Indyfan82 Reviews

Charles in Charge (1984–1990)

Charles is in Charge!

[17 October 2004]

Charles in Charge is a show about a college student who becomes a live-in helper for the Pembroke family, consisting of mom and dad, teenager Lily, middle schooler Douglas, and 10-year-old Jason. From the second season on to the last one, Charles switches families and stays with the Powells, as the Pembrokes are moving to Seattle. The reason for this is because Charles in Charge originally ran in 1984 for the first season and was cancelled. However, it was revived in syndication from 1987-1990 and on the first episode of the 2nd. season, it is explained that while Buddy and Charles were on a camping trip, Mr. Pembroke got transferred from his job in Pennslyvania to Seattle, Washington. Mrs. Pembroke and Jason both show up in the episode to explain things to Charles and to say goodbye. From then on, the Powells are the new family who have leased the house and they also maintain Charles' services. Charles now has to contend with Grandpa, Mom Powell, (Dad is away in the Navy), teenager Jamie, middle schooler Sarah, and 10-year-old Adam. The Pembrokes and Powells are definitely not totally the same but there are some similarities.

In any case, I have seen some of the first season as well as the later seasons and they are all good. Buddy is the best. He is so crazy and hilarious. He and Charles are such good friends and have great times, dating girls and keeping everything at the household under control. It's great. Charles in Charge rules!

Police Academy: The Animated Series (1988–1989)

A hilarious cartoon version of a hilarious live action movie series!

[10 August 2004]

I grew up watching this cartoon in the late 1980s. The movies the cartoon is based on are incredibly funny! The cartoon is very true to the movies and the characters look and sound much like the movies. The whole gang of cops gets the job done in their own unique way, with tons of laughs along the way. Plus, there's a great theme song by The Fat Boys! (Fat Boys coming to town, oh yeah! bomp, ch-ch, bomp, ch-ch bomp bomp) Captain Harris and Proctor are really funny as they try to get the lovable crew of Mahoney, Jones, Sweetchuck, Zed, Hightower, Hooks, House, Callahan, and Tackleberry off the force. But Commandant Lassard and the Professor are there on their side and the Police Academy always comes through. Hooray!

Garbage Pail Kids (1988– )

not nearly as bad as you might think

[2 July 2004]

I remember watching this cartoon as a child and it's not nearly as bad as some people made it out to be. Yes, it is a real cartoon and it did air in various countries around the world, although apparently not in America. After looking at quite a few of the actual Garbage Pail Kids cards, I would parents had good reason to be concerned about a cartoon based on the cards. I don't care much myself for the cards, because I think they were gross and disgusting in the 1980s and they're gross and disgusting now. I will admit that some of them are kind of funny.

The cartoon itself was actually my first introduction to the Garbage Pail Kids. I didn't find out about the trading cards and the infamous 1987 live action movie (MacKenzie Astin's greatest role, next to that bit on The Facts of Life! :-) until much later. I actually viewed the Kids more as superheroes than anything. Well, you had Clogged Duane, who could turn his body into goo and slide through things, much like Nickelodeon's Alex Mack. And there was Patty, who could stretch her body and contort her face into silly shapes, much like Plastic Man or Mr. Fantastic, or even Elongated Man. There was Elliot Mess, who could take apart his body and hold his head in his hands. (I'm not sure how this power benefited him, other than he could use his head as a bowling ball. Well, anyway, that is using his head! Ha! I kill me! Okay, but seriously...) Split Kit was kind of the James Dean type dude, who could split himself into half nice kid and half bad dude. Then there was Janet, who could wipe her face clean and move it to her left hand and would talk with her hand. Literally, people would have to talk to the hand! And her face would be blank. (Again, I'm not sure of the point of this "power".)

Anyway, the Kids actually went around and helped people (sort of) and it was quite funny. It really wasn't as bad as the cards. That portion would usually be half of the show and the other half would have movie parodies. There were parodies of famous movies like the Indiana Jones trilogy, The Fly, and the Superman movies. I still remember "The Fry" parody and the "Supernerd" parody. Both were very funny. I was even able to acquire two episodes of this rare series and it was just as I remembered from a few scant years ago. Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Whoa, Whoa, Oh, Oh,.... (Yeah, I remember the theme song too) Garbage Pail Kids - the cartoon was pretty cool. I don't think I would get into collecting the cards and I haven't made myself watch the movie yet, but if you can find the cartoon you might want to check it out.

MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis (1994 TV Movie)

A great TV-movie!

[10 November 2003]

This tv-movie picked up right where the series ended and did a great job of delivering another MacGyver adventure! There's lots of great acting by all the cast, and some pretty cool music too. There's plenty of action and of course classic MacGyverisms! A triumphant return for MacGyver to television!

