Remember when Saturday morning cartoon shows like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Transformers, and M.A.S.K. were nothing more than extended advertisements for toys? You'd see an episode featuring a brand new character and – hey, presto! – its movable plastic doppelganger would mysteriously appear on shelves at your local Toys R' Us?
Bakugan Battle Brawlers Vol. 5 seeks to take you back to those halycon days when toy merchandising superseded such annoying details like plot and character development, and parents' credit cards were limitless pools of money. A half-hour toy commercial disguised as an anime cartoon, the show doesn't have a lot to recommend it.
Vivendi, Nelvana, Sega Toys Presents Bakugan Battle Brawlers Vol. 5
For the uninitiated, Bakugan Battle Brawlers is a card game where players control a spring-loaded miniature figure. Various Gate, Trap and Ability cards are used to achieve the game's objective: capture 3 of your opponent's Gate Cards.
Volume 5 contains five episodes from the TV show – produced by TMS Entertainment and directed by Mitsuo Hashimoto – that aired on TV Tokyo in 2007, and had the plug pulled after 51 episodes. Nelvana and Teletoon have since revamped the show for English audiences.
So what's the plot of Bakugan Battle Brawlers? Even tweens will swiftly figure out that this show is all about promoting the game. The 6 main characters – lead by Dan, who ALWAYS TALKS INCREDIBLY LOUDLY!!!!! – do one of three things during the course of any episode:
- They play the game.
- They discuss new strategies for playing the game.
- They discuss other people who play the game.
Aaaand that's it. Plot-wise, there's not a lot to recommend, and the animation isn't that impressive either. The characters move stiffly, many background characters suffer from statue-itis, and there's not a lot of facial expression going on. In one episode, "Say It Ain't So, Joe!" two dueling characters look nearly identical, save for hair colour and clothing.
DVD Extras
So, where do we start with all the copious extras enclosed in this DVD? First off, there's . . . look! A seagull!
Seriously, you get English and French language tracks, and an "Exclusive Limited Edition Ability Card!" (emphases theirs). That's it.
The Final Analysis
If you're already addicted to Bakugan Battle Brawlers then, by all means, buy this DVD and everything else associated with the game. However, if you're a parent, be warned: Bakugan Battle Brawlers Vol. 5 is nothing more than an extended toy commercial. And not a terribly entertaining one at that.
It gets a 2/10.
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
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