actors' strengths, and the actors are more than able to hold their own. Everything about this film is well done, and although it starts out a bit slow, the movie picks up and provides a very interesting tale of a very interesting historic event. Overall, I'd give Breaker Morant an 8.7 out of 10. Thanks for reading, and if you have ever seen this movie, than feel free to share your comments about the film or this post. Also, if you have any ideas for future reviews, then share them either by leaving a comment or by e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A look back at Bobby Cox's World Series Teams
This post comes from an idea from Canon Review reader Dickson S. Since I'm not exactly sure how to introduce, I'll just repost his idea here:
Since the Atlanta Braves are going to the Playoffs again for the first time in 5 years or so I thought up this idea.
Since the Atlanta Braves are going to the Playoffs again for the first time in 5 years or so I thought up this idea.
Talk about each year/time that the Braves actually made it to the world series. 91,92 so on and so forth. Talk about the series and what your thoughts are... on if you think they should have won. For instance there were a few World Series that the Braves were in that could have went either way. You can mention your thoughts on the teams they played and if you think the Braves lineups matched up to the Twins, Blue Jays.....etc.
And finally once that is all complete mention your thoughts on today's 2010 Braves and how you think they will do in the 2010 Playoffs?
Well, that sounds all right to me, so let's look back at the Braves' World Series appearances under the legendary Bobby Cox.
1991- Braves vs. Minnesota Twins, Twins win 4 games to 3 - In one of the greatest World Series ever, the Braves battled the Twins in a battle of two teams that jumped from worst-to-first. There was three extra innings games, including the final game, which ended in a 1-0 score for the Twins. The Braves could have won had Lonnie Smith not fallen for Chuck Knoblauch's deke, causing Smith to eventually stop at third on Terry Pendleton's double. Really, the series could have gone either way. Both teams were rather even, as each team had three quality starting pitchers, and while the Twins had the best reliever in Rick Aguilera, the Braves had the better overall bullpen by a slight edge. Offensively, both teams got nothing out of the first base position, as the Twins Kent Hrbek hit 3 for 26, while the Braves combo of Sid Bream and Brian Hunter went a combined 7 for 45. Both teams got key contributions from role players, as Braves 2B Mark Lemke hit .417 in the World and got the game winning hit in game 3, while Twins 3B Scott Leius hit .357 and hit the game winning home run in game 2. Overall, this was a great battle between two good teams that could have gone either way. It would be easy to blame Smith for his baserunning gaffe, but to be fair, he did hit three home runs, including a game tying homer late in game 4. If anyone could have made a difference, it would have been Braves speedster Otis Nixon, but he was suspended for the postseason after failing a drug test. But really, the series was so close that it's hard to blame the Braves for coming up just a game short. If only they could have hit Jack Morris.
1992 World Series - Braves vs. Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto wins 4 games to 2 - There are three things I remember most about this series. One was the controversy that ensued after the Canadian flag was displayed upside down during the signing of the Canadian national anthem before game 2. Also, there was Devon White's great leaping catch in game three that should have resulted in a triple play, but the umpire missed the call on Kelly Gruber's tag of Deion Sanders, and then there was Toronto catcher Pat Borders, who had the series of his life, hitting .450 and walking away with the World Series MVP. Oddly enough, the Braves got a second chance to face Jack Morris in the World Series, and this time, the Braves' only two wins came off of the same man that had frustrated them so much in the previous year's series. Coming into the series, the teams looked rather even, but the Braves figured to have the edge in pitching. While the Braves' rotation of Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Steve Avery pitched well (combined 2.55) ERA, the Braves' bullpen struggled, as Jeff Reardon gave up game winning hits in back to back games, and it was Charlie Liebrandt that gave up the eventual Series clinching hit to Dave Winfield in game 6. Offensively, two of the Braves' big guns, Ron Gant and David Justice, struggled mightily against Toronto pitching, as they combined to hit 5-27 with a combined three RBIs. Despite Deion Sanders best efforts (8 hits in 15 at bats), the Braves just came up short again. Ultimately, the Jays' clutch hitting and quality bullpen (one earned run in 17 innings) propelled them to Canada's first World Series champion. The Braves might have been a slightly better team, but the Blue Jays definitely were a deserving champion.
1995 World Series - Braves vs. Cleveland Indians, Braves win 4 games to 2 - This was a battle of strengths, as the Braves' vaunted pitching staff battled the Indians' high powered offense. The Indians came in with a 100-44 record after the shortened 1995 season, powered by an offense that led the majors in nearly every major offensive category. The Braves weren't exactly slouches on offense, but their lineup had nowhere near the firepower of the Indians. So, what did the Indians do against the Braves' pitching? They hit .179 and scored a mere 19 runs in their six games after averaging nearly six runs a game in the regular season. The only Indians regular that was effective in the series was Albert Belle, and even he (.235, 2 HR, 7 BB) was nowhere near the player he was in the regular season. With the exception of John Smoltz, who struggled in game 3, the Braves' pitching annihilated the Indians' hitting, culminating with MVP Tom Glavine's and Mark Wohlers combined one-hitter in the series clinching game. The success of the 1995 Braves just goes to show that great pitching can beat great hitting.
1996 World Series - Braves vs. New York Yankees, Yankees win 4 games to 2 - This one hurt. In hindsight, it may look as if the Yankees had the better team, but at the time it was thought that the Braves would easily take this series. Not only did the Braves have the better rotation, they also had a deeper lineup and more offensive firepower than the 96 Bronx Bombers. After the first two games, in which the Braves won by a combined total of 16-1, it looked as if Atlanta might sweep the Yankees. But once again, the Braves' bullpen faltered when they needed them the most, specifically in game 4, when the Braves blew a 6-0 lead. Yankees pitching shut down the Braves in games 5 and 6, and the Yankees won their first World Series since 1978. Even though the Braves' starters put together a 1.48 ERA, they fell short once again. Honestly, when you compare the two teams, you would figure the Braves would have won, but obviously that did not happen. If only Wohlers hadn't of hung that slider to Jim Leyritz in game 6.
1999 World Series - Braves vs. Yankees, Yankees win 4 games to 0 - The Braves won 103 games in the regular, although I don't see how. 1B Andres Galarraga missed the entire season due to cancer, C Javy Lopez misses most of the season due to injury, and outside of Chipper Jones, Ryan Klesko, Andruw Jones, and Brian Jordan, the Braves had a bunch of below average players in their lineup. Pitching wise, although SP Kevin Millwood and CP John Rocker were outstanding, Glavine and Maddux didn't have their typical excellent seasons, although they still were pretty good. Meanwhile, the Yankees had All-Stars at nearly every position, and had just won the World Series in 1998. In game 1, John Rocker continued the Braves' tradition of bullpen woes in the World Series after reliving Greg Maddux in the eighth inning, and in game 3, the Braves had a 5-2 lead heading into the seventh inning, but eventually lost after Chad Curtis' game ending homer. The Yankees would sweep the Braves, outscoring the Braves 21-9. It might have helped had Andruw Jones and Jordan hadn't combined to hit 2-26 in the series, but quite frankly, the Yankees were just the better team that year.
Before I end this post, I have to mention the 1998 Braves. After all, they were Bobby Cox's best regular season squad, finishing the season with 106 wins. That team was powered by four players which hit 30 or more home runs (Galarraga, Lopez, both Joneses) and boasted a pitching staff in which each starter won at least 16 games, and the big three of Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz combined for a 55-18 record and a 2.49 ERA. However, in the NLCS the Braves ran into the San Diego Padres and Sterling Hitchcock, an otherwise mediocre pitcher who frustrated the Braves by winning two games and allowing a mere five hits and one run in his two starts. Hitchcock and the Padres' shutdown of the best Braves team in the Bobby Cox prevented Atlanta from a showdown with the Yankees in the World Series, and although the Yankees were a heck of a team that year, I'm willing to bet that the Braves would have had a better shot at beating the Yanks than the Padres did. But that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
It would be nice if the Braves could finish off Bobby Cox's career with another appearance in the World Series. It doesn't look that likely, as the Phillies are probably the most complete team in baseball, and the Giants are not exactly a pushover in the NLDS. On paper, it looks as if the Braves will be unable to reach their sixth World Series under Bobby Cox. But, as the Braves have proven, the games aren't played on paper, and many times the team that has the most talent doesn't win the series. So, if the Braves get some good pitching and a couple of their hitters get hot at the right time, who knows? Maybe Bobby Cox will go out on top.
Well, thanks for reading. Feel free to share any memories of the Braves' World Series teams, or any disagreements you may have with this post in the comments section. Also, if you have any ideas for future reviews, then let me know about them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Canon Review 2010 MLB Preview Postseason Review (and Postseason Preview)
Another baseball season has come and gone, or at least it has for the majority of teams in Major League Baseball. With that in mind, here's a look back at the predictions I made at the beginning of the year, and just how accurate I was. If you want to check out the original preview post, and the mid-season review, they can be found at http://thecanonreview.blogspot.com/2010/04/canon-review-2010-mlb-preview.html and http://thecanonreview.blogspot.com/2010/07/canon-review-2010-mlb-preview-mid.html.
AL East: (* - Wild Card winner)
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays (96-66)
2. Tampa Bay Rays New York Yankees* (95-67)
3. Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox (89-73)
4. Baltimore Orioles Toronto Blue Jays (85-77)
5. Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles (66-96)
Well, at least I got the playoff teams right. The Rays and Yankees spent most of the season trading first place in the division, and finished the season with the two best records in the American League. The Red Sox also had a solid season, but fell somewhat short of their preseason expectations due to a stream of injuries and problems with pitching, as the Sox did not have a solid third starter behind Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester. The Blue Jays exceeded expectations, as they finished with a winning record behind a major league leading 257 home runs, including 54 from the surprise of the year, 3B Jose Bautista. The Orioles weren't quite as good as I had expected, but they did play better after manager Buck Showalter arrived (34-23 under Showalter). The Orioles still have some good young talent, but have a large mountain to climb in order to just get out of the cellar next year.
