Viewtiful Joe Vol_ 1

Amazon.com The broadcast series Viewtiful Joe (2004) follows the popular videogame from Capcom (2003). Joe is a slacker-dude, totally hooked on the anime hero Captain Blue. He drags his long-suffering girlfriend Sylvia to a "Captain Blue" feature, but they find the ending has changed. A new gang of villains, the Jadow, cleans the Captain's clock and grabs Sylvia into the film. When Joe follows, Captain Blue gives him a V-watch that enables him to transform into a super-hero version of himself. He's off to rescue Sylvia! Filmmakers have been dumping heroes into onscreen worlds since Buster Keaton's brilliant Sherlock, Jr. (1924); Viewtiful Joe may not add much to the premise, but it's a lot of fun. With his spiky hair, backwards baseball cap, cargo shorts, large head, and small body, Joe looks like a cross between an anime hero and a character from American underground comix. Viewtiful Joe pokes fun at the clichés of superhero series, although at times it sounds like a Gekigangar III story read by Bill and Ted. (Unrated, suitable for ages 10 and older: cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon From the Contributor Director: Takaaki Ishiyama (Dominion Tank Police) Character Design: Yukiko Oohashi (Magicuser's Club, Oruchuban Ebichu TV)