Recess: All Growed Down

The final Recess project was released as a direct-to-video sequel in 2003 alongside Taking the Fifth Grade. This one, All Growed Down stared Myles Jeffrey, Rickey D’Shon Collins, Jason Davis, Ashley Johnson, Courtland Mead and Pamela Adlon.

After being taken hostage by kindergarteners, who are bullied by a leader called Chief Stinky, the gang (Jeffrey, Collins, Mead, Johnson, Adlon, Davis) tells them stories of past episodes to be freed. But soon, Gus is made to join them and he tells them a story of how he met the gang in kindergarten.

This film takes the established canon of Recess and throws it completely out the window. It shouldn’t have been made and the creators should have let the series end with Taking the Fifth Grade.

First off, it starts off with a clip show. And, yet again, this doesn’t warrant a full length film. But it goes beyond that when it establishes that the gang actually met Gus in Kindergarten. And it goes on from there, that they actually became who they are thanks to Gus. Then why does no one remember him when he shows back up in fourth grade? Someone was bound to remember that far back. 

This also doesn't even make sense in regards to how schools actually work.

Gus’ story was true, even after he denied it. The clip with Ms. Finster reveals this. So then, he’s forced to leave the school. Why, then, would he be allowed back as a fourth grader? It makes no sense, even for a children’s cartoon.

Also, like the other dtv Recess films, it’s paced terribly, making it feel slower than it actually is. This is a disgrace to the show and does not deserve to exist. 

#85

Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade

Recess: Taking the Fifth Grade is a direct-to-video film based on the television series of the same name released in December of 2003. Considered the series finale to the show, it starred Myles Jeffrey, Rickey D’Shon Collins, Jason Davis, Ashley Johnson, Courtland Mead, and Pamela Adlon. It consists of three unreleased episodes framed by a narration by TJ.

The first episode, TJ Detweiler vs. the Board of Education has the gang (Jeffrey, Adlon/Pam Segall, Collins, Johnson, Jason Davis/Robert Goulet, Mead) thinking they’re going to have the best year ever, but are proven wrong. Thanks to no lockers, substandard cafeteria food and the removal of the playground, TJ locks himself in his room and won’t come out until everything is normal again.

The second, The Fifth and Sixth Graders Club introduces the gang to the eponymous club. However, it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

The final, Halloween, has Spinelli believing herself to be too old for Halloween.

I have to say, even though I believe School’s Out would have been a better ending to the series, this film was actually pretty decent. It didn’t rehash episodes already out and make it a flashback of fonder memories, like other films have and it brought back a former adversary.

The individual episodes are also good on their own and really show just how connected the group of friends is. Take the third, Spinelli thinks she’s too old and when the others worry about her, they really can’t enjoy the fun. The five of them are all true companions.

However, the biggest problem with this is the pacing, which I’ve mentioned in other direct-to-video reviews. It’s an hour long, but feels much longer. I don’t necessarily know why that is, but it feels like time has slowed down. 

#59

Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street

Recess got a direct to video film released on November 6, 2001. Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street starred Andrew Lawrence, Ricky D’Shon Collins, Jason Davis, Ashley Johnson, Courtland Mead, Pamela Adlon and James Earl Jones.

Principal Prickly, Ms. Grotke, and Ms. Finster head home during a snowstorm and get stuck in a snowbank. They pass the time telling stories of their experiences with TJ and his friends.

Ah, there’s nothing like making more money off of episodes you’ve already aired by connecting them to a loose frame.

And that’s pretty much what the movie is. Why couldn’t Disney have done something original? School’s Out was a good and valiant effort at releasing a theatrical film of one of their shows with an original storyline. These compilation films just seem to drag on and on because it’s crap you’ve already seen before. Unreleased episodes would have been good too.

#70.

 Boy I’ve watched quite a few movies haven’t I?

Recess: School's Out

Disney decided to theatrically release another one of their hit shows in 2001. Recess: School’s Out starred Rickey D’Shon Collins, James Woods, Andrew Lawrence, Jason Davis, Paul Willson, Melissa Joan Hart, and Jim Nabors. With a budget of $10 million, it ended up making $34 million.

The school year is over and TJ (Lawrence) is looking forward to spending his summer with his friends (Collins, Davis/Robert Goulet, Ashley Johnson, Courtland Mead, and Pamela Segall). However, they’re all going to different summer camps. Bored and lonely, he notices something strange going on at the school. No one believes him, causing him to make his sister pick up the gang from their camps. They find out the diabolical plan of a former principal (James Woods) and have to thwart his plans.

This is quite an enjoyable film. TJ is very relatable at the beginning of the film, where he wants to spend time with his friends, but no one’s around. As for the plot, it’s really weird, where a crazed former educator wants to raise test scores by getting rid of summer vacation. But not only is it told well, it does a great job of evoking nostalgia in its viewers.

The villain, Philliam Benedict is perfectly crazed with a crazy desire, which is only made better by the simple fact that he’s voiced by James Woods. Woods may be typecast as short tempered, yet sharp and affable but he always pulls off his characters well. Many times becoming the best part of his films.

I’d have to say the oddest part of the film though would be in its song choices: 1960s psychedelic acid rock. Seriously, songs from the film include, “Purple Haze,” “Let the Sunshine In,” “Nobody But Me,” and “Incense and Peppermints.” I’m not complaining, they’re good songs, but there’s only one scene that takes place in 1968, and it’s a flashback. The rest of the film is set in the late 90s/early 2000s. However, I did say the film did well in evoking nostalgia. They might have been chosen for the adults watching it back in 2001. Problem is, they really just seem out of place.  

#30