AL Central
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins (94-68)
2. Chicago White Sox Chicago White Sox (88-74)
3. Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers (81-81)
4. Cleveland Indians Cleveland Indians (69-93)
5. Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals (67-95)
Well, I had this division down pat. The Twins were able to win the division despite playing without All-Star closer Joe Nathan for the entire season, and former MVP 1B Justin Morneau for half the season. Chicago and Detroit had realistic chances at taking this division, but Detroit fell out of contention by August and the White Sox were plagued by inconsistency on offense, outside of Paul Konerko. The Indians and Royals were never really factors in the AL Central race, as the two teams battled for fourth place for most of the season.
AL West
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. LA Angels of Anaheim Texas Rangers (90-72)
2. Texas Rangers Oakland Athletics (81-81)
3. Seattle Mariners LA Angels of Anaheim (80-82)
4. Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners (61-101)
If only I had followed my gut and picked Texas to win. Instead, I went with what I felt was the smart choice and picked the Angels. Behind a solid pitching staff and an offense powered by likely MVP Josh Hamilton, the Rangers picked up their first division title since 1999. The Athletics were found lacking for offense, but their league leading pitching (3.58 team ERA) carried the team to a .500 record and a second place finish in the West. The Angels made a big move in acquiring SP Dan Haren in July, but they never were realistically in the race. The Mariners were a popular pick to win the West at the beginning of the year, and while I wasn't among their supporters, nobody expected the Mariners to drop off the way they did. The Mariners lost 101 behind an offense that finished last in the AL in nearly every major category. Outside of OF Ichiro Suzuki, the Mariners offense was a black hole, providing no support for a pitching staff that wasn't too bad.
NL East
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies (97-65)
2. Atlanta Braves* Atlanta Braves* (91-71)
3. New York Mets Florida Marlins (80-82)
4. Florida Marlins New York Mets (79-83)
5. Washington Nationals Washington Nationals (69-93)
Well, I had the Phillies winning it at the beginning of the year, but truth be told, I also felt at the All-Star break that the Phillies would miss the playoffs. I guess I should have just stuck with my original pick. Other than that, this is the only other division I got exactly right. The Phillies looked like a disappointment the first four months of the season, but the mid-season trade for SP Roy Oswalt and likely Cy Young winner Roy Halladay powered the Phillies down the stretch, and the Phillies survived their numerous injuries in their lineup to finish with baseball's best record. The Braves were actually in first for most of the year, but injuries to 3B Chipper Jones and 2B Martin Prado hurt an already low-powered offense. However, the Braves' strong pitching staff and timely hitting has them in the playoffs in manager Bobby Cox's final season. The Marlins fired manager Fredi Gonzalez during the season, while the Mets fired their manager, Jerry Manuel, today. The Mets got off to a hot start, but injuries and a lack of hitting outside of 3B David Wright contributed to their downfall, while the Marlins were just too up-and-down to seriously compete. The Nationals were sparked by the debut of phenom SP Steven Strasburg, but they finished last once again, and with Strasburg likely out for 2011 due to a severe elbow injury, the Nats' might be visiting last place again next year.
NL Central
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. St. Louis Cardinals Cincinnati Reds (91-71)
2. Milwaukee Brewers St. Louis Cardinals (86-76)
3. Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Brewers (77-85)
4. Cincinnati Reds Houston Astros (76-86)
5. Houston Astros Chicago Cubs (75-87)
6. Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates (57-105)
Well, lo and behold, the Reds pulled it out. I must admit that I didn't think much of the Reds' chances to hold on to the NL Central lead, but the NL's best offense pushed the Reds to their first playoff appearance since 1995. Reds' 1B Joey Votto is the likely MVP of the NL, and a resurgence from 3B Scott Rolen helped power the Reds' offense. The Cardinals looked like the most talented team in the division on paper, but they don't play games on paper, and the Cardinals disappointed down the stretch. The Brewers had the bats, but lacked the pitching to make them contenders. The Astros were actually a little better than I thought they would be, as they played hard under manager Brad Mills. The Cubs, meanwhile, had too many players that failed to live up to their massive contracts, and they might need to clean house completely. The Pirates has some quality rookies like 2B Neil Walker and 3B Pedro Alverez make their debuts, but this may have been the worst Pirates team yet in their 18 year stretch of losing seasons. There are a whole bunch of kids graduating high school next spring that have never seen a winning season from the Pirates, and next year will more than likely be more of the same.
NL West
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. Colorado Rockies San Francisco Giants (92-70)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres (90-72)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks Colorado Rockies (83-79)
4. San Francisco Giants Los Angeles Dodgers (80-82)
5. San Diego Padres Arizona Diamondbacks (65-97)
Although I had the Giants fourth at the beginning of the year, I also said that they would be contenders in a tight division. Well, the Giants did surprise me, as rookie C Buster Posey and OFs Pat Burrell and Andres Torres gave new life to an offense that desperately needed it. That, along with a top notch pitching staff, powered the Giants to the title. The Padres surprised everybody, and spent most of the year in first place. They just couldn't hold on to the lead at the end, as the Padres just didn't have enough offensive firepower outside of 1B Adrian Gonzalez. The Rockies tried to get back in the race in September behind SS Troy Tulowtizki and OF Carlos Gonzalez, but came up short. The Dodgers were clearly affected by the chaos in their front office, and were inconsistent for most of the season. In hindsight, I overestimated the Diamondbacks' talent, although 2B Kelly Johnson did have a nice season, and young Daniel Hudson came out of nowhere to put together a spectacular second half.
Award Predictions:
AL MVP:
1. Joe Mauer, C, Twins (.327 BA, 9 HR, 75 RBI,)
2. Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees (.256, 33, 108)
3. Kendry Morales, 1B, Angels (.290, 11, 39)
Dark Horse: Nelson Cruz, RF, Rangers (.318, 22, 70)
Current Favorites:
1. Josh Hamilton, LF, Rangers (.359, 32, 100, 1044 OPS)
2. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers, (.328, 38, 126)
3. Robinson Cano, 2B, Yankees, (.319, 29, 109)
Mauer had a strong season, finishing third in the AL in batting average and third in on-base percentage (.402). He didn't hit for the same power he did last year, but Mauer should get some MVP votes. Teixeira led the league in runs with 113 and finished in the top 10 in home runs and RBIs, but most people wouldn't consider Teixeira the most valuable player on his own team. Morales missed most of the season after breaking his leg celebrating a game winning home run, while Cruz also battled with injuries for much of the season. Among the favorites, Hamilton has the best numbers, leading the league in batting average, slugging percentage (.633) and OPS. However, Hamilton's chances may be hurt by his missing most of September with a rib injury. Cabrera led the AL in RBI, finished second in batting average and third in home runs, but he will be penalized due to his team's lack of success. Cano is coming off one of the best seasons a second baseman has ever had, finishing the season with 200 hits, over 100 RBIs and runs and nearly 30 home runs. Ultimately, the award will probably go to Hamilton, but it will be a close vote.
NL MVP:
1. Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies (.275, 16, 65)
2. Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals (.312, 42, 118)
3. Ryan Braun, LF, Brewers (.304, 25, 103)
Dark Horse: Justin Upton, RF, Diamondbacks (.273, 17, 69)
Current Favorites:
1. Joey Votto, 1B, Reds (.324, 37, 113, 1024 OPS)
2. Pujols
3. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Rockies, (.336, 34, 117)
Utley missed over two months due to injury and was never really a candidate, so bad choice on my part. Pujols put together yet another MVP-caliber season, leading the NL in home runs and RBIs and finishing second in OPS (1011). Since his Cardinals failed to make the playoffs, that could hurt, especially since Votto put together similar numbers to Pujols, leading the league in OBP (.424), SLG (.600), and leading his Reds to the postseason. Gonzalez led the NL in hitting and had a monster second half, but will lose votes due to the Rockies not making the playoffs and because of the season his teammate Troy Tulowitzki (.315 BA, .949 OPS) had. As for my other preseason choices, Braun had a solid, but unspectacular year, and Upton failed to build on his solid season last year. Look for Votto to capture the MVP this season.
AL Cy Young Award:
1. Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners (13-12 win-loss record, 2.27 ERA, 232 Strikeouts)
2. C.C. Sabathia, SP, Yankees (21-7, 3.18, 197)
3. Zack Greinke, SP, Royals (10-14, 4.17, 181)
Dark Horse: Brett Anderson, SP, Athletics (7-6, 2.80, 75)
Current Favorites:
1. Hernandez
2. Sabathia
3. David Price, SP, Rays (19-6, 2.72, 188)
The only thing that could keep Hernandez from winning his first Cy Young is a lack of wins. Hernandez led the AL in ERA and H/9 (6.993), and finished second in strikeouts as well as WHIP (1.057). However, since Hernandez played for a team that couldn't score if they lead off each inning with a runner on second, his win total of 13 would be the lowest of any Cy Young Award winning starting pitcher. Sabathia was solid, leading the league in wins and finishing in the top ten in many other categories, while Price finished 2nd in wins and 3rd in ERA. As for my other preseason choices, Greinke could not repeat his remarkable 2009, while Anderson pitched well when healthy, but only started 19 games due to injury. The award should go to Hernandez, but his low win total could make voters go with Sabathia or Price instead.
