Danger Mouse '15 Count Duckula Review

So earlier I got to see the latest episode of Danger Mouse, the popular Animated series aimed at very young kids airing on CBBC. Now you may be wondering why of all things I'm reviewing a show that's similar to the likes of Dora The Explorer or Sofia The First. Well, first off, I did grew watching the original Danger Mouse series when it was distributed internationally. The second and the real reason I watched this episode of the new Danger Mouse series - Count Duckula, one of the very few cartoon characters made in the UK that I actually like.

In fact, I seem to have this strange fascination with Duck Characters. I like Daffy Duck, Plucky Duck, Donald Duck, Scrooge McDuck, Darkwing Duck, Howard The Duck, Deadeye Duck, the Baby Ducks in Regular Show, and of course Count Duckula.

Now for a quick refresher for those who don't know. Danger Mouse is a British Animated series that came out in the 1980s and is essentially a parody of the James Bond films featuring the title character as a British Spy Agent. In one of the episodes, the series featured a villain named Count Duckula, who as the name suggests, is a vampire duck. The character turned out to be quite popular at the time that a spin-off series was made with Duckula as the main protagonist, but instead of being a typical vampire out for blood, he ended up as a vegetarian thanks to a botched attempt of resurrecting him using Tomato Ketchup as a substitute for blood.

For much of spin-off Count Duckula series, Duckula goes on these misadventures in trying to be a popular entertainer and being fithy rich, while being chased by various characters who still believe him to be a blood-sucking vampire. The show and the character was so popular that he also had his own comic book from Marvel.

So when staff behind the new Danger Mouse series said they will bring back Count Duckula, I was excited and having these nostalgia feels despite knowing that the show won't give me as much excitement as say, One Punch Man, for the simple reason that it's a show made for very young kids. I'm also curious as to how this version of Count Duckula differs from the past versions, as despite the new Danger Mouse series being a reboot, it also serves as a continuation of the original show.

In the episode of the series reboot titled "From Duck 'Til Dawn", Danger Mouse and his assistant Penfold travel to Transylvania to investigate the mysterious disappearances of the local population. They later encountered Count Duckula, who reveals himself to be a vegetarian vampire and using his hypnotic powers on the local population, forcing them to watch his TV show 24-7, while becoming Duck Vegetables in the process. Duckula's goal is to be most popular (and ONLY) entertainer throughout Transylvania, while his vegetable "fans" act as fans, servants, and food all-in-one.

Things get a bit ugly when Danger Mouse boasted that he's popular worldwide, which made Duckula jealous and now desires to use his scheme on a global scale. It is then up to Danger Mouse to stop him.

Again, I wasn't expecting much for a really young kids show to be anything amazing. Still it is nice to see my favorite character back again, though his voice takes some getting used to. For the most part, this Duckula is a combination of the previous ones, being a vegetarian vampire while using evil schemes to become rich and famous. The episode doesn't say if this version of Duckula is supposedly the same one from the previous shows that just turned evil, or a new incarnation of the previous Count Duckula. I'll probably never know as it is that kind of detail that isn't really important in a show like Danger Mouse.

Much of the episode is your typical kids show with all the cliches thrown in as well as the occassional fourth wall breaking, though not as funny as the way Deadpool does it. All in all, nothing amazing, but it's not a bad episode either. It's a kids show, so there really isn't anything to make a fuss about. So for this episode of Danger Mouse, I'd give it a 3 out of 5. In any case, glad to have you back, Count Duckula. And as the narrator of the spin-off series always say:

"Good night out there, whatever you are....."