Powerpuff Girls - The Movie Details

Short and sweet has always been the strength of Cartoon Network's Powerpuff Girls. So it's to the credit of director and original series creator Craig McCracken that he has managed to turn a bite-sized animated format into a convincing feature-length cartoon. He does so by making a prequel to the programme, concentrating on the superhero sisters' origins and how they learnt to use their special powers to crack crime and take on lab-monkey-turned-megalomaniac Mojo Jojo. Brought winningly to life with retro-style animation in ice-cream shades, the bubbly confection is easy on the eye and the mind. With fast-paced action, street-smart language and ape-movie references galore, McCracken's sly, tongue-in-cheek vision has plenty to entertain children and adults alike. Though the editing should have been tighter and a strobe-lighting sequence removed, it's hard not to be charmed — especially when the tale is preceded by a hilarious Dexter's Laboratory short called Chicken Scratch.

A TV favourite among the very young transfers to the big screen. Its relentless energy is wearing after a while, but it will appeal to its many fans Ð though it's possibly less entertaining than an average TV episode.