39 reviews
Being that I'm 19 years old, and that I've acquired an outrageously dark sense of humor, I would never think that a show targeted towards kids would ever appeal to me. But, this show is an exception. This show is nightmare fuel, pure and simple. This 'nightmare fuel' aspect is, in no way, a negative view of the show. The backgrounds' dark and dreary art style seems to compliment the characters' lighthearted antics. Oftentimes, extreme reactions in the characters faces are grossly exaggerated in a vividly horrifying, and wildly entertaining, manner. The story lines, and even the setting, are twisted and sometimes hard to follow. Again, this is not detrimental to the show's entertainment value, but instead enhances it. It is cartoons like these that keep one's imagination alive and kicking, wondering 'what else could be thought of, what else could happen?'. This show is great, purely imaginative, and conceptually beautiful.
- oh_your_god
- Sep 12, 2008
- Permalink
All I can say about "Flapjack" is that it is one of the most bizarre animated show ever produced. Sometimes we watch it & when the episode is over we look at each other & say "Huh"? But we're always entertained & always laugh out loud at something. As a matter of fact "Magic Genie Island" is perhaps the strangest cartoon episode I've ever seen & I've seen a lot of em'. Suffice it to say that you've gotta see it at least once & experience the oddness for yourself. The animation is striking & in some cases a bit nightmarish but always interesting to the eyes. The voices are spot on as well. A great cartoon is what it is so give it a shot.
Flapjack is one of those rare cartoons that you just don't see anymore. It has this very surreal feel to it, almost like it is more for an older audience. It isn't afraid to show gruesome images or add a bit of adult humor. It has a lot of random humor as well. Saying this, I wouldn't recommend it for young children, because I feel adults would probably appreciate it more. It reminds me of the older, classic cartoons, where anything was possible and no one was afraid to push the envelope. And one random positive is that the characters is likable as well as quotable. One of these days it will be one of those classic cartoons. Awesome cartoon.
- filmakerspake
- Nov 7, 2009
- Permalink
I love Flapjack. This show is amazing. It has beautiful animation and I love the watercolor backgrounds. Flapjack's voice and laugh make ME LAUGH OUT LOUD. And so does all the crazy stuff that happens in the show. Its creepy and lovable all at once. They live in a whale's mouth, K'nuckles is blue, Peppermint Larry has a wife made of candy- all bits that keep me wondering about the mysterious land of Stormalong Harbor.
I don't know why anyone wouldn't like this show. Maybe people who kick puppies wouldn't. And people who get irritated by lots of noises. But if you were like that, you probably shouldn't be watching cartoons, eh?!
I wish Flapjack was on right now. I'd like to watch it. Even though it was just on for an hour and I watched that. He inspires me to be adventurous. And eat candy. And make friends with a creepy old pirate. I even have a sailor hat. I hope there are 1,000,000,000,000 seasons of Flapjack. I want it to go on until the world ends. I want it to go on until after the world ends. I want Vishnu to be able to watch Flapjack as he floats on a sea of milk.
I don't know why anyone wouldn't like this show. Maybe people who kick puppies wouldn't. And people who get irritated by lots of noises. But if you were like that, you probably shouldn't be watching cartoons, eh?!
I wish Flapjack was on right now. I'd like to watch it. Even though it was just on for an hour and I watched that. He inspires me to be adventurous. And eat candy. And make friends with a creepy old pirate. I even have a sailor hat. I hope there are 1,000,000,000,000 seasons of Flapjack. I want it to go on until the world ends. I want it to go on until after the world ends. I want Vishnu to be able to watch Flapjack as he floats on a sea of milk.
- noodlesforfree
- Feb 18, 2009
- Permalink
This show is AWESOME!! It has great sense of humor and awesome story lines! I a specially loved the part where flapjack saw a kid and the kid was like "I'm 40 years old" and then the expression on the kid's face - Priceless! KEEP IT UP!!
Hey, Flapjack! Come with me, we'll go see a place called Candied Island! Who needs Candied Island? It's safer at the docks. But there ain't no streams of sodie pop to drippin' off the rocks. It's dangerous and risky! But adventurous and free! Avdventure - that's the life for me! There's lollipop trees and a lemonade sea! Doesn't sound very good to me. The misadventures of... Flapjack: ... Flapjack!
