Julie Lemieux Movies
- 2006
Based on a series of science fiction novels by Tedd Anasti, Patsy Cameron Anasti, and Stephen D. Sullivan, the 30-minute anime series Spider Riders got under way when the hero, 13-year-old Hunter Steele, chased a spider into a cave and emerged in the underground world of Arachna. Here Hunter linked up with a group of fearless warriors, all youngsters like himself, led by Prince Lumen, Arachna's rightful ruler. It was the avowed purpose of Lumen's "Spider Riders" to do battle with the evil insect mutants who had overrun Arachna, and it so happened that the young warriors had been awaiting the arrival of an "Earthian" like Hunter, who according to legend would either prove to be the Spider Riders' salvation...or destruction. In keeping with the time-honored anime "mech" concept, each Spider Rider was outfitted with a personalized "battle spider" (Hunter's battle spider was named Shadow), and each toted a specialized weapon. The villainous Invectids, comprised of common garden-variety insects who had grown to enormous and frightening proportions, also boasted their own personalized mechs, bearing such names as "Smashhopper" and "Praying Mantik." Originally seen on Japan's TV Tokyo beginning April 4, 2006, Spider Riders was subsequently redubbed and re-edited for English-speaking viewers, first appearing in the U.S. on June 17, 2006, as part of the WB network's Saturday-morning lineup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Ansell, Julie Lemieux, (more)
- 2006
The half-hour animated series Growing Up Creepie chronicled the adventures of a human girl child who'd been abandoned on the doorstep of Dweezworld mansion. Raised by a friendly family of bugs, little Creepie was content with her lot until time came for her to attend school with other humans -- or, as she disdainfully described them, "oversized, clod-footed bipeds." Middlington Middle School proved to be a strange, eye-opening experience for Creepie, but she managed to retain her own personality, neither succumbing to the temptation of being a "normal" kid nor reverting to 100 percent insecthood. Of course, now that she was part of the "outside" world, it behooved her to keep the existence of her Dweezworld family a secret so that they wouldn't end up fumigated. Others in the cast included Creepie's adoptive parents Caroleena, a praying mantis; Vinnie, a Dracula-esque mosquito; her step-siblings Gnat, a zany wolf bug; and Pauly, a voracious pillbug; her best human friends Budge (aka Beauregard Bently II) and Chris-Alice Hollyruller (whose dad happened to be the local exterminator!); her schoolroom nemeses Carla and Melanie; Harry Helby, most popular boy in school, who came equipped with a radar to detect likely dates; rule-bound math teacher Ms. Monsterrate; and nice but dull science teacher Dr. Pappas. Produced for the Discovery Kids cable network, Growing Up Creepie debuted September 9, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Based on the literary property by Mordecai Richler, the animated series Jacob Two Two revolved around a young boy named Jacob, who'd earned his double-digit nickname because he repeated everything twice. As the youngest member of a very large family, Jacob was compelled to speak in this "Two Two" fashion in order to get anyone to pay attention to him. Though teased and maligned by his older siblings Daniel (the music-crazy 16 year old), Marfa (the haughty eldest sister), and Emma and Noah (who'd formed their own highly exclusive "Kid Power" clubhouse and created their own alter egos of Shapiro and Fearless O'Toole), Jacob invariably emerged as the hero of the occasion by thwarting sinister secret agents, evil land despoilers and other such cartoony villains. This he did through the auspices of X. Barnaby Dinglebat, an international spy who posed as a gas-meter reader. Other characters included Jacob's dad Morty, an author of adventure novels; his mom Florence, an archetypal workaholic; his loquacious best friend Buford Orville Gaylord Purghe, who possessed the most embarrassing set of initials ever heard in mixed company; nasty, voracious school principal I.M. Greedyguts and his toadying henchman, Leo Louse the janitor; Renee Ratelle, French-born nemesis of everyone in Jacob's classroom; the Hooded Fang, a vicious-looking but golden-hearted pro wrestler who assisted Jake in his adventures; Miss Sweetie Darlingpie, who may have seemed to be nothing more than a nice little old lady but who was actually the ruthless leader of a vast enemy spy organization; and the standard-issue "dumb cops" Sgt. Law and Cpl. Order. Originating as a series of Canadian-produced home videos (some of which were seen on Canada's YTV network),Jacob Two Two was added to NBC's Saturday-morning children's lineup on September 9, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
This animated series for preschoolers was based on the children's books by Rosemary Wells, which had been bestsellers since 1979. The title characters were a brace of youthful bunny rabbits: adventurous toddler Max and his bossy but lovable seven-year-old sister Ruby. Although the two siblings squabbled as siblings often will, Max and Ruby were generally in agreement by episode's end. Debuting in prime time over the Nickelodeon cable network on October 21, 2002, Max & Ruby joined the network's "Nick Jr." daytime lineup the following week, and was also seen over the Treehouse TV satellite service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Rosenberg, Samantha Morton, (more)
- 2001
Based on a line of popular spinning-top toys, Beyblade (originally Bakuten Shoot Beyblade) was transformed into a Japanese manga, or comic magazine, by Takao Aoki, before graduating to animated-series status. Telecast on TV Tokyo from January 8 to December 24, 2001, the series features a group of youthful "BeyBlade Masters" who practice for participation in a world championship. Like the original BeyBlade toy itself, the group is subdivided into specialties, with one cluster of kids specializing in attack rings, another in weight disks, and still another in blade bases (bought separately, these components could be put together into an infinite number of combinations--a fact of course exploited on the cartoon counterpart). After Canada's Nelvana animation firm picked up the North American rights to Beyblade, the 51-episode series premiered on the ABC Family cable channel on July 6, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlowe Gardiner-Heslin, Alex Hodd, (more)
The bond between a growing boy and his loving grandfather grows with every stitch the aging tailor makes in this heartfelt tale that shows that just because someone is gone, doesn't mean they have to be forgotten. In an act of undying love, Grandpa sews his wide-eyed grandson Joseph a special blanket designed to keep the youngster cozy on cold nights and chase away bad dreams. As Joseph grows taller and Grandpa keeps sewing, the family of mice that live under the young boy's floorboard feast on the fabric while forming a close-knit friendship with the warmhearted boy who snuggles up nightly under the blanket. When the blanket is gone and Joseph's fond memories live on, the growing boy must learn what it really means to make something out of nothing. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
