Great,
summer holidays. Let's watch Pokemon
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|
Disney
ditch the high quality for cheap 'n' cheerful animation but
make up for it with a funny, fast paced film.
Nigel
Bell
Of the
four big children's films being released this summer (Shrek,
Dr Dolittle 2 and
Cats and Dogs are the others - we won't mention Help,
I'm A Fish), Recess could well be the dark horse
winner.
Like Rugrats
and Pokemon, this is a TV series which has been brought
to the big screen.
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| This
animation stinks. I want a Lion King job |
On the
telly, it's always about 10-year-old TJ and his gang against
the teachers. The film version starts that way but pretty
soon the former enemies unite to take on new villains.
In this
case it's an education reformer whose radical plan is to do
away with summer holidays.
Not that
that's clear from the start when TJ is left alone after his
five friends go off to various summer camps.
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| School's
out kids. Hey, I'm bored already |
One day
he notices a satellite dish emitting a green beam from the
top of the school roof. Aliens? Must be, thinks TJ. The only
trouble is his parents and the police won't believe him.
Out of
desperation he tells Principal Prickly who, naturally, thinks
it's yet another far-fetched tale.
When the
principal disappears it's time for TJ to bring back the rest
of the gang and save the day.
It transpires
that former principal Dr Benedict (voiced by James Woods)
wants to use a tractor beam to move the moon and so obscure
the sun. This would mean there'd never be summer holidays
again.
Can the
kids save the day? Well, with a little help from their teachers
they can.
Recess
has latched onto the formula that's making a lot of children's
films genuine family entertainment. With references to the
late 60's/early 70's (and a soundtrack from the same period)
the movie ensures there's something of interest for everyone.
There are even Ninjas for goodness sake.
The message
- that we were all young once and that children and adults
should never forget that - is put across well, especially
as the admiration builds between erstwhile enemies TJ and
Prickly.
One not
to be ignored.
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