Hey, Flapjack! Come with me, we'll go see a place called Candied Island! Who needs Candied Island? It's safer at the docks. But there ain't no streams of sodie pop to drippin' off the rocks. It's dangerous and risky! But adventurous and free! Avdventure - that's the life for me! There's lollipop trees and a lemonade sea! Doesn't sound very good to me. The misadventures of... Flapjack: ... Flapjack!
"The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack" are just that. Marvelous.
This is probably the last great cartoon show on Cartoon Network outside of Chowder. For a man that has grown up watching cartoons, I have to say that the shows on Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon for that matter, have been falling off in quality lately. Flapjack excluded.
With the mixed media, the use of watercolor, the writing, the quirky stories, all of it is spectacular.
It's like we say in improvisation, you have to find the love. This show really does a good job at showing the love between mother and baby, mentor and protégé, and between friends.
Sure, Captain K'nuckles is a crass bad influence, he lies, he cheats, he steals, he's greedy, gluttonous, and whiney, but the lessons taught and learned are great.
Flapjack is such a sweet, kind, energetic kid, it's hard not to fall in love with this nautical-nonsense cartoon.
This is probably the last great cartoon show on Cartoon Network outside of Chowder. For a man that has grown up watching cartoons, I have to say that the shows on Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon for that matter, have been falling off in quality lately. Flapjack excluded.
With the mixed media, the use of watercolor, the writing, the quirky stories, all of it is spectacular.
It's like we say in improvisation, you have to find the love. This show really does a good job at showing the love between mother and baby, mentor and protégé, and between friends.
Sure, Captain K'nuckles is a crass bad influence, he lies, he cheats, he steals, he's greedy, gluttonous, and whiney, but the lessons taught and learned are great.
Flapjack is such a sweet, kind, energetic kid, it's hard not to fall in love with this nautical-nonsense cartoon.
While it may not be as great as Chowder, it too actually does a very good job trying to save Cartoon Network from going downhill. The man who created Flapjack has worked on three of my favorite Cartoon Network shows such as the Powerpuff Girls, Billy and Mandy, and Camp Lazlo!
In fact, a lot of the crew who worked on Camp Lazlo! worked on Flapjack. The art is very creative, it's dark and realistic, it has more to it than just being gross, the grossness and disturbing imagery fits the setting of the show, and the characters are very well-written. Not to mention, the voice acting is spot on. True, it's insane, but what would you expect? It's actually something I prefer over Superjail! Heck, the creator of Gravity Falls worked on this show.
So, I was wrong about Flapjack being a horrible show. I really like Flapjack the way it is.
In fact, a lot of the crew who worked on Camp Lazlo! worked on Flapjack. The art is very creative, it's dark and realistic, it has more to it than just being gross, the grossness and disturbing imagery fits the setting of the show, and the characters are very well-written. Not to mention, the voice acting is spot on. True, it's insane, but what would you expect? It's actually something I prefer over Superjail! Heck, the creator of Gravity Falls worked on this show.
So, I was wrong about Flapjack being a horrible show. I really like Flapjack the way it is.
- DannyD1997
- Mar 10, 2019
- Permalink
- Rectangular_businessman
- Jul 2, 2010
- Permalink
Animation:This is the best part of the show for me since it looks so amazing heck I think it beats some current cartoon network shows.(Don't worry it does not beat Gumball and Steven universe) It has very well made backgrounds and the intro was freaking stop motion animation done really well. It also had very good character designs like I love Flapjack and peppermint Larry's designs. What more can I say it has Wonderful stop motion and Traditional animation with some amazing backgrounds and character designs. Obviously
10/10
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Plot:Flapjack takes place in a place called strongstorm harbour and Its about 2 adventurers flapjack and captain k'nuxcles who have been looking for a place called candied island but have never got there due to bubby and all the danger that surrounds the place. So they have been stuck on the docks most of the time. Also flapjack is being cared by bubby the whale since his parents are gone and bubby also serves as flapjacks home and that is the premise. It is very creative but I do think we could get a bit more back story but overall a nice premise it gets a.
10/10
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Humor: Though aside from some humor not being funny it does have really funny moments in there which will make you laugh out loud.
8/10
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Intro: Well I love this intro it tells you what the show is about and also reflects the characters personalities. The animation in it is freaking amazing to with all the stop motion characters.
10/10
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Verdict:In short Flapjack was a show that has wonderful animation, A catchy theme song,Good humor and a Memorable cast of characters. Sure sometimes the humor is bad and some characters are jerks but I do think flapjack is a very over looked show and the score I give it is.
9/10
i grew up watching syndicated warner bros. cartoons from the 'forties and flapjack is just as beautiful, dramatic, exciting, and laugh-out-loud funny.
"the marvelous misadventures of flapjack" is a special work that dwells somewhere between maakies (or drinky crow) and spongebob. --and it's not just for cartoon lovers; the artwork reminds me of some of my most favorite memories of reading as a child.
i'm glad that cartoon network can still show it still believes in really great shows like this-- that is all the "reality" programming i need.
"the marvelous misadventures of flapjack" is a special work that dwells somewhere between maakies (or drinky crow) and spongebob. --and it's not just for cartoon lovers; the artwork reminds me of some of my most favorite memories of reading as a child.
i'm glad that cartoon network can still show it still believes in really great shows like this-- that is all the "reality" programming i need.
This will be a polarizing show. It's also one that rather grows on you. I sort of wish I could have discovered it at a much earlier age because a lot of things about its aesthetic really resonates with me.
The nautical, old-timey look they're going for harmonizes a certain whimsy with a rather macabre undertone. It's easy to believe the minds behind this were more than a little disturbed which I find is ideal for kids shows that are actually funny when you're my age.
Flapjack keeps teetering on the edge of being annoying but Captain knuckles balances him out swimmingly in their Spongebob and Squidward relationship. It just struck me how comparable this show is to Spongebob...but I feel that even if there are obvious similarities (set near a body of water, the creepy-cute usage of multiple mediums), this show forges its own identity by its own distinct tonality (I can't think of a less pretentious way of expressing that).
This is not a "pure" or "charming" show. It's an eerily hypnotic vision of a harsh world in which innocent is simply naivety and nameless terrors lie beneath the surface.
The sense of humor is a mix of the old school grotesquery that peaked in the late '90s with shows like Invader Zim and Real Monsters but it is also thoughtful. I especially like a joke where the guy can't find a treasure because the one piece of his map that is missing is that bit where the treasure would be (GET IT?!).
It's a good looking, bold, original (if influenced) show that just has to be your cup of tea but deserves a look.
The nautical, old-timey look they're going for harmonizes a certain whimsy with a rather macabre undertone. It's easy to believe the minds behind this were more than a little disturbed which I find is ideal for kids shows that are actually funny when you're my age.
Flapjack keeps teetering on the edge of being annoying but Captain knuckles balances him out swimmingly in their Spongebob and Squidward relationship. It just struck me how comparable this show is to Spongebob...but I feel that even if there are obvious similarities (set near a body of water, the creepy-cute usage of multiple mediums), this show forges its own identity by its own distinct tonality (I can't think of a less pretentious way of expressing that).
This is not a "pure" or "charming" show. It's an eerily hypnotic vision of a harsh world in which innocent is simply naivety and nameless terrors lie beneath the surface.
The sense of humor is a mix of the old school grotesquery that peaked in the late '90s with shows like Invader Zim and Real Monsters but it is also thoughtful. I especially like a joke where the guy can't find a treasure because the one piece of his map that is missing is that bit where the treasure would be (GET IT?!).
It's a good looking, bold, original (if influenced) show that just has to be your cup of tea but deserves a look.
- GiraffeDoor
- Jun 30, 2020
- Permalink
This show is honestly just an acid trip, man. The humor is clever and well thought out even if a little out land-ish at times. Plus the artstyle never fails to make the show stand out. I remember comparing this show to Chowder way to much as a kid, and for that I apologise. This show definitely separates itself from Chowder and any other for that matter in its weird humor and awkward plot points. Any cliches the show may have had are over shadowed by the uniqueness that derives the show to continue. Honestly, this show definitely deserves its spot in cartoon history 👌🌲
- vizzywizzyw
- Mar 14, 2020
- Permalink
Don't get me wrong, it's creative but also really rough and gross. It can be funny but all too raw at times to turn viewers away. The show focuses on a boy named Flapjack who wants to grow up to be an adventurer under the eye of the two-faces pirate Captain K'nuckles. They live inside a whale named Bubby and spend most of the day getting into bizarre scenarios mainly just for candy.
