jwkenne
Joined Jan 2001
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Ratings15
jwkenne's rating
Reviews14
jwkenne's rating
Both the 9-1-1 shows tend to be unpredictable structured, with no such thing as a "typical" episode. This one continued the tradition, with some oddball emergencies, and a resolution for the Iris arc.
By the way, in the 1859 CME event, the aurora borealis was visible in Mexico, Cuba, and Hawai'i, so the guy snarking on that point is just plain wrong.
By the way, in the 1859 CME event, the aurora borealis was visible in Mexico, Cuba, and Hawai'i, so the guy snarking on that point is just plain wrong.
I chanced to catch this on US television many years ago, under the title of "The Treasure of Swamp Castle", and was astounded as I watched it to realize that it was an alternate version of a live show that I'd been in in New York in 1984. It's based on the novel "A cigánybáró" (1885), by Mór Jókai, which is also the source of the operetta "Die Zigeunerbaron" ("The Gypsy Baron") by Johann Strauss, II. Although it is not an operetta, much of Strauss's music is used as underscoring, most amusingly when the famous Pig-farmer's Song ("I've no time for learning writing. / Breeding pigs is too exciting.") is adapted as a formal gavotte.
The film is in the style of animation known as "International", and a tad surreal. Some bits of the plot seemed a bit vague, but perhaps that was the English translation.
The film is in the style of animation known as "International", and a tad surreal. Some bits of the plot seemed a bit vague, but perhaps that was the English translation.
It really doesn't matter how old you are; if you are not allergic to fantasy, you can enjoy "Just Add Magic". The cast is first-rate, and the writing displays a level of craft that is all too rare on American television. Episodes flow from one to another, and characters do not behave foolishly just to advance the plot. There is a strong mythology behind this tale, but, even after two seasons, there are still a good many questions left unanswered.
In some ways, "Just Add Magic" reminds me of "Babylon 5", and not just by the presence of the remarkable Mira Furlan in the cast. The good guys have been known to make mistakes, the bad guys are given serious motivations for their actions, and sometimes it's difficult to be quite certain just who the good guys and bad guys are in the first place. The adult actors are especially to be commended for their commitment to telling this story, and not letting the fact that it's aimed at kids be an excuse for half-hearted performances.
In some ways, "Just Add Magic" reminds me of "Babylon 5", and not just by the presence of the remarkable Mira Furlan in the cast. The good guys have been known to make mistakes, the bad guys are given serious motivations for their actions, and sometimes it's difficult to be quite certain just who the good guys and bad guys are in the first place. The adult actors are especially to be commended for their commitment to telling this story, and not letting the fact that it's aimed at kids be an excuse for half-hearted performances.