Something that’s definitely been more commonplace over the years is the rise of the preschool action cartoons. Many of them usually follow more positive, lighthearted stories that are often associated with the target audience. The Disney Junior series RoboGobo is of course no exception. Here’s my review of the show.
RoboGobo, produced by Brown Bag Films, is the newest Disney Junior show, which first came out on January 17, 2025. The series is created by Chris Gilligan (who previously worked on Goldie And Bear, TOTS, and Spidey And His Amazing Friends) and Matt Hoverman (who previously worked on Sofia The First, Fancy Nancy, Arthur, Curious George, Goldie And Bear, and Firebuds). The show focuses on a kid named Dax (voiced by Ja’Siah Young) who comes across five animals. These animals are Booster the dog (voiced by Brayden Morgan), Hopper the rabbit (voiced by Gracen Newton), Shelly the turtle (voiced by Leili Ahmadyar), Allie the cat (voiced by Azuri Hardy Jones), and Wingo the bird (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker). Together, the characters become heroes and learn what it means to be a family as they rescue pets in trouble on Metropet Island. So, what do I think of the show? I’d say it’s pretty great. I wouldn’t rush off to watch episodes, but I also wouldn’t mind watching an episode if I come across one. There’s a good deal of things to like about the show, which I’ll talk about below.
Let’s start by talking about the animation and music. When it comes to the animation, it’s pretty good. Brown Bag Films animates the show, and they’ve been one of the regular animation studios for Disney Junior since Doc McStuffins came out. The result is a show that’s nice and colorful with solid designs and well designed characters. The action scenes are also pretty good. While obviously toned down given the show’s target demographic, they still have a nice style to them that’s fun to watch. It’s like watching five year olds playing with mecha action figures. When it comes to music, it’s also pretty good. Rob Cantor, who worked on The Ghost And Molly McGee and Chibiverse, does the music here. Of course, he’s had plenty of experience with Disney Junior shows, notably on Goldie And Bear, Pupstruction, TOTS, and various Disney Junior nursery rhymes. The result is a show that has an energetic soundtrack, meaning enjoyable songs. The theme song is a highlight of the show thanks to going for something that I can only describe as electric rock. There’s also a transformation sequence that plays in almost every episode that’s also fun.
When it comes to “Pizza Panic”, the first segment of the first episode, it’s pretty good at establishing what a general episode of the show is like. The plot of the episode is about a guinea pig villain named Gimme Pig wanting to steal things from the Petzeria of Chef Polly (voiced by Valerie Bertinelli). Everyone then goes to stop her, though Dax has a hard time getting everyone to work together. The episode goes for a standard message on working together that’s executed pretty well. The opening does a particularly good job at showing off the characters’ personalities. The opening shows how Dax is both a good leader and fun to be around as he makes something as mundane as ordering pizza something epic. It shows how he takes things seriously, yet also has fun when doing it. We also get a brief look into how each of the team members are written. Booster inserting “sir” into everything shows how he’s a more serious minded hero who’s all about leaping into action. You have Allie stealthily flipping around in her seat, showing how she’s all about action and style. You have Hopper asking if anyone needs a hug, showing how he’s all about compassion, which everyone likes. You have Shelly and Wingo being like a buddy duo, with Shelly being more upfront with talking and showing off her strength (both mental and physical) while Wingo mainly acts as her little buddy helper, being very loyal. Everyone does disagree over what to order for pizza, which helps set up the conflict later when it comes to trying to fight Gimme Pig.
The escalation works well given how the conflict is presented through more a mutual stubbornness in thinking that only individual strengths work well. Unsurprisingly , they get defeated easily since they only use their specialized skills against Gimme Pig’s Gimme Grabber, which has many purposes. You have Dax filling in a similar role to Doc McStuffins in how he’s mainly there to help the team grow as better people, but he’s still good at being an action hero despite not having a robo suit. When Chef Polly almost gets crushed by debris, he creates a force field using the gauntlet in his left arm, which is pretty cool. The way everyone works together at the end is also handled well. Dax brings up how a pizza is only truly tasty when all the ingredients come together. It’s a simple, but well tied together comparison. The way everyone takes him down is also pretty creative. You basically have them moving all around and confusing him while they not only get the pizza ingredients, but other things he stole. It’s a pretty solid first impression.
There’s something interesting when it comes to Dax’s character. Though he is the leader of the team, he’s usually the one to help the others learn lessons, which doesn’t happen as often with him. Some might see this is as a negative since it’s less about his development, but I don’t have a problem with how he’s written. In an interview about the show, Chris Gilligan said this: “Dax is like an adult character in charge of a bunch of smaller kids, and Ja’Siah Young has the voice of a genuine old soul. He is funny but also personable.”. That’s a good way to see Dax in the show. He’s almost like a father figure to the team that focuses more on helping others develop, but it’s in a way that works since he just has a natural charm with how he interacts with everyone regardless of age. Even if the audience knows he’s a kid, you don’t really see Dax as just a kid. You just see him as someone who’s a person. He’s just fun to watch because of how he’s an action hero like an adult yet also a real nice kid like a boy scout with how he’s not afraid to have fun.
