All Rise...

Judge David Johnson was wearing his underwear outside of his pants long before these guys.

Editor's Note

Our review of Fanboy And Chum Chum: Brain Freeze, published August 21st, 2011, is also available.

The Charge

Put on your cape—and your tighty-whiteys.

The Case

This is my first taste of Nickelodeon's first ever CGI-animated series and I have to admit: it's not bad. And that's coming from a cynical adult who's terrified of runaway federal deficits and the gargantuan figures of our unfunded entitlement liabilities. If you're a young kid whose biggest worry is stepping in dog poop again, man you're going to love this show.

Here's the deal: Fanboy and Chum Chum are two lovable nerds who run around in superhero costumes and wear their underwear on the outside of their clothes for some reason. Their misadventures involve Boog the bully or a familiar evil janitor or a ice-spewing superhero named Man-Artica who inadvertently turns a bunch of little kids into ice cubes. Our heroes typically defuse these tense situations by…truthfully, there's no easy way to classify what they do because Fanboy and Chum Chum is an insane cartoon.

And I mean that lovingly. Nickelodeon is apparently in on it too, as they trumpet the weirdness on the disc synopsis, taking pleasure in that fact that these "full-tilt adventures" are "absurd." This is essentially a feast for the up-and-coming geek, a series that packs its episodes with loads of pop culture references that should appeal to both kids and grown-ups who appreciate a Harry Potter parody.

Eight episodes totaling 88 minutes:

• "Wiz Boy"
FB and CC encounter a real boy wizard, recently expelled from his magic academy.

• "The Janitor Strikes Back"
Who does this diabolical janitor remind me of? Perhaps the title of the episode is a clue?

• "Dollar Day"
When a Frosty Freezy Freeze is on the line, what must FB and CC do to summon the necessary dollar to purchase it?

• "Trading Day"
FB trades CC for a new toy and eventually regrets the decision. How to get him back?

• "Chimp Chomp Chumps"
Boog the bully is on the hook, having to do whatever FB and CC tells him to do so he can go see the newest hit movie.

• "Fanboy in the Plastic Bubble"
Boog sells FB and CC his childhood plastic bubble and immediately laments his inability to punch them in the face.

• "Fan vs. Wild"
The boys head into the frosty wilderness, on the roof of the local convenience store.

• "Freeze Tag:
Man-Arctica shows up for a literal game of freeze tag.

Good times: a high-energy, surprisingly clever set of short episodes, supplemented by unique computer animation and enough varied gags to appeal to most ages. Nicely done, Nick.

The DVD is about what you'd expect: full frame, 2.0 stereo, some animated shorts and the pilot episode of Planet Sheen.

The Verdict

Not Guilty. Wear those tighty-whiteys with pride.

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