Kim Possible: So the Drama 20th Anniversary Review
Hello all you happy people! I'm.. so happy to finally get to cover this one. It's one I've wanted to for a while. I held off for a bit because I had it as a patreon stretch goal back when those existed, then when those went away with patreon's restructuring, I simply never found the room in the schedule.
This ended up working out wonderfully though as a few weeks ago marked the 20th anniversary of the film! Huzzah! I feel old! So it's the perfect time to revisit one of my faviorite disney films.
This isn't hyperbole: So the Drama is a wonderful film that perfeclty encapsulates everything that made it's parent show a classic: smart writing, relatable conflicts, stylish action and a stacked vocal cast at the top of their game. It's the peak of the mountain for a show that was already excellent while also being a great standalone. If you love the show, you'll love this. If you haven't heard of it it, it's a great intro.. while also being the intended series finale. Somehow it pulls it off.
For those less familiar with the show, Kim Possible is the story of or titular heroine, a mix of buffy and james bond, a superhero who armed only with exceptional martial arts and acrobatics skills and gadgets from her man in the chair wade fights all kinds of over the top super villians.. but struggling with day to day issues. It's a ballance a lot of shows struck, but one that works: Kim does the superhero stuff well, but struggles with the real world.
Serving as her perfect foil, Ron Stoppable is kim's best friend, sidekick and a teen who struggles everywhere, dosen't really care about his social status, and tends to panic in the high stress situations our heroes are in. Ron is a very shouty character, one who in the wrong hands could've been annoying.. but instead is just a relatable guy. Kim and Ron's dynamic reminds me of Scrooge McDuck and Donald Duck, if far less toxic and more supportive; one is this uber ace who has personal issues but can do most of what they set out to do, the other's a more average joe constantly dragged into danger but is far more capable and dangerous than he comes off as. Kim keeps ron safe and gives him an only friend, Ron unconditionally supports kim, gives her advice and often helps her get out of her own head. Add in 80 tons of over the top but funly campy super villains and you have yourself a perfect show.
So the Drama is something Schooley and McCorckle had in their back pocket since season 1. They weren't sure the show was going to be a hit and it's understandable: this was the first disney show in a LONG time that was created just for the Disney Channel and didn't have one Saturday morning as an on ramp. There was no telling how well it would take off or the network would treat it. So they wrote the finale movie early just in case, likely to air as a three parter.
Instead.. the series was an unquestionable success. Kim Possible remains one of Disney's most loved, popular and well respected shows. As a kid of the time I loved it, as an adult now it STILL held up when I rewatched a bunch a few years back. It's smart, stylish and funny. It was an easy hit and effortlessly made it to Disney's cap of 65 episodes. So the film was saved for the actual end of the series at the end of a short third season instead and when aired was a massive hit with audiences, me included. It was such a hit.. fans wanted MORE and in the only time in Disney history.. disney actually listened, giving the series a startlingly rare fourth season to follow up So the Drama. So let's see just what makes this film such a great finale, entry point and film in it's own right and how Kim Possible was going to go out with a massive plot, a massive romantic moment... and er... some third thing.
The film's plot is excellent: Schooley and McCorckle pack every second of the films 71 minutes without feeling overstuffed. Every bit of the film either helps the plot along, helps with the character, or sets up something for later. Some setups are transparent: Kim's father James nearly erases a project he's working on with a voice command, and unsuprisingly does so on purpose later when Drakken comes to steal said project. Others are a bit more subtle: Ron's scooter barely running is a gag early on, but becomes a detriment when he has to escape drakken's little tiny robots later, then boomerangs back to relevance using some rockets Kim's twin brothers were tinkring with even earlier.
The film's save the world plot is the king of this: the setup is one we've seen before: Dr Drakken, kim's arch enemy and one of voice acting great John Dimaggio is trying to conquer the world somehow, starting with the attempted kidnaping the head of japanese toy giant Nakasumi Toys with the help of his snarky sidekick Shego, comedy and voice legend Nicole Sullivan in her best role.
Drakken was really.. the only choice for this. Kim does have a solid rogue's gallery: The delightfully smooth billionaire who stumbled into super villiany through pure power sucking callousness and decided to go all in for funsies Senior Senior, british martial arts master and monkey man Monkey Fist, deranged beanie baby collector and genetics master DNAmy, and one of my personal favorites no one talks about Frugal Lucre, a supervillain whose genuinely talented but also very budget conscious. Kim stacks up with Danny phantom as one of the few kid heroes at the time to really have a solid rogues gallery.