The stories are usually off the wall though they're nothing short of creative. The characters have good chemistry with each other and can get some good laughs. My only issues are the gross-out gags. The humor's surreal which usually works but when it uses toilet humor that's where it often fails.
I don't have much to say other than if you want something cleaner, sail away from this plague infested show.
The stories are usually off the wall though they're nothing short of creative. The characters have good chemistry with each other and can get some good laughs. My only issues are the gross-out gags. The humor's surreal which usually works but when it uses toilet humor that's where it often fails.
I don't have much to say other than if you want something cleaner, sail away from this plague infested show.
- mitsubishizero
- Aug 22, 2020
- Permalink
I would always blame this particular show for television going downhill when I was a teenager. It was the end of one era, and the beginning of a new one, and I ultimately had to switch away from Cartoon Network entirely when Flapjack became more popular. While some of the stories had a fun edge to them, and the appearance was new and outgoing, there were also a lot of depressing images - A new heavy dark humor, in comparison to the lighthearted jokes and stupid, slapstick violence that I'd been used to.
It reminded me a bit of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, honestly... I'll admit that I liked a couple of the plots and storylines out of the whole series (the rare and unusual fun facts in some episodes were probably the most memorable things to keep), but the imagery spooked me more than anything. Freakish sounds and constant hyper-realistic animation popping out often was a major turn-off, unlike shows like Spongebob where it was thrown in usually for humor. My friends and I usually used these sorts of things for Halloween at the very least, and breathed a sigh of relief when new shows stopped coming out.
It reminded me a bit of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, honestly... I'll admit that I liked a couple of the plots and storylines out of the whole series (the rare and unusual fun facts in some episodes were probably the most memorable things to keep), but the imagery spooked me more than anything. Freakish sounds and constant hyper-realistic animation popping out often was a major turn-off, unlike shows like Spongebob where it was thrown in usually for humor. My friends and I usually used these sorts of things for Halloween at the very least, and breathed a sigh of relief when new shows stopped coming out.
- Noctdemura
- Jul 28, 2019
- Permalink
Flapjack is definitely bizarre, But it is extremely creative and funny with 2 likable protagonists, odd stories, and interesting animation.
- rcoaster-37715
- Aug 30, 2019
- Permalink
This show shows that Just because it's gross or its ugly doesn't mean it's bad. I like gross out, but I like it when it's done right, and Flapjack shows how you can do it right, It differences itself from Ren and Stimpy by being more slow paced, Calm, and more Quirky if you're thinking of the Sea Urchins Episode. Honestly, watching an episode is like watching Spongebob, it's real satisfying but it gets dirty and gruesome that it increases the engagement. When it gets gross, it's actually funny. The animation is slow yet it has some structure and feels like a Pirate map, the voice acting is well done in this show, Flapjack feels like a kid, K'nuckles feels like an Irresponsible Adventurer, and Bubby feels just like a sassy yet mother like character. The Characters are also great, its People like the Urchins,Punsy McKale, and Peppermint Larry that make me laugh even harder than seeing Steven,Garnet,or Peridot. I honestly don't see why Mr Enter hates this show only for gross out, I also don't see why it caused him to become a Virgin, It's calm and interesting but gross, and when it does get gross like in the Kitten Scene,it's calm and Subtle about it. Saying that I'm not a fan of gross out just because of Asperger Syndrome doesn't mean that you have to say that Patrick McKale isn't Human or that J Q Qunitel should die, Aspergers isn't something to say only to get furious about a cartoon and cyberbully writers of the show, as said by Zach Bellissimo, If you don't like these shows then don't watch them. Either way, if you're a fan of adventure and like to have a good ol'chuckle with the writers of the show, then this is the show for you.
- Howard-30039
- Jun 2, 2017
- Permalink
Flapjack is an excellent show for children and adults alike. Its original, funny, random, and sometimes down right creepy but we can look past that.
I would say it's the next SpongeBob but its on a completely different level.
It has not only puppets but the classic clay animation and if you don't like that there's more! The storyline is random but worth watching. Its hilarious on some parts you don't think are suppose to be funny but the style of it makes it so.
All the characters are lovable or at least likable.
And you'll feel good after watching it.
And if that's not good enough for then I don't know what is.
My only advice is to watch it on Cartoon Network on Thursdays at 8:30pm or 20:30 and judge for yourself.