NL Cy Young
1. Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies (21-10, 2.44, 219)
2. Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants (16-10, 3.43, 231)
3. Chris Carpenter, SP, Cardinals (16-9, 3.22, 179)
Dark Horse: Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies (19-8, 2.88, 214)
Current Favorites:
1. Halladay
2. Jimenez
3. Adam Wainwright, SP, Cardinals (20-11, 2.42, 213)
Halladay was everything the Phillies hoped for when they traded for him last offseason, leading the NL in wins, innings pitched (250.2), and complete games (9). Halladay also finished second in strikeouts and third in ERA, and led the league in SO/BB (7.300). Lincecum and Carpenter both were very good this season as well, but there were others that were just a little better. For the season's first few months, it looked as if Jimenez might win 25 games, but he slowed down some in the second half. Still, Jimenez finished third in both wins and strikeouts, and may get some credit for pitching in the league's toughest pitchers park, Coors Field. Wainwright put together a season that would have won him the award most seasons, finishing second in wins in ERA, but Halladay was just that much better, and should win the award this year.
AL Rookie of the Year:
1. Wade Davis, SP, Rays (12-10, 4.07, 113)
2. Scott Sizemore, 2B, Tigers (.224, 3, 14)
3. Brian Matusz, SP, Orioles (10-12, 4.30, 143)
Dark Horses: Lou Marson/Carlos Santana, C, Indians (Marson: .195, 3, 22 Santana: .260, 6, 22)
Current Favorites:
1. Neftali Feliz, RP, Rangers, (40 saves, 2.73, 71 SO)
2. Austin Jackson, CF, Tigers (.293, 4, 41, 27 steals)
3. John Jaso, C, Rays, (.263, 5, 44)
Realistically, this is a two horse race between Feliz and Jackson. Feliz will get credit for being the closer on a playoff bound team, and his 40 saves finished third in the AL. Plus, Feliz held batters to a .176 batting average against and struck out 9.2 batters per nine innings. Jackson proved to be a capable center fielder for the Tigers, finishing sixth in the AL in runs (103), and ninth in hits (181). Jaso had a decent year as the Rays leadoff hitter, posting a .372 OBP. As for my preseason picks, Davis was a decent starter, but his performance was rather unspectacular. Sizemore lost the second base job in Detroit and struggled most of the year. Matusz had his moments, but was too up and down to be a serious contender for the award, and while Santana played well in his limited action, Marson struggled, and both men didn't get a whole lot of at bats in their first year. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Feliz is a unanimous selection.
NL Rookie of the Year:
1. Jason Heyward, RF, Braves (.277, 18, 72)
2. Alcides Escobar, SS, Brewers (.235, 4, 41)
3. Stephen Strasburg, SP, Nationals (5-3, 2.91, 92)
Dark Horse: Pedro Alvarez, 3B/1B, Pirates (.256, 16, 64)
Current Favorites:
1. Heyward
2. Buster Posey, C, Giants, (.305, 18, 67)
3. Jaime Garcia, SP, Cardinals, (13-8, 2.70, 132)
One thing's for sure, this is a vote that will be very close. Heyward impressed from the very first at-bat, finishing 4th in OBP (.393) and walks (91), and getting many timely hits for the Braves. Posey turned the whole season around for the Giants after his callup, giving the Giants a much needed bat in the middle of the order, and Posey was named the NL Player of the Month for July. Garcia finished 4th in the NL in ERA and provided the Cards with a solid third starter behind Wainwright and Carpenter. As for the other presason picks, Escobar couldn't hit enough to seriously contend for the award. Strasburg was great for the Nationals, but didn't play enough to draw much consideration. Alvarez, much like Posey, was a midseason callup, but did not provide the same impact Posey did. My pick would be Heyward, but Posey could get some votes due to his offensive superiority at a defensive position, and his impact on the Giants' division winning campaign.
As for the playoffs, in the National League, I predict the Braves and Phillies to get past the Giants and Reds, respectively. As much as I would like to pick the Braves to go to the World Series, it's pretty hard to ignore the Phillies' pitching and the fact that they ate the Braves alive during their games in the last month. So I'll have to go with my head and pick Philadelphia for the pennant. In the American League. I predict the Yankees and Rays to continue their year-long battle for supremacy, with the Yankees ultimately beating the Rays in the ALCS. As for the World Series, I picked the Yankees to win it all at the beginning of the year, and despite the questions surrounding their pitching, I will still pick them to win it all at the end of the year.
Well, that took a while. I hope that it wasn't too bad of a read. Thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about the just completed baseball season, then please feel free to share those thoughts in the comments. Also, if you have an idea for a future post, then share those either by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
AL East: (* - Wild Card winner)
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays (96-66)
2. Tampa Bay Rays New York Yankees* (95-67)
3. Boston Red Sox Boston Red Sox (89-73)
4. Baltimore Orioles Toronto Blue Jays (85-77)
5. Toronto Blue Jays Baltimore Orioles (66-96)
Well, at least I got the playoff teams right. The Rays and Yankees spent most of the season trading first place in the division, and finished the season with the two best records in the American League. The Red Sox also had a solid season, but fell somewhat short of their preseason expectations due to a stream of injuries and problems with pitching, as the Sox did not have a solid third starter behind Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester. The Blue Jays exceeded expectations, as they finished with a winning record behind a major league leading 257 home runs, including 54 from the surprise of the year, 3B Jose Bautista. The Orioles weren't quite as good as I had expected, but they did play better after manager Buck Showalter arrived (34-23 under Showalter). The Orioles still have some good young talent, but have a large mountain to climb in order to just get out of the cellar next year.
AL Central
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. Minnesota Twins Minnesota Twins (94-68)
2. Chicago White Sox Chicago White Sox (88-74)
3. Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers (81-81)
4. Cleveland Indians Cleveland Indians (69-93)
5. Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals (67-95)
Well, I had this division down pat. The Twins were able to win the division despite playing without All-Star closer Joe Nathan for the entire season, and former MVP 1B Justin Morneau for half the season. Chicago and Detroit had realistic chances at taking this division, but Detroit fell out of contention by August and the White Sox were plagued by inconsistency on offense, outside of Paul Konerko. The Indians and Royals were never really factors in the AL Central race, as the two teams battled for fourth place for most of the season.
AL West
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. LA Angels of Anaheim Texas Rangers (90-72)
2. Texas Rangers Oakland Athletics (81-81)
3. Seattle Mariners LA Angels of Anaheim (80-82)
4. Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners (61-101)
If only I had followed my gut and picked Texas to win. Instead, I went with what I felt was the smart choice and picked the Angels. Behind a solid pitching staff and an offense powered by likely MVP Josh Hamilton, the Rangers picked up their first division title since 1999. The Athletics were found lacking for offense, but their league leading pitching (3.58 team ERA) carried the team to a .500 record and a second place finish in the West. The Angels made a big move in acquiring SP Dan Haren in July, but they never were realistically in the race. The Mariners were a popular pick to win the West at the beginning of the year, and while I wasn't among their supporters, nobody expected the Mariners to drop off the way they did. The Mariners lost 101 behind an offense that finished last in the AL in nearly every major category. Outside of OF Ichiro Suzuki, the Mariners offense was a black hole, providing no support for a pitching staff that wasn't too bad.
NL East
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies (97-65)
2. Atlanta Braves* Atlanta Braves* (91-71)
3. New York Mets Florida Marlins (80-82)
4. Florida Marlins New York Mets (79-83)
5. Washington Nationals Washington Nationals (69-93)
Well, I had the Phillies winning it at the beginning of the year, but truth be told, I also felt at the All-Star break that the Phillies would miss the playoffs. I guess I should have just stuck with my original pick. Other than that, this is the only other division I got exactly right. The Phillies looked like a disappointment the first four months of the season, but the mid-season trade for SP Roy Oswalt and likely Cy Young winner Roy Halladay powered the Phillies down the stretch, and the Phillies survived their numerous injuries in their lineup to finish with baseball's best record. The Braves were actually in first for most of the year, but injuries to 3B Chipper Jones and 2B Martin Prado hurt an already low-powered offense. However, the Braves' strong pitching staff and timely hitting has them in the playoffs in manager Bobby Cox's final season. The Marlins fired manager Fredi Gonzalez during the season, while the Mets fired their manager, Jerry Manuel, today. The Mets got off to a hot start, but injuries and a lack of hitting outside of 3B David Wright contributed to their downfall, while the Marlins were just too up-and-down to seriously compete. The Nationals were sparked by the debut of phenom SP Steven Strasburg, but they finished last once again, and with Strasburg likely out for 2011 due to a severe elbow injury, the Nats' might be visiting last place again next year.
NL Central
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. St. Louis Cardinals Cincinnati Reds (91-71)
2. Milwaukee Brewers St. Louis Cardinals (86-76)
3. Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Brewers (77-85)
4. Cincinnati Reds Houston Astros (76-86)
5. Houston Astros Chicago Cubs (75-87)
6. Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh Pirates (57-105)
Well, lo and behold, the Reds pulled it out. I must admit that I didn't think much of the Reds' chances to hold on to the NL Central lead, but the NL's best offense pushed the Reds to their first playoff appearance since 1995. Reds' 1B Joey Votto is the likely MVP of the NL, and a resurgence from 3B Scott Rolen helped power the Reds' offense. The Cardinals looked like the most talented team in the division on paper, but they don't play games on paper, and the Cardinals disappointed down the stretch. The Brewers had the bats, but lacked the pitching to make them contenders. The Astros were actually a little better than I thought they would be, as they played hard under manager Brad Mills. The Cubs, meanwhile, had too many players that failed to live up to their massive contracts, and they might need to clean house completely. The Pirates has some quality rookies like 2B Neil Walker and 3B Pedro Alverez make their debuts, but this may have been the worst Pirates team yet in their 18 year stretch of losing seasons. There are a whole bunch of kids graduating high school next spring that have never seen a winning season from the Pirates, and next year will more than likely be more of the same.
