I love animation and I love Nickelodean, but I loathe Fanboy and Chum Chum. For me, while not quite as awful as ChalkZone, Fanboy and Chum Chum is a terrible show with next to no redeeming elements and one of the few Nickelodean let alone animated shows I cannot tolerate.
Why is that so? Well here are some of my reasons:
Fanboy and Chum Chum does have a pretty thin premise. It is about two boys in superhero clothes with their underwear on top who just cause mayhem, or so it seems. I was hoping the story lines would make the most of this thin premise but they don't.
Instead, they are incredibly repetitive and predictable, with situations that are unoriginal and repeated seemingly over and over or to the extent that you can actually smell what's happening next. This is certainly not helped by the terrible humour or the uneven pacing.
The humour is quite frankly terrible. The bathroom humour is really overused, and I think it will go over children's heads as it did with mine. The writing doesn't fare much better either, it is very simplistic and childish rather than funny and smart. It is enough to make you snort in contempt or roll your eyes in disbelief.
The pacing is very uneven too. Although the episodes are quite short in length, every episode feels rushed or draggy.
That's not all that's wrong with Fanboy and Chum Chum. The animation is not great at all. Sure it is bright and plentiful in the colours, but if only everything else wasn't so awkward. The backgrounds can be static and the character designs are painfully forced. If you see Chum Chum's facial expressions or Fanboy's over-sized teeth just to name a few, you'll get the picture.
I also dislike the music. The incidental music is very bland and forgettable, but even worse is the theme song. It isn't just forgettable, it is too short and rushed, with lyrics that are pretty impossible to decipher or sing along to.
Even worse than that are the characters. All of them range from insufferably annoying like the two leads to dull like their teacher. And the voice acting is nothing to rave about either, shame because there are some talented voice actors there.
Overall, just awful and not recommended and this is coming from someone who considers animated films and shows some of her favourites. If I were in a harsh mood, I would give Fanboy and Chum Chum a minus rating. However, if I were in a good mood and feeling generous I'd give it a 1/10. Bethany Cox.