Now I want to go a bit more in depth with the villains. The show has four recurring villains. There’s a thieving guinea pig named Gimme Pig (voiced by Mitchell Whitfield), a monkey named Monkey Wrench (voiced by Jess Harnell), a wolf dog named Pupsicle (voiced by Taye Diggs), and a chameleon named The Slink (voiced by Cynthia Erivo). They’re all pretty fun to watch in their own ways. Gimme Pig, as mentioned, debuted in “Pizza Panic”, where he attempted to steal pizza toppings for himself. He’s basically like a brat who always wants things to go his way, and will take whatever he wants. Talk about immature and entertaining. Monkey Wrench, as mentioned, debuted in “Hopper Hears A Ewe”. He’s basically a rock star rebel who’s consistently rhyming, and will do whatever he wants to defy authority with his magic electric guitar. This could easily make him annoying, but his confident charm and fast movements make him entertaining to watch. Pupsicle first showed up in “Odd Turtle Out”. We see him in his underground hideout, where he chooses to be alone. His main reason for being a villain is so that he can be alone, and will do anything to get it. He’s more or less a hermit, but his sarcasm mixed with an ego make him fun to watch. The highlight of the show’s rogues gallery is the show’s only female villain, The Slink. She first debuted in “The Birthday Bandit”, attempting to steal things from a birthday party, and uses her invincibility powers to do so. Her mischievous personality combined with her classy charm makes her very fun to watch. She’s ironically also a bit of a klutz, but only when caught off guard.
Now I want to talk about the formula for a typical set of 11 minute segments. You generally have it where Dax is the only character to appear in both segments while one episode has all the team members while the other either only has Dax and a few members or puts more of a focus on a dynamic. I think this is a good formula to go with. A common thing with preschool action shows is to have all the team members be together in some way. Look at shows like Action Pack, Firebuds, and Team Zenko Go. It’s usually because of how many of them do still try to integrate messages of teamwork, most likely as a way to still have some kind of curriculum. They do still work well, but going for this formula means being able to experiment with different character combinations and not feeling like you have to include everyone. This also adds a bit of an unpredictability as you’ll never know who the focus could be. I should also give a shout-out to “Crab-Tastrophe”, which is partnered with “Pizza Panic”. It’s an episode without an antagonist. It’s an episode that mainly focuses on Shelly and Wingo trying to look after animals at Mr. Vaughn’s veterinary clinic (Mr. Vaughn, voiced by Dule Hill, being Dax’s dad) in order to prove that they’re responsible enough to fly Dax’s rocketship. The main sources of conflict come from Shelly’s impulse getting in the way of things, and Crabitha’s (voiced by Ana Gasteyer) spoiled mannerisms causing her to run off and inadvertently fly the rocket. While not as commonplace, adding in episodes that don’t have antagonists also shows how, while they definitely help the show out, having episodes that focus on a different kind of conflict that doesn’t involve them helps keep things interesting. It’s best shown with “A Hop On The Wild Side/Skateboard Snafu”, where both are good episodes even though neither of them has an antagonist.
So, most episodes have a pretty easy to spot beginning, middle, and end, which is not surprising given the show’s target audience. With that said, there’s a few episodes here that have some surprises to them that help elevate them in a way. I’m talking about episodes such as “Hopper Hears A Ewe”, “Wingo’s Way”, “Let’s Hear It For Allie”, and “Skateboard Snafu”. Starting with “Hopper Hears A Ewe”, the episode is about the team trying to get back some sheep that wandered off. One of those sheep is Sherry (voiced by Risa Mei), who has a star in her wool. This makes her stand out from the other sheep in the herd, who don’t like things that are different. This episode is not subtle at all with its message about different. One scene makes it quite interesting. Sherry tells Monkey Wrench (who she doesn’t know is a villain) how she wants her sheep friends to see that being different is actually a good thing. He then proceeds to do so by covering everyone in paint against their will, which they don’t like. She tells him to stop this. This shows how, while she wants other people to see how being different isn’t bad, she doesn’t want to force them to be something they’re not. It’s nice seeing something like this given how it also emphasizes the importance of being sensitive towards others no matter your own feelings. “Wingo’s Way” is an episode about Dax and Wingo trying to get back the team’s stolen by Gimme Pig when he accidentally brings them to his lair. It’s simple enough, but it’s this episode where we learn that both Dax and Wingo are explicitly disabled. Dax has a missing limb on his left arm while Wingo’s right wing is smaller than his left wing. This adds a different layer to the conflict, mainly in how it also means that the message about finding another way to do things means being able to accept that you’re not like other people, but it doesn’t mean you’re lesser than them. It tests how he can still be a loyal friend if he seemingly can’t push himself to be the best. Fortunately, he overcomes this by using a stolen jump rope to help him maneuver his suit in order to operate a crank that activates the prison Dax is in. He’s tiny, but mighty.