NL West
Predictions: Final Standings:
1. Colorado Rockies San Francisco Giants (92-70)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers San Diego Padres (90-72)
3. Arizona Diamondbacks Colorado Rockies (83-79)
4. San Francisco Giants Los Angeles Dodgers (80-82)
5. San Diego Padres Arizona Diamondbacks (65-97)
Although I had the Giants fourth at the beginning of the year, I also said that they would be contenders in a tight division. Well, the Giants did surprise me, as rookie C Buster Posey and OFs Pat Burrell and Andres Torres gave new life to an offense that desperately needed it. That, along with a top notch pitching staff, powered the Giants to the title. The Padres surprised everybody, and spent most of the year in first place. They just couldn't hold on to the lead at the end, as the Padres just didn't have enough offensive firepower outside of 1B Adrian Gonzalez. The Rockies tried to get back in the race in September behind SS Troy Tulowtizki and OF Carlos Gonzalez, but came up short. The Dodgers were clearly affected by the chaos in their front office, and were inconsistent for most of the season. In hindsight, I overestimated the Diamondbacks' talent, although 2B Kelly Johnson did have a nice season, and young Daniel Hudson came out of nowhere to put together a spectacular second half.
Award Predictions:
AL MVP:
1. Joe Mauer, C, Twins (.327 BA, 9 HR, 75 RBI,)
2. Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees (.256, 33, 108)
3. Kendry Morales, 1B, Angels (.290, 11, 39)
Dark Horse: Nelson Cruz, RF, Rangers (.318, 22, 70)
Current Favorites:
1. Josh Hamilton, LF, Rangers (.359, 32, 100, 1044 OPS)
2. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers, (.328, 38, 126)
3. Robinson Cano, 2B, Yankees, (.319, 29, 109)
Mauer had a strong season, finishing third in the AL in batting average and third in on-base percentage (.402). He didn't hit for the same power he did last year, but Mauer should get some MVP votes. Teixeira led the league in runs with 113 and finished in the top 10 in home runs and RBIs, but most people wouldn't consider Teixeira the most valuable player on his own team. Morales missed most of the season after breaking his leg celebrating a game winning home run, while Cruz also battled with injuries for much of the season. Among the favorites, Hamilton has the best numbers, leading the league in batting average, slugging percentage (.633) and OPS. However, Hamilton's chances may be hurt by his missing most of September with a rib injury. Cabrera led the AL in RBI, finished second in batting average and third in home runs, but he will be penalized due to his team's lack of success. Cano is coming off one of the best seasons a second baseman has ever had, finishing the season with 200 hits, over 100 RBIs and runs and nearly 30 home runs. Ultimately, the award will probably go to Hamilton, but it will be a close vote.
NL MVP:
1. Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies (.275, 16, 65)
2. Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals (.312, 42, 118)
3. Ryan Braun, LF, Brewers (.304, 25, 103)
Dark Horse: Justin Upton, RF, Diamondbacks (.273, 17, 69)
Current Favorites:
1. Joey Votto, 1B, Reds (.324, 37, 113, 1024 OPS)
2. Pujols
3. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Rockies, (.336, 34, 117)
Utley missed over two months due to injury and was never really a candidate, so bad choice on my part. Pujols put together yet another MVP-caliber season, leading the NL in home runs and RBIs and finishing second in OPS (1011). Since his Cardinals failed to make the playoffs, that could hurt, especially since Votto put together similar numbers to Pujols, leading the league in OBP (.424), SLG (.600), and leading his Reds to the postseason. Gonzalez led the NL in hitting and had a monster second half, but will lose votes due to the Rockies not making the playoffs and because of the season his teammate Troy Tulowitzki (.315 BA, .949 OPS) had. As for my other preseason choices, Braun had a solid, but unspectacular year, and Upton failed to build on his solid season last year. Look for Votto to capture the MVP this season.
AL Cy Young Award:
1. Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners (13-12 win-loss record, 2.27 ERA, 232 Strikeouts)
2. C.C. Sabathia, SP, Yankees (21-7, 3.18, 197)
3. Zack Greinke, SP, Royals (10-14, 4.17, 181)
Dark Horse: Brett Anderson, SP, Athletics (7-6, 2.80, 75)
Current Favorites:
1. Hernandez
2. Sabathia
3. David Price, SP, Rays (19-6, 2.72, 188)
The only thing that could keep Hernandez from winning his first Cy Young is a lack of wins. Hernandez led the AL in ERA and H/9 (6.993), and finished second in strikeouts as well as WHIP (1.057). However, since Hernandez played for a team that couldn't score if they lead off each inning with a runner on second, his win total of 13 would be the lowest of any Cy Young Award winning starting pitcher. Sabathia was solid, leading the league in wins and finishing in the top ten in many other categories, while Price finished 2nd in wins and 3rd in ERA. As for my other preseason choices, Greinke could not repeat his remarkable 2009, while Anderson pitched well when healthy, but only started 19 games due to injury. The award should go to Hernandez, but his low win total could make voters go with Sabathia or Price instead.
NL Cy Young
1. Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies (21-10, 2.44, 219)
2. Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants (16-10, 3.43, 231)
3. Chris Carpenter, SP, Cardinals (16-9, 3.22, 179)
Dark Horse: Ubaldo Jimenez, SP, Rockies (19-8, 2.88, 214)
Current Favorites:
1. Halladay
2. Jimenez
3. Adam Wainwright, SP, Cardinals (20-11, 2.42, 213)
Halladay was everything the Phillies hoped for when they traded for him last offseason, leading the NL in wins, innings pitched (250.2), and complete games (9). Halladay also finished second in strikeouts and third in ERA, and led the league in SO/BB (7.300). Lincecum and Carpenter both were very good this season as well, but there were others that were just a little better. For the season's first few months, it looked as if Jimenez might win 25 games, but he slowed down some in the second half. Still, Jimenez finished third in both wins and strikeouts, and may get some credit for pitching in the league's toughest pitchers park, Coors Field. Wainwright put together a season that would have won him the award most seasons, finishing second in wins in ERA, but Halladay was just that much better, and should win the award this year.
AL Rookie of the Year:
1. Wade Davis, SP, Rays (12-10, 4.07, 113)
2. Scott Sizemore, 2B, Tigers (.224, 3, 14)
3. Brian Matusz, SP, Orioles (10-12, 4.30, 143)
Dark Horses: Lou Marson/Carlos Santana, C, Indians (Marson: .195, 3, 22 Santana: .260, 6, 22)
Current Favorites:
1. Neftali Feliz, RP, Rangers, (40 saves, 2.73, 71 SO)
2. Austin Jackson, CF, Tigers (.293, 4, 41, 27 steals)
3. John Jaso, C, Rays, (.263, 5, 44)
Realistically, this is a two horse race between Feliz and Jackson. Feliz will get credit for being the closer on a playoff bound team, and his 40 saves finished third in the AL. Plus, Feliz held batters to a .176 batting average against and struck out 9.2 batters per nine innings. Jackson proved to be a capable center fielder for the Tigers, finishing sixth in the AL in runs (103), and ninth in hits (181). Jaso had a decent year as the Rays leadoff hitter, posting a .372 OBP. As for my preseason picks, Davis was a decent starter, but his performance was rather unspectacular. Sizemore lost the second base job in Detroit and struggled most of the year. Matusz had his moments, but was too up and down to be a serious contender for the award, and while Santana played well in his limited action, Marson struggled, and both men didn't get a whole lot of at bats in their first year. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Feliz is a unanimous selection.
NL Rookie of the Year:
1. Jason Heyward, RF, Braves (.277, 18, 72)
2. Alcides Escobar, SS, Brewers (.235, 4, 41)
3. Stephen Strasburg, SP, Nationals (5-3, 2.91, 92)
Dark Horse: Pedro Alvarez, 3B/1B, Pirates (.256, 16, 64)
Current Favorites:
1. Heyward
2. Buster Posey, C, Giants, (.305, 18, 67)
3. Jaime Garcia, SP, Cardinals, (13-8, 2.70, 132)
One thing's for sure, this is a vote that will be very close. Heyward impressed from the very first at-bat, finishing 4th in OBP (.393) and walks (91), and getting many timely hits for the Braves. Posey turned the whole season around for the Giants after his callup, giving the Giants a much needed bat in the middle of the order, and Posey was named the NL Player of the Month for July. Garcia finished 4th in the NL in ERA and provided the Cards with a solid third starter behind Wainwright and Carpenter. As for the other presason picks, Escobar couldn't hit enough to seriously contend for the award. Strasburg was great for the Nationals, but didn't play enough to draw much consideration. Alvarez, much like Posey, was a midseason callup, but did not provide the same impact Posey did. My pick would be Heyward, but Posey could get some votes due to his offensive superiority at a defensive position, and his impact on the Giants' division winning campaign.
As for the playoffs, in the National League, I predict the Braves and Phillies to get past the Giants and Reds, respectively. As much as I would like to pick the Braves to go to the World Series, it's pretty hard to ignore the Phillies' pitching and the fact that they ate the Braves alive during their games in the last month. So I'll have to go with my head and pick Philadelphia for the pennant. In the American League. I predict the Yankees and Rays to continue their year-long battle for supremacy, with the Yankees ultimately beating the Rays in the ALCS. As for the World Series, I picked the Yankees to win it all at the beginning of the year, and despite the questions surrounding their pitching, I will still pick them to win it all at the end of the year.
