This is another of my favorite animated TV shows of all time as well as another favorite animated Disney series. It was another one of the big ones for the Disney afternoon, it's funny how the show has a bit of a two way effect where as a kid I found it was just simply a superhero show but anamorphic and a comedic tone to it. But watching this as a teen and adult knowing this show was a parody made it even funnier as it turned to be clever and one of the best ones. Much like with the animated show "Danger Mouse" which parodied James Bond, this show clearly is a parody on "Batman", but like most good parodies other than parody on a franchise at the same time the show is it's own entity which is part of why it's a classic.
The animation style is great, it's the usual Disney animation style you have seen in basically every Disney Afternoon show but I'm fine with that as I honestly wouldn't want it any other way. The music is good, really love the theme song as it's one of my favorite theme songs, it's another really catchy tune from the Disney Afternoon lineup. I really like color palate to create the darkness throughout the show along with buildings which give the show a noir atmosphere.
Characters are all good all voiced by one of the best ensemble voice casts I've heard as most of them are familiar vocals you've heard from plenty of your familiar animated shows.
Darkwing Duck: Voiced by one of my favorite voice actors Jim Cummings, this is my favorite voice acting role from him. Darkwing is obviously an inspired parody on "Batman"; but also, they've taken a little from James Bond, Green Hornet, and The Shadow. Each of the parody bits are there from the coalition of evil that Darkwing must deal with called "F.O.W.L." obviously a parody on "Spectre" from James Bond. Darkwing armed with a Gas Gun like The Green Hornet's gas gun.
Anyway, Darkwing is one of my favorite animated heroes of all time, he's a fun protagonist this guy just has some of the best and most memorable lines. Despite a hero with good intentions and noble motives, he isn't the most efficient protagonist. Like with Jack Burton from "Big Trouble in Little China" he's not very good as sometimes the villains/super villains kick his butt.
But this is mainly because of one big Achilles heel which is his own ego, this guy whenever he's engaged in action is so wrapped up in it that he doesn't know he's actually drowning in it. He obviously is one that doesn't know when to simply shut up and fight. For example, whenever he catches villain in the act or about to engage in battle, he has this bad habit of always makes a big spectacle out of his entrance which is announcing who he is despite the fact the villains/super villains already know who he is as well as where he is which gives them the advantage to sucker punch him.
However despite this he really is a decent person that does care about others, he's always on time, never slacks off, and he does learn (at least for the moment) to swallow his ego and get the job done; maybe not always smoothly but done all the same.
Launchpad: He's Darkwing's number two which makes sense as he's a person in the hero business. He's almost liked a blind fan boy despite one to provide assistance he a little blind at the same time to the reality of the hero he's assisting. He's his usual pea brained self however he's not totally a pea brain as he does succeed in the hero business though not so much dumb luck but actually some unorthodox thinking which surprisingly works sometimes, even a little common sense.
In a way at times he's sort of a voice of common sense for DW as he is able to sometimes shine a light on certain screw looses in DW's plans which is surprising as Launchpad is known to be a screw up; though from what happens on the show it makes me question who the bigger screw up is.
Gosyln: An adopted daughter to Darkwing; she's a highly intelligent and high-spirited individual. I really love how she has just all the best traits of spunk, nerve and moxie. Very active in sports and what ever comes her way.
But I really like just how she's got this aggression streak how she' not afraid to show it and isn't going to take crap or even conform to the norm which I can emphasize with because when you think about it, why should she; you can say this is her way of saying this is who I am, you don't like it tough.
But I also like that she's also a voice of common sense but also of grounded reality as she not just challenges Darkwing but actually helps keep Darkwing's sense of reality and sensibility in check. All those things show why both Darkwing and her are good for each other, which make their family dynamic even more touching.
Nega Duck: Another character voiced by Jim Cummings and another favorite role; you really do believe there are two different people. This is my favorite villain in the show and one of my favorite animated villains of all time. This guy is the perfect dynamic opposite of Darkwing as he's a total psychopath who has an anger streak a mile long.
This guy is just teed off 24.7 it's literally is his only mood. This guy is evil to his core that even villains and super villains fear him as he not just wants to kill Darkwing but everyone else that just tees him off or simply just wants to destroy everything good and decent just for kicks.
Steal Beak: Voice by another favorite voice actor of mine Rob Paulson. He's my second favorite villains in the show, he's a parody on the Bond Villain mainly a combo of main villain Goldfinger and secondary villain Jaws. Like any bond villain he's the typical megalomaniac but I really like how he has this New Yorker smart ass charisma to him which make him hilarious and another character with some of the best lines in the show.
But the guy is smart, probably smarter than Darkwing but just like Darkwing even he has the same Achilles heel which is his ego which is how he get hosted by his own petard by Darkwing sometimes. I also like he's not all talk he can walk the walk, as we see he can actually fight also as we see he's does physically kick Darkwing's butt sometimes and he's not called Steal Beak for nothing.
There are plenty of memorable episodes that cleverly poke fun at a lot of things but also work as their own stories and most importantly are very funny.
Two of my favorites are "Justice Ducks 1 and 2" this two parter obviously parodies on the "Justice League" and "The Avengers" as each of the Justice Ducks do represent characters from both series, but it was simply cool seeing the ally and enemy characters from the show team up and go at it.
