Dexter’s Laboratory: Ego Trip (1999)
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Dexter’s Laboratory: Ego Trip Review
Dexter’s Laboratory: Ego Trip is a 1999 animated TV movie produced by Cartoon Network. It’s a very weak, frustrating flick.
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“This is where it all ends, Mandark.
Now it’s just you, me, me, me and me“
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This movie aired in 1999 which is basically after the first two seasons of the show. They intended it to be the show’s finale, but thankfully that wasn’t the case as eventually the series got two additional seasons. It received mixed reviews, but positive audience reception.
I am on the critics’ side on this one and that’s unfortunate, but honestly this movie really did not make me happy. It is just never as great as the show is because they did not realize that the comedy is the major part of the show’s success and not the sci-fi elements.
So Dexter time travels and meets his various future selves. He has to defeat Mandark in the process. Speaking of Mandark, I honestly found him here pretty capable and this is truly one of his most menacing roles. That was great and one of the best things about this whole thing.
Dexter himself is not great. He is never as amusing as he is in the show and although his voice here is pretty good, it is not as great as in the show which bothered me a bit. His future selves are memorable, but overly used thus hurting Dexter’s own development.
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The animation and score are pretty good and the overall production is fine for TV standards. It has a lot of action and some of it is memorable, but most is overwhelming and taking the focus away from the plot which is too convoluted with too many science fiction elements and weak elements such as unrealistic and typical for TV overuse of time travel.
So in the end, I found Ego Trip to be fine for what it is which is a children’s SF action flick, but it thoroughly lacks in the humor and characterization departments leading to one very disappointing movie which is a let down from the show itself.
