Mighty Max (TV Series) A Bellwether in One's Cap (1993) User Reviews

A good start to an excellent and timelessly special series!

[Foreverisacastironmess123 · 8/10 · 29 January 2014]

This was one of my favourite ever animated shows to watch as a kid, and I still find it a fun little blast to watch today, as it was one of those rare situations where an old series was just as great as I'd remembered it. It still seems as much fun as it did back then, only now I understand it much more. I love how it all begins with the striking image of the dreadful Skullmaster, voiced to menacing perfection by Tim Curry, giving a foreboding monologue from his throne in the shadows. It's a nice introduction to the arch-villain of the series, although he's a little more subtle and bitter than he acts later on. Also the design of his face is slightly different. At one point he gives this great little snort of derision and it sounds just like Pennywise from It for a second! Some of his threats against Max are seriously graphic! You'd never hear the like in a million years in the namby-pamby efforts that pass for kids shows these days. Something that I love about this series is how it never tried to sugah-coat the violence - these guys frequently ran for their very lives! Rob Paulson may not have sounded exactly like a kid, but he was the perfect voice for max. He made him carefree and witty without making him annoying or obnoxious, it's actually my favourite voice role of his. There's not all that much explaining before it heads into the action, but this pilot manages to define a little of Max's personality. At first he just seems like a punk kid who uses words like radical too much, then a minute later you see him looking in a book for answers. He actually knows things, he's capable. He dresses like one of the cool kids but has the mind of a nerd, and the heart of an adventurer! The ideal character for the series to center on. This episode does a good enough job of establishing everybody and the themes of perilous adventure and deadly danger that I always thought they so beautifully brought to life from the toys. We first encounter one of the most common themes: A lengthy and bizarre setup to get Max through the portal and into whatever godforsaken situation he needs to be in, in order to face and destroy evil in all its forms! These episodes do admittedly look old now, the animation can occasionally be kinda rough and pale at times, and some of the characters can look a little rubbery, but in every episode there are certain rich details and vast scenes that still look very impressive - in this one I like the fiery animation of the lava-falls of Skullmaster's underworld, with Skull Mountain looming awesomely in the background. I got the massive toy version of that for Christmas one time! The shadowing done on the characters is always very well done, and the look of the entire programme isn't half bad when you consider what the quality of the other shows were like that were around at the time. Not as good as it can get, but still a solid introductory episode. Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed this review, then please come back and read on soon, as there will soon be many more...

Show Should Have Had a Longer Life

[shelbythuylinh · 10/10 · 18 November 2021]

It should have had a longer life as young preteen Max as he gets some kind of statue with a fowl on the box that he breaks and shows the very last cosmic hat.

It transports him to travel to other places and eras and times. As it is said to be sent from a relative. Max meets his fowl not a chicken wise mentor Virgil the brain, the brawn in Viking bodyguard Norman, and Max as the glue to go up against menacing enemy Skullmaster.

There the three will have to work together to defeat him and Skullmaster's minions there. Show should have had a better life and not just two seasons.