I am actually really excited for this review. . . at least more so than usual. I grew up with this show and once upon a time recorded all the episodes onto dvds. Lately, I have been rewatching a lot of the old shows from my childhood and. . . well. . . lets just say they aren’t as great as I remember {cough. . . Totally Spies}. Turns out becoming more cultured ruined my opinion of popular American animated shows. Three or so weeks ago I suddenly was in the mood for Kim Possible and I took the plunge after three or so years just to see if, as they say in the show, Kim Possible really is “all that”.
Lets get started shall we? Here are the basics of this show. Kim Possible is a crime fighting cheerleader who hails from Middleton, a town with an exponential amount of scientists and strange buildings, who faces terrible foes from around the world. At her side is her strangely talented/untalented sidekick Ron Stoppable; lover of Bueno Nacho, and owner of the crazy smart naked mole rat Rufus. There are a whole host of villains and schemers and each of them makes the lives of our teen heroes all the more interesting.
Though KP’s plot sounds predictable I would say it is only so on the most basic level. Yes, every episode they foil the bad guy and save the day but I wouldn’t say that the process is boring. This show is cheesy at times in a GOOD way {not just because of Bueno Nacho}. Will I ever say this again? Probably not. The story and its characters are relatable and funny without being overbearing. This is just an undeniably likable story. What is there to hate? There are many pop culture references and jabs at iconic super hero show cliques, which makes the show even more enjoyable.
Another element I liked in KP‘s story is the type of world the characters lived in. Though there were self-proclaimed “evil” villains they still weren’t anything like the criminals and thieves of today. All the teenagers lived cleaner, more responsible lives, were respectful to teachers and cheerful overall despite all the strange things that happened around them. All in all, KP showed a brighter, friendlier community to live in. Though their Bueno Nacho is blown up/ destroyed more than once, Middleton seems like an ideal place to live and raise your children in. I always think of what Mrs. Incredible said in The Incredibles (2005) before she left her children to find her husband:
Remember the bad guys on the shows you used to watch on Saturday mornings? Well, these guys aren’t like those guys. They won’t exercise restraint because you are children. They *will* kill you if they get the chance. Do *not* give them that chance.
Though the show portrays “unrealistic” scenarios and situations I think it is fun at times to escape into a place where good always wins over evil and people are genuinely good and driven by more than pleasure and self gratification. If KP was a live action show. . . it would not have nearly the same appeal as this one. That is why animation is such a wonderful and needed artistic medium because it is where our dreams and imagination have no limits. How else would we accept a talking mole rat and multiple attempts at world domination by a man with blue skin?
Kim Possible herself is a pretty interesting character. Like many heroines in other shows, she is still vulnerable, gets embarrassed and makes pretty stupid mistakes. She struggles with her confidence especially when it comes to dating, is a perfectionist and is extremely competitive. Though she tends to overwork herself and expect way too much out of others at times she still stands as a wonderful role model because she accepts her mistakes and tries to fix them. I find her blunt manner, especially when it comes to some of Ron’s own. . . questionable decisions pretty funny. Maybe it is because I grew up with her but we are a lot alike even though I can barely do the splits let alone scale mountain sides and jump from planes. When I watch the show I think that perhaps like Kim anyone can do anything IF they set their minds to it. You also have to give her perks for accepting her feelings for Ron in the end and loving him in all his blundering glory.
Ron Stoppable {Yes that is his last name} is beyond a doubt my favorite character in the series. What I like the most about him is that he is not afraid to be himself. . . though to be honest that self is pretty weird. His hobbies, likes, and habits have NOTHING to do with what others think or deem acceptable. He follows what he calls his “essential Ronness” which does not follow trends but makes them. Though I wouldn’t go so far as to say that he is a trend setter, his attitude and perspective on life is really refreshing. He is pretty prone to big headedness at times but that is what Kim is for right? Though she is really popular he is still considered an outcast in his school despite their deep friendship. Does that perturb him? No. Not really. Though so many find him inferior and a blunderer I wonder if they realized how talented he actually is. He can cook, make balloon animals, dance, is a ventriloquist, mime and is a pretty creative thinker. Lets not forget that he also has super monkey ninja powers to top all that off. {Yes I know it sounds weird but just accept it.} Plus, most importantly, though he is afraid of practically everything he still helps Kim and faces his fears head on.
I don’t have the time, or the patience, to write about all the villains so I decided to focus on the most popular duo: Dr. Drakken and his assistant Shego. Dr. Drakken is what you would call the most inept super villain ever. After failing to take over the world so many times you would think he would give up and put his smarts into something useful. That would ruin the whole experience though. His schemes usually involve stealing, not building, a super dangerous weapon/ invention {even if he has NO idea what it is} and using it to try to take over the world. {Once he actually attempted to take over Canada with a weather machine and planned on calling it Dracanada. . . I think you get the idea}. Though he is a hilarious not so evil villain, his assistant Shego is intelligent and if she put her mind to it could easily take over the world, which she did in the movie A Sitch in Time {Not the greatest movie in the world but it is funny and has meat cakes}. Frankly, I think she is too lazy to actually attempt global conquest. I love her sarcasm though and the way she treats Dr. Drakken with contempt yet loyalty. The rest of the villains are just as colorful but aren’t seen as frequently as Kim’s aforementioned Arch foes. There is the manic golfer Duff Killigan, the Monkey master. . . Monkey Fist, the screamer Dr. Dementor, Gemini, among others.
The animation and character designs are great considering this is supposed to be another run of the mill cartoon series. The action scenes especially are well done. Even the background animation has amazing detail and definition. That is saying something. In fact it goes above and beyond expectations and gives its audience a clean, simple yet smooth style.
