 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Archie's Weird Mysteries: Archie and the Riverdale Vampires
- Review Date: April 13, 2005
- NR
- Genre: Family and Kids
- 1999
Common Sense Media says
Perfunctory but fun cartoon.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that sensitive kids may be unnerved by the tentacle-growing potatoes and fang-bearing vampires depicted in this animated feature. Kids who like scary movies will enjoy these tales, and preteens may get more out of the verbal humor and satire on couch potatoes. Teens are likely to want to watch an actual horror movie.
What's the story?
The typical teenage world of Archie gets a supernatural makeover in these episodes from the Archie's Weird Mysteries TV series. In a brief prologue, Archie explains that an accident at a Riverdale physics lab initiated a series on non-stop weird events -- so many that Archie now covers them for the school newspaper. In the first story, Jughead wins an on-air contest during a horror movie marathon and is awarded a potato-shaped trophy. Unfortunately, the potato sprouts tentacles, absorbs Jughead's life force, and turns into an evil Jughead. Now Archie must find and destroy the Great Potato before Riverdale falls victim to potatoes from outer space. More trouble comes when attractive new transfer student Scarlett Helsing announces an imminent attack by throngs of vampires. An ancient book prophesies that the invasion can only be foiled by the "chosen one." But who is the chosen one? Could it be -- Veronica?
Is it any good?
ARCHIE AND THE RIVERDALE VAMPIRES accurately captures the look of the comic book characters, and the animation is generally polished. The voices are a bit bland, unfortunately, with no voice having the memorable charm of, say, Scooby-Doo's Shaggy. Still, the show manages to stay true to the world of Archie, while adding the new wrinkle of marauding monsters. There's enough verbal humor to entertain older viewers, but overall this video is best suited to Archie fans.
The potato segment is a ludicrous reworking of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and provides some amusing satire. The vampire story offers fewer moments of cartoonish absurdity. The idea of having the frivolous Veronica believing that she's the "chosen one" -- the only one who can save Riverdale from bloodthirsty vampires -- is fun, but the plotting is too straightforward and serious for it to be effective. Characters continually have to explain what's going on, leading to such awkward lines as a vampire stating, "I wasn't being blasted into mist. I was actually escaping as a mist."
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how Jughead's sloth led to his body being overtaken by the evil potato. They may also want to talk about how the image a girl portrays, like Veronica's, may be a mask hiding a stronger, more intelligent girl. Why do girls put on that mask? What would you do in that situation?
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Kid, 11 years old
October 23, 2011
AGE
its cool
it hink its fun
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Kid, 12 years old
May 26, 2009
AGE
I loved it but I was concerned about this.
Veronica is snobby!
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Kid, 11 years old
October 9, 2011
AGE
archi videos and book
i love it its realy interesting if you watch or read one of the books you will love it i mean love it
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AGE
wicked!!!
best cartoon eva
try it!!!
WORTH WATCHING!!!
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AGE
Why?! Why?! WHY!? >:<
why fox cut off the morning scedehle? :,(
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| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Phil Harnage |
| Cast: | Andy Rannells, Ben Beck, John Michael Lee |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Run time: | 70 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | January 1, 1999 |
| DVD release date: | August 29, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | NR |
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