Welcome to Dexter's Laboratory

Welcome to the ideal family. Dexter is a boy genius who has his own secret lab, where he conducts experiments day in and day out. His sister, Dee Dee is the exact opposite, a popular, but completely brain-dead ballet dancer who likes to trash Dexter's lab. Dex's father is a likable guy who wants his son to grow up like a normal kid, but who is also secretly obsessive over snowball fights and muffins. Dexter's mom is a stay-at-home mom who can go from nice to mean in a split second. In Dexter's Laboratory, Dexter must break new ground in the world of science....while facing everyday life. Genndy Tartakovsky's creation is a funny and enjoyable show that the whole family can watch. it's full of funny moments and stereotypes, and is always original.

Everything I Do is for....Science!

Dexter's Lab is so good because it goes where no cartoons go, and covers just about every subject of family life humanly possible. In one episode, Dexter uses his robot to get revenge on the dodgeball field, and in others, he takes place in satires of anime, like Speed Racer. Some shows, like Sheep in the Big City, poke fun and satire on many subjects, but come out unfunny, but Dexter's Lab comes out original and at many times, hilarious.

The voice-overs for Dexter's lab are excellent. Each voice actor perfectly fits his or her role, and when the need comes for overly dramatic or funny scenes, each actor is on top their game. Dexter's germanic accent is probably the most original of any cartoon, and is almost impossible to copy. Dee Dee has a perfectly ditzy voice, and Dexter's mom does an excellent job of controlling mood swings perfectly. Each voice actor perfectly conveys the emotion shown on screen, which is very tough to do. But, the guy who really steals the show is Dexter's dad. Whenever he is called in an epsidoe to act obsessive, you can be sure that episode is wet-your-pants funny. His voice actor is awesome, and it's a shame every episode doesn't call for his voice.

Dexter's Laboratory also has a nice mix of action, comedy, and some episodes with suspense. It's a great, family friendly show that is very fun to watch.

Justice and a Monkey?

Along with Dexter are two other cartoons, which make the second segment of the three episode show. The first is the Justice Friends, and absolutely hilarious show about three superheros, Major Glory (a satire of Captain America), Val Hallen (a satire of the Norse legend), and Him (satire of the Hulk). Each is faced with the challenge of living under one roof. It's like a superhero sitcom, and the idea really works! It's a shame that there was no spinoff for the show, as it really is good. Monkey follows the adventures of Dexter's pet monkey (named Monkey). He's actually a super-powered monkey, saving the world from crime. Monkey isn't as funny as the Justice Friends, but still offers quite a few good episodes.

Your father is a muffin fiend...a muff-o-maniac!

While Dexter's Laboratory is a very funny show, it suffers from many episodes. While most of the episodes are very good, many are either pointless, boring, or not funny. It is unfortunate that some episodes weren't made as good as others, but the good ones really bring the show up, and there are a handful of truly awesome episodes.

The New School of Dexter?

After a few seasons, much of the crew from the original Dexter's Lab decided to call it quits. These included the director/show creator Gendy Tartakovsky, the main artists, and Dexter's voice actor. The new seasons are pretty much inferior to the older episodes, and you can see the difference quite clearly. The animation has taken a big hit, and is pretty low quality by any standard of animation. Also, Dexter's new voice actor has a higher, mroe offbeat pitch than his counterpart, and also tries to imitate Dexter's old voice unsuccessfully. Still, a few of the new episodes are nice, but I definitely reccomend seeing the older ones first. They're definitely funnier and just mroe enjoyable.

All in all, Dexter's Laboratory is a great, family friendly show. It's satirical, funny, and action packed at some moments. Definitely check this one out if you have even the slightest interest!

Recommended: Yes

Type of Program: Cartoon or Animated
Program Quality: Entertaining, but not intellectually or emotionally engaging
Best Suited For: Whole Family