Maybe this should be a trend?
I’ve always been a fan of animation, loving Saturday morning cartoons well into my thirties. As a huge fan of Hanna-Barbera, its in my blood. Disney has also influenced my love for animation. It’s because of this, I wanted to start a new trend for my Friday mornings without my wife. LOL. Animation Fridays.
This is the first one, and will looking forward to these as I build this website even more. Here is what was watched on the first one.
K-Pop Demon Hunters (2025)
Directed by Chris Appelhans & Maggie Kang
When an animated movie about K-pop is nominated for Best Animated Feature at this years Academy Awards, you need to stand up and take notice… or more like sit down and watch, especially when its not Disney.
K-Pop Demon Hunters is a musical about a girl vocal group who are actually demon hunters and they use their songs and voices to maintain peace on earth by keeping the demons underground. But when the king demon sends a sexy rival boy band to the earth, the world is hypnotized and under their spelling. It’s up to the girls to win the idol awards and save the souls of all the fans.
Its a brilliant concept with how crazy K-Pop is at the moment. The songs were catchy, the music entrancing, and the story was fun but not brilliant. It’s a solid film that combines anime with traditional animation.
Turbo (2013)
Directed by David Soren
Next up in my Friday morning of cartoons is Turbo, a film by Dreamworks. It’s a cheesy premise of a snail who dreams of going fast. He’s in love with racing and this love makes him an outcast in his garden world of snails. When he gets separated from his pack, he finds himself in the ravine of Los Angeles where a drag race is taking place. He’s sucked into the engine which is filled with Nitro then comes out with the gift of speed which takes him to the Indy 500.
Get it… cheesy but fun. While the storyline has a lot to be desired, its put together well and perfect for boys. While Disney tends to cater to girls, Dreamworks has the boy market covered. This is no Cars for sure, but there’s an authenticity with Turbo as it combines human characters with animal characters. These animals maybe to just that–but the human’s treat them as such.
This film was recommended to me by a friend and I am glad I took a chance on it. Well played for sure.
Leo (2023)
Directed by Robert Smigel & Robert Marianetti
Oh Leo… I have a love/hate relationship with this film for a few reasons. One… this movie should never have added musical sequences to it. There was no need.
Here’s the breakdown… The story is about two fifth grade class pets, a turtle and an iguana. When a substitute teacher comes in and forces the kids to take one of the pets home for the weekend, which would teach them responsibility. Leo, the iguana, sees this as an opportunity to escape and see the world – instead, he grows a soft spot for the kids and talks to them about their problems.
Growing up on cartoons, animal/human interaction doesn’t bother me as I can have an imagination. The story is brilliant, and the personality of this iguana is so on par with Adam Sandler, it makes the movie. He’s timing is wonderful and their are a few innuendos to make older kids or adult blush…
But seriously, why did the story need songs… and why did Adam Sandler need to sing them like his Hannakuh holiday song. That’s what I hated. If I didn’t have to sit through this, it would have been a solid 4-5 stars. Nope. That music was unnecessary and made me drop my opinion of it 2-whole-points.
The Bad Guys (2022)
Directed by Pierre Perifel
What do you get when you cross a wolf, a snake, a tarantula, a piranha, and a shark?
You get The Bad Guys. Another Dreamworks film for boys, this one is about a gang of robbers that have spent their lives together, working heists to steal money, jewels, and anything worth value. When they are caught, the new governor lets them off with a slap on the wrist if they go through a rehabilitation by the city’s “good guy.”
This movie is filled with action, adventure, mystery, and feel-good fun. The humor is spot on, fast and furious without it being too child-like for adults. The creative team kept the audience guessing on whose working for who, almost making it an Oceans 11 for kids. How can this be a bad thing?
There was not much I didn’t like about this film. They’re lovable bad guys and it really works.
So there you have it. This was my Friday morning cartoon marathon.
