Jackie Chan Adventures/X Men Evolution - Week Three - Talkback (Spoilers)

[Killtacular]

X MEN EVOLUTION

4/20: "The Cauldron, Pt. 1"
4/21: "The Cauldron, Pt. 2"
4/22: "Growing Pains"
4/23: "Power Surge"
4/24: "Badda-Bing, Badda Boom"
4/26: "Mutant Crush"

JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES

4/21: "Jade Monkey"
4/22: "Tiger and the Pussycat"
4/23: "Day of the Dragon"
4/24: "Stronger Evil"
4/26: "Tough Break" (repeat)

[DianaGohan]

Isn't "Mutant Crush" technically not a repeat? Because when it was suppose to air on the Weekday run of Evo it was replaced by "Turn of The Rouge" (due to a schudeling error) so wouldn't this be the first time it would be on CN?

[BlackCat]

Isn't "Mutant Crush" technically not a repeat? Because when it was suppose to air on the Weekday run of Evo it was replaced by "Turn of The Rouge" (due to a schudeling error) so wouldn't this be the first time it would be on CN?

Technically. He put repeat on there to indicate it's not apart of the current run of episodes.


'The Cauldron, Pt. 1'
Very good episode for the first part of the season 1 finale. We finally see the true motives of Magneto and Scott's brother. A lot of action here with some surprising winners in the fights. What's even more surprising is how Magneto managed to brainwash Scott. Part 2 should be very good. 4.5/5 stars.

One more thing, was there something cut from the episode like some of the previous episodes?

[Killtacular]

Alright, thanks.

[Sandoz]

One more thing, was there something cut from the episode like some of the previous episodes?

Yup. The teaser in which Jean is abducted after beating Toad in a fight was cut.

X-Men: Evolution "The Cauldron, Part 1"

Alex grated on my nerves with his stereotypical "Whoa dude!" surfer attitude, but his reunion with Scott was nicely done. I liked the fight scenes in this episode and how they played off each other, especially Mystique vs. Storm and Avalanche vs. Kurt. I didn't really get why Kitty passed out after phasing through Blob, since she did it in "Shadowed Past" without being sick. "The Cauldron" isn't half bad, but it still can't compare to "Day of Reckoning."

[Anarky]

Technically. He put repeat on there to indicate it's not apart of the current run of episodes.


'The Cauldron, Pt. 1'
Very good episode for the first part of the season 1 finale. We finally see the true motives of Magneto and Scott's brother. A lot of action here with some surprising winners in the fights. What's even more surprising is how Magneto managed to brainwash Scott. Part 2 should be very good. 4.5/5 stars.

One more thing, was there something cut from the episode like some of the previous episodes?

yes, again the prologue was omitted
they've been doing this ever since "Spykecam"
i never saw the Cauldron the the WB so I don't know what was cut out...but I'm guessing it involved Magneto, Mystique, & Sabretooth

CN normally does a great job presenting it's programs
if Kids WB is responsible for the intro-less EVO, I'd like to know why they're being such jerks about it

[Anarky]

why are you people calling them teasers?
they're not teasers, they're prologues: brief intro to the story ahead

teasers are like the JL promos:
They's Listening
They're Watching
They're Here

or the Twin Towers Webshot from Spider-Man...or the first Hulk ad.

[BlackCat]

I did think it was odd that Jean was somehow captured. I just assumed it happened off camera. If Toad defeated Jean, then why did he have to prove himself again against Rogue?




Alright, thanks.

No prob. :p

[Sandoz]

If Toad defeated Jean, then why did he have to prove himself again against Rogue?

Toad didn't defeat Jean, she ended up tossing him into a well. It was the winners of the fights, like Rogue and Storm, who were abducted and taken to Asteroid M.

[Exatron]

why are you people calling them teasers?
they're not teasers, they're prologues: brief intro to the story ahead


We're calling them teasers because that's the term used for the brief scene (or scenes) before the credits. What you described is a teaser trailer, not a teaser.

[BlackCat]

Toad didn't defeat Jean, she ended up tossing him into a well. It was the winners of the fights, like Rogue and Storm, who were abducted and taken to Asteroid M.

I guess I read that wrong. :o I meant to ask why Toad got a second chance to prove himself. They could have made Magneto mysteriously capture her instead of having Toad losing to her. Then it would even out the fights without having somebody fight twice.