That said.. most of them went underused: the only two to get used a LOT were Drakken and Senior Senior Senior... and both for good reason. Their entertaining hams with interesting gimmicks: Drakken is a loveable buffoon who has hilarious banter with Shego , his cranky earnestness playing well off her not giving a fuck attitude and tendency to either poke holes in his schemes or marvel at how stupid they are or what costume he's found an excuse to wear as a result. They also make a perfect foil for our heroes with the dumbass male people look down on being the driving force of the duo, though like kim and ron sheego is the one everyone attributes any success to, and not without reason. The Senior's just have a good hook, with Senior Senior Senior being the rare billionaire who realized "Wait i'm a super villain".. and then instead of complaining about dei or some such bullshit decides "Fuck it let's ransom paris".
And while Senior rips... Drakken was the right call. At this point Kim's fought him 28 times, Sheego 30. If this was going to be her last adventure, it had to be Drakken. He started the series both in the first aired episode and the first episode produced, he's the one to end it.
It also makes him being a threat this time.. that much more of a shocker. Again she's beaten him 28 times. A little under half the series is Kim kicking this guy's ass with the real threat being his right hand woman's green glowing right hand. Also the left one.
What makes this plan work is something he's rarely deployed, something most hammy supervilians don't seem to do and fellow doofy mad scientist we love to see every episode Doctor Doofinschmritz has never quite mastered: He dosen't make his plan as obvious. This big operatic scheme BEGINS the same way as usual, do some kidnapping, steal some shit.. but he has steps other than ???? and profit. While he nearly fails in kidnapping Nakasumi San it's not obvious WHY he was doing it. Kim correctly pegs SOMETHING is off about this, that it wasn't for nothing.. but can't figure out what and reluctantly slides it off due to a combo of having her personal issues crop up, and Drakken not exactly being a man known for subtlety. He's bright blue, his sidekick is pale with green energy and his plans have included: using japanese technology to build a giant robot, trying to destroy wisconson from inside a giant cheese wheel, using killer fembots to abduct his old college friends/enemies, attacking canada with a weather machine, mind controlling a retirement community in florida, using a giant poodle to attack Area-51, manipulating DNAmy to make him a giant monster, trying to steal ron's millions he had for an episode his evil schemes, and using a rap career to sell brainwashing shampoo. Not all of his schemes are this deranged, half of the ones I was reminded of are pretty stock super villain stuff, but it makes the fact he just.. randomly decided to try and kidnap a toy designer and billionaire less random.
Yet every step of the plan.. is well thought out, threaded in a way that isn't at all obvious to the audience until the big reveal later in the plot. Early on he makes it clear he also has plans for Kim.. if in a most drakken way as he has his various fellow grown ass men henchmen researching teenage behaviors. And when one responds with made up slang I love his sad response of "We lost stevens".
He goes to info broker Big Daddy Brotherson, an a-class name, to get info in another wonderful set piece: this time it's an underwater lair a classic and while Ron get sucked into poker and thus the greatest monster of all
Kim goes undercover and Drakken.. gets thrown out a lot for pissing off his host and not listening to sheego. So normal thursday for everyone.
What he wants is the location of some nanotech, something he used before in the first aired episode. I like the little callbacks here and there, that this plan seems like a greatest hits... because it entirely is. Yet it's Drakken using that idea WELL, taking bits from his other schemes and past adventures and stitching them into a plan that actually works.
And as an added bonus the scientist he's stealing from, as I mentioned earlier, is Kim's dad james played by Voice Acting Legend, Attorney at law, former mayor of crystal cover, and general god Gary Cole. I cannot hype this man up enough. James is a rocket scientist and his wife Ann played by the equally legendary Jean Smart of Hacks and Designing Women fame, is a brain surgeon. The two are mostly there to just casually talk about their highly demanding jobs and delightfully shrug off their daughter's globetrotting.
It's endlessly refreshing that for once in a superhero show there's no sneaking around and the parents are just.. kind and supportive. They call kim on her shit on the times she does stupid shit like any teens, but they trust her, support her and in James case, will launch a boy into a black hole if they hurt her. There's no having to hide her double life or even if she dosen't have said parents put endless pressure on her or deny her existence as a teenage girl entirely. Their just.. there for her and a delight.
