In a less depressing vein

I saw Speed Racer last week and it was completely AWESOME in a turn-off-your-brain-and-lookit-the-colors sort of way.

It was like Cars, without having to trouble yourself with what sort of Apocalypse occurred to create all of the sentient vehicles leading to the extinction of their former human masters.

Out to lunch with the kiddies yesterday, I accidentally saw some sort of cartoon that is based on a "battle card" game - Sort of Pokemon-esque, but far more "Cyber". The bit I saw essentially involved two rivals sliding cards into their arm-blasters, summoning "Emerald Battle Pegasus", and "Sapphire Crystal Battle Dragon", while a crowd of friends and rivals watched in awe and horror at their audacious moves. But far from being dramatic, it was simply a recitation of procedures that made double deck solitaire sound exciting:

"Your Emerald Pegasus attack is doomed, for I now load up my Sapphire Crystal Dragon in Defense Mode, and I combine it with a second Sapphire Crystal dragon and a Crystal Fireball Defender, fusing them into Double Sapphire Crystal Fireball Defender Dragon!"

Onlookers: "WHA??? Oh no! His attack is doomed!"

"Your defense will not stand, for I combine the power to my Emerald Battle Pegasus with both the Rock Defender Turtle card AND the Crystal Phoenix sonic attack card" (and suddenly, a number appears in the bottom corner to assure the Asperger's viewers that this attack does in fact outnumber the defensive capability of the defender)

I have no idea how it all ended, but I suspect that in the end these shows will simply be a recitation of random dice throws and mad-libs style attack names Superlative+Mineral+Animal Name+Element.

I had to watch a Roadrunner to assure myself that there is still entertainment out there.