Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

While yes I am in the middle of Thirty Days of Godzilla, I'd like to try and strive for the lesser known aspects of G-Canon. You know - more offbeat and lesser known stuff other than just the movies. Yeah, those are dangerous waters, even for a Bad Movie veteran like myself, but I've already suffered through the worst that the series can throw at me - the 1998 remake of Godzilla - so everything else should be a piece of cake, right? Right?

"Up from the depths! Thirty stories high! Breathing fire! His head in the sky! Godzilla! Godzilla! Godzilla!!!"

". . .and Godzoooooookie. . ."

*Sigh* The things I do for you people.

The subject of today's Deep Hurting is Godzilla: The Animated Series, created by the Hanna-Barbera Studios. The show originally premiered on the NBC television network on September 9, 1978 as part of the Godzilla Power Hour. It ran for several years along with such classics like Jana of the Jungle, Johnny Quest, the Super Globetrotters, Dynomutt and the Funky Phantom. And I apologize for that uncalled for snarky tone - Johnny Quest actually was kind of cool. The rest of those show however, I have no regrets snarking all over them.

Anyway, Godzilla: The Animated Series (henceforth known as G:TA) followed the travels of the scientific exploration vehicle Calico (Under the command of Captain Majors - a most unfortunate name paring, that one), and his team of ethnically balanced scientists, his precocious young ward and a comic relief monster named Godzookie. The Calico roamed the globe, seeking danger and adventure wherever they went, constantly running into evil scientists and giant monsters on a weekly basis. It's fortunate then, that they had a little pager device that could summon GODZILLA! King of the Monsters, who always just happened to be lurking nearby,

Toho, for whatever reason, didn’t supply the famous Godzilla roar that we all know and love. Instead, they drafted staff voice artist Ted Cassidy - Lurch from the Addams Family - to supply Godzilla's grunts and growls. Little known fact - Ted also did the grunts and growls for Lou Ferrigno on the Incredible Hulk. So, we have a vaguely Godzilla shaped creature with the Incredible Hulk's voice coming out of his mouth. No wonder I was a messed up little kid back in 1979.

The other notable voice actor on the series was the legendary Don Messick, voice behind just about everyone at Hanna-Barbera Studios, including Scooby Doo, Boo Boo Bear, Ranger Smith, Papa Smurf, and Dr Benton Quest. This time he gets to add Godzookie to his resume.

Anyway, so a typical episode would consists of a half baked Scooby Doo plot where a "master" criminal (and I use the term lightly) was after gold or sunken treasure or some other kind of aquatic riches, usually with a giant monster at his disposal (although off the top of my head, I could think of a half dozen MUCH better uses for my Giant Monster than kidnapping a professor who discovered a huge oil reserve - and that’s without being an evil genius mastermind!). Or occasionally they would just encounter a giant monster creating havoc. Mix in a healthy dose of technobabble that would make Star Trek go "Damn, that's some messed up science!" and some moments of "comedy" from Godzookie (again, I use the term comedy in the broadest sense of the word) before eventually a giant monster would threaten the Calico. Of course somehow the Godzilla Pager would be knocked out of reach of whoever had it. Much like a Popeye cartoon with the spinach JUST beyond the sailor man's fingertips, much of the drama consists of "Can we recover the Godzilla Pager and summon Godzilla in time?!?"

Of course they would, and Godzilla shows up in the last few moments of the cartoon to lay the (standards and practices approved) smack down on the monster before we get our obligatory Godzookie comic relief moment and the end credits roll.

THE DVD:
The video is astoundingly good, considering that G:TAS is a 30 year old low budget children's cartoon. Someone, somewhere kept the original prints in very good shape. There are no extras to speak of, but I do hear rumors of an upcoming box set for all 26 episodes. Perhaps we'll luck out with the double dip.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
Nostalgia can be a dangerous thing. What was amazingly cool when see with the eyes of a child can be just blindingly stupid with the cold, harsh eyes of an adult. Sadly it's a phenomenon I've seen more and more as shows I loved as a kid were dragged kicking and screaming onto DVD, and were found wanting. Sure I still dig the theme song, but the rest of the show is like fingernails on a chalkboard.

This review is part of my "Thirty Days of Godzilla" review blitz, where I watch every single Godzilla movie made. Check out the rest of the Godzillathon:
* Godzilla: King of the Monsters
* Godzilla Raids Again
* King Kong vs Godzilla
* King Kong Escapes
* Mothra vs Godzilla
* Godzilla vs the Sea Monster
* Godzilla's Revenge
* Destroy All Monsters
* The Terror of MechaGodzilla
* Godzilla: The Animated Series
* Godzilla vs Biollante
* Godzilla vs King Ghidorah
* Godzilla vs Space Godzilla
* Godzilla vs Destroyah
* The American 1998 Godzilla
* Godzilla 2000
* Godzilla vs Megaguirus
* Godzilla: Final Wars

Recommended: No

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up to Age 4