Although 'Ducktales' is one of my personal favourite shows, it is not going to be said that everything is perfect or every episode is great as neither is the case. Bubba was first introduced in the "Time is Money" five parter arc, my feelings on him were mixed then and my feelings were always variable since. Of the newer characters, Fenton is for me a more compelling character and have preferred his storylines too.
"Bubba's Big Brainstorm" is a big example as to why that is. Misfires on 'Ducktales' were very few but "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" is one of them, one of my least favourites by quite way. Don't hate it as much as a lot of fans of the show do, the way some go on about it you'd think it was like something made by the devil or something, but it just doesn't have enough of what makes the show so great. Its worst components are quite insulting actually.
With one exception, the animation fares well. Love the vibrant colours, the meticulous background detail and the expressive character designs. The music is dynamic, never at odds with the action, and the theme tune is one of Disney's best and catchiest.
There was the odd amusing moment, like the 200 fish skins joke which was funny. The best thing about "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" is Frank Welker's quite phenomenal voice work for the genius Bubba, riffing William F. Buckley, Jr. it is some of the show's best ever voice acting. The voice acting is fine as always here but Welker's contribution is one that will be heard once and never forgotten.
However, there is just so much wrong here. Calling the moralising heavy-handed is being too generous, no subtlety to it whatsoever and it was like having the intelligence bashed beyond recognition. Also don't think intellectualism has been this negatively, self-indulgently or condescendingly depicted in animation, and coming from Bubba that can tolerate Bubba in moderate doses depending on the premise of the episode how he's characterised here is enough to put one off him for life. This was a failed attempt to make him more interesting and he just comes over as irritating. Didn't like how the other characters were characterised, that for the nephews was pretty disgraceful in that they are not usually this spiteful or hypocritical and their negativity very quickly gets old.
Despite starting off with promise, the story mostly doesn't engage and increasingly becomes desperately lacking in sense with the incoherent final act coming off worst. Lets not get started on the characterisation of the Thinkas. Or the disastrous in every way character of the cockatrice, for instance being the worst drawn character of the whole show.
On the whole, a misfire. 4/10
"Bubba's Big Brainstorm" is a big example as to why that is. Misfires on 'Ducktales' were very few but "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" is one of them, one of my least favourites by quite way. Don't hate it as much as a lot of fans of the show do, the way some go on about it you'd think it was like something made by the devil or something, but it just doesn't have enough of what makes the show so great. Its worst components are quite insulting actually.
With one exception, the animation fares well. Love the vibrant colours, the meticulous background detail and the expressive character designs. The music is dynamic, never at odds with the action, and the theme tune is one of Disney's best and catchiest.
There was the odd amusing moment, like the 200 fish skins joke which was funny. The best thing about "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" is Frank Welker's quite phenomenal voice work for the genius Bubba, riffing William F. Buckley, Jr. it is some of the show's best ever voice acting. The voice acting is fine as always here but Welker's contribution is one that will be heard once and never forgotten.
However, there is just so much wrong here. Calling the moralising heavy-handed is being too generous, no subtlety to it whatsoever and it was like having the intelligence bashed beyond recognition. Also don't think intellectualism has been this negatively, self-indulgently or condescendingly depicted in animation, and coming from Bubba that can tolerate Bubba in moderate doses depending on the premise of the episode how he's characterised here is enough to put one off him for life. This was a failed attempt to make him more interesting and he just comes over as irritating. Didn't like how the other characters were characterised, that for the nephews was pretty disgraceful in that they are not usually this spiteful or hypocritical and their negativity very quickly gets old.
Despite starting off with promise, the story mostly doesn't engage and increasingly becomes desperately lacking in sense with the incoherent final act coming off worst. Lets not get started on the characterisation of the Thinkas. Or the disastrous in every way character of the cockatrice, for instance being the worst drawn character of the whole show.
On the whole, a misfire. 4/10
