And Then He Added, Chemical X...

Genndy Tartakovsky takes his creation "The Powerpuff Girls" up a notch in this full-length feature film. Though hinted upon in the plots of various episodes, Tartakovsky drops the audience immediately into the origins of the Girls. He shows a slightly ragged, rattled Professor doing his best to ignore the crime and violence of his beloved Townsville. Utonium paces up and down the grocery aisles perusing the right combinations of sugar, spice, and everything nice. The opening credits lead up to the inevitable explosive reaction of Chemical X, a brilliant shimmering light, and the emergence of three beautiful little girls...

What really struck me, and helped seal the deal on the prequel aspect of the movie was, when Blossom remarked, "Ummm, well since you created us, shouldn't you name us as well?" I chuckled a bit, especially when he names Buttercup as such because "it's cute and it's a B- name too."

Viewers of the popular television series will be immediately taken in with the stunning cel-shaded and computer rendered animation. The effects come off as vivid and rich in depth and color: smoke clouds up and dissipates beautifully, the scenery itself displays a superb color palette, and Townsville seems less like a buzzing metropolis and more like an intimate (and frenzied) downtown setting with a few scenes taking place in the fleshed-out, distant, but still connected Pokey Oaks suburb. Tartakovsky uses cel-shaded animations to flesh and fill out the show for the big screen, and at the same time, we don't lose that in our beloved cast of characters. Utonium still resembles a Tetris piece; we'll never get a face shot of the voluptuous Miss Bellum; and though his legs to tend to go in a blur, the Mayor's short stature and loveable naivete really make us connect with the story. Mojo still talks way too much. The series remains intact even on the silver screen.

And if this is your first exposure to the Girls, you ask? Since this is a prequel to the series, newbie viewers won't get lost in the plot line. The story details the birth and development of the Girls inasmuch as we see their first interactions with their scientist father, the Professor, and the citizens of Townsville. While assumed in the series that everybody loves and idolizes the little girls (never mind the mass budget the city must have in urban renewal cleanup), the Townsvillians do all but oust the Professor for his creation. Of course, the plot thickens significantly after the Girls learn of their unique capabilities. And as another reviewer on here put it, a seemingly innocent game of tag (a cute add-in, by the way), the girls become so immersed in the game that their powers soon take over their bodies. A mad dash through downtown rips up and ravages buildings, skyscrapers, roads -- and what I absolutely loved was the pinnacle of the chase. When the Girls tag each other at City Hall, they accidentally wallop the Mayor and destroy his beloved neighboring pickle cart.

He then decides to take out an EPO on the Girls; the Professor winds up in prison, and thus begins the realization of their isolation. The town deserts the Girls, berates them, calls them "freaks" in a humorous but poignant moment when the Girls see themselves televised and in newspapers. They walk home in the rain, and the deranged Mojo Jojo emerges, destined to take advantage of their vulnerability. He enlists them to build his Volcanic Mountain lair, under the guise of doing something good for the city, and thereafter sets into motion his plan to take over the city.

Granted, new viewers won't be able to express the strong familiarity with these characters, but the plot is more than easy enough to manuever through and understand.

Though "The Powerpuff Girls" caters significantly to the younger children, the movie can touch the emotions of the older crowd especially when we take into consideration the level of emotions depicted on film. The tag sequence is pretty immersive: I know I remembered fondly my own games of tag, and I know how easy it is to let play get "out of hand." Moreover, I think that bit of the story strikes a chord in anyone who has ever felt the least bit out of place among his or her peers because of being "different."

It was a bit unfortunate to have to watch the movie on The Cartoon Network, with several minutes of commercials spaced between roughly ten and fifteen minutes of movie action. That notwithstanding, this is a worthwhile movie with your attention. It's too fun, too cute, and too enjoyable to pass up.