The two know each other because they went to college together. The episode Attack of the Killer Bebe's revealed that Drakken, then Drew Lipsky, was friends with James but they fell out after Drakken tried to use a bunch of sex robots for their dates for a dance and got laughed at for weeks for it. As they should. It was not a smart move. Still he swore revenge. And if I had a nickle for every time a nerd from college sought revenge on his old friends with fembots in an elaborate scheme i'd have two. Which isn't a lot but it's weird this happened twice.
The Venture Bros, another one of the 2000's best shows, used almost the exact same plot. Instead of Doctor Venture's arch enemy, who also went to college with him because they took the fantastic four reference of reed richards having gone to college with dr doom (A real thing and not even the only time that joke's been made in a show i've reviewed. Danny Phantom also did this. ) , and ran with it, it was Mike Soriyama, their shier roommate with a hopeless crush on his classmate Leslie who blamed them all for humiliating him for loosing his chance.. instead missing the point they all REALLY sucked in college. And still do now!
I love the whole interaction: James refuses to be scared despite being kindapped.. because he knows his daughter will save him. He deletes his files using the voice command and even when threatned with a brain draining, does not give Drakken any itoa of satisfaction, just smugness and calling him by his real name which bothers him. He gets the info Drakken wanted sucked out, which seems to be temporary as he gets it back later but makes sense: his brain was messed with and a day or two would restore the info, but likely not the actual encounter. He dosne't loose the hephistus project entirely but dosen't remember the whole deal that happened.
And with all this build up.. Shego STILL can't figure it out. This leads to my faviorite scene of the film, and there's some hot competition. Sheego is upset she can't despite trying and goes to force the plan out of Drakken.. and he dosen't budge. She threatens him, snarks at him, the things that usually work or rattle him.. but he's fine. And then he explains why: Kim possible isn't smarter than Sheego.. so if Sheego can't figure it out.. KIM can't figure it out. Drakken wasn't not telling sheego for his normal reasons of being a bit of a dipshit.. but to make damn sure Kim hadn't connected the dots. And probably the smug satisfaction of getting one over on her. I mean he's still Drakken, though props for not gloating to her more than that. You'd think he'd rub it in more but he's just satisfied she has faith in him for the first time ever.
That smugness is justified as the plan is brilliant.. but before we can get to it.. .we have to get to the OTHER half of the plot. This is normal for Kim Possible: Kim, Ron or both typically have a normal mundane thing to deal with: Detention, dating, a ski trip, that sorta thing and then the spy mission plays off that in some way or is effected by our heroes issues that week. Ron getting a manager job means he can't help kim on missions, Ron's attempts to impress his crush get him trapped in a video game, Ron's accountant dad ends up in a mind battle with a math based super villian, you get the fomula.
This is tricky to thread as it takes some effort to amp up a usual plot into movie length.. but it can and has been done wonderfully: The Simpsons Movie takes homer being a callous jerkass and putting his marriage and the town in danger through his stupidity and simply amps it up to "his callousness gets the town domed off and Marge leaves him because he wont' save live". The Bobs Burgers movie simply gives them a BIGGER money woes plot, with a giant hole, an impending loan and their landlord facing a murder charge. Big City Greens takes the usual "Cricket gets into a shenanigan and quarrels with his dad" plots that were in a lot of the earlier episodes and sends it literally into space.
Kim possible does the same and did it before all of these. The supervillian action is bigger, world threatning and multi layered and the teen drama is likewise big, unique for the series and impactful: Kim gets a boyfriend.. and Ron has to face the fact he has feelings for her.
Kim and Ron are unique. Having a will they or won't they with the main characters isn't and was in fact the faviorite trend for action shows. Avatar the Last Airbender, Danny Phantom, American Dragon all had this too and shows after like Star Vs and Miraculous Ladybug would try.
The thing is aside from Amdrag none of these examples are.. good. It is hard to thread a will they or wont' they like this and save it for the last episode and not piss people off. I know, the constant teases from the nick advertising department and osmetims in episdoe for Kataang were like living in a living nightmare. Ditty for Danny and Sam.