[GreenLegend Ran]

The cauldron, 2 of my favorite episodes out of all the xmen evoloution. Loved the perfect plot from magneto and some suprising wins in the fights.

[Digu Volz]

I meant to ask why Toad got a second chance to prove himself. They could have made Magneto mysteriously capture her instead of having Toad losing to her. Then it would even out the fights without having somebody fight twice.

Well, one reason could be that Toad jumped the gun a bit, attacking Jean when it wasn't time to do so and/or since he's a loser he gets a second chance like that. Honestly, how much sense did this whole thing make when there weren't even enough members of the Brotherhood to match up with the X-Men...

Anywho, Cauldron, part 1, was a good episode, but not significantly better than anything before it.

[Anarky]

Magneto is one of the greatest characters of the Marvel Universe

I'd love to see a Magneto-type villain for the Justice League (is Polaris at least half as interesting as Magnus). i know he doesn't have the motives or the drive of Magneto, which is what makes Magneto such an elite villain.

that said, this arc is what X-Men should be about.
and a very chilling unveiling of Asteroid M.
also an emotional cliffhanger, Charles' star pupil crossing over to the Brotherhood

Looking forward to Day of Reckoning, when IT really hits the fan.

[Digu Volz]

Magneto is one of the greatest characters of the Marvel Universe

True. Evo Erik... isn't.

I'd love to see a Magneto-type villain for the Justice League (is Polaris at least half as interesting as Magnus). i know he doesn't have the motives or the drive of Magneto, which is what makes Magneto such an elite villain.

Actually, in the comics, Darkseid is a bit like Magneto whereas his goal/motivation isn't necessarily a malevolent one. Maybe if Superman had gone on we could have gotten more of a back story for him, but there's always Justice League.

[Anarky]

one question: what's w/ the PM Dawn bassline in the beginning :-p
"Set Adrift on Memory Bliss"...or for you old schoolers like myself, Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full".

Looking forward to Season Two. I'm curious to see how The Swap takes place. (i'm trying to be vague for those not in the know)

[BlackCat]

Geez, what a disappointing season finale. I liked how it started in part 1 with Magneto forcing them to prove themselves, but it all just fell apart in part 2. The whole Scott/Alex thing didn't really flow with me and just seemed really pointless to me. It just didn't seem like a finale.

Probably the biggest thing I hated about this episode is what they've done with Mystique. She is my favorite character so far, and I can't believe they went and changed her appearance to the scaly version in the movies. :mad: I did not see the need at all to change her like that. Now I'm just really worried how that all pans out in the next episode.

Everything else just didn't really click. The ending with Alex joining the X-Men and doing the typical pose just didn't have that finale feeling. I just hope it gets better in season 2 after this stinker. 1.5/5 stars.

[Animation Otaku]

I blacked out for a second, did they show the footage KidsWB edited, cause it seemed like it. Overall it was a good premiere for the second season, introducing us to Boom-Boom, Magma, Sunspot, Multiple Man, Iceman, Wolfsebane, Berserker, and Jubilee, as well as setting up Kelly for his role in season 3, and introducing Ristyaka Mystique.

My problem was that they played the first season intro. Please say this was just a mistake. The second season intro is much better, and the third is better still. Dear god.

[Anarky]

oh look, another prologue bites the dust

what the heck happened? was that guy a bank robber or something?
i'm very disappointed we're not getting the complete episodes
i'm holding my breath that the SVES eps will continue to run the prologues but we won't know until "Spykecam" airs on May 3rd. :-/

someone help me out: who are the newbies?
I saw Jubilee, Iceman, Multiple Man, Pyro(?)
but I don't knows the other by name: the changeling, boom boom?,


BTW the FOX series had Morph. Did Morph ever appear in Evo?
i liked the Morph Saga from the first series. It created a lot of conflict between Cyclops & Wolverine.

[Animation Otaku]

oh look, another prologue bites the dust

what the heck happened? was that guy a bank robber or something?
i'm very disappointed we're not getting the complete episodes
i'm holding my breath that the SVES eps will continue to run the prologues but we won't know until "Spykecam" airs on May 3rd. :-/

someone help me out: who are the newbies?
I saw Jubilee, Iceman, Multiple Man, Pyro(?)
but I don't knows the other by name: the changeling, boom boom?,


BTW the FOX series had Morph. Did Morph ever appear in Evo?
i liked the Morph Saga from the first series. It created a lot of conflict between Cyclops & Wolverine.

