Kim Possible

Everything about this movie is cringe. Predictable plot, bad humor. It's just not Kim possible at all. Kim possible is an unrealistic cartoon that would be very difficult to make live action without ruining it. I can barely make it through the movie without turning it off. I know the rating is harsh but Kim possible was perfection and they took it and screwed it up. No. No. No.

I was so looking forward to this movie and don't want to go so far as saying I was disappointed. I thought this was a decent effort because it captured the essence of the original program but not much of its charm.

The characters of Dr. Drakken and Shego were portrayed fairly well. The actors came close to imitating the original voice artists, especially Drakken's maniacal laughter. Shego's sarcastic comebacks were there, too, but could have been utilized more often. Ron was okay and did come across as the clumsy nerdy sidekick, as he should have.

I thought Kim was a little too vulnerable in this movie. In the original series, she had her moments of self-doubt, but never to the point of a near-total meltdown lack of confidence. Also lacking was the interaction among Kim's immediate family. There was no loving exchange between the parents and no rivalry between Kim and her younger twin brothers (the "Tweebs"). In fact, her dad's and brothers' appearances were not much more than cameos.

Special effects were on par for a made-for-TV film. Some of the fight scenes were awkward with Kim's flying kicks and back-flips appearing a little too contrived. I don't fault the effects department because they did the best they could translating a cartoon into live action. There are just certain physical movements that are impossible to replicate in real life.

Original creators Mark McCorkle and Robert Schooley were back as executive producers, and I believe this is what saved the film. Had it been in the hands of someone else, it could have been a complete flop. The plot was left open-ended, so who knows if we will see a sequel, or better yet, a revival of the animated series. I am hoping for the latter.

It hurt me deeply. Kim wasn't even Kim. She's supposed to be confident, smart and fairly popular.

A girl shows up who's exactly like her and is suddenly more popular?? What??

I won't give a rundown of the plot because honestly who cares? The original show is freakin' awesome because it didn't have any filler. Even the filler episodes didn't have any filler. It was also an action comedy, and it was way the hell funnier than any Disney Channel show on the air at that time. It was increasingly surreal as it went along, as well.

This TV movie was *all* filler, and it just wasn't funny.

Casting:

Kim was fine. Weird to see her without green eyes, but she's suitably acrobatic and perky and likeable, but man is she hampered by terrible dialog.

Ron. Was. Awesome! Seriously, while he doesn't look much like the cartoon, he's got the shambling walk down, the mannerisms, and the voice is so good you'd think it was Will Friedle dubbing it. Unfortunately he's given nothing of any importance to do. He's just kind of there. He's the only one who managed to deliver any funny lines in a funny fashion, though.

Wade is fine.

"Athena" is a new character. She's fine. Since she's new we've got nothing to compare her to. She's Kim's new best friend, replacing Monique. I didn't dislike her, but the show is basically about a duo, and when they brought additional people along (Like Monique) it was basically to show how the team ONLY works if it's Ron and Kim.

Like, no, seriously, one episode revolved around a government study to find out WHY it only worked with the two of them.

"And the Mole Rat will be CG!" Rufus turned up to my surprise. He does nothing of any consequence, but he is voiced by Nancy Cartwright, who was his voice in the cartoon as well.

Drakken was terrible. Like beyond terrible. Like I cringed every time he came on screen. For starters, he wasn't even blue! His sights were too low. He wasn't trying to take over Canada, or mind-control the world using shampoo, he just wanted to break Kim's spirit. Big whup. I feel like they didn't even tell the guy he was acting in a TV movie. I feel like they just found some stoned guy in an alleyway, told him, "You're a supervillian!" and he believed them.

Shego doesn't work. Can't figure why, she didn't do anything wrong, but, eh.

Barken was sick and wrong. Barken was voiced by Patrick Warburton in the cartoon, and he was designed to look sorta like Warburton as well. He should have been played by a live-action Patrick Warburton. "Maybe they couldn't afford him?" Of course they could afford him. he's a voice actor. He'll work for peanuts. Hell, as I'm typing this I've got him mopping out my garage. He wanted ten bucks, but I talked him down to $8.95.

The inexplicable fight scene at the end decides to team up Kim....and her grandma....and her mom? Really? Her mom is a brain surgeon, not an action girl. Her grandmother *was* a spy, but long since retired, and she only shows up twice in the entire run of the show, mostly to complain about Kim's clothes.

Anyway: lame. Just lame.

I watched the original Kim Possible when I was a teenager and I thought it was a good cartoon. This movie just didn't do it justice.