This is the final part of my first ever liveblog! I’ve finished watching the failed Battletoads cartoon pilot. Now, it’s time I give my full opinion on the work I’ve even spending 3 parts recapping. So what did I think about this pilot and the experience I had watching it...
I actually don’t hate this. Yeah, I know I was complaining throughout this liveblog about how much this thing and makes me look like a major hypocrite. But while I do still believe that this thing was just a mess, I just can’t hate this. The first time I watched this pilot on the VHS I actually really enjoyed it. It definitely has some glaring flaws, but I actually consider this a guilty pleasure for me.
That being said... THIS THING IS FAR FROM PERFECT!!! In fact, they are too many big flaws in this cartoon pilot to ignore. I think the animation is rather bad and the voice acting is equally awful but there is a lot of goofiness to those elements that makes them more enjoyable to watch rather than angry.
However, the thing that still really bugs me about the Battletoads pilot was the writing... IT’S AWFUL!!! The story is a mess with a lot of pointless conflicts and conveniences, the characters are inconsistent with their plans and intelligences. Really it did just seem like David Wise was just making a plot out of thin air and didn’t bother to put any thought into how little the final product makes any sense. However, I don’t think David Wise is a bad writer. He has written some great episodes (like “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t Rich?” from Batman: TAS) but he also made some stinkers (like “The Girl Who Loved Powerglide” from Transformers). This was definitely one of Wise’s stinkers. The writing is the only element I really can’t stand about this sloppy pilot. The animation and voice-acting I can kind of excuse and enjoy. The writing will always be messy for me.
However, this isn’t all Wise’s fault that I hate the writing in this. The main reason I just don’t like this pilot is because it really was just wasted potential for an even better television series. Really the source material from the original video game could have been worked out to have been an action-adventure series with some wacky characters and moments to lighten the mood and it could have made the Battletoads into a larger ongoing franchise. It really could have been a great ongoing Saturday-Morning Cartoon had they just harder. But they didn’t and the end result was an awfully-written pilot episode that nobody enjoyed nor wanted to see be made into a television series. Way to go, DICs.
And with that happy note, I end this liveblog. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it. I’ve definitely enjoyed making it and hope to make more in the future. Maybe next time, I’ll be staying away from toads. See you guys, later.
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