I can sum this episode up in one word: awful. I couldn't even finish it because it was so bad. The story moved along slower then a snail with a 100 pound weight on it's back, and I waited in vain for a mystery. If there was one, I stopped watching before the Hardy Boys investigated it.
All I saw was a newspaper reporter being a jerk, writing a nasty article, and claiming it was written by Frank. That's would be a good sub-plot, not something to make a main plot out of! I used fast-forward and stopped watching when I saw that the episode was STILL focusing on the newspaper article. For crying out loud, that plot is something I'd except to see in a "Nancy Drew On Campus" story, not in a Hardy Boys TV series. Who thought that this was a good idea? No wonder the TV series got cancelled!
Update: Rating removed, as I'll admit I should finish it before rating it.
WOW, uhh maybe you'd have better reviews of a LOT of things if you'd actually finished them... Just a suggestion.
I've seen all the episodes, and none of them particulary stood out as AWFUL, but seeing as they were all around 20 minute mysteries, they were pretty well done. I remember this one, and it wasn't too bad, I'd give it like a 6.4 out of 10.
I agree with JHR that this episode was pretty good. The problem with all of the episodes is that the format constricted them to half an hour and it just really isn't enough time to tell a complex mystery. (Not if they want to build character development too anyway.)
Most Scooby-Doo cartoons seemed to do this a bit better- but then their mysteries weren't generally as complex either. I think The Scooby-Doo Movie Mysteries did a little better because they had an hour to work with in that case. But anyway, despite the constrictions working against it, I think The Hardy Boys still managed to be a pretty good, entertaining show. You just have to pay really close attention to everything- and it's great to watch this show on video so that I can pause it and rewind it if I need to go back and catch something, because I do like to try to follow along with the mystery and try to solve it, just like I do with Scooby-Doo's shows. :)
Quote from: JoeHardyRocks on February 18, 2011, 01:30:12 PM
WOW, uhh maybe you'd have better reviews of a LOT of things if you'd actually finished them... Just a suggestion.
Name five other things I didn't finnish before reviewing. I'll admit it may have gotten better near the end, but that would only bring the rating up to a two, so rating changed.
Quote from: Dinosaur Dan on November 02, 2008, 07:18:50 PM
I played Danger By Design for an hour before giving up. It is so boring! All you is make tea and go shopping! I can do all that in the real world. Oh and here's the best part: I haven't even gotten to the clue finding yet! I haven't done anything yet but virtual chores!
Why, if I wanted to do chores I could have done them in the real world, not in some place that dosen't even look like Paris! Where's the Effel Tower? Where's the art musems? This game could have tooken place in London, for all I know! Oh and there is some sort of problem, cause now I can't read waht the characters ARE SAYING!
Creature Of Kupu Cave stinks as well! I'm spending hours gathering insect poop and finding shells. In fact, I even have to find out someone's favorite ICE CREAM FLAVOR! I thought the Nancy Drew game were supposed to be good! Instead I'm stuck making tea and finding Insect Poop! AHHHHHHHHHH! >:( >:( >:(
I may get a few other Nancy Drew games for chistmas, I hope it's better then the shovelware I already have! >:( >:( >:( >:(
Quote from: Dinosaur Dan on May 27, 2009, 11:01:14 AM
Correct, then it should be put in the fire place and burned! I could not make it through the second chapter!
about Murder House
Quote from: Dinosaur Dan on October 03, 2009, 04:41:41 PM
Haunted was not scary at all, unless a lot of talking terrifies you. I could not finnish the book, because I was so annoyed when they called a Frank chapter a Joe chapter! How could the editor not notice that!? It took forever for something interesting to happen. By then I had lost all interest in the book. I will finnish it sometime soon, but somethings telling me I will not like the ending, and the book will get an even lower rating.
Rating
3
And the last one..... If you want, I can actually look up your reviews for all these books: :P
Quote from: Dinosaur Dan on June 05, 2009, 09:53:00 AM
If I can't finish a Hardy boys book, that almost always means I REALLY hated it. Plus, I read half of a plot summery, and desided I had better things to do then keep on reading the book. I may finnish it another day, but I have other things to do. I even finished Survival of the fittest, and I hated that book! There are only a few books I never finished:
-The Haunted Fort (Bluespine)
-Running On Fumes (UB)
-Murder House trilogy (UB)
-Haunted (UB, stopped half way in)
-High Survival (SM)
-The Artic Petrol Mystery (Bluespine)
Quote from: JoeHardyRocks on February 18, 2011, 05:53:32 PM
about Murder House
And the last one..... If you want, I can actually look up your reviews for all those books. :P
Those arn't reviews, it didn't give a rating at the end. A review has a rating at the end. Except for Haunted, which means you've only shown me two times I reviewed something without finishing it. That's nowhere near "a lot".
