Grey DeLisle Movies
- 2001
Curiously, the "origins" episode of The Fairly OddParents, which shared its half-hour time slot with a brace of other short segments (including "Too Many Timmys" and "The Fairy Flu,") was not originally telecast as the series opener, but instead popped up when the show was eight weeks into its first season! The series' "official" premiere offering consisted of two brief stories: "The Big Problem," in which ten-year-old Timmy Turner prevails upon his zany fairy godparents, Wanda and Cosmo, to transform him into a grownup (with the expected disastrous results); and "Power Mad," wherein Timmy is given a harrowing up-close-and-personal view of his favorite virtual-reality game. Other season one segments include: "Spaced Out," in which Timmy is given a rather unhospitable space alien to play with; "TransParents," the first episode wherein Timmy's hostile teacher Mr. Crocker tumbles to the fairy godparents' existence; "Tiny Timmy," a Fantastic Voyage spoof with Timmy as the shrink-ee; and "Father Time," in which Timmy's foray into the past nearly messes up his chances of ever being born. Wanda and Cosmo are the focus of "Apartnership," which details a serious schism in their long marriage; and "The Zappy," a broad takeoff of glitzy TV awards ceremonies. Also: Timmy's favorite comic book superhero the Crimson Chin (voiced by Jay Leno) suffers a profound loss of self-confidence in "Chin Up!"; Timmy is converted into a canine in "Dog's Day Afternoon"; a world in which everyone looks, acts and thinks alike is conjured up by the godparents in "The Same Game"; and Cosmo strolls over to the Dark Side in "Really Bad Day." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tara Strong, Daran Norris, (more)
- 2001
Most of the 16 episodes seen in season two of The Fairly OddParents consist of two short segments per half hour. This year's exceptions include the Yuletide special "Christmas Every Day" (originally telecast a few months before the season proper began in March of 2002) and the Halloween outing "Scary Godparents." Among the misadventures experienced by ten-year-old Timmy Turner and his eccentric wish-granting fairy godparents Wanda and Cosmo are: "Boys in the Band," in which Timmy's terrifying babysitter Vicky kidnaps pop star Chip Skylark (voiced by *NSYNC's Chris Kirkpatrick); "Boy Toy," which finds Timmy collaborating with his "Crimson Chin" action figure to foil Vicky's equally odious kid sister Tootie; "Action Packed," the episode that asks the question, "What if real life were one long action movie?"; "Timvisible," in which Timmy is rendered invisible to avoid Francis the Bully -- and nearly loses out on a much-coveted school award as a result; and "That Old Black Magic," pitting Wanda and Cosmo against the dreaded Anti-Fairies who erect the Fountain of Bad Luck on Friday the 13th. Other second season highlights: Timmy is turned into a fairy and Cosmo and Wanda are rendered "normal" in "A Mile in My Shoes; Timmy's parents morph into superheroes in "Mighty Mom and Dyno Dad"; our hero stands in for an ailing John Hancock at the 1776 Declaration signing in "Twistory"; April Fool, Fairyworld's leading standup comic ("What's up with that??"), wreaks havoc in the real world in "Fool's Day Out"; vapid boy-band singer Chip Skylark meets his match in equally airheaded Skip Sparkypants in "Shiny Teeth"; Wanda goes the Ferris Bueller route in "Wanda's Day Out"; and the series' familiar characters assume new roles in the old frontier in "Odd, Odd West." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tara Strong, Daran Norris, (more)
The most adorable little superheroines in all of Townsville make the jump to the big screen in this feature-length animated adventure based on the popular Cartoon Network series The Powerpuff Girls. Brilliant scientist Professor Utonium (voice of Tom Kane) is performing an experiment in his lab when Jojo, a monkey trained to assist the professor, accidentally drops a bottle of hyper-powerful Chemical X into a mixture of sugar, spice, and everything nice. To the professor's surprise, what should emerge from the subsequent chemical reaction but three little girls: bright and practical Blossom (voice of Cathy Cavadini), sweet and sunny Bubbles (voice of Tara Strong), and tomboyish Buttercup (voice of Elizabeth Daily). Professor Utonium discovers that the girls have remarkable powers and super-human strength, and he hopes they'll be able to improve life in the crime-infected City of Townsville. However, after their first day at Pokey Oaks Kindergarten with Ms. Keane (voice of Jennifer Hale), the girls learn that having super powers can be both a blessing and a curse. Rejected by their classmates and quite unhappy, the girls are easily swayed when Mojo Jojo (voice of Roger L. Jackson), a superintelligent monkey in a turban, asks them to help him with a campaign to save the city. What the girls don't know is that Mojo Jojo is actually the monkey who once assisted the Professor; now he's embraced evil and hopes to use the Powerpuff Girls as part of his criminal scheme to wrestle control of Townsville away from the dense but well-meaning Mayor (voice of Tom Kenny). The Powerpuff Girls Movie was directed and co-written by Craig McCracken, who created the original television show as well as writing most of the episodes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong, (more)
