Gargoyles: Il risveglio degli eroi

"Gargoyles" was a series released during the "Disney Afternoon" block of the mid-nineties. What makes it so unique is that it's still the only dramatic animated series Disney TV has ever produced. It stunned people at the time with its tragic plots, realistic weapons, and clear consequences to characters' actions. It's definitely not for young children (the Y7 rating is a good guideline), but don't think it's just another brainless afternoon shoot-'em-up designed to sell action figures. The backbone of this saga is what all timeless fiction must contain: plot and character development. The writing is taut, the acting fantastic, and the animation beautiful, but they are all mere servants to the story, which stays interesting and moderately serialized throughout the entire series (just the first season has been released on DVD, 13 of 65 episodes).

Overall, I think this is the best animated television series to ever come out of this country. If you at all appreciate the art form, you'll wonder where this show has been all your life. In a time when comedies are saturating both the primetime and daytime cartoon markets, it's nice to find a gripping animated drama without needing to set your sights to the other side of the Pacific. Highly recommended.

Having lived in the New York metropolitan area my entire life, Gargoyles was even more fun to watch since many of the landmarkings were places I've hung out at) The animation in itself is mindblowing. The sights and sounds of the show are true to life of Manhattan, even if you've never been there, it makes you feel like you're there.

The storylines were great. Mythology, elves, sorcery, and modern day New York, London, Japan, and Scotland (and even gay Paris!) come together to form a wonderful series that would have made Walt Disney proud. While many former Disney creations had very obvious morals (and quite a few "And they lived happily ever afters ..."), Gargoyles is the first to show a distinctiveness I've never seen, from Disney or otherwise. The emotions are real, the stories realistic (as far as you can see realistic about elves, anyway), and storylines reappear again and again. The animation and the gargoyles draw the kiddies, while the history, mythology, and more mature storylines will definitely keep the adults glued to the TV.

The show gives lessons on gun control, dealing with blindness, death, family, love, and life, without the artificial and often unrealistic way of going about it (examples including Cinderella, Barney, and lots of other shows and movies I can mention). It's not just for kids. Disney has done for Gargoyles what Warner Bros. did for the Batman Animated Series. I could watch this show with my grandmother (who doesn't like ANYTHING made after 1960) and she enjoyed it thoroughly and is now a die-hard fan. Watch it with your kids.

Sad to see the show having been canceled though. Maybe if enough people email Disney or write letters, it can be brought back. If you have the time, write an email to Disney and tell how much you love the show. Gargoyles live.

Really, has there been anyone better? I need to see that! It's almost unreal that Disney produced a series like this; mythology, technology, action, drama, strong characters, great voice acting, shakespeare refereces, breathtaking environment and a TIGHT story with no flaws or holes- all links together. Unfortunately the series has never aired in Sweden, at least not yet, so the audience here (both young and old :) has not experienced it... I'm glad I did and in english.

Gargoyles is without questioning the best cartoon series aired. It's sad they were taken off the air, but of course, a long lasting series isn't as good in the long run...

I have just one question: How can Disney Television Animation produce such a wonderful show as "Gargoyles" for a couple of seasons and then go back to being Disney Television Animation? I simply cannot understand it, and if anyone has any thoughts, PLEASE share them with me! This show was a breath of fresh air on every level. If this wasn't a groundbreaking show, it certainly raised the bar sky high.

Voices--Many's the time I have thought that they could have chosen a better actor for a part in animation. Not here. The voice cast was so good that to this day I cannot imagine anyone else filling the bill. In the role of Goliath, Keith David demonstrated that he possesses one of the greatest speaking voices of any actor in the business. Jeff Bennett was also great as Brooklyn, my favorite character. (Loved the white hair!)

Music--Carl Johnson's scores were great. They beautifully set the tone and underlined the action and the drama.

Animation--Excellent. Dark, moody and stylish. The shots of the clan as stone statues are downright eerie at times. To this day, I still can't believe Disney did this one.

Plot--Action, drama, technology, mythology, humor and a little Shakespeare on the side. Folks, WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY ASK FOR? This series had the most tightly structured story lines ever--there was not a single moment of dead air anytime.

The best thing about the series, however, was the characters. For being a clan of gargoyles (with a couple of humans), these characters were as real as you and I. Things HAPPENED to them! They actually got HURT as a result of violence. They matured, sometimes in ways unexpected. They found out the hard way who their friends and enemies were. And they had to live with the consequences of their actions, which sometimes came back to haunt them in later episodes.

Here's hoping Disney will realize the error of their ways and bring this show back. If you are already a fan, may you continue to enjoy the show. If you haven't seen it, give it a chance. But be advised: Once you have seen television and the world through the glowing eyes of a gargoyle, you will never want to settle for "standard kiddie fare" ever again.

I cannot begin to detail how phenomenal this show is. I have seen plenty of exceptional animated shows, and some of them are very underrated, but Gargoyles has it all, mystery, complexity, depth, adventure and suspense, and one of those rarities where there is not a bad episode.

The animation is superb, very dark, moody and stylish. In fact, there are several animated sequences in Gargoyles that have a cinematic feel to it. The backgrounds especially are a wonder, and I loved the creative yet bold and dark use of colours. The music is outstanding, it is dark, atmospheric and mysterious constantly and adds to the mature tone of the show.

Another strong asset is the show's writing. No clichés, no wishy-washy moments. This writing can have a subtle humour to it, yet is also very intelligent, bold and thought-provoking. Then there are the story lines. They are filled with mystery and adventure, and I was really surprised at how incredibly deep Gargoyles was. I have seen some deep and complex animated shows, namely Peter Pan and the Pirates, to some extent ThunderCats and especially Batman:The Animated Series, and Gargoyles is just as deep as those. And the characters are wonderful, so unique and likable, while the voice work is top-notch from all involved especially from Keith David who is note-perfect in the title role of Goliath.

Overall, if you haven't seen Gargoyles, I suggest you do. 10/10 Bethany Cox