Well, that took a while. I hope that it wasn't too bad of a read. Thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about the just completed baseball season, then please feel free to share those thoughts in the comments. Also, if you have an idea for a future post, then share those either by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Canon Wrestling Review: WWF Monday Night Raw: June 30, 1997
Well, the Braves have ticked me off over the last two days, so I have decided to let out some frustration by watching some pro wrestling. In this case, it is the June 30, 1997 episode of Monday Night Raw, which features Jim Neidhart in the main event, so it's got to be a great episode. Let's get ready to rumble, shall we?
A video detailing the relationship between Paul Bearer and the Undertaker plays to begin the show. Paul Bearer has promised to reveal a deep dark secret that will destroy the Undertaker. I guess that didn't work, since the Undertaker is still around today. The intro plays, and tonight's announcers are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler. "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock comes out to face off against Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who comes out to Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy'. I still think that was his best theme song. A video plays of Chyna proclaiming herself the World's Most Dangerous Woman, and the match starts. Shamrock frustrates Helmsley with a pair of arm drags and a arm lock. Triple-H gets the advantage with an eye gouge, and goes to stomping Shamrock in the corner until the ref has enough and pulls him out by his hair. So Triple-H changes tactics, using a running knee lift and a knee drop to get a two count. Both men are back up, and Helmsley is able to catch a running Shamrock and throw him to the outside of the ring. Triple-H distracts the ref, allowing Chyna to whip Shamrock hard into the steps. Back in, it looks as if Helmsley is about to put Shamrock away, but here comes Mankind, who distracts Helmsley. This proves to be unfortunate for Triple-H, as Shamrock uses a belly-to-belly suplex to pin Triple-H. Helmsley leaves yelling at a Mankind as Jim Ross promotes their match at the next pay-per-view six days from this episode. Match was decent enough, but too short. I'll give it a 1.9 out of 5.
A video package of Ahmed Johnson plays, as Ahmed had recently joined the Nation of Domination and turned on the Undertaker. Last week, while Ahmed tried to explain why he joined the NOD, the Disciples of Apocalypse debuted and got into a big brouhaha with the NOD, and Ahmed walked too fast and tore his knee up, costing the big Johnson his title shot at the Undertaker. Ahmed promises revenge against the DOA and the Undertaker, and says some other stuff I couldn't really understand.
Up next is Michael Cole, who apparently is cool these days since he's a heel, interviewing the Legion of Doom about their upcoming tag match with Faroouq and D'Lo Brown of the NOD. Hawk promises to turn the Nation into small animal excrement. That's nice. The match is next, but before that Sunny shows a casket full of money that the WWF is giving away. Yes, I said casket full of money. The two teams come out in a semifinal match of a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the tag titles, and the Legion takes control of Faroouq early. A tag out to D'Lo doesn't do much good, as Hawk suplexes Brown down to the mat. D'Lo gets the advantage after catching a ducking Hawk with a boot to the face, and takes control for a minute or so with stomps and punches. Hawk is able to catch D'Lo with a swinging neckbreaker, and tags out to Animal. The Godwins come out and watch from the stage as Hawk and Faroouq brawl on the outside. Doomsday Device on D'Lo, and man that move is dangerous, as Henry Godwin could attest to. Speaking of which, apparently Mr. Godwin is upset about having his neck broken a few months before due to the Device, so he clobbers Hawk in the back of the head with his trusty slopbucket while the ref isn't looking. Faroouq gets the pin after the interference, and the L.O.D. chases after the Godwins. Match wasn't really bad, it was just boring. I'll give it a 1.5 out of 5.
The Nation, however, is not done, as they call Vince McMahon up and blast his decision to give Vader the title shot that Ahmed Johnson originally had instead of one of them. Yeah, like people would pay to see the Undertaker vs. Kama or D'Lo. Savio Vega has had enough of Faroouq's talking, and the recently displaced Nation member informs Faroouq that he was not fired, but rather he quit. Well, whatever gets you through the night. Faroouq challenges Savio to bring it, and Savio does, along with a few of his friends. This moment marks the birth of the greatest stable in wrestling history, Los Boriquas. They brawl with the Nation some, and here comes the Disciples of Apocalypse, to a rather large pop, I must say. Everybody brawls with each other until security breaks it up and we go to commercial.
Michael Cole interviews Savio and his friends, and Savio declares his group Los Boriquas before everyone starts yelling at the mic for whatever reason. Up next is a match between Scott Putski and Brian Christopher. Putski looks jacked to the gills during this period. Putski takes control early on with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and a sidewalk slam. Christopher gets the advantage back with the Skull Crushing Finale. He follows that up with a dropkick from the second rope and a nice northern lights release suplex. Christopher tries to hurracanrana Putski, but gets powerbombed for his efforts. Putski follows that up with a series a clotheslines and a big splash from the top rope. Christopher's father Jerry Lawler gets on the apron. Christopher charges at Putski, but instead Putski ducks and knocks his father off the apron. Putski scoops up Christopher, but is tripped by Lawler and lands on his head as Christopher rolls him up for the three count. Afterwards, father and son beat down on Putski, as Jerry tells Scott to inform his father, the legendary Ivan Putski, that the only thing good to come out of Poland was an empty boat. Well then. Match was fast paced with a lot of moves in a short time, but nothing was really linked together. Still, not too bad. I'll give it a 2.5 out of 5.
The Undertaker is in the back, and he asks for the fans to let him tell his side of the story after Paul Bearer reveals his dark secret. A video montage of the Great Sasuke is shown, promoting his debut at Canadian Stampede. Brain Pillman is out, and a video is shown of his comments prior to his match with Mankind, where he promises to show Marv Albert and Mike Tyson something about biting another human by taking a chunk out of Mankind's good ear. Mankind comes out bearing a gift and wearing a sign that says "Pick Me, Steve", as he really wants to be Austin's tag team partner. Mankind presents the gift to Jim Ross, which is a plaster hand shaped like Mankind's, mandible claw in all. Pillman is not amused, as he takes the hand and beats Mankind with it before throwing it back to Ross, and the match is on. Pillman gets control early, but Mankind gains control with brawling tactics, and then delivers a running knee to a downed Pillman in the corner. The two continue fighting as Triple-H and Chyna show up on the stage. The match goes to the outside, and Pillman uses the referee trying to hold back Mankind as an opportunity to bash Mankind with the ring bell behind the ref's back. Pillman then uses a pencil to stab Mankind with a couple of times before the ref takes it away. Mankind eventually gets the advantage and sets Pillman up against the stairs, but Pillman moves, and Mankind goes knees first into the metal steps. Back in, Pillman fulfills his pre-match promise to bite Mankind's good ear. But Mankind comes back, and eventually drags Pillman over to the ring post, where he slams his bad ankle against the medal post, then crotches Pillman for good measure. The mandible claw is put on Pillman, but here comes Triple-H to break it up while Chyna distracts the ref. That gets a mandible claw for Helmsley on the outside, until Pillman breaks it up by beating Mankind with one of his boots. Pillman tries to hold Mankind up for a chairshot, but Helmsley misses and Pillman takes the chair instead. Mankind goes after Triple-H, but gets counted out as Pillman is able to beat the ref's count, giving Pillman the victory. Interesting match, I'd give it a 2.65 out of 5.
Paul Bearer is in the back, as he promises to deliver the secret that will mark the beginning of the end for the Undertaker. Out comes Mr. Bearer, and before he reaches the ring, a female fan comes out and easily takes down the big man before security drags her away. That was weird. Bearer talks for a while, but the gist of the secret is this, Bearer was working at a funeral home owned by the Undertaker's family, and the Undertaker burned that funeral home down, killing his parents and his brother. Of course, if Bearer did know this, than why was he the Undertaker's manager for six years prior to this? This mystery will keep me up for days. Back from commercial, Vader congratulates Bearer for making his announcement, and Sable and Marc Mero show off the cash casket.
Next is the second semifinal of the tag tournament, as the Headbangers take on Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith. The Headbangers start with the advantage after a Mosh dropkick and a double pancake on Owen. Thrasher comes in, so does Davey Boy. Thrasher seems to be in control until Owen comes in after a blind tag and lands a spinning heel kick on Thrasher. That gets two. From there, Owen and Davey Boy are in control, as they show off moves such as Davey Boy's stall suplex, a double back elbow, and others, getting a number of two counts in the process. Meanwhile, Bret Hart is on the phone from Calgary, promoting his team's upcoming 10 man tag match at Canadian Stampede. Owen goes for a suplex, but Thrasher counters with a small package, and nearly gets the pin. This does give Thrasher an opening to get the HOT TAG to Mosh, who comes in with body slams, clotheslines, and dropkicks for everybody. Owen's in trouble, as the Headbangers set him up for the stage dive, but Davey Boy crotches Mosh, and Owen is able to roll up Thrasher to get the victory. Match could have used five more minutes to really get going. I'll give it a 1.8 out of 5. Afterwards, Jim Cornette returns, and he's brought a new tag team in. That team turns out to be the Headhunters, who at first brawl with both teams before Davey and Owen just leave. The Headbangers seemed to be in control at first, but a Cornette distraction allows the Headhunters to gain the advantage, and they finish up the brawl with one delivering a diving headbutt that just barely connects, while the other does a pretty nifty moonsault from the top rope.