Morph hasn't appeared in this series, and probably won't. The new recruits: Jubilee, Iceman, Multiple Man, Magma, Boom Boom, Berserker, Sunspot, Wolfsebane.

[Exatron]

Probably the biggest thing I hated about this episode is what they've done with Mystique. She is my favorite character so far, and I can't believe they went and changed her appearance to the scaly version in the movies. :mad: I did not see the need at all to change her like that. Now I'm just really worried how that all pans out in the next episode.

Thankfully, she loses the supercharged powers just like Scott, Alex, and Sabertooth did- and she gets a new black costume to boot.

[Sandoz]

"The Cauldron, Pt. 2"

A decent season finale, but nothing spectacular. The Scott/Alex bonding was a wee bit too melodramatic, and Magento's Gem of Contrivance came out of nowhere. Some of the fights were pretty good, and the standout lines were: "Whose side are you on?!" "The side that lives, come on!" :p Love that Toad.

oh look, another prologue bites the dust
what the heck happened? was that guy a bank robber or something?

Basically, Scott, Kitty, and Kurt were coming home from one of Jean's soccer games when they witnessed a car being chased by the police. Speeding down an overpass it nearly crashed into a police car but veered sharply to the side, hanging over the edge and about to hit a school bus below. Scott cried out "Oh no!" Begin episode. :)

"Growing Pains"

This episode is one of my all time favs. I had a small glimmer of hope that we'd see the footage cut from the US version of the ep, but no such luck. Loved the introduction of the new recruits, the Scott angst, and the start of the Lance/Kitty relationship. The ending with Principal Kelley was a nice touch, too.

[BlackCat]

You had to tempt me, Exatron! :p

The only disappointment I've had so far in season 2 is the continous cutting of the prologue and missing the new intro. I'm glad for the new additions, but I hope it doesn't get too crowded. It's impossible to develop them all, so I'm assuming most of them will just become background.

The Scott/Alex relationship is better off the way it is instead of Alex joining the Xavier Institute. This was a great look into Scott's feelings over having to hide the fact they are mutants. A lot of great stuff in the episode with the Lance/Kitty relationship, the conflicting Scott/Jean relationship, the introduction of Principal Kelley, along with a lot of other stuff.

Since season one was mainly just introductions, this is where the series really takes off. I wasn't expecting them to dive into the whole mutant conflict so early, but it's off to a good start so far. I like the glimpse into Principal Kelley and the ending with him at the window was perfect.

'Growing Pains' gets 4.5/5 stars. I'm really interested to see the return of Magneto and Mystique and how that plays out.



EDIT: D'oh! I've been so caught up with Evo that I forgot about JCA. I'll just wait until this next episode finishes and do a season review, since I assume that this is where the first season ends.

[Killtacular]

The opening scenes are back, btw.

I'm not sure for how long. If what I heard was right, it was Kids WB that took the opening scenes out from the first season, and they didn't do it too much to the second season episodes. They wouldn't even send CN the other season openings to the show, heh.

What's weird is that they chose to do it to the first season.. I understand enticing people to get the DVDs, but it's the second season that's ebing released on DVD first... whatever.

[DianaGohan]

Well, I'll be damned. For the X-Men episode "Power Surge" they actually showed the opening short (you know, what would go before the opening theme song when the show was on KidsWB) instead of cutting it like they usually do. I hope they continue this process and this wasn't a one time event.

Edit: Oh, CN just didn't have the right to the first Season openings (I wonder why they aired them the first week though. Must of just been a freebie or something. And if you're looking for logic in KidsWB corporate reasoning, forget it. Just go with the flow, or something like that.

[Killtacular]

I wouldn't be surprised if Kids WB simply removed the opening scenes from episodes that didn't need them to be there. For Power Surge, you really need to have the opening scene there, with Jean accepting the trophy, for the next scene to make ANY sense. With Growing Pains, you still get the gist that they're solving an emergency. With Spykecam, they still give you the idea that Spyke is filming stuff (although it could lead you to assume that Spyke always had the camera, as opposed to him finding it).

[Viper]

As an X-Men: Evo fan, I thought I'd put my two cents in and comment on what I think of the first eps so far.

Season 1: even though they may not have been much, I still found them all very enjoyable. :) You have to remember that these were introductory eps on everybody getting used to their powers.

