Review of Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip

In the early 1990s, Cartoon Network was still trying to find its mojo. Known only as the channel that re-aired extensive film library of old cartoons from the 1940s until the early 1980s; the network began to create their own set of animation in the mid-1990s, by creating a show called 'What a Cartoon!' or better known as 'Cartoon Cartoons'. Spearheaded by Fred Seibert, the concept of the show was to showcase new cartoons shorts to the audience, and once the shorts got popular, the Network would create a spin-off show about it. The most famous early one of these was 'Dexter's Laboratory'; a show about a boy-genius Dexter (Voiced by Christine Cavanaugh) and inventor, who constantly battling his sister, Dee Dee (Voiced by Kat Cressida) in an attempt to keep her out of his secret laboratory, while engaging in a bitter rivalry with his neighbor and fellow-genius Mandark (Voiced by Eddie Deezen). Without spoiling the movie, too much, the film also focus the same concept as the show, but add time-travel to the mix, as Dexter wanted to see, how he save the world in the future, when robots came to the past to kill him. Created and director by animator Genndy Tartakovsky, and originally aired on December 10, 1999 as a special TV movie. The film is surprising well-written with clever, yet brilliant twists and turns. Yet, like any other 'time travel' movie, there also seem to be, some parts of the film that are very confusing like how Dexter cannot remember, how he save/doom the world. The film writes it off, the reason, because of his massive ego. Hints the title of this piece. Yet, the paradoxes are very alarming, when you come across, the fact that Mandark knew his fate, too. Time travel movies are always complicated. Yet, I like, each version of the future that Dexter goes to, as it relates to masculinity. First, there is the 'Orwellian' draconian future where everybody is control by Mandrake's propaganda, surveillance, misinformation, denial of truth, and label as numbers, through Capitalism style politics when it comes to technology. It's clearly, the precarious manhood stage of Dexter's self, because, he isn't willing to share his technology with others, even if it's for the greater good, due to fear of it being misused. It wasn't, until, his masculinity evolve, post-apocalyptic, that you see that he willing to have some courage. Yet, society still somewhat loses. Lastly, in the utopian future, Dexter's patriarchy shows, how society have fallen from one dictator to another, with the open-technology politics. No matter, how great, life might seem, there is still somewhat of an authoritarian with the older Dexter at the top. Great art direction, around, with some cool action sequences. It's also pretty cool to see, how Dexter would age, over the years. It gave the movie, some of its best jokes with them, interacting with each other. My favorite is Grandpa Dexter, also voiced by Christine Cavanaugh. The voice acting was also great. I like the fact that many of the original cast from the first and second season return to do, this movie. The movie was also very funny, with most of the jokes, hitting the funny bone. I also love the call backs to episodes like Season 1, Episode 2 'Dexter Dodgeball' and Season 1, Episode 3 'Old Man Dexter' others. Yet, I kinda wish, the movie had a little more continuous with the TV's episodes than it did. After all, what did happen to Mandrake's thought reading device!? Anyways, originally intended to conclude the series, the film maintained successful ratings for the channel, despite mixed reviews from critics; it led to Cartoon Network reviving the show for two more seasons in 2001. However, it probably, wasn't the best idea, since Genndy Tartakovsky left to work on other projects. Since he was gone, it allow another studio and animator to take over. The results of this, not only made, all of the characters look significantly different, due to the change from traditional cel animation to digital-ink-and-paint, but the fact, that the series also went through a lot of Retconning as well, contradicting the previous incarnation of the series, more than the original did. That was a no-no. Surprising, the series concluded, a few years later in November 2003 in a quiet deadly death. I manage to watch this movie on VHS. However, as of this date of writing, this movie has not been put on DVD. I just glad, the VHS version, includes the episodes, Season 1, Episode 9 "The Justice Friends: Krunk's Date" and Season 1, Episode 2, "Dial M for Monkey: Rasslor', because I'm a huge fan of Wrestling and Marvel Comics. Overall: While, there's plenty of cartoon violence here, some sexual innuendo and some harsh language. Yet, it's nothing that children at the time, hasn't saw before. In the end, it's an entertaining movie worth checking out for both kids, now and kids, then.