Title: Saban’s Big Bad Beetleborgs, Volume 1
Starring: Wesley Barker, Shannon Chandler, Herbie Baez, Billy Forester
Running time: 9 hours (27 episodes/3 discs), Rated TV-Y7
Special Features: None
Three kids get dared to spend a few hours in a haunted house where they are met by a bunch of monsters (a vampire, Frankenstein’s creature a mummy, a werewolf and a gargoyle). After bumping into a pipe organ, they release the phantasm or “Phasm” named Flabber, who looks like Elvis/Liberace’s ghost with Jay Leno’s chin with the energy of Jim Carrey & Robin Williams on crystal meth . As a reward for his freedom, they are granted a wish by Flabber, to become The Beetleborgs, after their favorite comic book characters. Of course the spell sort of backfires when the Magnavores, the villains from the comic book Flabber used as reference, magically comes to life as well and terrorizes the town.
One major issue I have with this series is that it continues the common mistake of referring to Frankenstein’s Monster as “Frank” or “Frankenbeans” (ugh) in this show. This is just lazy writing. I hear later in the series they have an appearance by his creator “Dr Frankenbeans” but the damage is already done.
Big Bad Beetleborgs is majorly annoying with the overly campy acting although it is far more palatable than VR Troopers. I can see why this appealed to kids because unlike The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the leads are just kids who magically become superheroes. By not having formal martial arts training like MMPR & VR Troopers, they’re more relatable because they’re average.
For the most part, Big Bad Beetleborgs is not that bad a show, but it helps if you get a little wrecked before you watch it. I found it to be far less cringe-worthy of most of Saban’s live action shows.
Reviewed by: JM Willis
Action: C
Special Effects: C
Acting: C
Writing: C+
Total Rating: C
