The Cartoon Network really seems to have a liking for American cartoons done in the Japanese anime style these days. Take its latest offering, "Megas XLR": In a distant future of technology and space battles, aliens called the Glorft have conquered Earth. Human rebels steal a powerful Glorft robot prototype and Kiva, a brilliant engineer, spends two years modifying it. She attempts to send it back in time to what she believes is a key point in the Glorft-human war.
But instead of the intended target of the early 31st century, Megas -- the Mega Earth Guard Attack System -- lands in 2004 in a New Jersey junkyard. And who should find it but Coop, raised on video games, pro wrestling and an endless supply of greasy cheeseburgers, who sees the robot as his new toy. He immediately gets to work souping it up.
"Megas XLR"
6 p.m. tomorrow, Cartoon NetworkMeanwhile, Kiva and Glorft fighters track Megas through time and become stranded in 2004. Coop's little tweaks mean he's the only one who can pilot Megas now, so, like it or not, Coop is the humans' unlikely last hope against the Glorft.
There's something pretty pathetic about a guy who uses video-game skills to save the world, especially considering that, in all serious practicality, Coop modified Megas to give it a video-game feel -- along with the stereotypical cruisin' convertible for the robot's head.
He sees everything as a big game. Fearless and lunkheaded, Coop dives into battle with the relish and reckless abandon of a gamer taking full advantage of an invincibility cheat code.
He's selfish and aloof, not caring to understand how the robot could be critical to thwarting an alien invasion.
Megas, the Mega Earth Guard Attack System, was supposed to be sent back in time to the early 31st century to rid the earth of Glorfts (alien creatures that conquered earth) but instead lands in a junkyard in New Jersey in 2004, where he is found by a gamer named Coop.
OK, so that might hold infinite humor for some. And if you're aiming to touch today's youth, there's no better way than robots, wrestling and games. But there's only so much of the couch-potato attitude that one can take before it falls into a rut.
And "Megas XLR's" anime stylings are fast becoming an overused shtick. With American cartoons such as "Powerpuff Girls," "Teen Titans" and "Samurai Jack" -- not to mention other big-mech anime such as "Gundam" and "Voltron" -- in the collective consciousness, "Megas XLR" will need more than its Japanese look to stand out from the rest.
Another anime-style cartoon hits the small screen following the path of "The Powerpuff Girls," "Teen Titans" and "Samurai Jack"
But hey, it's hard to give a complete judgment on the planned 26-episode series on the pilot alone. To its credit, the animation is good, and the cartoon does have its moments. The robot battles have a comic unrealism made even more funny when Coop maneuvers Megas into actual wrestling moves to smash aliens.
"Megas XLR" does have the potential to be a good series if it transcends the usual static personalities popular in American kids' cartoons and develops the characters into something deeper.
One thing's for sure: Even if it turns out to be a flop, "Megas XLR's" gigantic robots ensure it will get in some good toy merchandising along the way.
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