Now we come to my favorite part of these reviews. . . the romance. {Don’t judge me.}. Though it seems clique, I like that they had Ron and Kim fall in love. Yes, it seems somewhat like the same old same old unpopular loser gets with the popular girl drivel we have heard since pre-K but (*shrug*) I like it. I like their relationship because it is grounded in a long friendship that has spanned most of their lives. They are vastly different from one another but I think that that is what makes it work. They both check each other when they make mistakes and are the most comfortable being themselves when they are with each other. There were always subtle hints here and there that they had feelings for one another but I think they were both too stubborn to accept it. It took them a LONG time to acknowledge their feelings. Too long. You have no idea how annoying it was waiting for them to FINALLY get together.
After the final movie So the Drama Disney had planned to end the series with Kim and Ron finally dating, but because of popular demand they made a fourth season. The fourth season portrayed their dating life really well without getting too mushy. It was interesting to see how insecure Ron became once he started dating her. I swear it was the only time where he cared about his position on the social sphere. It is always refreshing to see guys like him getting the girl they deserve and visa versa. Personally, I think Kim was lucky to find such an endearing, reliable, and devoted person such as Ron.
What is my final verdict? This is a wonderful show. . . despite how cheesy it is sometimes. I never get tired of watching it even though I am an adult. There are so many wonderful lessons kids/adults can learn when watching it. It doesn’t promote stupidity, but pushes for excellence and respectability. I can’t really rate this series like I do my movies so lets just say I give it a gold medal for being a memorable and well done cartoon series. In all its charm, I think Kim Possible stands as one of the most unique, funny, and identifiable series that have been made. It is hard not to like it. Hopefully, if you decide to watch it, it will be an equally memorable experience for you.
FAVORITE QUOTES: (I couldn’t just pick one)
Ron: [both are tied up] There are guys out there that are better for you than Eric. Guys that are real, for one thing.
Kim: Do you really think there’s a guy out there for me?
Ron: Out there… in here.
Kim: [realizing what he is saying] Oh. Really?
Kim Possible: But it’s cardboard caff pizza.
Ron Stoppable: Cheese on cardboard is still cheese.
Monique: Got you there.
Kim Possible: [reading a catalog for jewelry] “Jimmy Ding the Bling-Bling King?” I can’t believe I just said those words with a straight face!
Kim: [under “Moodulator” mind control] Now, about that favour…
Ron: Actually, KP, I…
Kim: [pouting] Tonight’s the night of the big Middleton Days festival, and I don’t have a date.
Ron: Wait, wait, wait! You want to go to the festival as my *date*?
Kim: [overjoyed] Oh, I thought you’d never ask!
[she kisses Ron deeply; Wade appears on her computer]
Wade: Hey, guys, I…
[spits out his drink and falls off his chair]
Wade: Ah! Um… bad time to call?
Kim: [giggles] Guess what the sitch is, Wade?
Wade: Um… I just wanted to tell you, I got a link to the Kimmunicator, and… were you guys just smackin’ lips?
Kim: [gazing into Ron’s eyes] Great, Wade!
Ron: [dreamily] Whatever you say…
Kim: I’m going to get ready for tonight. Rrrrr!
[she leaves]
Wade: Whoa! What’s going on?
[Ron shuts the locker door on him]
Wade: This isn’t normal! Hello?
Shego: What are we doing here?
Kim Possible: We needed to meet some place Aviarius doesn’t know about to make our plan.
Hego: Well, the Go Tower is the ultimate fortress of goodness.
Kim Possible: Don’t think so. You’ve got a giant viewscreen that your arch-foe can appear on whenever he wants. He talks to you, you talk to him. You don’t think…
Hego: That he could use that technology to spy on us while we were planning our heroic efforts. Blast! The fiend! How come no one ever mentioned this before?
Shego: [weary] Because it was obvious?
Kim Possible: [after her latest brush with Motor Ed] No mocking the hair.
Ron Stoppable: [chuckles nervously] Are you kidding me? You know, I know the basic boyfriend rules, Kim. Your new haircut is fabulous! And those slacks are very flattering!
Kim Possible: Thanks for the sensitivity.
Jim and Tim Possible: Sorry, but we’re contractually obligated to mock.
Kim Possible: Okay, just get it over with.
[pause]
Jim and Tim Possible: It’s no fun if you help.
[Wade reads a love note for Monique that Ron gave him]
Wade Load: The humble earthworm is vital to agriculture, it moves through the soil by excreting lubricating mucus.
Kim Possible, Monique: Eww!
Ron Stoppable: Wait! That’s my biology report! Oh no! That means…
[camera cuts to Mr. Barkin grading Ron’s “biology report”]
Mr. Steve Barkin: [sniffs] That’s a beautiful thought. A-plus, Stoppable!
Ron Stoppable: Okay, well, I have no idea what just happened, but I am clearly not cut out to help people make life choices.
Kim Possible: Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure. You helped me choose… you.
Ron Stoppable: Okay, *that* time I was a genius.
Kim Possible: Whatever you’ve stolen, give it back.
Shego: We haven’t stolen a darn thing.
Dr. Drakken: [appears] I’ve stolen the darn thing, Shego! Let’s go!
Ron Stoppable: Save the world, unwind with nacos and a movie. Bust a villain out of prison, it’s the hoity-toity express to Super Spaville.
Kim Possible: Saving the world has other perks, too.
Ron Stoppable: Such as?
Kim Possible: Cuter boyfriends.
So Many Thoughts 