"Time and Punishment" was a lot of fun as it parodies on Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Judge Dredd" but other than fun, it was a slightly dark story showing how much one person can be a big part of one's life and what happens when out of the equation.
Darkwing Duck it's a heroic epic. well sort of.
Rating: 4 stars
The animation style is great, it's the usual Disney animation style you have seen in basically every Disney Afternoon show but I'm fine with that as I honestly wouldn't want it any other way. The music is good, really love the theme song as it's one of my favorite theme songs, it's another really catchy tune from the Disney Afternoon lineup. I really like color palate to create the darkness throughout the show along with buildings which give the show a noir atmosphere.
Characters are all good all voiced by one of the best ensemble voice casts I've heard as most of them are familiar vocals you've heard from plenty of your familiar animated shows.
Darkwing Duck: Voiced by one of my favorite voice actors Jim Cummings, this is my favorite voice acting role from him. Darkwing is obviously an inspired parody on "Batman"; but also, they've taken a little from James Bond, Green Hornet, and The Shadow. Each of the parody bits are there from the coalition of evil that Darkwing must deal with called "F.O.W.L." obviously a parody on "Spectre" from James Bond. Darkwing armed with a Gas Gun like The Green Hornet's gas gun.
Anyway, Darkwing is one of my favorite animated heroes of all time, he's a fun protagonist this guy just has some of the best and most memorable lines. Despite a hero with good intentions and noble motives, he isn't the most efficient protagonist. Like with Jack Burton from "Big Trouble in Little China" he's not very good as sometimes the villains/super villains kick his butt.
But this is mainly because of one big Achilles heel which is his own ego, this guy whenever he's engaged in action is so wrapped up in it that he doesn't know he's actually drowning in it. He obviously is one that doesn't know when to simply shut up and fight. For example, whenever he catches villain in the act or about to engage in battle, he has this bad habit of always makes a big spectacle out of his entrance which is announcing who he is despite the fact the villains/super villains already know who he is as well as where he is which gives them the advantage to sucker punch him.
However despite this he really is a decent person that does care about others, he's always on time, never slacks off, and he does learn (at least for the moment) to swallow his ego and get the job done; maybe not always smoothly but done all the same.
Launchpad: He's Darkwing's number two which makes sense as he's a person in the hero business. He's almost liked a blind fan boy despite one to provide assistance he a little blind at the same time to the reality of the hero he's assisting. He's his usual pea brained self however he's not totally a pea brain as he does succeed in the hero business though not so much dumb luck but actually some unorthodox thinking which surprisingly works sometimes, even a little common sense.
In a way at times he's sort of a voice of common sense for DW as he is able to sometimes shine a light on certain screw looses in DW's plans which is surprising as Launchpad is known to be a screw up; though from what happens on the show it makes me question who the bigger screw up is.
Gosyln: An adopted daughter to Darkwing; she's a highly intelligent and high-spirited individual. I really love how she has just all the best traits of spunk, nerve and moxie. Very active in sports and what ever comes her way.
But I really like just how she's got this aggression streak how she' not afraid to show it and isn't going to take crap or even conform to the norm which I can emphasize with because when you think about it, why should she; you can say this is her way of saying this is who I am, you don't like it tough.
But I also like that she's also a voice of common sense but also of grounded reality as she not just challenges Darkwing but actually helps keep Darkwing's sense of reality and sensibility in check. All those things show why both Darkwing and her are good for each other, which make their family dynamic even more touching.
Nega Duck: Another character voiced by Jim Cummings and another favorite role; you really do believe there are two different people. This is my favorite villain in the show and one of my favorite animated villains of all time. This guy is the perfect dynamic opposite of Darkwing as he's a total psychopath who has an anger streak a mile long.
This guy is just teed off 24.7 it's literally is his only mood. This guy is evil to his core that even villains and super villains fear him as he not just wants to kill Darkwing but everyone else that just tees him off or simply just wants to destroy everything good and decent just for kicks.
Steal Beak: Voice by another favorite voice actor of mine Rob Paulson. He's my second favorite villains in the show, he's a parody on the Bond Villain mainly a combo of main villain Goldfinger and secondary villain Jaws. Like any bond villain he's the typical megalomaniac but I really like how he has this New Yorker smart ass charisma to him which make him hilarious and another character with some of the best lines in the show.
But the guy is smart, probably smarter than Darkwing but just like Darkwing even he has the same Achilles heel which is his ego which is how he get hosted by his own petard by Darkwing sometimes. I also like he's not all talk he can walk the walk, as we see he can actually fight also as we see he's does physically kick Darkwing's butt sometimes and he's not called Steal Beak for nothing.
There are plenty of memorable episodes that cleverly poke fun at a lot of things but also work as their own stories and most importantly are very funny.
Two of my favorites are "Justice Ducks 1 and 2" this two parter obviously parodies on the "Justice League" and "The Avengers" as each of the Justice Ducks do represent characters from both series, but it was simply cool seeing the ally and enemy characters from the show team up and go at it.
"Time and Punishment" was a lot of fun as it parodies on Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Judge Dredd" but other than fun, it was a slightly dark story showing how much one person can be a big part of one's life and what happens when out of the equation.
Darkwing Duck it's a heroic epic. well sort of.
Rating: 4 stars