When describing the hit Cartoon Network show, Adventure Time, to my friends who haven’t seen it I try to put it in a perspective that they can appreciate. It’s like if Calvin And Hobbes and Dungeons and Dragons had a baby. It’s like if PCP, Rocky and Bullwinkle all walked into a bar. Ok, it’s a genuine product of imagination that and it’s done so well and with such care that it proves to be a work of modern art. I don’t say that lightly.
‘Adventure Time’ created by Pendleton Ward, officially premiered a little over two years ago. Now, with four seasons in the books, today marks the DVD release of season one in its entirety on dvd. For us diehards, the wait is finally over.
What??? You haven’t seen it either you say? Well, ‘Adventure Time’ follows the quest of Finn the Human (voiced by Jeremy Shada*) and his best pal, Jake The Dog (John DiMaggio) as they adventure their way through the Land of Ooh. They occasionally have it out with what would be their regular advisory the Princess-napping, Ice King (Tom Kenny). They party it up with the likes Princess Bubblegum (Hynden Walch) at the Candy Kingdom and get the latest gossip from Lumpy Space Princess (voiced by Ward) in the far reaches of Lumpy Space. They play ‘conversation parade’ with BMO, frolic and fight with the angsty, Marceline the Vampire Queen and radically make their way through each and every fantasy trope that is thrown at them. Some of the themes I’ve caught range from…honoring your commitments, that sometimes being nice to strangers can backfire on you, you body can betray you, and just because your parents are weird doesn’t mean they don’t love you. What I really dig is the relationship between Fin and Jake. It has the strongest sense of friendship since “E.T.”.
‘Adventure Time’ is hilarious action filled one of a kind awesomeness. It’s certainly why I’m addicted to it. Too many cartoons nowadays fall victim to the “fast food-like” production process: where all it takes is some standard animation, overused jokes, and cliche plots to deliver a filling but ultimately unsatisfying product. This is the show I point people to when they get on their nostalgic high horse and claim quality animation to be a thing of the past. An amazingly quirky fantastical cartoon achieving humor and sense of wonder without the cynicism.
I wouldn’t say it is for the youngest of kids. There are very vague innuendos, replacement expletives (“what the math?”, “Oh my lumps!”) and some mild suggestions of ‘making out, kissing, and early adolescent ideas of social ‘romance’ norms. If you are looking for a great time with some interesting commentary on friendship, commitment, and affection, then this is pure magic. If you are put off by even light romantic references, or if your child is not ready for ‘more mature’ (in a teen and pre-teen sense) interactions, then parent away, and save this purchase for later in life. But please, don’t miss the genius of this production. I can think of hundreds of cartoons from my youth and more recently, and nearly none of them compare in quality. Take a peek, then make the call, but for goodness’s sake, PEEK.
Many fine cartoons, across many genres, have not found immortality in my collection. This being said, I’ve practically worn out the compilation discs that have been released so far. Both, ‘My Two Favorite People’ and ‘It Came From The Nightosphere’, have been in heavy rotation. So much so, I am able to recall single one-liners in a time of social need. Let’s hope that the releases of seasons two and three are not too far behind. Mathematical!
-Dagobot
*LOST connection- Jeremy Shada portrayed the role of ‘Young Charlie’ in the episodes ‘Fire + Water’ and ‘Greatest Hits’
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