Gravity Falls - Review

I've only seen 4 episodes so far, but I thought a short review of this new animated series would be nice.

Created by Alex Hirsch, the show involves twins Dipper (voiced by Jason Ritter) and the hilariously enthusiastic Mabel (Kristin Schaal), who are dispatched to spend the summer with their great uncle Stan (Hirsch) in the Oregon town of Gravity Falls. Their environs, however, are more than a little strange, with "X-Files"-like things that go bump in the night -- unless of course it's all in their overactive imaginations.

Loosely autobiographical in its inspiration (Hirsch, who shares writing credit with creative director Michael Rianda, spent summers with his own twin sister), "Gravity" incorporates amusing bits, like the level-headed Dipper citing the importance of photographically documenting the sea monster they're pursuing, only to have Mabel and sidekick Soos either lose or destroy most of the disposable cameras he's brought with them.

Hardly racy or raunchy enough to harbor much interest for young guys, the show nevertheless feels more adventurous in its tone than is customary for Disney Channel fare, while rooted in the highly relatable notion of the trouble kids can get into minus adult supervision. (Their uncle doesn't provide much, fleecing tourists by selling knickknacks out of the Mystery Shack.)

There are only brief moments for me where it feels like a Scooby-Doo-like story, which is surprising and a big credit to this show, since it has many similarities, it doesn't feel like a junior version of Scooby-Doo at all.

On the creative level, the designs, colors, background art, and animation quality are all perfect! The graphic style of the show coupled with some great voice acting really brings the show together. For those of you who work in the animation field, you may be drawn to the layouts, the funny poses, or the appealing designs, but overall it has lots of heart, plenty of charm, and engaging characters.



Creator Alex Hirsch has written and storyboarded for The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, and you can see some similarities from that killer series as well. Joe Pitt is the character designer and has done an exquisite job as always.

I sincerely hope "Gravity Falls" can attract an audience to a channel whose main strength lies with tween girls, this show seems to be aimed at the 6-9 year-old boys range. We'll know soon, and I can't get enough of this series, it's like X-Files for kids!

I love it... go watch it... NOW!
It's a fantastic show for children, adults and especially lovers of cartoons.