MacGyver (1985–1992)

The best television series ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[10 November 2003]

MacGyver is definitely the best television series ever!!! This show was a totally different show from all the violent action heroes proliferated in both movies and on TV. MacGyver actually used his brain and showed viewers that there's a better way than using guns. All of his tricks on the show are totally backed up by science. It's true that some elements were left out on the show, but this is only because the producers of the show were responsible and didn't want children to emulate anything that might be possibly dangerous. MacGyver was a hero who said "ow" when it hurt from throwing punches, because he was a very human character and it made him a more real character you could relate to. He also rarely cursed, (by the 2nd. season onward, he never cursed at all), he did not use guns, he did not drink alcohol, he did not smoke, and he was always helping someone whenever they were in trouble. He is a great example of a true hero. MacGyver is an overall clean show that still delivers plenty of great action, adventure and excitement, as well as teaching viewers a bit about science along the way. MacGyver ROCKS!!!

Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978 TV Movie)

One of the best Christmas specials ever!

[3 December 2002]

I can't believe nobody else has commented on this yet. This is definitely one of the best Christmas specials ever, for any age. I watch this almost every Christmas. It's a fun video to enjoy. Bert, Ernie, The Count, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, and Kermit all go ice skating, which is fun to watch. They sing Feliz Navidad. Bert and Ernie act out the classic O. Henry story "The Gift of the Magi", with each selling a precious possession to buy the other something, only to render each other's gifts useless without the items they sold. Mr. Hooper is on there too and that's really neat seeing him on there. Big Bird, Kermit, and Grover all do interviews with children, trying to find out how Santa Claus gets down the chimney. Big Bird is worried about people getting gifts at Christmas if Santa Claus can't fit down the chimney. Of course, this is prompted by Oscar the Grouch's teasing, who is actually sorry and worried about Big Bird at the end. The movie is very fun, filled with great songs, and really funny moments, like watching Cookie Monster try to send a letter to Santa Claus without eating his writing utensils in anticipation of the cookies he's going to ask for. You can get this movie on VHS video at Amazon.com and now it's on DVD.

Full House (1987–1995)

By far, one of the all time best 80s sitcoms!

[23 October 2002]

This was probably my absolute favorite sitcom growing up!

This is still my absolute favorite sitcom now! Okay, I can't say absolute favorite, I've got too many others that I really like as well. But anyway, Full House rocks! The show was funny without using dirty jokes and language. I can hardly ever remember hearing any curse words on the show. Joey did awesome cartoon impressions too! Joey is cool. Well, you know, they're all cool. Every episode had a great moral value at the end too. This is a good clean show that actually teaches good values and still delivers lots of clean laughs. Any show like that rocks in my book. And Full House most definitely rocks!

Charles in Charge (1984–1990)

One of the best sitcoms of the 80s!

[23 October 2002]

This was one of my favorite shows growing up! It's still one of my favorites now! I watch it all the time on Nick at Nite. I have seen some of the episodes from the 1st. season, but I have to admit that I watched the show in syndication, so I grew up seeing the Powell family. However, the Pembrokes were great too. I'm especially thankful for the "Amityville" episode which explained why Charles was set up with a new family and kept continuity intact. Charles is cool, but Buddy is the best! Anyway, the show rules! (no matter what season)

The Fantastic Four (1994)

Another Fantastic superhero movie!!!

[1 October 2002]

I just recently saw The Fantastic Four and you better believe it was fantastic!!! I loved it!!! Dr. Doom looked great in his costume which, unlike the Green Goblin from the 2002 Spider-Man movie, actually looked like the one in the comics!!! Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing all looked great. The Thing's costume was particularly incredible. The origin remained very true to the comics and the costumes as well. You did get to see all of the powers in the movie. Mr. Fantastic stretched his arms. Invisible Woman turned invisible and used her forcefield. The Human Torch shot out fire from his hands and totally turned the "flame on" as the fire consumed his whole body and he flew! The Thing beat up one bad guy after another with his super strength whenever it was "clobbering time"! And The Thing actually says his famous line ("It's clobbering time!") about 3 or 4 times in the movie. That alone is worth it. Everything was very cool. Definitely check this movie out if you can find it.

Captain America (1990)

One of the best Captain America movies yet!!!

[1 October 2002]

I love this movie! Captain America and the Red Skull are both in it and both look as they should. The origin is true to the comics and Captain America's costume looks very cool. He does throw the shield and knock down the Red Skull a few times in the movie. It's more of an origin movie but it's a very exciting one. Definitely watch it!

The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992–1993)

Indiana Jones ROCKS!!!!