- 2002
As if the title didn't give the game away, the Saturday-morning cartoon series What's New Scooby Doo? was the latest incarnation of the animated franchise launched by Hanna-Barbera way back in 1969. Most of the familiar characters were still in attendance: garrulous great dane Scooby Doo, the funky Shaggy, handsome Freddy, gorgeous Daphne, and brainy Velma, who comprised the crime-solving "Mystery 5" (thankfully, the irritating Scrappy Doo was absent). Bringing the concept kicking and screaming into the 21st century, the youthful mystery-hunters were equipped with the latest computer and cell phone technology. Even so, it was business as usual, with the heroes and heroines proving that the ghost of the week was actually a very live human villain who would have gotten away with it "if it hadn't been for you meddling kids." Clearly created to capitalize on the blockbuster live-action Scooby Doo theatrical feature of 2002 (the theme song of both the film and TV series was performed by the Canadian group A Simple Plan, What's New Scooby Doo? premiered on September 14, 2002, on the WB network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casey Kasem, Frank Welker, (more)
- 2003
Of the 17 half-hour episodes produced for season three of The Fairly OddParents, most contain two short, self-contained segments per show. This year's exceptions include the season opener, "Information Stupor Highway"; the Valentine's day show "Love Struck"; and "The Secret Origin of Denzel Crocker," the life story of the nasty teacher who is obsessed with proving that ten-year-old Timmy Turner has a pair of winged fairy godparents named Wanda and Cosmo. (Which, of course, Timmy does!) Highlights of the third season include "Movie Magic," in which Timmy wishes to be transformed into an "auteur" to impress the haughty Trixie Tang; "Most Wanted Wish," illustrates the perils of wanting to be "wanted"; "This is Your Wish," with Cosmo's magical mom wreaking havoc; "Engine Blocked," wherein Timmy is transformed into his dad's sportscar; and "Beddy Bye," featuring the voice of Jackie Mason as the Sandman, who is so mad he could plotz when Timmy wishes for a world without sleep. Also: Timmy uses an enchanted microphone to expose the evil of his babysitter Vicky in "Microphony"; comic book superhero The Crimson Chin (voiced by Jay Leno) is pitted against his liquidy adversary H2Olga in "Crime Wave"; Timmy's wish for complete silence backfires when he can't warn Dimmsdale of an approaching meteor in "Pipe Down!"; a Darth Vader action figure is not only brought to life, but repulsively replicated by a magic copying machine in "Hard Copy"; and Timmy's neighbors face the dual threat of an avalanche and the Abominable Snowman in "Snow Bound." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tara Strong, Daran Norris, (more)
- 2003
This half-hour cartoon series was an expansion of a recurring segment originally seen on the weekly animated offering Grim and Evil. The original series was divided between the adventures of the Grim Reaper (hood, scythe, skeletal body, and all), who somewhat against his will became the best bud of "live" youngsters Billy (the innocent one) and Mandy (the cynical one), and the exploits of an evil disembodied brain named Hector Con Carne, who attached himself to a stupid circus bear named Boskov. On their own, the escapades of Grim, Billy, and Mandy -- which took place, logically enough, in the town of Endsville -- proved sufficiently enjoyable to forsake all vestiges of Hector and Boskov. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy debuted June 13, 2003, on cable's Cartoon Network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Grey DeLisle, Grey Eagles, (more)
- 2004
From Fairly OddParents creator Butch Hartman, the half-hour animated series Danny Phantom was all about Danny Fenton, a shy, geekish freshman who attended Casper High. Thanks to an accident in the laboratory of his paranormal-expert father Jack, Danny was transformed into a half-human, half-phantom, endowed with ghostly superpowers. As "Danny Phantom", our hero periodically skipped out of school to save the world from a vast array of evil (and sidesplittingly funny) ghosts, spooks and phantoms. Meanwhile, Casper High's vice-principal and English teacher Mr. Lancer, in the anal-retentive tradition of all animated adult authority figures, imposed harsh punishments on Danny for his frequent absences--or at least, he tried to. Other characters included Danny's level-headed mom Maddie, his ultra-perfectionist sister Jazz, and his best friends, talkative techno-nerd Tucker Foley (whose various inventions were designed for maximum efficiency in the Ghost World where Danny spent of his time), and freewheeling Goth Girl and vegetarian Samantha "Sam" Manson. The bane of Danny's existence was bullying high school football star Dash Baxter, who often as not ended up embarrassed or humiliated thanks to Danny's spectral skills. Danny Phantom joined the Nickelodeon lineup on April 3, 2004, and later was seen as part of the weekend-morning schedule of Nickelodeon's sister network CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Kaufman, Rob Paulsen, (more)
