Buy your kids off with a copy of this!

Sadly, kids in American society have developed a rather odd view of their parents' money -- some of it's their's, and they're by God entitled to it. Indeed, ever since Ritchie on The Dick Van Dyke Show pestered his father with all that "What did you bring me, Daddy" stuff, children around the nation have come to expect certain things.

Indeed, I've fallen into that same trap and wind up buying my kids off with random gifts from time to time. Fortunately, I have some degree of control over what the little darlings get from me, so I didn't mind buying them a copy 2002's The Powerpuff Girls Movie one bit. Anyone with kids and the Cartoon Network knows all about the Powerpuff Girls.

Ah, not only are the girls cute, they're funny as hell. Prone to be involved in episodes with constant references to the Beatles! You never know when a band like Shonen Knife will record an ode to the Powerpuff Girls! In other words, the creators of the Powerpuff Girls are aware of one thing -- adults wind up watching this stuff, too, so why not throw them a bone from time to time?

Now, Powerpuff Girls cartoons are wonderful things, indeed. They're nothing but dandy fun at their normal length of 10 minutes or so. However, how well can the girls hold up in an 83-minute movie? After all, when short cartoons are converted to feature-length films, the results are usually horrible. Remember that South Park movie? How about those Scooby Doo movies? Yuck all the way, right?

Fortunately, The Powerpuff Girls Movie is as charming and enjoyable as the cartoons are, meaning fans of the Cartoon Network staple will enjoy this film, as well.


The movie revolves around the "early years" of the Powerpuff Girls, back when the Professor first created the super-charged Buttercup, Bubbles and Blossom. The girls, initially, got along well in the city of Townsville, but angered citizens by almost destroying the community while playing a game of tag.

So, the Powerpuff Girls wandered alone and hated through the streets of Townsville, only to meet up with Mojo Jojo. Mojo, of course, was a monkey in the care of the Professor, but was mutated into an evil genius by the same chemical which game the girls their powers (Chemical X, naturally). Mojo convinced the girls to help him build a facility which would help "make Townsville better."

Ah, but that Mojo Jojo (certainly a favorite from the series) was up to no good, as usual. He wanted to create an entire army of super-intelligent monkeys and use them to rule the world.

Chaos! Commotion! Can the Powerpuff Girls save the day? Will they turn their backs on a city full of people who rejected them? Will Mojo Jojo be knocked down a peg or two? The answers should be obvious.

However, what is truly grand about this movie is the fast-paced plot, the colorful animation and the obvious enthusiasm creator Craig McCraken had for the project. Everything combines into an enjoyable little tale, and one which will keep kids glued to the television (which, of course, can be good -- mine run around like crazy when they're not distracted).

However, if you pick up a copy of this for your kids, just get ready for them to watch it again and again. They'll plead for the movie. They'll crave it. They'll love it.

I'm particularly glad we got the DVD of this for a number of reasons. First of all, the sound is quite good on a surround sound system, featuring sound effects that spin around the room and enough bass to make the ol' subwoofer rumble. Also, there are some deleted scenes on the DVD that are good for a chuckle, and a bonus Dexter's Laboratory cartoon (another Cartoon Network favorite).

All in all, this was a good purchase. I have a two-year-old and a six-year-old, and they both enjoy the heck out of this one.