In contrast Kim Possible was more subtle with it: There were hints their might be something more than friends there but the show didn't overly push it: they teased it once or twice, had her be jealous of one of his love intrests, refrenced the spider-man kiss.. they poked at it, they knew fans REALLY wanted it but they also let it flow naturally. The two feel like real friends who are honest with each other, with Kim embarassed at Ron's antics at times, but are there for each other. Any time ron's given the choice between some new hobby or kim, he picks her, without her forcing him to or any such nonsense. He's unflinchingly loyal and , this is important.. he dosen't expect shit. He's not her friend to try and date her, he's not doing shit because she'll go out with him if he just waits like far too many works did in a way that poisoned my young brain. When offered the idea when she was under the influence of a device that affected her mood, he turns her down not because he's not intrested.. but because he values their friendship more. BUT THE FRIENDSHIP is used a LOT in these kinds of situations and kim plays it.. like reality. Relationships CAN be messy and if it goes bad you may loose something. Both parties, or all three in some cases, have to be sure this is worth it.
In most media though I find myself thinking back to some words of wisdom from an old friend
That's the problem: It's clear their at a breaking point and it's either obvious to everyone but the party being pined over, or they simply won't just.. talk it out. I get teens, what this is primarily used with, aren't exactly rational a lot of the time but come the fuck on.
Kim and Ron pulled off waiting for the finale to have them catch feelings.. because we have three seasons that, while caked with hints there was more under there and Ron was aware of it but scared of it, a genuine, beautiful friendship. Two people who may joke, Kim makes a lot of snarky asides, but genuinely love each other and will defend each other every time. Their friendship isn't an alternative to a relationship but something important a relationship could mess with if it didn't go right. Even if this had ended with season 1.. you could see just how much these two need each other and why they'd be in denial: the alternative is messy, sweet and possibly would leave them both without the one person whose been there for them since pre-k.
The two finally start down this path for a simple reason: Bonnie Rockwaller
Bonnie, played by Kirsten Storms of Days of Our Lives and General Hospital, is Kim's cheer teammate and school nemisis, a rich girl who feels entitled to Kim's spot on the cheer team, tries to paint Kim saving the world as some weird hobby, and seems to just.. resent the fact Ron exists let alone is often around the cheer team as Kim's friend and the team's mascot.
Kim dosen't take her shit though and that's what makes things work with them: Bonnie TRIES to rattle kim, steal her spot as captain various other shit.. but it generally fails horribly. When it works.. it's because she happened to tap into Kim's insecurities and in those cases Kim's own anxiety and self conciousness does the real work. It's a realistic example of bullying: needling like that often got to me simply because I'm that anxious and self loathing, while with Kim it takes ab it more effort and with Ron it rarely actually lands. Ron has enough self confidence to not give a shit most of the time.
This time though.. it does work but realistically. Bonnie for once has something Kim dosen't: a boyfriend. As does the rest of the team. And while Bonnie's relationship with Brick Flag, played by former bad sad boy and once and future tom Rider Strong, isn't exactly strong, it's on and off again to an extreme degree and the nice as heck brick is not at all a fit for her, it's A relationship. As someone whose badly craved a relationship in the past, and part of me still REALLY does, I get that lonliness, this idea that everyone else is ahead of you and your so far behind simply because your single.
It also works.. because it's something the series has been consitent with: Kim did have a longterm crush on the most 2000's cardboard cutout to ever exist Josh Mankey, who appeared twice a season in the first two, but had no real relvence. My young brain was tricked into thinking he was more important than he actually was. Ron had two love intrests, Zita, a gamer girl at their school, and Yori his classmate at the secret ninja school he attended once. He was also hit on by Tara, one of the cheerleaders. What i'm saying is Kim didn't date much and Ron had more game than he knew what to actually do with.
Kim blames her saving the world on that, saying it intimidates them... but her true enemy isn't the male ego, it's... herself. Kim has a lot of anxiety, and her biggest enemy in her day to day plots is getting in her head, either stubbornly doubling down on an idea and ignoring what's in front of her, or letting her fear consume her like the gaping maw that it is. Can relate. She gets in her own head often, and this is the perfect kinda dillema for that. Her other best friend Monique, played by Raven Simone, points out Bonnie is full of shit.. but Kim is still understandably mopey about being single and taking a seemingly platonic date to prom. Ron by contrast isn't bothered with the idea of being her silver medal at all. Bonnie simply hit just the right nerve.
So enter Eric, the seemingly perfect boy. He's played by phil phil phil of the future actor Eric Ulman, a smooth talker whose new in school and pisses ron off by taking his parking spot.. then politely lets him has it and they become buddies. Eric quickly finds kim "extreme steam"
But says it in a way that implies things that gets Ron honked off at him disrespecting her.
It dosen't taken long for Eric to impress kim with his charm, his looks and er....