I realise those aren't your reviews, I said I could look up the reviews you posted about those books though. Those were the books you haven't finished.
Quote from: Dinosaur Dan on February 18, 2011, 06:01:08 PM
Those arn't reviews, it didn't give a rating at the end. A review has a rating at the end. Except for Haunted, which means you've only shown me two times I reviewed something without finishing it. That's nowhere near "a lot".
FYI there were 3. Actually, 4, counting the review for the episode.
Quote from: JoeHardyRocks on February 18, 2011, 06:04:08 PM
I realise those aren't your reviews, I said I could look up the revies you posted about those books though. Those are the books you haven't finished.
FYI there were 3.
Show me the third, because I only see two, "Play Ball", and "Haunted". I could easily be wrong, as I don't remember every review I've written. Also, I did finish High Survival a few months after I wrote the post that you quoted.
The Nancy Drew games. You posted your opinions, it doesn't have to have a 1-10 rating to be a review.
Definition of review: "A critical article or report."
Ok, but 4 still isn't "a lot".
definition of a lot: "a lot: Very many, a large number; also, very much."
4 is not a large number, it's not even in the double digits.
I could find those other 5 book reviews if you want. :)
4 could be a lot- 4 ignorant reviews. Ignorant because you don't actually know what you're talking about, seeing as you haven't actually read, watched, or played whatever you're reviewing
Quote from: JoeHardyRocks on February 18, 2011, 06:30:53 PM
I could find those other 5 book reviews if you want. :)
4 could be a lot- 4 ignorant reviews. Ignorant because you don't actually know what you're talking about, seeing as you haven't actually read, watched, or played whatever you're reviewing
I did read the things I reviewed, I didn't finnish them. Not reading a book, and not finnishing it are two diffrent things. The same with playing and watching. I played the two games, and watched the episode, but I didn't finnish it. Unless you are using your own definition of "read" "watched" and "played", because the dictionary definitions say nothing about finishing anything. :)
If you watched the opening credits of, say, Harry Potter, then left, would you tell somebody that you watched that movie? If you started walking to a city that was 20 miles away, and you walked 2 miles, would you tell somebody that you'd been to that city? If you watched the opening sequence of a video game, would you say that you played it? And then, to the original point, if you read two chapters of a book that is around 15 chapters, would you say that you read it? I think not. Oh, unless of course you are using your own definitions of "Watched," "Played," and "Read." :)
Quote from: JoeHardyRocks on February 18, 2011, 08:00:19 PM
If you watched the opening credits of, say, Harry Potter, then left, would you tell somebody that you watched that movie? If you started walking to a city that was 20 miles away, and you walked 2 miles, would you tell somebody that you'd been to that city? If you watched the opening sequence of a video game, would you say that you played it? And then, to the original point, if you read two chapters of a book that is around 15 chapters, would you say that you read it? I think not. Oh, unless of course you are using your own definitions of "Watched," "Played," and "Read." :)
I see you are too. I didn't read two chapter, watch the opening credits, or watched the opening sqence of the games I reviewed. I did way more then that. Half the episode, half of Haunted, and I spent several days trieing to beat the video games. I'd calll that "read" "watched" and "played". If you walked through half of city, would you say you've been to that city? Or do you have to go into every part of the city?
Show me a definition of those three words that says that you have to finish something to read, watch, or play it. Unless, of course, you are using your own definitions of these three words, in that case, i'll use my own definition of review. And in my definition, a review must have a rating, therefore, the Nancy Drew Games don't count. :)
If you saw half of a painting, would you tell people you knew what it looked like? And again, a review is a critical article or report. Just because you're using "your definition" doesn't make you right.
Wat ha a epis, o rea ha a bo, o pla ha a ga, i sti no eno t ma a fa asses o somet. Doi on ha wo gi yo a cle id o anyt.
Highlight below.
Watching half an episode, or reading half a book, or playing half a game, is still not enough to make a fair assesment of something. Doing only half won't give you a clear idea of anything.
Yeah, I'm not gonna get in the middle of this or anything- but I'm giving JHR points for creatively illustrating her point in her last post. Awesome! :)
Quote from: JoeHardyRocks on February 18, 2011, 08:32:45 PM
If you saw half of a painting, would you tell people you knew what it looked like? And again, a review is a critical article or report. Just because you're using "your definition" doesn't make you right.
Wat ha a epis, o rea ha a bo, o pla ha a ga, i sti no eno t ma a fa asses o somet. Doi on ha wo gi yo a cle id o anyt.