So have a nice time watching The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack! : )
I would say it's the next SpongeBob but its on a completely different level.
It has not only puppets but the classic clay animation and if you don't like that there's more! The storyline is random but worth watching. Its hilarious on some parts you don't think are suppose to be funny but the style of it makes it so.
All the characters are lovable or at least likable.
And you'll feel good after watching it.
And if that's not good enough for then I don't know what is.
My only advice is to watch it on Cartoon Network on Thursdays at 8:30pm or 20:30 and judge for yourself.
So have a nice time watching The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack! : )
- EveryoneLuvzCandace
- Jul 5, 2008
- Permalink
- mitsubishizero
- May 21, 2019
- Permalink
I was honestly surprised to see this show on the regular Cartoon Network and not on Adult Swim.. This show was pure nightmare fuel, plain and simple. But somehow it still had charm to it, I dunno, the closest thing I could describe this show as would be the Pokemon Trubbish, ugly, not pretty to look at, but yet somehow still charming and weirdly enjoyable. Ye that about sums up The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack.
- DanTheHumanBeing
- Apr 16, 2021
- Permalink
- GravityLoudHouseLover1
- Sep 14, 2017
- Permalink
Have always been a huge fan of animation and Cartoon Network for a while was one of my most watched channels when a child and growing up. It was around when 'The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy' (one of the last classic Cartoon Network shows) ended when this reviewer started watching the channel less, actually watched Boomerang more in my teens because of its regular airings of Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo. But there were a small handful of shows that stopped me from completely giving up on it.
'The Marvellous Misadventures of Flapjack' is one of those shows. Was really intrigued by the advertising and it had the type of humour that has been done incredibly well in many animated shows (i.e. 'Ren and Stimpy'), also do like weirdness when done well. The show is not one of the best shows that Cartoon Network has ever done, can definitely see the polarisation (especially in regard to the animation style) and it is not quite marvellous. But it is a lot of fun and well crafted.
It is not a perfect show. The character designs of the supporting characters are ugly due to going too far on the grotesqueness.
And to me not all the humour lands, especially with the childish toilet humour that jars with the dark, bold humour that is done very well here. Bubbie is also not always necessary.
On the other hand, the animation on the whole was good. Especially the very detailed and imaginative backgrounds and the colours actually did appeal to me. The music is dynamic with what goes on and this is yet another show to deliver on a catchy theme tune accompanying a fun titles sequence. The characters are wonderfully strange and have great individual personalities that are flawed but not annoying in my view. The voice acting is on point, with Thorup Van Orum and Brian Doyle-Murray having a ball and Jeff Bennett shows off his versatility and why he is one of the most talented, and distinctive, voice actors in the business.
Furthermore, most of the writing is funny and smart with a dark subversiveness that was quite bold and can't believe what the show is getting away with-like. The storylines are creative and engaging, they are also very random and weird but in a wonderful way and not too confusing. The pacing is lively.
Summarising, a lot of fun but not quite marvellous. 8/10.
'The Marvellous Misadventures of Flapjack' is one of those shows. Was really intrigued by the advertising and it had the type of humour that has been done incredibly well in many animated shows (i.e. 'Ren and Stimpy'), also do like weirdness when done well. The show is not one of the best shows that Cartoon Network has ever done, can definitely see the polarisation (especially in regard to the animation style) and it is not quite marvellous. But it is a lot of fun and well crafted.
It is not a perfect show. The character designs of the supporting characters are ugly due to going too far on the grotesqueness.
And to me not all the humour lands, especially with the childish toilet humour that jars with the dark, bold humour that is done very well here. Bubbie is also not always necessary.
On the other hand, the animation on the whole was good. Especially the very detailed and imaginative backgrounds and the colours actually did appeal to me. The music is dynamic with what goes on and this is yet another show to deliver on a catchy theme tune accompanying a fun titles sequence. The characters are wonderfully strange and have great individual personalities that are flawed but not annoying in my view. The voice acting is on point, with Thorup Van Orum and Brian Doyle-Murray having a ball and Jeff Bennett shows off his versatility and why he is one of the most talented, and distinctive, voice actors in the business.
Furthermore, most of the writing is funny and smart with a dark subversiveness that was quite bold and can't believe what the show is getting away with-like. The storylines are creative and engaging, they are also very random and weird but in a wonderful way and not too confusing. The pacing is lively.