Season 2: fantastic! :D More new characters were introduced; my faves were Bobby "Iceman" Drake, Hank "Beast" McCoy, and, yes, even Wanda Maximoff (even though she scares me to death, she provides more action and suspense!). Plus, I like the Lance/Kitty relationship, the return of Mystique, and the first mention of Apocalypse! :eek: However, the one ep I hated was "Walk on the Wildside."

Unfortunately, I can't comment on Season 3 because, I taped every ep up-to-date and still haven't seen any of them! I'M STILL WAITING TO SEE "DAY OF RECKONING!!!!!!" I hope they show that 2-part ep soon.

Well, that's about it for now. Before I go BTW, last night's ep, "Power Surge", was spectacular! At least I thought so.

[Sandoz]

X-Men: Evolution "Power Surge"

Jean has to be one of my least favorite Evo characters, but this was definitely a stand-out episode of Season 2. It has great character development, with Scott and Duncan's "duel" (but does Scott really need two rivals?), Rogue bonding with Risty and dealing with her crush on Cyke, and more on the budding Lance/Kitty romance. I also liked Mr. McCoy's introduction and the little bit of Kelly torture. No strong complaints about the episode. :) And I was glad to see the teaser intact; hopefully this wasn't a fluke.

[BlackCat]

It seems as though it's Jean's turn in the spotlight. This was a great episode on Jean, though I don't really like her 'popularity' personality. I like what they're doing with the Scott/Jean relationship instead of just sticking them together right away. They haven't really spotlighted Rogue really, so it was very interesting to hear her opinions on things and see her developing crush with Scott. The Lance/Kitty relationship is also going nice.

I like the Hank McCoy intro. I didn't expect him at all. The season's going well, now that all of the introductions are over. I'm still waiting to see what happens with Magneto/Mystique, along with how Kelly factors into the mix. A fairly good episode. 3.5/5 stars.

[BlackCat]

Jackie Chan Adventures - Season One
Season one seemed to end right when it was taking off. The "capture the talisman" nature of the episodes was pretty mediocre, but managed to stay interesting when the power of the talisman was used. It really started to get interesting when Shendu finally got all the talismans, but I didn't expect to see him destroyed. I wanted to see the show move away from the talismans and go on to a new storyline, but it doesn't seem like it. Overall, I would have to give the season 3.5/5 stars. The episodes didn't really seem connected and felt more like standalones. I wanted to see more connectivity through the episodes.

[Sandoz]

X-Men: Evolution "Bada-Bing Bada-Boom"

I missed the first 10 minutes of this episode. Did the teaser air?

Anyway, this episode spotlighted one of Evo's most controversial characters. I happen to like Tabitha in this episode (she wouldn't get really annoying until "Walk On The Wild Side") and I think she's one of the most "real" characters on the show. Kurt's crush on her was handled pretty well, too. One thing I didn't like was Taryn entering the Duncan/Jean/Scott/Rogue love polygon. Scott really doesn't need three different girls pining over him, and what does Taryn add? Nothing, except being the cause for more "Jean's jealous" scenes. My favorite part of the episode was the glimpse of life at the Brotherhood house. They always manage to steal the show, and the bit with Todd and Fred ("Not that I like you or nuthin', but I don't want to see you get hurt.") was sweet. :p

[Lunacat]

Power Surge: What's this? A Jean episode I actually enjoyed? Wow. I don't exactly hate her but there's just something about her 'miss perfect' image that keeps me from liking her. Anywho, very nice episode involving Jean's evolving powers. The Jean/Scott scenes were cute, nothing too corny. One of the best eps of season 2.

Bada-Bing Bada-Boom: Never really understood the Tabitha hostility, she's not THAT bad. Pretty decent episode, it was nice to get some more focus on one of the new recruits. I'm gonna have to agree with Sandoz, the Brotherhood stole the show (like always :) ). The shot with all of them standing at the door staring blankly at Tabitha was priceless.

[DianaGohan]

Might as well do this now.

Grade Reviews for X-Men Evolution

The Caludron Part One: A-
The Caludron Part Two: A
Growing Pains: A+
Power Surge: B+
Badda Bing, Badda Boom: A-
Mutant Crush: B-

Grade Reviews For Jackie Chan Adventures

Jade Monkey: B+
The Tiger and The PussyCat: A
Day Of The Dragon: A
Stronger Evil: A-

[BlackCat]

JCA - Stronger Evil

This episode is where it's really taking off, now that the talisman search is over. Not only is Shendu back but we now find out that he has siblings. This makes things really interesting with the real plot finally starting. Part two should be very good. 4/5 stars.


