For those of you who remember that far back: I'm the guy who, in Semester II, 2001, urged you to see Disney's The Emperor's New Groove, who told you it was very funny and that it wasn't what you expected. Was I right, or was I right? Of course I was right. I wouldn't be mentioning it if I weren't. So believe me when I say that this cartoon is even funnier. Much funnier.

It's about a little Hawaiian girl who adopts an alien, thinking it's a puppy ((mdash)) and, while it is cute, and does look a bit like a puppy, it looks even more like a psychotic, indestructible, genetically engineered killing machine, which is what it is. It grunts, it snuffles, it beats things up, it impersonates Elvis, and yet... Well, there are some people who say the ending is too sentimental, given the funny stuff earlier. I say: pfah! What happens through the movie is that we see more clearly the humanity (oh, very well, personhood) that was present in Stitch (the alien) and Lilo (the girl) and even Cobra Bubbles (the spine-chilling social worker) right from the start. That's why they're so funny.

When Professor Utonium combines sugar, spice, and everything nice to create the perfect little girl (why? Because he's a scientist, and that's what they do), the accidental addition of the mysterious Chemical X causes the creation of not one, but three superpowered but perfect little girls ((mdash)) Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles, the Powerpuff Girls. After nearly destroying the town with a superpowered game of Tag, can the girls become true heroes by defeating the villainous monkey, Mojo Jojo?

Based on the cartoon series beloved of toddlers and animation-crazed uni students alike, The Powerpuff Girls movie tells the never-before-seen story of the origin of the Powerpuff girls, so anybody who's missed the series shouldn't feel like they're going to be left behind. For those who know the show, you know what you're getting. For those who don't know anything about it, the key word is 'hyperactive' ((mdash)) these girls don't slow down for anyone, and the jokes come about as fast as the action. The animation's a bizarre hybrid of japanime and the fifties style animation of cartoons like 'Mighty Mouse'. For those in the mood for an energetic ending to your Sunday arvo, this should fit the bill nicely.