- 2004
This American-made cartoon series was inspired by a real-life Japanese singing group, Puffy AmiYumi, comprised of Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura. In animated form, Ami and Yumi traveled along the concert circuit (and the universe!) in their multi-purpose Puffy bus, which boasted all the comforts of home and constantly "morphing" interiors. The lively, fun-loving Ami and the laid-back but hard-working Yumi were staunch advocates of "cool," which was more than could be said for their mercenary, penny-pinching, and terminally un-cool manager Kaz (likewise based on a real person). When they weren't singing, the girls could be seen defending themselves against space aliens, computer-generated monsters, and crazy fans. Although professional voice actors were heard as Ami and Yumi, the actual girls appeared in the series' live-action wraparounds. Boasting three short segments per half-hour episode, the flash-animated Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi was unveiled by the Cartoon Network on November 18, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ami Onuki, Yumi Yoshimura, (more)
- 2004
Following up the events in the previous episode "Fearful Symmetry," "Ultimatum" probes further into the secret government conspiracy against the Justice Leaguers. The Ultimen, a newly formed and very popular superhero group led by the mysterious Max Lord, offer a helping hand to the Justice Leaguers, who are busy battling fire monsters on an oil rig. Later, however, the Ultimen violently turn against the "good guys" when they learn the truth behind their own origin -- and also the horrible fate that is in store for them. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Rummel, James Sie, (more)
Clifford the Big Red Dog finally arrives on the big screen in the animated adventure Clifford's Really Big Movie, directed by Robert Ramirez. Clifford (voice of the late John Ritter) lives on Birdwell Island with his owner Emily Elizabeth Howard (voice of Grey DeLisle). Even though he loves the Howards, Clifford starts to think that his enormous size is too much of a problem for them. Feeling unwanted, he runs off and joins the circus with his friends Cleo (voice of Cree Summer) and T-Bone (voice of Kel Mitchell). They fall in with a gang of other runaway animals, including a Chihuahua and a ferret. The dogs compete in a big contest in order to win a lifetime supply of Tummy Yummies. Clifford's Really Big Movie encourages preschoolers to develop trust, independence, and confidence. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ritter, Wayne Brady, (more)
- 2004
Season four of the cartoon series The Fairly OddParents yields 14 half-hour episodes, most of them containing two separate stories, generally involving 10-year-old Timmy Turner and his enthusiastic but incompetent fairy godparents Wanda and Cosmo. Exceptions to the two story rule include the season opener, "The Big Superhero Wish" (what if real life was one big comic book) and "Shelf Life" (Tom Sawyer is brought to life to wreak havoc on Timmy's house and also to bedevil a variety of other literary characters), not to mention the special episode, "The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour," wherein the characters of the cell-animated Fairly OddParents meet the CGI cast of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, and brace of animated TV movies, Crash Nebula and Channel Chasers. Other choice season-four adventures include "Vicky Loses Her Icky," in which Timmy comes to regret his wish that his hateful babysitter Vicky turn nice; "Power Pals!," a battle royal between a group of Super Friend rip-offs and the "Anti-Timmy Force"; "Lights! Camera! Adam!," exposing an insidious plot to discredit Timmy's favorite comic-book character, the Crimson Chin (voiced by Jay Leno); and "Class Clown," proving that being the Funniest Boy on Earth has its drawbacks. Among the other highlights this season are "Baby Face," wherein Timmy wishes to revert to infanthood to avoid Francis the Bully; "New Squid in Town," a tour de force for Timmy's extraterrestrial pal Mark the Alien, who is searching for the "ideal" bride (that is, one that is even uglier than Mark!); "Genie Meanie Minie," in which an evil spirit is released from a lava lamp; and the follow-up episode "Back to the Norm," which finds Timmy's hateful teacher Mr. Crocker getting hold of the lamp and conjuring up a Road Runner-like cartoon -- with himself as an ersatz Wile E. Coyote. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tara Strong, Daran Norris, (more)
- 2005