Time to go back to the Undertaker's locker room, where he offers a rebuttal to Paul Bearer's secret. Taker admits that a fire at the funeral home killed his family, but it was not he, but rather his brother Kane that set the fire inadvertently when he combined matches with embalming fluid. The Undertaker was out doing chores during the day, and once he returned, the funeral home was burned down to the ground. Undertaker also claims that Paul Bearer made the Undertaker look at the charred remains of his family, which is probably not the best thing for a grieving child. Undertaker concludes by saying that he will draw strength from the dead to strike Paul Bearer down. In the hands of most other wrestlers, this would just be ridiculous, but the Undertaker is convincing enough in this speech to make the angle work.
Rockabilly is led out to the ring by the Honky Tonk Man for his match against Vader, who is led to the ring by Paul Bearer. Of all the gimmicks in Billy Gunn's career, Rockabilly just might be the worst. Rockabilly decides not to waste time, so he slams his guitar into Vader's back. That didn't work, as Vader barely flinched and proceeds to pepper Rockabilly with lefts and rights. The Undertaker comes out and beats on Vader while Paul Bearer screams "murderer" at the top of his lungs. That enrages the murderous Undertaker, so he grabs Bearer by the collar and paintbrushes him, demanding to tell the fans the truth. Instead, Bearer reveals another secret, that Taker's brother Kane is alive. Now, 13 years later, and Taker and his 'brother' Kane are still feuding. Anyway, Vader attacks the Undertaker from behind, and then he and Bearer run to the back, with Taker chasing close behind. This wasn't really a match, which is all right since Rockabilly v. Vader isn't that appealing a match anyway.
It's main event time on Raw, as Jim Neidhart is waiting in the ring. Out comes Steve Austin to a DOA-like pop. Neidhart jumps Austin early on, but Austin is able to counter with punches and clotheslines before slamming the Anvil down for a two count. Anvil comes back with a pair of big shoulderblocks, but Austin is Irish Whipped into the ropes, which allows him to Thesz Press the Anvil. Austin tries for a sharpshooter, that doesn't work, so Austin instead sinks in the abdominal stretch. To the outside, and Austin slams Neidhart down on the entrance ramp before the show cuts to commercial.
Back from commercial, and Bret Hart has flown in from Calgary to Des Moines, Iowa in 30 minutes to attack Ken Shamrock in the back. Meanwhile, during the break, Neidhart took control of the match after whipping Austin into the ring steps, and continues to control the action with a series of rest holds and brawling tactics. Austin is able to counter a Neidhart sleeper with a jawbreaker, which gets a two count. However, Neidhart uses his gut to stop Austin's charge and lock in a front face lock. Anvil slams Austin down, but misses a second rope dive. Austin takes control with punches and stomps, before Bret Hart comes out. The Hart Foundation double team Austin and drag him to the post, where Hart locks Austin in his patented ring post figure four, which I'm surprised somebody hasn't lifted the move for their own repertoire. Mankind comes out to rescue Austin, but the rest of the Hart Foundation attack Mankind as the show concludes. Match was rather boring and Neidhart was gassed early on. I'll give it a 1.3 out of 5.
Overall, the show wasn't too bad nor all that great. There were a couple of decent matches, and the Paul Bearer-Undertaker angles were compelling at the very least. Plus, the show marked the debut of the Los Boriquas and the first mention of Kane, so it's quite a historic show. Overall, I'd give the show a 5.35 out of 10. Thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this show or the wrestlers involved, or have an idea for a future review, than feel free to share those either by leaving a comment on the blog or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
A video detailing the relationship between Paul Bearer and the Undertaker plays to begin the show. Paul Bearer has promised to reveal a deep dark secret that will destroy the Undertaker. I guess that didn't work, since the Undertaker is still around today. The intro plays, and tonight's announcers are Vince McMahon, Jim Ross, and Jerry Lawler. "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock comes out to face off against Hunter Hearst Helmsley, who comes out to Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy'. I still think that was his best theme song. A video plays of Chyna proclaiming herself the World's Most Dangerous Woman, and the match starts. Shamrock frustrates Helmsley with a pair of arm drags and a arm lock. Triple-H gets the advantage with an eye gouge, and goes to stomping Shamrock in the corner until the ref has enough and pulls him out by his hair. So Triple-H changes tactics, using a running knee lift and a knee drop to get a two count. Both men are back up, and Helmsley is able to catch a running Shamrock and throw him to the outside of the ring. Triple-H distracts the ref, allowing Chyna to whip Shamrock hard into the steps. Back in, it looks as if Helmsley is about to put Shamrock away, but here comes Mankind, who distracts Helmsley. This proves to be unfortunate for Triple-H, as Shamrock uses a belly-to-belly suplex to pin Triple-H. Helmsley leaves yelling at a Mankind as Jim Ross promotes their match at the next pay-per-view six days from this episode. Match was decent enough, but too short. I'll give it a 1.9 out of 5.
A video package of Ahmed Johnson plays, as Ahmed had recently joined the Nation of Domination and turned on the Undertaker. Last week, while Ahmed tried to explain why he joined the NOD, the Disciples of Apocalypse debuted and got into a big brouhaha with the NOD, and Ahmed walked too fast and tore his knee up, costing the big Johnson his title shot at the Undertaker. Ahmed promises revenge against the DOA and the Undertaker, and says some other stuff I couldn't really understand.
Up next is Michael Cole, who apparently is cool these days since he's a heel, interviewing the Legion of Doom about their upcoming tag match with Faroouq and D'Lo Brown of the NOD. Hawk promises to turn the Nation into small animal excrement. That's nice. The match is next, but before that Sunny shows a casket full of money that the WWF is giving away. Yes, I said casket full of money. The two teams come out in a semifinal match of a tournament to determine the number one contenders to the tag titles, and the Legion takes control of Faroouq early. A tag out to D'Lo doesn't do much good, as Hawk suplexes Brown down to the mat. D'Lo gets the advantage after catching a ducking Hawk with a boot to the face, and takes control for a minute or so with stomps and punches. Hawk is able to catch D'Lo with a swinging neckbreaker, and tags out to Animal. The Godwins come out and watch from the stage as Hawk and Faroouq brawl on the outside. Doomsday Device on D'Lo, and man that move is dangerous, as Henry Godwin could attest to. Speaking of which, apparently Mr. Godwin is upset about having his neck broken a few months before due to the Device, so he clobbers Hawk in the back of the head with his trusty slopbucket while the ref isn't looking. Faroouq gets the pin after the interference, and the L.O.D. chases after the Godwins. Match wasn't really bad, it was just boring. I'll give it a 1.5 out of 5.
The Nation, however, is not done, as they call Vince McMahon up and blast his decision to give Vader the title shot that Ahmed Johnson originally had instead of one of them. Yeah, like people would pay to see the Undertaker vs. Kama or D'Lo. Savio Vega has had enough of Faroouq's talking, and the recently displaced Nation member informs Faroouq that he was not fired, but rather he quit. Well, whatever gets you through the night. Faroouq challenges Savio to bring it, and Savio does, along with a few of his friends. This moment marks the birth of the greatest stable in wrestling history, Los Boriquas. They brawl with the Nation some, and here comes the Disciples of Apocalypse, to a rather large pop, I must say. Everybody brawls with each other until security breaks it up and we go to commercial.
Michael Cole interviews Savio and his friends, and Savio declares his group Los Boriquas before everyone starts yelling at the mic for whatever reason. Up next is a match between Scott Putski and Brian Christopher. Putski looks jacked to the gills during this period. Putski takes control early on with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and a sidewalk slam. Christopher gets the advantage back with the Skull Crushing Finale. He follows that up with a dropkick from the second rope and a nice northern lights release suplex. Christopher tries to hurracanrana Putski, but gets powerbombed for his efforts. Putski follows that up with a series a clotheslines and a big splash from the top rope. Christopher's father Jerry Lawler gets on the apron. Christopher charges at Putski, but instead Putski ducks and knocks his father off the apron. Putski scoops up Christopher, but is tripped by Lawler and lands on his head as Christopher rolls him up for the three count. Afterwards, father and son beat down on Putski, as Jerry tells Scott to inform his father, the legendary Ivan Putski, that the only thing good to come out of Poland was an empty boat. Well then. Match was fast paced with a lot of moves in a short time, but nothing was really linked together. Still, not too bad. I'll give it a 2.5 out of 5.
The Undertaker is in the back, and he asks for the fans to let him tell his side of the story after Paul Bearer reveals his dark secret. A video montage of the Great Sasuke is shown, promoting his debut at Canadian Stampede. Brain Pillman is out, and a video is shown of his comments prior to his match with Mankind, where he promises to show Marv Albert and Mike Tyson something about biting another human by taking a chunk out of Mankind's good ear. Mankind comes out bearing a gift and wearing a sign that says "Pick Me, Steve", as he really wants to be Austin's tag team partner. Mankind presents the gift to Jim Ross, which is a plaster hand shaped like Mankind's, mandible claw in all. Pillman is not amused, as he takes the hand and beats Mankind with it before throwing it back to Ross, and the match is on. Pillman gets control early, but Mankind gains control with brawling tactics, and then delivers a running knee to a downed Pillman in the corner. The two continue fighting as Triple-H and Chyna show up on the stage. The match goes to the outside, and Pillman uses the referee trying to hold back Mankind as an opportunity to bash Mankind with the ring bell behind the ref's back. Pillman then uses a pencil to stab Mankind with a couple of times before the ref takes it away. Mankind eventually gets the advantage and sets Pillman up against the stairs, but Pillman moves, and Mankind goes knees first into the metal steps. Back in, Pillman fulfills his pre-match promise to bite Mankind's good ear. But Mankind comes back, and eventually drags Pillman over to the ring post, where he slams his bad ankle against the medal post, then crotches Pillman for good measure. The mandible claw is put on Pillman, but here comes Triple-H to break it up while Chyna distracts the ref. That gets a mandible claw for Helmsley on the outside, until Pillman breaks it up by beating Mankind with one of his boots. Pillman tries to hold Mankind up for a chairshot, but Helmsley misses and Pillman takes the chair instead. Mankind goes after Triple-H, but gets counted out as Pillman is able to beat the ref's count, giving Pillman the victory. Interesting match, I'd give it a 2.65 out of 5.
