Riding the coattails of beloved
Muppets,
Fraggle Rock elucidates an equally vivacious Jim Henson puppet world that looks even more fantastic today than it did in the Eighties. In the vein of such mythological kid's films of the time as
Legend, and
The Neverending Story,
Fraggle Rock is a mythological series detailing the adventures of underground critters called fraggles, starring Wembley, Red, Gobo, Mokey, Boober, and their Uncle Traveling Matt, who travels above ground to fill the fraggles in on what's happening in human society.
Complete Third Season offers twenty-four more episodes preceding the final fourth series, plus a whole DVD of extras including interviews with the cast and creators, like designer Michael Frith and puppeteers. The box also comes with a treasure chest of "photos" from the designer's sketchbook, and notes about the making of this impressive show. Each episode of
Fraggle Rock is so meticulously crafted, the fraggles' universe so well defined, that, now, it stands as a mind-boggling example of animated puppetry pre-CG. The fact that one can imagine how much effort went into inventing, building, and painting each cave-speckled, forested set, how much time went into developing the fraggles' personalities with smart scripting, really makes one long for the days when fantasy worlds were handmade. What results here, is authentic empathy for these feather boa-headed characters who clap with their feet and hum, dance, and celebrate every opportunity. When Red, in the first episode, "Red Handed and Invisible Thief," ravages her friends houses trying to understand who is nightly stealing her coveted radish bars, one honestly sees the sadness and humor in her plight. When Wembley finds a fizzy water fissure in a nearby cave, in "Wembley's Wonderful Whoopie Water," one thrills at discovering a new part of the fraggle underground. When Traveling Matt's tale of travel-addiction finally comes to fruition, in "Born To Wander," one marvels at his exploratory capabilities for seeing humanity with a fresh eye. This series is educational, charming, and fragglicious!
Trinie Dalton