The daily, half-hour animated series Danger Rangers lived up to its title by teaching the kids at home how to avoid accidents in a light, entertaining fashion. The cast consisted of five lovable animals, members all of "Club Danger Rangers", dedicated to the proposition of showing themselves and others how to think and play safely, and how to deal with such everyday perils as fire, water, and heavy traffic. Gabriela or "Gabby" the bird was C.D.R.'s CEO, a strict but affectionate taskmaster and a fount of useful information; Kitty the cat was the brains of the operation, forever researching and testing new safety methods; Sully the Sea Lion was the self-styled "action hero" of the bunch; Burble the bear was the resident practical joker, albeit eminently well-informed in the realm of avoiding recreational hazards; Burt the turtle, youngest of the group, was also its "creative genius"; and Squeky the mouse was the most pugnacious and rebellious of the Rangers, whose occasional lapses into foolishness served as example to the young viewers. The only non-animal member of CDR was also non-human in the bargain: Fallbot, a silly, clumsy, overeager but well-intentioned robot. Though the "safety-first" material was potentially frightening to youngster, it was presented in a strictly comic and nonthreatening manner; and like many another prosocial series of this ilk, Danger Rangers was festooned with such concepts and catchphrases as "Play It Safe", "Danger Proof Plan" and "Danger Ranger Ready." In the United States, Danger Rangers debuted August 6, 2005, as a PBS daytimer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
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When sleuthing archaeologist Velma travels to Egypt to attend a ceremony celebrating the unveiling of the newly restored Sphinx, the discovery of a hidden tomb threatens to unleash an ancient curse in this frightful feature-length mystery featuring everyone's favorite dog detective - Scooby-Doo. Upon discovering the ancient tomb of Eqyptian queen Cleopatra, Scooby and the gang find an ominous warning stating that all who enter will be turned to stone. As the mystery of the ancient tomb deepens, an army of the dead emerges to take revenge on those who would violate the eternal slumber of their revered ruler. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Welker, Casey Kasem, (more)
- 2005
Virtually all of the episodes produced for The Fairly OddParents' fifth season consist of two animated adventures per half-hour show. As in years past, 10-year-old hero Timmy Turner, upset with his lot in life, prevails upon his wacky fairy godparents Wanda and Cosmo to grant his every wish -- usually with calamitous consequences. Among the season's best episodes are "Nega-Timmy," chronicling the chilling aftereffects of being permitted to do exactly the opposite of what your parents want; "Beach Bummed," a spoof of those old Charles Atlas magazine ads, with Timmy getting even with Francis the Bully by wishing himself into a muscular physique, only to be targeted for extermination by a "monster-response team"; "Just Desserts," wherein Timmy accidentally transforms Dimmsdale into the obesity capital of the world; "Catman Meets the Crimson Chin," or "It's no fun to be a superhero if you haven't got a fan club"; "Blondes Have More Fun," in which Wanda changes places with her sister Blanda; and "It's a Wishful Life," a spoof It's a Wonderful Life with a perverse closing twist. Best of all is "Go West Young Man," in which Wanda and Cosmo allow guest star Adam West (or at least, his voice) to enjoy the childhood that he never had. Also showcased this season is a 90-minute Fairly OddParents "movie," School's Out! The Musical, with a story conveniently compartmentalized to allow its breakup into three separate half-hour episodes should the need arise! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tara Strong, Daran Norris, (more)
- 2005
Created by Tim Cahill and Julie McNally Cahill, the half-hour cartoon series My Gym Partner's a Monkey managed to wrap up its title and its premise in a single package. Thanks to a bureaucratic snafu, 12-year-old human youngster Adam Lyon was transferred to Charles Darwin Middle School, where the teachers and students were all anthropomorphic animals. Regarded as "slow" because he lacked jungle smarts, Adam quickly gained acceptance by virtue of his "book smarts," which were far above those of his fellow students. Adam's best friend and gym partner was class clown Jake Spidermonkey; his classmates included underachiever Slips Python, the shy and gangly Ingrid Giraffe, and school bully Virgil "Bull" Sharkowski, who spoke in an incongruously high-pitched and squeaky voice. Among the adult authority figures were Principal Pixiefrog, gym teacher Coach Gillis (who conducted classes while swimming in a fish bowl), and drama instructor Miss Chameleon. Previewed by Cartoon Network on December 26, 2005, My Gym Partner's a Monkey was slated to join the cable service's weekly lineup on February 24, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nika Futterman, Tom Kenny, (more)