Paul Bearer is in the back, as he promises to deliver the secret that will mark the beginning of the end for the Undertaker. Out comes Mr. Bearer, and before he reaches the ring, a female fan comes out and easily takes down the big man before security drags her away. That was weird. Bearer talks for a while, but the gist of the secret is this, Bearer was working at a funeral home owned by the Undertaker's family, and the Undertaker burned that funeral home down, killing his parents and his brother. Of course, if Bearer did know this, than why was he the Undertaker's manager for six years prior to this? This mystery will keep me up for days. Back from commercial, Vader congratulates Bearer for making his announcement, and Sable and Marc Mero show off the cash casket.
Next is the second semifinal of the tag tournament, as the Headbangers take on Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith. The Headbangers start with the advantage after a Mosh dropkick and a double pancake on Owen. Thrasher comes in, so does Davey Boy. Thrasher seems to be in control until Owen comes in after a blind tag and lands a spinning heel kick on Thrasher. That gets two. From there, Owen and Davey Boy are in control, as they show off moves such as Davey Boy's stall suplex, a double back elbow, and others, getting a number of two counts in the process. Meanwhile, Bret Hart is on the phone from Calgary, promoting his team's upcoming 10 man tag match at Canadian Stampede. Owen goes for a suplex, but Thrasher counters with a small package, and nearly gets the pin. This does give Thrasher an opening to get the HOT TAG to Mosh, who comes in with body slams, clotheslines, and dropkicks for everybody. Owen's in trouble, as the Headbangers set him up for the stage dive, but Davey Boy crotches Mosh, and Owen is able to roll up Thrasher to get the victory. Match could have used five more minutes to really get going. I'll give it a 1.8 out of 5. Afterwards, Jim Cornette returns, and he's brought a new tag team in. That team turns out to be the Headhunters, who at first brawl with both teams before Davey and Owen just leave. The Headbangers seemed to be in control at first, but a Cornette distraction allows the Headhunters to gain the advantage, and they finish up the brawl with one delivering a diving headbutt that just barely connects, while the other does a pretty nifty moonsault from the top rope.
Time to go back to the Undertaker's locker room, where he offers a rebuttal to Paul Bearer's secret. Taker admits that a fire at the funeral home killed his family, but it was not he, but rather his brother Kane that set the fire inadvertently when he combined matches with embalming fluid. The Undertaker was out doing chores during the day, and once he returned, the funeral home was burned down to the ground. Undertaker also claims that Paul Bearer made the Undertaker look at the charred remains of his family, which is probably not the best thing for a grieving child. Undertaker concludes by saying that he will draw strength from the dead to strike Paul Bearer down. In the hands of most other wrestlers, this would just be ridiculous, but the Undertaker is convincing enough in this speech to make the angle work.
Rockabilly is led out to the ring by the Honky Tonk Man for his match against Vader, who is led to the ring by Paul Bearer. Of all the gimmicks in Billy Gunn's career, Rockabilly just might be the worst. Rockabilly decides not to waste time, so he slams his guitar into Vader's back. That didn't work, as Vader barely flinched and proceeds to pepper Rockabilly with lefts and rights. The Undertaker comes out and beats on Vader while Paul Bearer screams "murderer" at the top of his lungs. That enrages the murderous Undertaker, so he grabs Bearer by the collar and paintbrushes him, demanding to tell the fans the truth. Instead, Bearer reveals another secret, that Taker's brother Kane is alive. Now, 13 years later, and Taker and his 'brother' Kane are still feuding. Anyway, Vader attacks the Undertaker from behind, and then he and Bearer run to the back, with Taker chasing close behind. This wasn't really a match, which is all right since Rockabilly v. Vader isn't that appealing a match anyway.
It's main event time on Raw, as Jim Neidhart is waiting in the ring. Out comes Steve Austin to a DOA-like pop. Neidhart jumps Austin early on, but Austin is able to counter with punches and clotheslines before slamming the Anvil down for a two count. Anvil comes back with a pair of big shoulderblocks, but Austin is Irish Whipped into the ropes, which allows him to Thesz Press the Anvil. Austin tries for a sharpshooter, that doesn't work, so Austin instead sinks in the abdominal stretch. To the outside, and Austin slams Neidhart down on the entrance ramp before the show cuts to commercial.
Back from commercial, and Bret Hart has flown in from Calgary to Des Moines, Iowa in 30 minutes to attack Ken Shamrock in the back. Meanwhile, during the break, Neidhart took control of the match after whipping Austin into the ring steps, and continues to control the action with a series of rest holds and brawling tactics. Austin is able to counter a Neidhart sleeper with a jawbreaker, which gets a two count. However, Neidhart uses his gut to stop Austin's charge and lock in a front face lock. Anvil slams Austin down, but misses a second rope dive. Austin takes control with punches and stomps, before Bret Hart comes out. The Hart Foundation double team Austin and drag him to the post, where Hart locks Austin in his patented ring post figure four, which I'm surprised somebody hasn't lifted the move for their own repertoire. Mankind comes out to rescue Austin, but the rest of the Hart Foundation attack Mankind as the show concludes. Match was rather boring and Neidhart was gassed early on. I'll give it a 1.3 out of 5.
Overall, the show wasn't too bad nor all that great. There were a couple of decent matches, and the Paul Bearer-Undertaker angles were compelling at the very least. Plus, the show marked the debut of the Los Boriquas and the first mention of Kane, so it's quite a historic show. Overall, I'd give the show a 5.35 out of 10. Thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this show or the wrestlers involved, or have an idea for a future review, than feel free to share those either by leaving a comment on the blog or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Canon Television Review: Two Episodes of Kidd Video
During my last post, I featured a video of the opening credits of Kidd Video, a 1980s cartoon which, quite frankly, I knew very little about. Well, curiosity got the best of me so I have decided to watch a couple of episodes of what was surely a fascinating show. After all, what other show features a band with cousin Oliver from the Brady Bunch on keyboards? What other show features a band of four teenagers sucked up into a cartoon world in order to be musical slaves of a villain named Master Blaster? So, now it's time to watch some Kidd Video and follow the adventures of Kidd, Ash, Whiz, and Carla.
Episode 1: To Beat the Band
This is the very first episode of Kidd Video. We pick up right where the opening left off, as Glitter the fairy has sneezed Kidd Video from the clutches of the Master Blaster. While cousin Oliver, or Whiz as he is called on the show, wants to go home, the rest of the band wants to go on to Neon City, where all the citizens are teenagers and they have "good music there". At least, according to Glitter. Unfortunately, the mayor of Neon City, Leon is in the middle of the road and his recklessness causes the group to crash. Luckily, they're all right. Leon enters the ship and speaks like Boomhauer, causing the kids to not understand him. The band and Glitter go outside, and Glitter is so allergic to flowers that she sneezes violently enough to give her the strength to lift the ship up and put it back on the road. Yep. The kids figure out what Leon is saying by slowing down a tape of his speech, so they figure out that the Master Blaster is speeding everything up in Neon City, causing the citizens of Neon City to age rapidly. Why is the Master Blaster doing this, you ask? Because the denizens of Neon City will not see his band the Copycats play. Also, the Copycats can only play music if the Master Blaster kidnaps a band and puts them in a bubble. So, just like every other music act, the Copycats can only play music that other people have already perfected.
They go to the Neon City Library, which is one trippy place. All of the books are actually movies, and for some reason Electric Ave. plays, so the band goes to Electric Avenue. There they see a device set up by the Master Blaster hooked up to a giant clock, which is what is speeding up time. Whiz and Glitter try to figure out a way to disable this box, while the rest of the band go after the Master Blaster. Somehow, I don't like their chances. The rest of Kidd Video gets to the Blaster's fortress, and they try to free Lionel Richie from the giant bubble, but they fail and are captured by the Copycats. Meanwhile, the Blaster's new plan is to get everyone from Neon City into the stadium to watch the Copycats perform, and stop time, allowing the Copycats to have a permanent audience. I've gotta say, that's a lousy plan, as you won't get any revenue from an audience that's always in the building. But I guess the Master Blaster is more about control than profits. Oh well. Anyway, the kids of Kidd Video are trapped in a prison of crystal bars, and Whiz is having no luck with disconnecting the clock, as he's being sped up as well. Ash tries to ad-lib a quick song, which is terrible, but it does give the others an idea. So they challenge the Copycats to prove their musical chops and play them a song, and eventually, one of the cats plays such a high note that it breaks the crystal bars, allowing Kidd Video to escape. Instead of going after them, the Copycats decide to play for their audience. Big mistake, as Kidd Video disconnects the Copycats' instruments from their giant bubble, and Whiz goes so fast that he knocks the Master Blaster down and stops the device. Afterwords, Whiz still wants to go home, but his foolhardy compatriots want to continue on. Oh yeah, and a Kidd Video music video called A Little TLC plays at the end of the show. It's not really my bag, but then again, this show wasn't really my bag either. I'll give it a 3.8, as the heroes are rather bland and Kidd and Ash just grate on my every nerve. However, it was drawn well enough.
