Lost civilizations I've always had a great fascination for ever since I was six, El Dorado, Atlantis, Lemuria, etc. To this day we still know next to nothing about them, despite how many findings it just raises more and more questions. Who where these people, what were their customs, what happened that made their civilization and knowledge lost throughout the years? Some of these questions may be answers or never but to me it didn't always matter because our continual fascinations with them and how much the continue to fuel our imaginations, make these lost civilizations live on within us.
This is one of my favorite shows of all time and for the record a show on my birth year. Though it's also an under the radar gem, despite widely watched for anyone that had cable but as time went on like any lost civilization it's been somewhat forgotten. I was about seven when I saw this show on "Nickelodeon" it really blew me away, there never was a show truly like this at the time. It defiantly predates some tv shows like "Stargate Atlantis", and the anime series "Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water" another forgotten gem.
I really love the plotline, which is pretty much takes up on the pulp adventures it's sort of like with "Indiana Jones" if it was ever made into an animated show and "Johnny Quest" which is an animated show. One of the things that's unique is it's set sometimes in the 1600 which makes sense since historically since that was a time when the world was seeking to expand its horizons and when the search for the fabled El Dorado began and to this day still continues as it's still a lost fabled city. But what I like about this is just like in any pulp adventure tale it plays with the possibility of what if it was real, what if you really could find it. Though I simply love the idea of the existence of ancient technology which really isn't that wild of a concept considering some of our recent findings of certain tech from Egypt, we though we invented in the modern age only to discover it was invented long before we were born.
It's true that this show has an inconsistence here and there, like for example how the heck would Estaban know how to fly the Golden Condor as there were no flight schools, but that to me is part of the charm like in any of the pulp adventures they always shelved logic and focused on what they should be fun. It's also a little educational which isn't a bad thing because it's induced to us suttlely, as the show teaches us some archeological history by presenting some of the real findings from the past expeditions which of course act as clues throughout the show.
The characters are solid there are some good dynamics and well rounded. Estaban is my favorite, he's pretty much the 16-century version of Johnny Quest. Like Johnny he is adventurous but what I like about him is he is focused and determined as his motive it to find out about his unknown origins which is the revolving plot throughout the show. But what I also really like is how he keeps a level head and can really hold his own against danger, in some episode we do see him knife fight, I thought that was cool seeing a kid capable of kicking some ass, defending himself when he needs to.
My second favorite is Captain Mendoza, he's sort of the 16-century version of Race Bannon though also Han Solo. He's a mercenary whose primary focus is treasure. At first is sort of just their bodyguard simply using the kids as their guide to the "Mysterious Cities of Gold" but deep down, he really cares about Estaban and company, there is even a little depth which adds something to the ongoing mystery. Even like seeing him kick some ass, using that sword and all.
There is a lot of other things to love this show has going for it. From that unforgettable theme song which is one of my favorite themes of all time. The vehicles they ride from the Solaris ship that uses solar power to sail but my absolute favorite is the Golden Condor which is just awesome. Just seeing Estaban fly that sucker I wanted one myself. I really love the animated sequences with it which really gave the illusion of flight.
I really love the background animation which is great capturing the exotic quality of the jungles of South America which captures the spirt of the pulp adventures of Edgar Rice Burroughs and many others from yesteryear that always seemed to have a romantic fascination with far away exotic locales and the mysteries they contain. Really love the animation of the artifacts but most of all "The Cities of Gold" which doesn't disappoint.
But another thing that really made this show unique was in its format as they were using the continual developing plot format. This at the time was something never done in animated shows, not even in TV in general. It defiantly predated shows like "Battlestar Galactica" (revival version), "Game of Thrones", "Stranger Things" and others that have now commonly used this format; but this show was one of the first and still the best. I remember as a kid just always at the edge of my seat whenever the end of the episode came and said "To Be Continued" much like the end of any "Batman 66" two-part episode we had to painfully wait next week to resolve the cliffhanger. I always wondered what going to happen next, how the heck are they going to get out of this one, what else were they going to find. I honestly tried to never dare miss an episode of the show as each of the episode contained crucial details in which you could easily get lost if you missed one. And that's part of why I love this show because it just made you come back for more.
