Movie Review: Ed Edd n' Eddy's Big Picture Show

One of the silliest arguments I have seen is animation versus live action. Both have pros and cons by themselves, but the way I see it, it all depends on genre. Both can be strong in storytelling and visuals, but Life Action can give a feeling of reality and Animation can throw reality out the window and make the visuals not only crazy, but also illogical. You will see someone running through a wall in a cartoon and find it funny, but it doesn't have the same effect in Live Action. All it does is raise eyebrows and question it. Physical humor can be more extreme in animation and can be even more dramatic and even more comical. That is where one of my favorite cartoons, Ed Edd n' Eddy, stands out the most. The physical humor not only is crazy and illogical (some of what these kids go through would be deadly in real life), but it also features fun characters and humor that is more than just physical, so it can be enjoyed for anyone looking for a laugh.

The show stayed around TV from 1999 to the movie that ended the series in 2009. A movie that aired on TV before it's DVD release, but it can be found on YouTube since the show is over and the creator doesn't seem to care too much. I decided to take some time to talk about the movie because after how serious my last movie was, I needed a good laugh.

Pros- The setup is simple and quickly explains what is going on early in the movie. The Eds try to scam the other children of the cul-de-sac again and it goes so wrong they end up running for their lives away from the cul-de-sac and seek out Eddy's brother for help while the other children go after them. It doesn't tell this to use, it actually starts by showing us the after effect of what happened. Starting it with enough tension to grab your attention, but not enough to break from the humor and make it feel like whiplash. The voice cast of the show is in the movie and all the major characters are present, so we get to see everyone and even see the character flaws and make them feel like people. That is pretty hard for some animated shows. We also finally get a pay off from what was the biggest build up of the show; we meet Eddy's Brother. The result is a pay off that ends on a high note; resolves are made, lessons are learned, and it ends with full acceptance. The animation is flawless for this movie. The characters move like they should and the slapstick is top notch. I find myself laughing at it every time someone runs into something or they get hit. Also, the dialogue is also funny. Ed has some of the funniest lines with what is going on. He is just as random and creative as he is in the show. Keep in mind, these are kids, not adults, and the movie makes sure you know this. Ed and Eddy have their immature fun while traveling and even roping Edd like in the show and the interactions are fun and they end up bonding even more so after the movie is over. References and even breaks in the forth wall are present throughout, but not enough to be distracting or annoying. It is well timed to make everything work and fit.

Cons- The only real issue with the film is how much of a coincidence everything feels in terms of story telling. They just run into things and get lucky. If they ever show them as adults in Vegas, they would drain the city dry with how lucky they are. That isn't the focus and it isn't a distraction upon first view, but later watches it is more obvious. If you don't like the show's humor and animation, this movie isn't for you. It doesn't offer a lot of differences from the show when it comes to humor, so it is hard to recommend to people to don't like the show.

Final Thoughts- If you love the show, you will love the movie. If you don't, this isn't for you. If you have never seen the show (where were you for 10 years?), I would say to watch some of the show to understand the characters, then watch the movie. I love it, but I also love the show. It aimed for it's audience and hit a bull's eye.

(photo taken from IMDB)