The Powerpuff Girls - Powerpuff Bluff - Region 1 DVD

Bubblevicious
This trio of crime-fighting superheroines must work around kindergarten obligations, and if you've seen the Cartoon Network series you know they must save the world before bedtime. But they rise to the challenge with the help of their guardian-creator, Professor Utonium. In the Emmy-nominated title episode, Bubbles gets fed up with being "the cute one," while her comrades get the better assignments, so she takes on a series of ugly baddies, resulting in many fires and explosions. There are five episodes on this 60-minute tape, including the double-episode "Uh-Oh Dynamo," which finds the girls battling a monster at the city park. The trio finally vanquishes it from inside a huge robot, but not before the entire downtown appears leveled. In "Mr. Mojo's Rising," the girls must rescue the professor when he is kidnapped by an evil megabrained monkey. "Powerpuff Bluff" introduces three hoodlums who impersonate the girls and rip off Townsville's denizens, landing the real girls a spell in the pokey. "Cat Man Do" will teach youngsters to go the shelter for their pets, as the kitty (voiced by Mark Hamill) the gals "rescue" from a crimelord's compound turns out to be a mind- controlling fiend. Parents scrutinizing violent content, beware; otherwise for ages 7 and up. --Kimberly Heinrichs

Monkey See, Doggie Do
The Powerpuff Girls blends strong female figures with striking graphic design to create an action-packed cartoon for 5- to 9-year-olds (although parents should monitor the violent content here). Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup are three kindergartners with superhero powers that help the mayor keep Townsville safe. There are five separate episodes in this hour-long tape. In "Monkey See, Doggie Do," the villainous Mr. Mojo Jojo is systematically turning townspeople into dogs. It's up to the Powerpuff Girls to break the spell--but can they succeed even after Mojo turns them into Powerpups? "Mommy Fearest" paints a frightening picture of Professor Utonium's new date--good thing the Powerpuffs see through her façade! In "Telephonies," crank calls from the Gangrene Gang have the Powerpuff Girls roughing up Mojo, Fuzzy, and Dim when they haven't done anything wrong. You'll never guess who saves the day! If you've ever wondered what the colorful Townsville would be like in black and white, check out "Mime for a Change." When Rainbow the clown gets bleached and becomes the evil Mr. Mime, it's up to the Powerpuff Girls to put the color and sound back into Townsville. The Emmy-nominated "Bare Facts" details the Powerpuff Girls' rescue of the kidnapped mayor. The use of a blank screen with audio to represent the blindfolded mayor's experience and three distinct animation styles to underscore each Powerpuff's version of the rescue is wonderfully effective and shows viewers just how differently Bubbles, Buttercup, and Blossom think. --Tami Horiuchi