Yeah Eric gets a lot of mileage out of the fact he "just happened" to show up right as Kim was badly wanting a boyfriend and is nice enough. We learn nothing about him but he has enough charisma and that kind of generic handsome that most obstacles to the main couple have to buy it. He showed up at the right place and the right time and Kim's just happy.
Ron isn't. He's mopey the whole relationship, not getting at first that he's jealous of eric, and not liking that eric shows up everywhere he and kim happen to be. The latter as fair as his near magical ability to show up just at the right time to interupt kim and ron is hilarous as it is creepy as given the later reveal, he's probably stalking her.
It's not helped that Ron and Kim spend ALL their time together. Ron has other friends but Felix didn't exist when this film was written and Rufus his naked mole rat can do MANY things.. but he can't reallly hang out without the health department getting called. Ron dosen't really have a life if Kim's not around and he instead mopes: Eric is EVERYWHERE and he can't escape her being pushed in his face.
Not helping is that his one safe refuge is changing. In a year where several stores i've seen for years are shutting down, can relate. Ron frequents the Bueno Nacho, their easy taco bell stand in that got me hooked on the restraint at an early age. I still use their nacho cheese to make nacos, so good. But the naco being discontinued, deals being canceled and kids meals are all rattling the poor guy. The only place he has is changing, no one but kim signs his petttion.. he's spinning out.
Ron can be a bit of a dipshit in this part, just moping around kim and her boyfriend or freaking out.. but you get it. He dosen't have much in his life: supportive parents, a sweet naked mole rat, a barely functioning moped.. he lost both his best friend and his faviorite restraunt in days. He can't even go for pizza at her house without eric being thrown in his face and it's clear he just DOES NOT want to face the why.
Now this could still be bad.. Ron being a tad pissy still isn't the best look and had it JUST been there, the work would've been bad. But for one.. Kim notices and gently calls him on it: i'ts layered: he is being passive agressive.. but he has not much else and you can tell from the performance, especailly when Kim talks to him about it in his old treehouse, that he's starting to accept WHY he's so nettled by this: He loves kim, but isn't so much of an asshole he tries to ruin their relationship.
What cements this is his talk with Rufus when prom night hits. Rufus is the voice of reason when Kim can't be and urges ron to stop fucking ignoring this and hoping it goes away. But Ron reveals he has VERY valid reasons for not going for it. This fucking hurts and he has finally realized he has feelings for kim.. but knows having her choose between him and Eric is risky: If she likes Eric more... it might destroy their friendship. Confessing is weighted as hell and risky and unlike most examples where your friendship's already ready to pop here Kim's ignoring ron's mostly just been.. because she's happy. She does try to work it out and talk it over with him in the treehouse and he does the same. She cares and once the honeymoon phase was over they'd probably still hang out more, he'd just have to accept eric was around and he'd lost his chance. But loosing her entirely, loosing that friendship, hurting her and himself like that... he can't. Ron isn't not telling her because of THE PLOTTTTTT or contrivance... he'd rather have Kim in his life and have his heart hurt for a while than risk having her not in his life at all. It's what makes us root for him besides being a main character and not having Kim microchipped so he knows where she is at all times: Ron wants what's best for her. If eric makes her happy, then he's fine with stepping aside. Despite his histornics when it comes down to it.. he chooses her happiness over his and in this case.. it's the right move.
He chooses instead to drown his sorrows in nacho cheese, can relate while Ned , the manager at the Buneo Nacho played by Eddie Dezen and Ron's contact there and former boss, TRIES to warn Ron something evil's going on: a new manager has been hired played by Diedrich bader whose bald and evil. Ron being ron dosen't notice ned wrote evil in taco sauce on his tray.. but does notice the bendy straws are gone and when new manager man is too baffled to respond Ron calls the home office.. and gets DRAKKEN.
I LOOOOVVVEEE this twist. I mean first off we get Drakken in a costume always a good time in this case a texas style patterened blue and white shirt that looks awesome. The second.. is how everything clicks together. We'd gotten a hint at this earlier as Nakasumi's design drakken stole was being distrubited in kids meals at bueno nacho in japan, the hot new toy el diablo.. which are naturally also robots. Stan sicks them on Ron.. and EVERYTHING clicks perfectly into place. It's why I had to cover both parts seperatley: besides being easy.. both parts come together beauitfully for this final act.