Like any archeological find this is a treasure worth uncovering because it's truly a golden adventure that shines bright.
Rating: 4 stars
This is one of my favorite shows of all time and for the record a show on my birth year. Though it's also an under the radar gem, despite widely watched for anyone that had cable but as time went on like any lost civilization it's been somewhat forgotten. I was about seven when I saw this show on "Nickelodeon" it really blew me away, there never was a show truly like this at the time. It defiantly predates some tv shows like "Stargate Atlantis", and the anime series "Nadia: Secret of the Blue Water" another forgotten gem.
I really love the plotline, which is pretty much takes up on the pulp adventures it's sort of like with "Indiana Jones" if it was ever made into an animated show and "Johnny Quest" which is an animated show. One of the things that's unique is it's set sometimes in the 1600 which makes sense since historically since that was a time when the world was seeking to expand its horizons and when the search for the fabled El Dorado began and to this day still continues as it's still a lost fabled city. But what I like about this is just like in any pulp adventure tale it plays with the possibility of what if it was real, what if you really could find it. Though I simply love the idea of the existence of ancient technology which really isn't that wild of a concept considering some of our recent findings of certain tech from Egypt, we though we invented in the modern age only to discover it was invented long before we were born.
It's true that this show has an inconsistence here and there, like for example how the heck would Estaban know how to fly the Golden Condor as there were no flight schools, but that to me is part of the charm like in any of the pulp adventures they always shelved logic and focused on what they should be fun. It's also a little educational which isn't a bad thing because it's induced to us suttlely, as the show teaches us some archeological history by presenting some of the real findings from the past expeditions which of course act as clues throughout the show.
The characters are solid there are some good dynamics and well rounded. Estaban is my favorite, he's pretty much the 16-century version of Johnny Quest. Like Johnny he is adventurous but what I like about him is he is focused and determined as his motive it to find out about his unknown origins which is the revolving plot throughout the show. But what I also really like is how he keeps a level head and can really hold his own against danger, in some episode we do see him knife fight, I thought that was cool seeing a kid capable of kicking some ass, defending himself when he needs to.
My second favorite is Captain Mendoza, he's sort of the 16-century version of Race Bannon though also Han Solo. He's a mercenary whose primary focus is treasure. At first is sort of just their bodyguard simply using the kids as their guide to the "Mysterious Cities of Gold" but deep down, he really cares about Estaban and company, there is even a little depth which adds something to the ongoing mystery. Even like seeing him kick some ass, using that sword and all.
There is a lot of other things to love this show has going for it. From that unforgettable theme song which is one of my favorite themes of all time. The vehicles they ride from the Solaris ship that uses solar power to sail but my absolute favorite is the Golden Condor which is just awesome. Just seeing Estaban fly that sucker I wanted one myself. I really love the animated sequences with it which really gave the illusion of flight.
I really love the background animation which is great capturing the exotic quality of the jungles of South America which captures the spirt of the pulp adventures of Edgar Rice Burroughs and many others from yesteryear that always seemed to have a romantic fascination with far away exotic locales and the mysteries they contain. Really love the animation of the artifacts but most of all "The Cities of Gold" which doesn't disappoint.
But another thing that really made this show unique was in its format as they were using the continual developing plot format. This at the time was something never done in animated shows, not even in TV in general. It defiantly predated shows like "Battlestar Galactica" (revival version), "Game of Thrones", "Stranger Things" and others that have now commonly used this format; but this show was one of the first and still the best. I remember as a kid just always at the edge of my seat whenever the end of the episode came and said "To Be Continued" much like the end of any "Batman 66" two-part episode we had to painfully wait next week to resolve the cliffhanger. I always wondered what going to happen next, how the heck are they going to get out of this one, what else were they going to find. I honestly tried to never dare miss an episode of the show as each of the episode contained crucial details in which you could easily get lost if you missed one. And that's part of why I love this show because it just made you come back for more.
Like any archeological find this is a treasure worth uncovering because it's truly a golden adventure that shines bright.
Rating: 4 stars