X-Men: Evo - Bada-Bing Bada-Boom

I wasn't expecting a feature on one of the new recruits. I like it better when they were just apart of the background, but I don't mind it either. I was expecting them to choose one of the more popular characters like Iceman or Jubilee. I don't really have an opinion on Boom-Boom. I don't really like or hate her. She's just there. I couldn't really get into the romance with her and Kurt. I also hope that the Taryn/Scott thing was just a one-shot for the episode. The love triangle is big enough already. The Brotherhood was the best part of the episode. Tabitha joining them came out of nowhere. I want to see what happens when Mystique finally returns only to see that her room has been stolen. :p 3.5/5 stars.

[Anarky]

frankly, i'm not buying the Lance-Kitty relationship

1. in "The X-Impulse", he played her for a sap, tried to abduct her, and nearly buried her parents in rubble

2. they fought in "Middleverse"

3. he and his "Brothers" tried to kill her, Rogue, Evan, & Kurt in "The Cauldron" Part 1.

4. and in "Growing Pains", Lance nearly outted the entire Xavier student body

that's four occassions where's he's tried to hurt or kill her and her friends and family

she's either really forgetful or really stupid

[Anarky]

Rogue is the best character on Evo. "Power Surge" was another fine example. Looking forward to "Self Possessed"...actually airing on the WB next week (X-Week)

[Sandoz]

frankly, i'm not buying the Lance-Kitty relationship

1. in "The X-Impulse", he played her for a sap, tried to abduct her, and nearly buried her parents in rubble

2. they fought in "Middleverse"

3. he and his "Brothers" tried to kill her, Rogue, Evan, & Kurt in "The Cauldron" Part 1.

4. and in "Growing Pains", Lance nearly outted the entire Xavier student body

that's four occassions where's he's tried to hurt or kill her and her friends and family

she's either really forgetful or really stupid

Here's why Kitty's feelings for Lance change: There is a scene cut from the U.S. version of "Growing Pains" in which Lance saves Kitty's life. Right before Storm shows up, Shadowcat pulls an injured girl from the wreckage while the blazing Bayville Hawk statue Blob threw onto the school roof begins to fall. Avalanche sees that it's going to fall right on top of her, and abandons the fight with Cyclops to push her out of the way--but is crushed by the statue in her place. Shadowcat, totally shocked, phases through the Hawk and pulls him to safety. That's how he ended up in her arms at the end of the episode. He may have tried to hurt her in the past, but he proved his feelings were sincere by saving her life at his own personal injury. This scene was cut in America due to September 11th (it wasn't appropriate for people to be crushed under rubble at the time), but can be seen in the "Mutants Rising" DVD. Plus, he saved her life in "Power Surge" as well. That can't hurt. :p

[The Detective]

The intros are back! I hope they stay that way. ANyway Power Surge was a great Jean episode.

BTW for my X-Men Evolution website I'm making you think I ought to do the reviews from 1 to 5 or from 1 to 10?

[Sandoz]

X-Men: Evolution "Mutant Crush"

Pretty weak, not one of Season 1's best. Blob is likable enough despite his typical dumb/hungry fat guy portrayal, and the main "bad guy kidnaps heroine to make her fall in love with him" plot wasn't great. I almost expected Blob to tie Jean to railroad tracks. :p But the Scott/Rogue bonding was very cute, as was the bit of foreshadowing about her true relationship with Kurt.

BTW for my X-Men Evolution website I'm making you think I ought to do the reviews from 1 to 5 or from 1 to 10?

1 to 5, maybe?

[BlackCat]

X-Men: Evolution - Mutant Crush
They could have done a better plot to introduce Blob. It was all so typical with his personality and kidnapping Jean. I did like the other bits showing Rogue's crush on Scott, her comment about Kurt, and how she was slowly coming around. It also bothers me how they just sort of forgot Blob's crush on Jean after this episode. I wouldn't have minded the plot so much if they kept some continuity. 3/5 stars.

[Raziel]

Thankfully, she loses the supercharged powers just like Scott, Alex, and Sabertooth did- and she gets a new black costume to boot.

Actually no, she doesn't. She gets enhanced morphing abilities. (wolverine is able to sniff her out in season 1, in season 2 and 3, can't even detect her.)