Highlight below.
Watching half an episode, or reading half a book, or playing half a game, is still not enough to make a fair assesment of something. Doing only half won't give you a clear idea of anything.
What's going on? ::) ??? :-\
Apparently JHR and Dan are discussing what the definitions of "read", "watched" and "played" are.
Quote from: MacGyver on February 18, 2011, 11:44:03 PM
Apparently JHR and Dan are discussing what the definitions of "read", "watched" and "played" are.
Whatever, I guess. ::)
I have to say this is pretty entertaining. :)
I can see both points.
Generally speaking, one should have at least read, watched, or played something most of the way through to be able to give a true review or critical assessment of it.
However, from playing the Wii HB game, I can say it's hard without finishing it. The mere fact that it's so hard to complete draws on the conclusion that it's really hard. Now, that's in my opinion...and considering I'm also not a great video game player. However, I still gave it a go before giving up and claiming defeat.
While 4 or 5 is not a lot...it's still a significant enough number to say that it's something of a pattern. Perhaps using "a lot" is not fair but saying "a few" or "some" would be more accurate.
Either way, I think the point trying to be made here....is ...Before saying something is completely awful, have a true basis for that conclusion. Finish the book or finish the episode. It's really only 20 minutes long.
You have more credibility and conviction in your review when you have background knowledge to back it up.
JHR, awesome ways of illustrating your point. I agree with Mac on that one. :) Very clever.
I hope there is some resolution to all of this...but til then, it's at least entertaining. :)
I found this episode was more of a regular TV plot as opposed to a "Hardy Boys mystery" plot. Although, like everyone was saying, if there was more than the 20 minute limit, they could have done more. But I also consider this series a new take on the HBs without butchering their integrity.
Dinosaur Dan: Some are better than others. It depends what you're looking for, but some episodes are more funny, others have a bit more action. The ones you mentioned before I don't consider a reflection of the series. All That Glitters was a bit weird and annoying with the girl, Jazzman was strangely "deep", and Play Ball was a basic plot.
Quote from: Olivia on February 21, 2011, 11:08:12 AM
I found this episode was more of a regular TV plot as opposed to a "Hardy Boys mystery" plot. Although, like everyone was saying, if there was more than the 20 minute limit, they could have done more. But I also consider this series a new take on the HBs without butchering their integrity.
Dinosaur Dan: Some are better than others. It depends what you're looking for, but some episodes are more funny, others have a bit more action. The ones you mentioned before I don't consider a reflection of the series. All That Glitters was a bit weird and annoying with the girl, Jazzman was strangely "deep", and Play Ball was a basic plot.
I argee! Those are a bit odd. ;)
I am going to try to borrow the Hardy Boys dvd from the library again and re-review it. Sorry about reviewing it without finishing it, I wrote the review when I over tired, and the argument was late at night. Sorry about that.
That's cool, man. Maybe you'll like it better on the second go-round. :D
Quote from: MacGyver on March 16, 2011, 10:28:34 PM
That's cool, man. Maybe you'll like it better on the second go-round. :D
Sometimes that does work...and sometimes it reminds you why you didn't like it in the first place.
Off subject but I tried to watch a few shows I loved as a kid and WOW...I couldn't stand them. Now, please keep in mind that my DVR is FILLED with kid tv programs. So it has nothing to do with me being older and not liking kid shows. I actually LOVE kid shows. I am an avid fan of Ben 10 for crying out loud. BUT some of those older shows I just could not get back into.
Okay...back onto subject. :)
Haha- I've heard similar sentiments from others on some shows. I have rewatched a number of the shows I watched as a kid- and I still love watching them! (Of course, a lot of my TV viewing is 1980s reruns in any case- or older time periods- and some from the '90s) ;D :)
But yeah- sometimes nostalgia clouds things, but I really love my older classics. Thankfully there are a few kids shows today that are pretty good- just saw Phineas and Ferb last night- the episode where they build a time machine- that one was great!
And this is more a monetary thing than anything here, but I will say that there are some cartoons and kids shows that I'm content to just watch a random episode here or there on Youtube or a "Best Of" DVD or something- and others that I'm a big enough fan of to want to get the whole series on DVD. But yeah- I LOVE kid shows and cartoons. (There's a reason I also hang out online at www.80scartoons.net - haha- okay, quick promotional over now.) ;D
I think my lack of an accurate memory also clouds things. lol I will have to check out that site. Sounds cool.
TV today is getting scary. The amount of bad words one can hear on a normal sitcom is baffling.
Phineas and Ferb is very cute. I don't watch it all the time but it's very good.