Powerpuff Girls Powerpack

Birthday Bash: consists of five cartoons: Birthday Bash, Beat Your Greens, Paste Makes Waste, School House Rocked, and Los Dos Mojos, plus a Cowardly Dog cartoon. The trio face their archenemy Mojo Jojo twice. The Powerpuffs foil attempt after attempt by their jailed foes to sabotage their birthday party. "Beat Your Greens" is my favorite, as it shows a creative way for kids to eat their vegetables. As it involves broccoli, maybe President Bush Sr. should be watching this. "Los Dos Mojos"--What's more menacing than Mojo? Bubbles thinking she's Mojo after a nasty knock on the head. "Paste Makes Waste" has a gag from Ghostbusters plus the importance of not picking on others. The Gangreen Gang is so odious, I could not wait for them to get their comeuppance in "School House Rocked," which has a playful swipe at Dragnet. Heck, at least Mojo's got somewhat of a fun personality.

Bubblevicious: consists of five cartoons, Cat Man Do, Uh-Oh...Dynamo, Mr. Mojo's Rising, Powerpuff Bluff, and Bubblevicious. "Cat Man Do" is an interesting flip on Blofeld, the recurring villain in James Bond. A giant robotic Powerpuff helps the girls against a giant sea monster in "Dynamo." Bubblevicious is by far the best here, as the timid Bubbles proves she can be just as hardcore as her sisters. "Mr. Mojo's Rising" goes back to the origin of the girls and Mojo, which was summarized in the beginning of this year's movie. Powerpuff Bluff is the weakest of the bunch, of a trio of burglars impersonating the girls. Uh-huh. Riiiiight.

Boogie Frights: consists of five cartoons: Boogie Frights, Slumbering With The Enemy, Ice Sore, Rowdyruff Boys, and Helter Shelter, as well as the Shonen Knife video from the Heroes And Villains CD and a Courage The Cowardly Dog bonus cartoon. If the Boogie Man has his way, it'll be night and disco music forever. The girls save the day, in a hilarious parody of Star Wars. A disguised Mojo infiltrates the PPG's slumber party in "Slumbering With The Enemy," with apparently no bad intentions. Key word: apparently. "Ice Sore" introduces Blossom's ice powers, which gain the enmity of her sisters, but which saves the day during a heat wave. Snips, snails, puppy dog tails, plus toilet sewage = the Rowdyruff Boys, and this episode features their most challenging adversaries. Helter Shelter finds Bubbles caring a lot for animals, with funny results. I fully support what she does in the very end.

So, having had a crash course in CSER 255 (Cartoon Series) I rate the Powerpuff Girls highly. Some pop culture references may be lost on the younger tykes but may elicit chuckles from older viewers. And what's with the mayor's secretary, whose face we never see? Favorite Powerpuff: it's a toss-up between Blossom and Bubbles. Favorite villain: Mojo. Favorite stories: "Bubblevicious," "Beat Your Greens," and "Rowdyruff Boys."

These cartoons are better representatives of the series than the feature length movie. Ten or so minutes is the appropriate length for a Powerpuff cartoon. A half-hour special is probably the maximum. So, for a stimulating dose of sugar, spice, and everything nice, check out the Powerpuff Girls, whether or not it is your bedtime.