Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show

[StevePulaski]

Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show (2009)
Directed by: Danny Antonucci

Rating: ★★★

Once you realize Ed, Edd n Eddy was the animated Three Stooges, suddenly it makes sense. You begin to appreciate its slapstick genius. This is a program I hold dear and still revisit from time-to-time. I'm not going to pretend there's some deep social commentary embedded in its lunacy, although it was good for more than a few deceptively meaningful zingers. If there's one thing I've realized in the present, it's that series creator Danny Antonucci simply doesn't get enough credit for knowing his style and acing it to the nth degree.

Beginning its run in 1999 and continuing strong for a solid decade amidst Cartoon Network's glory years, Ed, Edd n Eddy merited record-setting ratings for the network. The fact it did that with minimal merchandizing is a testament to the power of the brand (the property wasn't on total merchandizing lockdown like Calvin and Hobbes, but it didn't produce the copious shirts and figurines you would've assumed). The series made it to 131 episodes, complete with four holiday-themed specials, and of course, the inimitable TV movie, Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show, in 2009.

While we unfortunately do not get the privilege of seeing what was always lurking underneath Double D's black stocking hat, we are treated to a manic, 88 minute romp that captures the essence and the ever-lasting appeal of the program. The film embraces a noticeably darker tone than most of the episodes, as it opens with the trademark setting that is the Peach Creek cul-de-sac appearing ransacked and desolate. We see the individual Eds frantically scramble to pack their belongings and hit the road after their latest "scam" has left the neighborhood children — Kevin, Nazz, Rolf, and Jonny — maimed and injured. The interworkings of this prank we disappointingly never learn, but it's bad enough that the trio find themselves in Eddy's brother's bedroom. They steal his hot-rod and wind up miles away from the cul-de-sac — a place from which they don't ordinarily venture out.

Ed (voiced by Matt Hill), Double D (Samuel Vincent), and Eddy (Tony Sampson) are fugitives in so many words, but they have some semblance of a plan. Eddy suggests they seek refuge at Eddy's brother's home, although not even Eddy knows his exact whereabouts. Eddy's brother has been an unnamed enigma since the beginning of the show, revered by his younger sibling as someone who could do no wrong and taught him everything he needed to know about executing scams. While the Eds high-tail through the swamps in search of a clue, the other children remain on their tails. Kevin and Nazz stick together, although Kevin cares more about his beloved bike than the well-being of his apparent girlfriend. Rolf uses the wits of the old country to track them down while Jonny and his pal Plank assume their alter-egos of "Melonhead and Splinter." Ed's younger sister Sarah and her timid friend Jimmy are unaware of what has transpired; they simply want to see the Ed boys get pummeled.

Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show has the distinction of featuring an utterly bonkers extended motor-chase through the cul-de-sac and the neighboring woods long before Mad Max: Fury Road ever hit theaters. The chase is glorious because it distills the show's rubbery style down to its appeal. It's pleasantly chaotic, jammed with the show's famous sound-effects that accompany any kind of mayhem that transpires. It also illustrates the gravity of the situation. Any Ed, Edd n Eddy fan knows the Eds have engaged in some dangerous and costly scams over the years, but this one feels different. I can't imagine it any worse than the time they literally destroyed Jonny's home while running a sauna out of it, but apparently it tops even that.

Occasionally when cartoons make the leap to the big screen — or the leap past the 22 minute runtime — characters are sidelined for ambitious storytelling. Not the case with Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show. Every supporting character we've grown to adore — even the reprehensible Kanker sisters — get some form of extended screentime. Antonucci and the fellow four writers are aware of the gravity at hand. This is the last hurrah. And they spare no expense in making sure your favorite cul-de-sac staple is featured in some funny setpiece.

Ed, Edd n Eddy essentially had two different lives. The season finale of the fourth season was intended to end the show. Instead, it marked the end of the show's traditional cel-style of animation, which was traded for the more contemporary "digital ink and paint" techniques as it continued for two additional seasons. Seasons five and six revolved around the kids going back to school after an ostensibly endless summer vacation. I never enjoyed those episodes as much. Ed, Edd n Eddy felt like it captured the spirit of summer vacation during its era, where kids spent hours outside without adult supervision. They made their worlds in the woods or at local parks, used their bikes as primary transportation, and went home when they were hungry, exhausted, dirty, or some combination of the three.

Ed, Edd n Eddy's Big Picture Show was announced several years before its official release. It was teased and discussed long before a commercial even appeared, and I remember as a child cynically believing it would not come to pass. The movie we got, however, is not only a fantastic conclusion to a long-running cartoon. It is among the upper-echelon of series finales for children's shows.

Voiced by: Tony Sampson, Samuel Vincent, Matt Hill, David Paul Grove, Kathleen Barr, Erin Fitzgerald, Peter Kelamis, Janyse Jaud, Keenan Christensen, and Terry Klassen. Directed by: Danny Antonucci.