 |
|
 |
 |
This is one of
the most difficult reviews of a DVD I've ever done. I'm
caught between two semi rigs coming at me at the same
time. It's my personal opinion versus offending the very
people I've admired for years who worked on "Click &
Clack's As The Wrench Turns" DVD set. This hurts like
dropping a heavy wrench on my bare foot. I took this PBS
series out for a test drive and came back convinced that
perhaps it was just a faulty car on the dealer's lot. It
wasn't a reflection on all the other fine vehicles that
the makers of "As The Wrench Turns" have made in the
past.
"Click & Clack's As The Wrench Turns" is now available
on DVD.
My dad used to listen to National Public Radio. If I
went out with him to run errands on Saturday's, he'd
turn the dial to NPR. There was this wacky show by Tom &
Ray Magliozzi, two brother mechanics from "Bawston,"
Mass. who gave callers advice on what was wrong with
their automobiles. Their New England accents and goofy
charm was a refreshing change from the occasionally
bland programming on NPR. These two guys were
entertaining, smart (M.I.T. grads), and helpful like no
mechanic I'd ever come across. They never took
themselves seriously. I've been listening to them,
though not as much I should, for over 20 years now.
One of the animators involved with "As The Wrench Turns"
is someone who've I've known for a couple of years now
since I started writing a book on the groundbreaking
film, "TRON." Bill Kroyer is regarded amongst his peers
in animation as one of the top tier guys in the
industry. He's an outstanding animator and director,
having worked at Disney and Rhythm + Hues on a variety
of movies, commercials and television shows. He's also a
great guy.
I jumped at the opportunity to review "As The Wrench
Turns," and it pains me to say that the results of the
show aren't what I expected, or hoped, they'd be. As I
understand it, filmmakers were given a fairly small
budget to work with. The animation and production value
of the show looks good and doesn't seem to reflect a low
budget. What the show lacks are solid storylines and the
magic of the "Tappet Bros."
It's not made clear who the audience is on this animated
show. It's not for kids, though there isn't anything
objectionable. But kids won't understand it and there
isn't very much comedy and action to keep them
interested. Grown ups who listen to their show on NPR
will be let down because Tom & Ray aren't really the
focus on the TV show. They're seen here as buffoons and
don't seem like their radio selves. The Tappet Bros. are
hilarious when they're allowed to let their humor loose.
In this show, they're not given much to work with. I
would've much rather seen them talking about cars, and
it seems they don't do much of that here. They're also
surrounded by stereotypical characters who aren't
enjoyable or interesting to watch.
Some shows do better on the radio rather than in live
action or animation form. The Tappet Bros. are totally
enjoyable on the radio and have been for years. Their
radio show is silly and smart, offering excellent
automobile advice with a wink and a nod. The jokes are
bad, but their witty execution makes them wonderfully
funny. But their crossover into animation is,
unfortunately, a disappointing venture.
Bill Kallay
Special thanks to Click Communications
Photos: © CTTV LLC. All rights reserved.
| DVD Quick Glimpse | |
|
|
 |
