Having Bob's Burgers with Nikuko & Chip 'n Dale - Renegade Animation #63
Tonight, on a SIZZLING episode of Renegade Animation, Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru pop in for a bite to eat as they watch The Bob’s Burgers Movie, as well as Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers, and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko!
How’s it going, fellow Renegades? THE DIRECTOR is back to bring you the latest doodlings in the realm of animation… and who better to guide you through these uncharted waters than the stalwart Captain Kaye and his trusty first mate, The Animation Guru himself?
Now we’ve all had the experience of seeing an adult animated cartoon become widely accepted by the general public before being turned into a feature length theatrical film. Transcending mediums is a tale as old as time, from South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut, to The Simpsons Movie, to even Beavis & Butthead Do America, these films are usually met with the same types of criticisms that most TV show to film stories have, which is that it just feels like a longer episode of said show; however, these stories allow these iconic characters to have an even bigger reach and potentially bring a larger audience to the show and could even be someone’s first exposure to a larger world they could potentially sink their teeth into. It’s a commercial for a show, but when the love and care is there, you can feel something truly special as you sit down and get to see locations and people on the small screen suddenly become larger than life… to be a part of film history.
And that brings us to The Bob’s Burgers Movie. I have to admit, I’ve only seen a handful of episodes and while I liked what I saw so far, I was initially confused why this was given the greenlight for a feature film. The show doesn’t seem like it lends itself to the big screen — it made me think of a combination of Home Movies and King of the Hill, and thinking about whether or not those series had a silver screen continuation whether or I would’ve watched them when they came out. But in an age of American animation mostly being delegated to the big three studios of Disney, Dreamworks, and Sony (I know Warner Bros. is in the race, but I’ll wait until they release a film that’s on the same level of quality as The Lego series to count them in the game) as CGI animated films that range from the in-house style that Michael Rat himself has approved time and time again after much focus testing, or stylish animation that blends mediums together to feel like a kaleidoscopic explosion of colors like Spider-Verse or Puss in Boots, I can’t help but find it oddly charming to see a 2D animated film get the limelight for a change. A simple art style, but with more money and work put into it, and on top of that, familiar. Like an old Ma & Pop Burger Joint that has its own downhome, unique flavor that you can’t get at McDonalds or Burger King. Even if I may not be familiar with the show, you’ll definitely see me seated to watch it the second I get a chance.
But don’t take my word for it… What did the boys think? Well, I’ll go ahead and kick it over to the Captain himself. TAKE IT AWAY, CAP’N!
THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE (2022)
“Full disclosure, I am not a regular viewer of the show, outside of sampling a few episodes in the lead up to the film. However, I love this movie so much that I actually feel guilty for sleeping on it all these years. Let's get the one potential ‘criticism’ out of the way, the fact that the movie is nothing more than a 90-minute episode of the series. There are two equal and opposite reasons why I do not agree with said criticism. On the one hand, if you're already a fan of the series, then you shouldn't complain about getting more of what you love. Conversely, if you're not a fan of the series, but enjoyed Bouchard's wonderfully off-kilter sense of humor, this colorful cast of characters (not just the Belcher family, but every supporting player from Teddy to Mickey, Andy & Ollie, and Fanny), and the handful of banger musical numbers, then this may very well convince you to check out the series. Speaking as a novice myself, one thing I love about Bob's Burgers is that it shares similar comedic sensibilities as J. G. Quintel's Close Enough. Even though both shows are clearly aimed towards adults, there's still a childlike sense of imagination and creativity, especially when the story escalates to ridiculous heights. Part of that is because the kids are the catalyst for said escalation, and their mischievous adventure was my favorite part of the film. I also love the series' designated antagonist Grover Fischoeder, voiced by David Wain. He's the less-known, less-rich cousin to Calvin and Felix, who serves as their lawyer to cover up their illegal activities, but he's clearly terrible at it, and that's what makes him a perfect foil. For now, just treat yourself to one of the best movies of the year, a genuine delight for both fans of the show as well as newbies!” - Captain Kaye
CHIP AND DALE: RESCUE RANGERS (2022)
“Perhaps we should get the negatives out of the way. Really it's just one, but it has to be addressed. Anyone who's well versed in Disney History would probably know about the tragedy of Bobby Driscoll, the young actor who provided the voice of Peter Pan. Akiva Schaffer said there was no intention to make fun of any one child actor, and originally the villain was going to be an older Charlie Brown, but they decided on Peter Pan because he was easier to license. I understand if people felt as if this choice was in poor taste, and I'm sure there might have been better options to fill that role. Aside from that and maybe a few clunky lines of dialogue, I honestly had a blast with with this movie! Part of me feels like it was a waste to get Larry Fong to be the cinematographer for a streaming exclusive release, but what he brings to the table is a fictional version of LA that feels a little gritty, as close as anyone will ever get to tapping into Who Framed Roger Rabbit!? Yes, this movie has a lot of pop culture references, some that are to be expected, but others that I'm honestly surprised they were able to get away with. But what makes this movie work as a standalone film as opposed to JUST a 90 minute Easter egg hunt is the friendship between the two titular protagonists. John Mulaney and Andy Samberg are incredible, they were perfectly cast in their respective roles, and their chemistry felt very believable. The rest of the voice cast was great too, and I liked Keke Palmer playing Ellie Steckler, a rookie LAPD officer from Albany who happens to be a lifelong fan of the show. I always had a feeling this movie was going to be good simply because of The Lonely Island's involvement, and I'm glad it didn't disappoint.” - Captain Kaye
FORTURE FAVORS LADY NIKUKO (2021)
“Selfishly, I'm a little annoyed that it's taken about a year for GKids to import this movie to the States, but I'm sure there's a perfectly logical reason for the delay. Fortunately, this was worth the wait, just a delightful coming of age story that's overflowing with gorgeous imagery brought to life by Watanabe's highly imaginative sensibilities. What the film may lack in ‘plot,’ it makes up for that with its endearing characters, a laid back atmosphere, and a strong message about staying true to yourself. Also, I would not recommend watching this movie on an empty stomach, as there are plenty of mouth watering shots of delicious anime food throughout the film. If you have the chance to see this movie in theaters, please take advantage of it, because this deserves to be seen on the big screen!” - Captain Kaye
Well, that’ll do it for this episode! Special thanks to Cameron for editing this episode! Well, keep your nose to the air, because a new podcast’ll be on the pass for you to devour very soon!
