OK, maybe not that much. :)
Being older now, I can appreciate the work that goes into a cartoon and animated features in general. My favorite thing to do is to watch behind the scenes footage and watch them drawing scenes and voice acting and all that hard work that goes into that 30 minute episode or that 2 hour movie. I can also tell when a cartoon rocks and when it blows. I've gotten pretty good at predicting when a cartoon will be cancelled after the first season.
Where am I going with this?
Well, recently I was watching an internet video and they mentioned Gummi Bears.
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These Gummi Bears...
Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears
I will be honest, I never watched this show ritually, but I do remember it, mostly because the opening was so damn memorable...I guarantee you will hum it for the rest of the day after you watch it.
My cousins had cable and got Toon Disney, so they would show all the old Disney animated series from the 80's and early 90's (Toon Disney was created in 1998). This was actually all they could watch because it was basically G rated and my aunt didn't want them watching anything violent (for some odd reason Bonkers was added into that category...go figure). This didn't bother me actually (except when I wanted to watch Dragonball Z, holy mother did people fight and die in that anime). These old cartoons brought back such nostalgia that I got a kick out of watching them with my younger cousins.
Anyway, after watching the internet video, I became curious and watched the opening theme. I suddenly became all squishy and nostalgic inside. Like I said, I remember the opening. The memories flooded back...except I couldn't remember a damn thing about the show. I remembered there were colorful bouncing bears and...that's it! Nothing! After watching that catchy, awesome opening I had to watch the show! At least to see if the show was as good as the opening made it to be.
So, what I decided to do was watch the first episode of this show and basically give my opinion on the series from this episode. I will explain the plot, the positive aspects, negative aspects, if time has caused this cartoon to age gracefully or become dated, give my final thoughts and rate the series on a five star rating. Enjoy!
Review
Episode 1
Episode 1
Plot: Cavin, a knight-in-training in the Dunwyn Kingdom, is left in the woods after a group of ogres run off his human allies.
When learning of an incoming attack upon his kingdom by Duke Igthorn, Cavin convinces his new friends to help him stop the duke while promising to keep the Gummies' existence a secret.
The episode ends with not only the Gummi Bears stopping the duke for the time being, but also resolve to rediscover their heritage and help defend Dunwyn against evil.
Positive: The plot of this first episode is very well done. It introduces our hero's well and sets the scene for future episodes. I also like that there is this tone of mystery surrounding the Gummi's, their history and their civilization. These traits produce a reason and desire to continue watching the show.
I like that each of the Gummi bears have their own personalities and traits, even though most of them are your generic arc types. The voice acting from the main cast is very well done and only minor annoying voices from background characters. If anything, I get distracted by the fact that Zummi Gummi is voiced by the same person who voices Tigger from The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. What's also interesting is that Grammi and Gruffy Gummi are voiced by the same people who voice Rocky and Bullwinkle, and in knowing that their dynamic shines through even more.
I also like Cavin, the main human child in the series. He's a very sweet, innocent, and noble character who strives to protect his kingdom, as well as the secret of the Gummi’s. This kid definitely has balls and it comes through in this first episode. I'll smack my head at the stupidity of characters running into situations without thinking, because they are just asking for trouble and deserve what they get. Cavin does this, but his reason for taking on the duke and his army by himself are more understandable. He doesn’t rush in because he thinks he can take on the duke on his own, because he is arrogant, but rather because he knows that if he doesn’t do something people will get hurt and his kingdom will fall. These traits make him a likable character, but perhaps make him too perfect. People have flaws and Cavin makes me think that Disney is portraying a character that children should be rather than what children are really like.
Negative: It's not a bad start, but I wish there was more substance. There's not a lot of explanation, save for small things like the medallion and the Gummi history, but mostly everything is thrown at the viewer and you are meant to accept what's going on. My example is that one of the characters says to Cavin, "admit it, you believe in Gummi Bears!" and I can't help but laugh. Without the theme, there is no prior explanation of the Gummi bears and all I can think of is the candy.
"Well
of course I believe in Gummi Bears, I have some Haribo Gummi's in by
pocket."
I would have loved it if they spread out the first episode into two or three episodes and made it an arc, explaining a lot more, giving more backstory on the characters and getting me more invested in the show. Having a lead-in with backstory of the Gummi Bears and how Cavin's grandfather discovered the medallion would have really helped and made the first episode better.
My main peeve though, is the villain, Duke Igthorn. He's not really threatening. There's no explanation for the villain’s desire to take over the kingdom. Who is this guy and why should I give a crap? He's basically your generic villain who wants to take over the world, and that just leaves me feeling empty. I found that other villains do show up, but since this one is the main villain I wanted to just focus on him.
Aged: Gracefully. This helps by the fact that it is set in medieval times and not in the 80's/90's like most cartoons of the time. It is a children's show so it is silly at times, but I did get a few genuine laughs here and there, especially with the Grammi and Gruffy dynamic.
Final Opinion: I can see why this show ran for six seasons (which is a long time for a cartoon). Though it has its flaws, it is a decent, well-structured show with interesting characters that viewers can pick and favor. Each episode draws you in and keeps you hooked. If the villain was more threatening, I'd say it would make the show even better.
I give this retro cartoon:
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