1022. The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002)

Starring: Cathy Cavadini, Tara Strong, Elizabeth Daily

Director: Craig McCracken

Running Time: 73 mins

The Powerpuff Girls Movie is an American film following the birth of the three girls with very special powers, and how they came to be the beloved crime-fighting trio of Townsville.

This is a fun, action-packed and cool prequel to the brilliant Powerpuff Girls TV show. It’s fantastically kid-friendly, with all of the niceties of the show, but, strangely for a Cartoon Network movie, it’s an enjoyable and engaging watch for adults, with an interesting enough story and enough unpredictability for some excitement.

Now, if you’re a fan of the show, this is definitely a good watch, and it gives a story that is relevant to the show you know and love, because you get the entire back story of the Powerpuff Girls in brilliant detail.

If you’ve never seen the TV programme, however, this may be a little odd going into, but, being a prequel, it’s very accessible to all, whether you’ve got prior knowledge of the show or not, making it entertaining and engaging for anyone.

In terms of the plot, it’s pretty exciting to watch throughout. There’s brilliant action from start to finish that’s all a lot of fun, and, despite it being a relatively generic story with only mild threat so that it’s good for young kids, it’s still unpredictable enough to feel quite perilous and exciting right up to the end.

Also, the story impressively contrasts the cheeriness of the Powerpuff Girls’ fun and enjoyment with a strangely dark secondary story. Of course, it’s not properly dark, but there is a plot line within about the fragility of the girls’ relationship at the darkest hour which is pretty sad, but also impressively intriguing for a kids’ movie.

Finally, the animation is just so cool. The sharp corners of all of the drawings add to the edginess of the plot, and make the characters appear so much more dynamic, whilst the unique animation and vibrant colours of the Powerpuff Girls really make them stand out clearly, making for a visually very exciting film too.

Overall, this gets a 7.1, because it’s a massively entertaining, action-packed and dynamic kids’ movie with enough intrigue to make it a great watch for all the family.