Now to finally talk about “Let’s Hear It For Allie”. This episode has the team trying to take down the villain Monkey Wrench when he causes a nighttime disturbance in the neighborhood with his noise. So, why does this stand out? Well, it’s because of the beginning. Dax tells everyone a bedtime story about how they first met, where he took them in because he wanted to help them out, which in turn motivated them to become heroes in order to help others out. As seen by the title, this is an Allie centric episode. She’s shown to be scared of loud noises, which is a problem when Monkey Wrench keeps making loud sounds as part of his scheme. This adds a bit more weight to the conflict as she feels like she has to not show fear in order to stay on the team. This fits with how she leaps into action, but usually focuses more on caution while also not letting anyone down. Of course, things get better when everyone else says how they also have fears, but it doesn’t take away from them being great heroes or pets. That’s nice to hear. “Skateboard Snafu” has Dax trying to fix her Crabitha down from a skatepark built by his mother Professor Millie (voiced by Susan Kelechi Watson) using her special wrench even though he doesn’t know how to use it. Given how Dax is usually the one trying to make sure no one messes up, it’s interesting to get an episode where he messes up. However, I think it works because of how they highlight how he wants to help her out when she’s helping Carlos the ice cream man (voiced by Dino Andrade). He’s still his usual helpful self. He’s just getting a bit overconfident amd focusing too much on how fixing things without thinking how.
The final thing I want to talk about are some of the recurring characters of. One of them is a pair of raccoon siblings named Risky and Royale ( respectively voiced by Georgie Kidder and Natalie Lander). They first appeared in the episode “Runaway Raccoon Balloon”, where they try to show RoboGobo how they’re legitimate heroes, but act rather overconfident about it. When their attempts keep failing, they decide to be more upfront in trying to be heroes, resulting in them accidentally making things worse. They do at least feel bad for what they did, and try making things right, even if it takes a bit of time to show it. This can basically describe their other appearances, notably in “Homestead Stampede” and “The Raccoons Who Cried Rescue”, where their attempts to be heroes or get their attention often make things worse. They could easily be annoying, but I think they work. They’re used more sparingly, so even if this plot is somewhat one note, at least it’s not overdone to a ludicrous degree. Plus, the two of them do have a fun dynamic, particularly with Risky being more the confident planner while Royale is more the laid back. Plus, Georgie Kidder and Natalie Lander have a natural camaraderie due to playing the title characters of Goldie And Bear (albeit with Natalie as Goldie and Georgie as Bear), which translates well here. Some of the more prominent adult characters that aren’t Dax’s parents fill in roles that almost makes them like a surrogate family member. Chef Polly is one of the characters I brought up. She’s like the more calm, down to earth aunt with how she’s able to provide wisdom and talk to the team as equals. You see this in “Pizza Panic” with how she confidently says “Then eat you shall Shelly, my ever hungry friend.” You also get moments like the beginning of “Into The Monkey Mobile”, where she uses a pizza box analogy to help everyone with yoga.
Another standout comes from the character of Pep the park ranger (voiced by Lana McCissack). She first shows up in the episode”Hop On The Wild Side”, where she shows the team around The Wild Side, which is basically a mountainside park where she makes sure that all the wild animals are kept safe and happy. As per her name, she’s very peppy and free spirited with the enthusiasm she has in showing the team around and helping others. Now to close things off, let’s talk about Crabitha and her owner Dame Luxley (voiced by Alan Cumming). They’re both pretty fun to watch. Crabitha, as mentioned is pretty spoiled and vain. It’s particularly shown in “Crab-Tastrophe”, when she keeps wanting to switch cubbies with other animals. She’s particularly fun in how over the top she is in being demanding. Except for Crabitha First”, where i thought she was a bit too annoying for my tastes, she’s always fun to watch. As for Dame Luxley, who debuts in “The Runaway Raccoon Balloon”, she’s definitely much nicer given how she doesn’t really look down on others or act demanding despite her wealth. She’s also fun to watch, probably helped by how her over the top moments are more restrained.
And those are some of my thoughts on RoboGobo. It’s a pretty fun show that I think has enough to satisfy viewers. What do you think of RoboGobo? Do you find it a fun show to watch?
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