Summarising, a lot of fun but not quite marvellous. 8/10.
- TheLittleSongbird
- Apr 16, 2023
- Permalink
FLAPJACK was a show I started watching since before its official premiere. (Cartoon Network used to air shorts called "Wedgies" between regular programs. The first FLAPJACK Wedgie aired nearly a year before the official premiere of the show.) I didn't watch every single episode but I did watch most of them. I don't think there was ever a cartoon with so much potential that had it all wasted.
I did like the artwork. I can see why some people say it's bad. Some of the minor characters have a grotesque appearance, which I'm sure was intentional. This makes it kind of like RANGO. We have an innocent and rather naive character many rugged characters. I had a problem with RANGO because we have to look at them for almost the whole movie. It's okay in FLAPJACK because we don't have to look at these characters for too long.
I think the backgrounds look fantastic. I love how the water is made of shifting cardboard. I love how Stormalong Harbor doesn't seem to be connected to any land. I love the Victorian setting.
The main problem with the show was the writing. The jokes were rarely funny. Sometimes they didn't make sense.
Now, I know what you're thinking: It's a cartoon so why should it have to make sense?
Well, cartoons have their own set of rules that they can break. For example, in Chuck Jones's cartoons that involve the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, the latter, when he runs of a cliff, usually won't plummet to the canyon floor below until he notices that he ran off the cliff. But cartoons need to obey some rules of logic in order to be funny. If they don't, audience members will become preoccupied with wondering what's wrong with the plot rather than enjoying it.
In one of the episodes of the first season of FLAPJACK, "That's a Wrap!" , Peppermint Larry tells Flapjack and K'nuckles that he'll give them a piece of candy each for every candy wrapper they bring to him. In the end, it turns out that Peppermint Larry is secretly making a map out of the candy wrappers. It's a map to Candied Island, the fabled destination of the show's lore. He needs one more wrapper, one that has the X on it. K'nuckles and Flapjack have it. K'nuckles finds out this information by eavesdropping on Larry. He goes back and tells Flapjack about the plan but before he can do that, Flapjack rips up the wrapper (because it was getting in the way of their friendship). Peppermint Larry had promised them 50 pieces of candy if they could give him the wrapper with an X (which Larry called a "plus" to keep his intentions secret). Flapjack decides to just write an X on an extra wrapper that K'nuckles has and they give it to Larry. Larry finishes making his map and heads to Candied Island but goes to Pickle Island.
This doesn't make sense for a few reasons:
1. Peppermint Larry seems to be the only seller of candy in Stormalong Harbor, which means he already had all the wrappers necessary for making his map but gave those wrappers away...for some reason. Sure he had to sell candy, but still, he gave away pieces of candy in wrappers that he wanted back. That makes no sense. 2. The part of the map with the X on it is the last part of Larry's map. If everything else on the map is right (and the show doesn't give us any reason to suspect otherwise) it shouldn't matter whether or not Larry uses the real wrapper or the fake wrapper that Flapjack drew an X on to finish the map. It shouldn't even matter if he doesn't have any wrapper to finish the map. All Larry had to do was sail in the area of the ocean that the wrapper covered and he would have found Candied Island eventually.
If I haven't made myself clear, there are good and bad ways for a cartoon to not make sense. The example I gave above is a bad way for a cartoon to not make sense. I'll take an example of the good way from FLAPJACK itself: Peppermint Larry has a wife made out of candy (Candy Wife).
Another mistake is that the show doesn't really go anywhere. In the theme song, K'nuckles and Flapjack sing about how great it would be if they went to Candied Island. The episodes are rarely about them trying to get there.
A huge mistake is that they revealed in the episode "Over the Moon" that Candied Island really existed and yet, by the end of the series, K'nuckles and Flapjack don't get to it. I'm sorry, but I think what made Candied Island interesting is that the viewer doesn't know if it actually exists. Why reveal that it's real AND have the main characters fail to reach it by the end of the series?
Another mistake is that Bubbie is kind of an unnecessary character. She's really only used as a house and as transportation by K'nuckles and Flapjack. Roz Ryan did a good job at voicing Bubbie, but the show would have been better if Flapjack had an adventurous adoptive mother who was a human and if K'nuckles was a real captain with his own ship. That would have been awesome.
