 | Overall Rating: 2 StarsPart of the new Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure, Villainous! promises a captivating story featuring all your favorite villains with the trademark World of Color fountains, lights and music. Though billed as the highlight of the party, Villainous! fails to meet many expectations, though not completely without merit. |
Atmosphere: 3 Stars
Similar to other World of Color shows, Villainous! takes place at Paradise Gardens Park on the banks of Paradise Bay where there are few "bad" places to see the show. The main benefit of this one is that it takes place only during the Oogie Boogie Bash so crowd levels are significantly lower making it easy to find a good place to see everything.
Entertainment Quality: 1 Star
Okay, here's what the idea is meant to be: Shelly Marie, a small girl, is trying to decide what to dress up as for Halloween. A quick encounter with the Magic Mirror sends her on a whirlwind journey speaking to many classic villains who discuss what the best parts of being a villain are to persuade Shelly Marie on her costume. Plus the whole thing is emcee'd by Oogie Boogie.
If that sounds a bit frail, that's because it is. They put so much effort into designing Shelly Marie that they failed to create a story you can actually follow. There's also a distinct lack of segments where you can simply enjoy music and dancing fountains (you know, the MAIN DRAW of World of Color) although there are a couple of scenes that leave you wondering who thought this was a good idea. Why do Ursula's "garden plants" have a segment where they sing like the Chipmunks? I have no idea.
If that sounds a bit frail, that's because it is. They put so much effort into designing Shelly Marie that they failed to create a story you can actually follow. There's also a distinct lack of segments where you can simply enjoy music and dancing fountains (you know, the MAIN DRAW of World of Color) although there are a couple of scenes that leave you wondering who thought this was a good idea. Why do Ursula's "garden plants" have a segment where they sing like the Chipmunks? I have no idea.
| Are there bright colors? Yes. Are there lots of light effects? Yes. Is there fire? Lots of it. Are there modern takes on classic villain songs? Of course. All the ingredients for a hit are there but their attempt to tell a very ill-conceived story get in the way. The "qualities of a villain" each character describes make no sense and I couldn't for the life of me understand what this had to do with a little girl choosing a Halloween costume. While we're at it, why is selecting a costume such a life-altering decision? A simple celebrations of these Disney villains would have gone over much better. |  |
In the end, they tried to impress everyone with spectacle but lost the substance altogether. Hmm, reminds me of the Magic Kingdom in a lot of ways...
Time Commitment: 2 Stars
Villainous! is not a particularly long show, but it feels a lot longer since it leaves you so confused. It's also not helpful that you have to have a ticket to the Oogie Boogie Bash to even see it. If you happen to be going to one of the parties it's not the worst way to spend your time but I also wouldn't blame you for skipping it.
