Woah Nellie! (Earthworm Jim)

Member Name: dave27

Product:	Earthworm Jim
Date:	27/09/02 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great fun

Disadvantages: Kids' stuff

I first came across Earthworm Jim as a rather bizarre character around which a Super Nintendo video game was based, and even then found it a pretty amazing concept.

Bear with me ... Earthworm Jim is a humble worm living in the middle of Texas and doing what all red blooded worms do (i.e. not a great deal) when all of a sudden a magic space suit comes falling down to terra firma and our Jim worms his way inside. All of a sudden he is instantly transformed into a super hero, Earthworm Jim.

The suit was being taken by Psy-Crow to Queen Pulsating Bloated Festering Sweaty Pus Filled Malformed Slug For A Butt (what a desirable creature) when it happened to fall to earth following a battle in space.

Our Jim soon finds all sorts of wonderful powers and weapons available to him and he inevitably becomes one of the protectors of humanity (or wormanity).

Anyway, the game itself is one of the most extraordinary I've ever come across with EWJ (it ain't really short hand when you say it, but it's certainly easier writing it) coming through relatively unscathed a range of adventures against some quite bizarre and gruesome evildoers, including Professor Monkey For A Head (don't ask) and Evil the Cat, and aided and abetted by Peter the Puppy. It's an amazing and thoroughly addictive world that you'll encounter with the EWJ game, with the only real problem being that there ain't a save facility.

Still, we aren't here to consider the game, even though it's now up to version 3, I believe, but rather the kids' cartoon version of EWJ, which is a pretty faithful recreation of the characters and style used in the game.

The whole thing is a tongue in the cheek, surreal, wonderfully cynical exploitation of the standard superhero defeats evildoers theme, but these guys are thoroughly intent on debunking all the stereotypes and having a GROOVY time at their hero's expense. He's the eternal
loser and even all the powers he possesses through his inherited suit cannot make him happy.

His bizarre and outlandish foes lead him a quite merry dance and when your only chum is alternatively a weak kneed lovable puppy or a slavering, out of control brute who is just as likely to rip you to shreds as save you, then that's not good news.

EWJ may be intended for kids (I'm not absolutely sure), but it contains quite enough off the wall antics and deeper jokes to keep even the old fuddy duddies amused for hours. Unfortunately, the cartoon series is nowhere near as good and enjoyable as the game (but then that would have been virtually impossible), although it is one of the better and more imaginative cartoons around these days.

As an example, I draw an extract of one of the scripts from a lovely tribute site by Mike - http://ourworld.cs.com/weezelx/ewj/index.html?f=fs - as follows:

Announcer: We join our heroes as they are menaced by Evil the Cat and his fearsome magic doll.
Evil takes out a doll that looks like Jim.
Jim: So, you got yourself a dolly, and I'm supposed to be scared?
Evil: (Laughs) Through the secrets of sympathetic magic, whatever happens to this doll will also happen to you! (Evil pulls the doll's head, Jim's head mirrors the action. Evil beats on the doll, the same happens to Jim)
Peter: Man, the secrets of sympathetic magic stink.
Jim: Ok, let's see if that works the other way 'round! (Jim pulls out his gun)
Evil: Oh.... I hadn't considered that.
Jim: Groovy, mayhem by remote! (Jim moves around like he's fighting someone, the doll beats up Evil)
Peter: Have at him, big fella! (He hops on a nearby ledge and takes out some popcorn) Better 'n Pro Wrestling!

That's a pretty standard example of the sort of stuff you get with EWJ. Innocent and naive and corny, but undoubtedly wonderfully entertaining - well, I like it a lot a
nyway, so who cares?

What makes things even more bizarre is the fact that this puny, weak kneed (yeah, I know worms don't have knees, smart ass) earthworm is all that we have to defend us from similarly bizarre bad guys. You have to be tuned in to get the joke and as with all cartoons, the suspension of disbelief is a necessary prerequisite to joining in. However, spend a few days with the Nintendo game and all of this will make perfect sense to you. Coming fresh to the cartoon wouldn't be half as much fun and you have to have been inculcated with the secrets of the EWJ universe to get the joke.


Alternatively....


This is a gaudy and light hearted cartoon, and quite good enough to spend half an hour with. Don't expect great things, and you won't be too disappointed.

Summary: