This is not because of that a lot of 'Ducktales' fans don't like "New Gizmo-Kids on the Block", and for similar reasons that have always bugged me about the episode, for why my opinion of the episode is a low one. It is one of the few episodes to have never clicked with me as a child, having always disliked the characterisation for one thing, and one of the few to have a concept that sounded laughable and was never going to work. Some late 'Ducktales' episodes were better on re-watch, but this was even worse.
"New Gizmo-Kids on the Block" may not be an awful episode in my view, it has its moments, but the problems that bothered me when younger are still here and to a worse degree. It was not a good idea in the first place and the execution is actually even worse as a young adult. One of my least favourite episodes easily, always has been, alongside "Bubba's Big Brainstorm", "Yuppy Ducks" and "Attack of the 50 Foot Webby" and it doesn't give me any pleasure in criticising an episode of a personal favourite. It just doesn't hold up well, never compels and the characterisation for the nephews is almost insulting.
It is not without its moments. There are some nice vibrant colours in the animation, although this component has been much better done in other episodes. The music is great as always in every way, have never faulted it and it is not a problem here.
Mrs Crackshell makes her most interesting and most energetic appearance in my view, while the Beagles' escape sequence for me was by far the best individual scene of the episode. Being the only one to intrigue or entertain. The voice actors do competently with what they were given, which they are all well above.
Sadly, "New Gizmo-Kids on the Block" is all downhill from there. As said already, it is one of my least favourite 'Ducktales' episodes and the last one to be less than average (only a small handful of those so that is a dubious distinction). The story badly lets it down, it was already one of the stupidest and most outdated premises for any 'Ducktales' episode on paper. In execution, that feeling is reinforced, the story is not only intelligence-insultingly dumb in places but the main idea of it doesn't ever really make sense from the get go. The whole subplot with the nephews and Webby is too heavily focused upon and very out of date. The writing is a long way from being remotely amusing or smart, actually found it quite lazy and without any real substance.
Also a major problem is the way the characters are written, in a way where the only halfway likeable and interesting character is Mrs Crackshell. Fenton went from his character being properly nailed and coming into his own down to being reduced to being worse than the sort of character he was when he was first introduced in the show and furthermore practically lost amongst everything else (with his role being prominent this was hardly a minor issue). The nephews are almost as bad as they were in "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" and "Yuppy Ducks" and incredibly obnoxious, their treatment of Webby is enough to put one right off them. Webby is a little more tolerable than she was in "Attack of the 50 Foot Webby", but she is still a big whiner, which does get on the nerves, and when she stands up for herself it feels forced.
On the whole, very mediocre episode and a disappointment. 4/10
"New Gizmo-Kids on the Block" may not be an awful episode in my view, it has its moments, but the problems that bothered me when younger are still here and to a worse degree. It was not a good idea in the first place and the execution is actually even worse as a young adult. One of my least favourite episodes easily, always has been, alongside "Bubba's Big Brainstorm", "Yuppy Ducks" and "Attack of the 50 Foot Webby" and it doesn't give me any pleasure in criticising an episode of a personal favourite. It just doesn't hold up well, never compels and the characterisation for the nephews is almost insulting.
It is not without its moments. There are some nice vibrant colours in the animation, although this component has been much better done in other episodes. The music is great as always in every way, have never faulted it and it is not a problem here.
Mrs Crackshell makes her most interesting and most energetic appearance in my view, while the Beagles' escape sequence for me was by far the best individual scene of the episode. Being the only one to intrigue or entertain. The voice actors do competently with what they were given, which they are all well above.
Sadly, "New Gizmo-Kids on the Block" is all downhill from there. As said already, it is one of my least favourite 'Ducktales' episodes and the last one to be less than average (only a small handful of those so that is a dubious distinction). The story badly lets it down, it was already one of the stupidest and most outdated premises for any 'Ducktales' episode on paper. In execution, that feeling is reinforced, the story is not only intelligence-insultingly dumb in places but the main idea of it doesn't ever really make sense from the get go. The whole subplot with the nephews and Webby is too heavily focused upon and very out of date. The writing is a long way from being remotely amusing or smart, actually found it quite lazy and without any real substance.
Also a major problem is the way the characters are written, in a way where the only halfway likeable and interesting character is Mrs Crackshell. Fenton went from his character being properly nailed and coming into his own down to being reduced to being worse than the sort of character he was when he was first introduced in the show and furthermore practically lost amongst everything else (with his role being prominent this was hardly a minor issue). The nephews are almost as bad as they were in "Bubba's Big Brainstorm" and "Yuppy Ducks" and incredibly obnoxious, their treatment of Webby is enough to put one right off them. Webby is a little more tolerable than she was in "Attack of the 50 Foot Webby", but she is still a big whiner, which does get on the nerves, and when she stands up for herself it feels forced.
On the whole, very mediocre episode and a disappointment. 4/10