[1 October 2002]

This was one of my favorite tv series and... oh wait, it STILL is!!! Indiana Jones, whether in the movies, or on TV, ROCKS!!! The tv show had Indiana Jones meeting real life history makers and was actually quite educational, which I enjoyed. Of course, episodes like The Treasure of the Peacock's Eye show Indy starting to get into what will become his future career - archeaology. The episodes showing him fighting in The Great War - later known as World War I, are really cool too and really paint an accurate as possible picture of what it really was like. It showed different events in Indy's life that shaped his values and ideas and made him into what he is now. Sean Patrick Flanery did a great job as Indiana Jones. The show rules!

Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979 TV Movie)

Awesome movie!

[1 October 2002]

This is probably one of my favorite Captain America movies though I like them all. The costume and motorcycle looks great and the theme song is awesome. It figures- Mike Post was the guy who did it. (he's done lots of other great theme songs, most notably Magnum, P.I., The A-Team, and Quantum Leap) These movies could have been made into a tv series! That would have been cool. They already had a great theme song! Awesome movies! Captain America rules!

Captain America (1979 TV Movie)

One of the best superhero movies!!!

[1 October 2002]

WOW!!! I have seen this movie and its sequel and I think both are some of the best superhero movies I've ever seen. I also like the later 1989 Captain America movie, which is pretty faithful to the comics movie, but I think I like the 1979 portrayal of Cap the best. Okay, actually the costume and shield are more like the comics in the 1989 movie and I do like that, but I also like the 1979 movies.

True, in this movie the origin is different, but at least it's close to the original. The costume is different but at the end of the movie, Steve Rogers offers his own design for the costume, and he wears it for the second movie, which looks a lot better.

Anyway, there's great superhero action and stunts in both movies. Very enjoyable. Check them out. Captain America rocks!

Early Edition (1996–2000)

One of my few favorite series from the 90s!

[26 August 2002]

Yes, this is one of the few shows I actually liked that started and ran in the 1990s! Early Edition is not a clone of Quantum Leap, by the way, though Quantum Leap is most definitely another favorite show of mine, along with MacGyver, but I digress. Early Edition is about Gary Hobson, who gets tomorrow's newspaper today. He tries to change the bad headlines every day. It's a different concept from travelling through time and fixing things, as on QL. Both have many similarities, and both Sam and Gary could empathize for each other, both being in similar situations of having some knowledge of the future and the responsibility to change things for the better, to put right what once went wrong. This is probably one reason why fanfiction stories that crossover the 2 series come out being really great! Unfortunately, CBS cancelled it and I am still mad about that. That was about the only show I was regularly watching through the last half of the 90s and it was really a great show! Reruns are still shown on some local broadcast channels though, so that's cool. Watch it sometime. You might start looking forward to hearing a cat meow every morning!

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981–1986)

Ready, Spider-Friends? Go for it!

[28 October 2001]

This was one of my favorite Spider-Man cartoons I saw growing up. I also saw the other 80s Spider-Man cartoon where he's by himself, but I liked it better with Iceman and Firestar. There were more supervillians and more guest superheroes (like Captain America, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, and the X-Men) It was a very fun series which I very much enjoyed.

The Amazing Spider-Man (1977–1979)

A great live action superhero series

[28 October 2001]

I have caught this show in reruns on SCI-FI before, and I have to say I enjoyed it. Okay, so maybe the special effects aren't the best in the world, but it was still a fun series. Spider-Man has always been one of my favorite superheroes and I really enjoyed watching him fight crime in this series. I wish they could have brought in more of the supervillians for him to fight though. But it was still a fun series to watch.

Full House (1987–1995)

One of the BEST sitcoms of the 80s (and 90s, for that matter)

[15 February 2001]

Full House has always been one of my favorite sitcoms. Danny tries to raise his three daughters, and his brother-in-law Jesse comes to help out, as well as one of his best friends Joey. The show had plenty of new jokes each episode, providing lots of clean comedy, a wholesome drama, and usually a good moral value you can take with you. This is a great show. Watch it on TBS or WGN. You'll love it!!!

MacGyver: Pilot (1985) Season 1, Episode 1

The Pilot episode for the best TV series ever created!

[16 November 2000]

This is the Pilot episode that kicked the MacGyver series off. MacGyver is the best show ever created for television. It has enjoyed a successful run for seven seasons and also produced two made-for-tv movies. Simply the best series ever. Had a great combination of science and action. MacGyver had some wonderful values and a refusal to use guns that made the show unique. He'd always use his Swiss Army Knife and duct tape as well as things around to get out of trouble. It was an incredible show and the best ever made.

MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday (1994 TV Movie)

Another Great MacGyver movie!

[16 November 2000]

This movie was yet another great MacGyver adventure. It had all the feel of the tv series and had many "MacGyverisms". Really incredible movie. A must for all MacGyver fans. This movie had drama, action, and adventure. Hey, it's MacGyver. What more do you need? A great movie!