I could go on for a while longer if it were not for IMDb's word limit on reviews. I'll just finish by saying again that FLAPJACK had so much potential but it was wasted. Unfortunately, I can't judge a cartoon by what it could have been but by what it was.
I did like the artwork. I can see why some people say it's bad. Some of the minor characters have a grotesque appearance, which I'm sure was intentional. This makes it kind of like RANGO. We have an innocent and rather naive character many rugged characters. I had a problem with RANGO because we have to look at them for almost the whole movie. It's okay in FLAPJACK because we don't have to look at these characters for too long.
I think the backgrounds look fantastic. I love how the water is made of shifting cardboard. I love how Stormalong Harbor doesn't seem to be connected to any land. I love the Victorian setting.
The main problem with the show was the writing. The jokes were rarely funny. Sometimes they didn't make sense.
Now, I know what you're thinking: It's a cartoon so why should it have to make sense?
Well, cartoons have their own set of rules that they can break. For example, in Chuck Jones's cartoons that involve the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, the latter, when he runs of a cliff, usually won't plummet to the canyon floor below until he notices that he ran off the cliff. But cartoons need to obey some rules of logic in order to be funny. If they don't, audience members will become preoccupied with wondering what's wrong with the plot rather than enjoying it.
In one of the episodes of the first season of FLAPJACK, "That's a Wrap!" , Peppermint Larry tells Flapjack and K'nuckles that he'll give them a piece of candy each for every candy wrapper they bring to him. In the end, it turns out that Peppermint Larry is secretly making a map out of the candy wrappers. It's a map to Candied Island, the fabled destination of the show's lore. He needs one more wrapper, one that has the X on it. K'nuckles and Flapjack have it. K'nuckles finds out this information by eavesdropping on Larry. He goes back and tells Flapjack about the plan but before he can do that, Flapjack rips up the wrapper (because it was getting in the way of their friendship). Peppermint Larry had promised them 50 pieces of candy if they could give him the wrapper with an X (which Larry called a "plus" to keep his intentions secret). Flapjack decides to just write an X on an extra wrapper that K'nuckles has and they give it to Larry. Larry finishes making his map and heads to Candied Island but goes to Pickle Island.
This doesn't make sense for a few reasons:
1. Peppermint Larry seems to be the only seller of candy in Stormalong Harbor, which means he already had all the wrappers necessary for making his map but gave those wrappers away...for some reason. Sure he had to sell candy, but still, he gave away pieces of candy in wrappers that he wanted back. That makes no sense. 2. The part of the map with the X on it is the last part of Larry's map. If everything else on the map is right (and the show doesn't give us any reason to suspect otherwise) it shouldn't matter whether or not Larry uses the real wrapper or the fake wrapper that Flapjack drew an X on to finish the map. It shouldn't even matter if he doesn't have any wrapper to finish the map. All Larry had to do was sail in the area of the ocean that the wrapper covered and he would have found Candied Island eventually.
If I haven't made myself clear, there are good and bad ways for a cartoon to not make sense. The example I gave above is a bad way for a cartoon to not make sense. I'll take an example of the good way from FLAPJACK itself: Peppermint Larry has a wife made out of candy (Candy Wife).
Another mistake is that the show doesn't really go anywhere. In the theme song, K'nuckles and Flapjack sing about how great it would be if they went to Candied Island. The episodes are rarely about them trying to get there.
A huge mistake is that they revealed in the episode "Over the Moon" that Candied Island really existed and yet, by the end of the series, K'nuckles and Flapjack don't get to it. I'm sorry, but I think what made Candied Island interesting is that the viewer doesn't know if it actually exists. Why reveal that it's real AND have the main characters fail to reach it by the end of the series?
Another mistake is that Bubbie is kind of an unnecessary character. She's really only used as a house and as transportation by K'nuckles and Flapjack. Roz Ryan did a good job at voicing Bubbie, but the show would have been better if Flapjack had an adventurous adoptive mother who was a human and if K'nuckles was a real captain with his own ship. That would have been awesome.
I could go on for a while longer if it were not for IMDb's word limit on reviews. I'll just finish by saying again that FLAPJACK had so much potential but it was wasted. Unfortunately, I can't judge a cartoon by what it could have been but by what it was.
- uroshnor54
- Feb 17, 2014
- Permalink
- leathaface
- Mar 14, 2010
- Permalink