Episode 2: The Lost Note (Ep. 7)
The gang is in an abandoned city made of stone and without color, so they decide to brighten things up by painting the place in color. Glitter tells of a golden note stuck in stone that whoever pulls out will become the king. Naturally, Kidd tries it, but fails miserably. HA! Ash, meanwhile, hears some music coming from a large bamboo wall, so naturally he gets his groove machine out to add a beat. He also comes up with some terrible lyrics, which are, and I quote: "I heard the music from the wild bamboo. It made me wild... it made you wild too. Down do-be-do down!" His lyrics are so bad that the Golden Note starts to shake, so Ash goes up to it and pulls it out, much to the dismay of Kidd. All of a sudden, the stone statues are turned back into real people, and man, they're quite tall to boot. The newly reanimated people put Ash on a giant throne and make him king, carrying him off away from the rest of the group. The group follows in their Kiddmobile, and try to enter to see Ash, but the guards keep them away. To distract them, they play one of their music videos with a projector on a giant screen, and remarkably it works. They enter, but Ash has really warmed to the idea of being king, as he's treated great and his subjects even like his crappy lyrics. The rest of the group mock Ash, and Ash gets all angry and kicks them out. Meanwhile, the Master Blaster has sent the Copycats to retrieve the Golden Note because, well, I guess he really doesn't like that civilization. Carla comes up with a plan to snap Ash out of his egotrip, so they sabotage his meal by adding powerful spices to his giant bowl of soup and 100 pound fish. This backfires, as Ash sends the rest of Kidd Video to the dungeon, so they can think about what they've done. I don't know how ruining Ash's food is supposed to get him back on Kidd Video's side, but whatever.
Meanwhile, Ash gets distracted by a tailor, and inadvertently hands the Golden Note to a giant scarecrow, which just happens to be the Copycats in disguise. Wow, they actually did something right. Good for them. Eventually, the townspeople once again turn into stone, and Ash finally realizes what a jerk he's been, so he frees his friends from the dungeon by using the note from the crown. The gang wonders how they're going to find the copycats, but luckily, the peacock shaped throne speaks and as the "seat of knowledge and power", pledges to help. The throne does this by dancing to an Alan Parsons song in a sequence that can only be described as freaky. The kids find the Copycats at the top of a giant castle. When trying to climb the staircase, Kidd Video meets some resistance as the Copycats roll a stone block down the stairs, but it is easily dodged. Instead of continuing to climb and dodge the blocks Donkey Kong style, Ash decides to go with the riskier plan of throwing a giant hook on a rope onto another building, and swinging 15 stories up onto the top of the roof. Somehow, this plan works, and Ash is able to knock out all of the Copycats in one shot, getting the note back and restoring the civilization. Ash then gives up the crown and gets revenge on his friend by putting some extreme hot sauce on their foods, but he gets doused in kool-aid for his efforts. The episode ends with another Kidd Video music video, this one called Come Back to Me. Once again, I found myself wanting to piledrive Kidd and Ash, and the story didn't make a whole lot of sense, and the episode was kind of hard to sit through, so I'll give this a 3 out of 10.
So, I guess I've learned that Kidd Video just isn't the 1980s cartoon for me. Perhaps next time I'll just watch Heathcliff of something. If you have any memories of Kidd Video or thoughts about this review, than feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you have any ideas for future reviews, than share them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Episode 1: To Beat the Band
This is the very first episode of Kidd Video. We pick up right where the opening left off, as Glitter the fairy has sneezed Kidd Video from the clutches of the Master Blaster. While cousin Oliver, or Whiz as he is called on the show, wants to go home, the rest of the band wants to go on to Neon City, where all the citizens are teenagers and they have "good music there". At least, according to Glitter. Unfortunately, the mayor of Neon City, Leon is in the middle of the road and his recklessness causes the group to crash. Luckily, they're all right. Leon enters the ship and speaks like Boomhauer, causing the kids to not understand him. The band and Glitter go outside, and Glitter is so allergic to flowers that she sneezes violently enough to give her the strength to lift the ship up and put it back on the road. Yep. The kids figure out what Leon is saying by slowing down a tape of his speech, so they figure out that the Master Blaster is speeding everything up in Neon City, causing the citizens of Neon City to age rapidly. Why is the Master Blaster doing this, you ask? Because the denizens of Neon City will not see his band the Copycats play. Also, the Copycats can only play music if the Master Blaster kidnaps a band and puts them in a bubble. So, just like every other music act, the Copycats can only play music that other people have already perfected.
They go to the Neon City Library, which is one trippy place. All of the books are actually movies, and for some reason Electric Ave. plays, so the band goes to Electric Avenue. There they see a device set up by the Master Blaster hooked up to a giant clock, which is what is speeding up time. Whiz and Glitter try to figure out a way to disable this box, while the rest of the band go after the Master Blaster. Somehow, I don't like their chances. The rest of Kidd Video gets to the Blaster's fortress, and they try to free Lionel Richie from the giant bubble, but they fail and are captured by the Copycats. Meanwhile, the Blaster's new plan is to get everyone from Neon City into the stadium to watch the Copycats perform, and stop time, allowing the Copycats to have a permanent audience. I've gotta say, that's a lousy plan, as you won't get any revenue from an audience that's always in the building. But I guess the Master Blaster is more about control than profits. Oh well. Anyway, the kids of Kidd Video are trapped in a prison of crystal bars, and Whiz is having no luck with disconnecting the clock, as he's being sped up as well. Ash tries to ad-lib a quick song, which is terrible, but it does give the others an idea. So they challenge the Copycats to prove their musical chops and play them a song, and eventually, one of the cats plays such a high note that it breaks the crystal bars, allowing Kidd Video to escape. Instead of going after them, the Copycats decide to play for their audience. Big mistake, as Kidd Video disconnects the Copycats' instruments from their giant bubble, and Whiz goes so fast that he knocks the Master Blaster down and stops the device. Afterwords, Whiz still wants to go home, but his foolhardy compatriots want to continue on. Oh yeah, and a Kidd Video music video called A Little TLC plays at the end of the show. It's not really my bag, but then again, this show wasn't really my bag either. I'll give it a 3.8, as the heroes are rather bland and Kidd and Ash just grate on my every nerve. However, it was drawn well enough.
Episode 2: The Lost Note (Ep. 7)
The gang is in an abandoned city made of stone and without color, so they decide to brighten things up by painting the place in color. Glitter tells of a golden note stuck in stone that whoever pulls out will become the king. Naturally, Kidd tries it, but fails miserably. HA! Ash, meanwhile, hears some music coming from a large bamboo wall, so naturally he gets his groove machine out to add a beat. He also comes up with some terrible lyrics, which are, and I quote: "I heard the music from the wild bamboo. It made me wild... it made you wild too. Down do-be-do down!" His lyrics are so bad that the Golden Note starts to shake, so Ash goes up to it and pulls it out, much to the dismay of Kidd. All of a sudden, the stone statues are turned back into real people, and man, they're quite tall to boot. The newly reanimated people put Ash on a giant throne and make him king, carrying him off away from the rest of the group. The group follows in their Kiddmobile, and try to enter to see Ash, but the guards keep them away. To distract them, they play one of their music videos with a projector on a giant screen, and remarkably it works. They enter, but Ash has really warmed to the idea of being king, as he's treated great and his subjects even like his crappy lyrics. The rest of the group mock Ash, and Ash gets all angry and kicks them out. Meanwhile, the Master Blaster has sent the Copycats to retrieve the Golden Note because, well, I guess he really doesn't like that civilization. Carla comes up with a plan to snap Ash out of his egotrip, so they sabotage his meal by adding powerful spices to his giant bowl of soup and 100 pound fish. This backfires, as Ash sends the rest of Kidd Video to the dungeon, so they can think about what they've done. I don't know how ruining Ash's food is supposed to get him back on Kidd Video's side, but whatever.
Meanwhile, Ash gets distracted by a tailor, and inadvertently hands the Golden Note to a giant scarecrow, which just happens to be the Copycats in disguise. Wow, they actually did something right. Good for them. Eventually, the townspeople once again turn into stone, and Ash finally realizes what a jerk he's been, so he frees his friends from the dungeon by using the note from the crown. The gang wonders how they're going to find the copycats, but luckily, the peacock shaped throne speaks and as the "seat of knowledge and power", pledges to help. The throne does this by dancing to an Alan Parsons song in a sequence that can only be described as freaky. The kids find the Copycats at the top of a giant castle. When trying to climb the staircase, Kidd Video meets some resistance as the Copycats roll a stone block down the stairs, but it is easily dodged. Instead of continuing to climb and dodge the blocks Donkey Kong style, Ash decides to go with the riskier plan of throwing a giant hook on a rope onto another building, and swinging 15 stories up onto the top of the roof. Somehow, this plan works, and Ash is able to knock out all of the Copycats in one shot, getting the note back and restoring the civilization. Ash then gives up the crown and gets revenge on his friend by putting some extreme hot sauce on their foods, but he gets doused in kool-aid for his efforts. The episode ends with another Kidd Video music video, this one called Come Back to Me. Once again, I found myself wanting to piledrive Kidd and Ash, and the story didn't make a whole lot of sense, and the episode was kind of hard to sit through, so I'll give this a 3 out of 10.
So, I guess I've learned that Kidd Video just isn't the 1980s cartoon for me. Perhaps next time I'll just watch Heathcliff of something. If you have any memories of Kidd Video or thoughts about this review, than feel free to leave a comment. Also, if you have any ideas for future reviews, than share them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
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