The plot itself is awesome and fittingly big in scope: Drakken bought out Bueno Nacho because it's a global franchise, something established in season 2 but likely in the back of the writers mind from this. He stole the el diablo deisgn to make it something kids would want, the hottest new thing and he added kiddie meals to distribute. The hephestus project was stolen so he could make the el diablos robots that could function in smaller mode.. then use the nanotech to grow into larger forms and take over the world. At Midnight, because of course it's midnight, all the El Diablos and superhuman crew will gather up anyone who knows more than they do.. and you know world domination.
The El Diablos are tough little bastards and Ron barely evades them.. then just as he runs into the Prom in a panic looking for help they vanish and Eric tries to play it off as him being delusional.. but in a show of pure faith.. Kim belivies him. That and with the body swaps, nanite zit bombs, ron being turned evil once, drakken trying to murder wisconsion with a wheel of cheese, the martial arts master they fight reguarly who had a genitist give him money hands, said genticist giving herself gorilla hands to stalk him, rufus getting into a kaiju battle with a poodle, a man trying to destroy the internet with a coupon, and Drakken's rap career they've seen weirder.
And this is the first time Drakken buckles a bit.. not incredibly but seeing Kim and ron on the way to figure out his plan, going to James for help, does rattle him.. but he rallies. Every other bot activates at midnight. Middleton goes live NOW. And what makes this even better is... he knows Kim will likely beat him. He's aware this will only stall her.. and he's banking on it, already having Shego go pick up his contingency plan: Eric
So Kim regroups at home with the help of Wade, or as much as he can and her dad, who points out this is his project and the robots require transmitters... the OTHER reason for the bueno nachos. Our heroes go to wreck middletons, helped by Jim and Tim beefling up kim's scooter and we get a hell of an action sequence as Kim uses the grande sized diablo after them .. to destroy the transmitter.
Naturally this goes how you think it would next: Drakken calls into Wade so he can tell Kim "I"ve got your boyfriend neener neener". Which is a nice use of his usual jackassery: Normally him doing that would be the end of his plans, with Kim easily thwarting him.. but once again... he's COUNTING on her reactions. She's used to his obvious traps.. but he has a far less obvious one. To her and Ron anyway, to the audience they've probably started to piece it together and to a lot of you you've seen this so you know what's coming
But first.. Kim has to get suited up, and instead of her iconic crop top and cargo pants, she has something special for the occasion: the battle suit. The battle suit is cool as hell and despite only showing up for the climax, was used in the promotions: for the posters, the dvd cover everything and given it's this cool looking futuristic new suit that amps up kim's strength and agility and allows her to throw energy blasts back with a handball.. thing. It's the ultimate evolution of wades tech. It's also as usual for this type of thing only a prototype and not ready and yadda yadda, this doesen't come into play, it works fine.
It allows kim to not only fight Shego even better than usual, not having to worry about countering her hands as much, but easily tear through the mooks. Eric then shows up still in his tux, and Kim let's her guard down... and when she says his name
"Actually here i'm known as Synthrodrone 901"
And then he shocks her.
Yes Eric was a synthodrone.
Drakken's robot minions that have shown up once or twice.. basically a robot that's a bag of goo.
Yup Eric.. was a plant this whole damn time, designed to distract Kim so she wouldn't put the pieces together. What's more on this watch, paying closer attention to Eric's behavior pre-reveal.. EVERY action is calculated. He introduces himself by taking Ron's spot, giving him an easy in so he dosen't have to just come up and hit on kim, he shows up everywhere likely because whatever research Drakken's minons did on her meant they could predict her movements and he slowly shoves ron out without being openly obnoxious because it's been shown often that Kim is less effective without Ron. Any time he's gone from the team throws her off. This isn't something I think Drakken ever fully noticed, but it's something his researchers likely gathered or Eric started to notice on his own and took advantage of. And while Drakken likely didn't know about the kim ron stuff going in, Eric definitely picked up on it and drove the wedge every chance he had: it's not a coincidence he tended to show up any time the two were alone that wasn't a mission. While Drakken's research started the plan it's clear he programmed Eric well enough to do the rest.
It's all well pulled off: Having the love interest backstab the main character is hard to pull off, especially in this case. but Kim's insecurity was well established, is throughly human and the techniques Eric uses are all gaslighting 101. What makes eric a threat is the realism: not everyone has a mad scientist arch enemy who would do vast research on you to create a perfect boy robot to seduce you and throw you off his trail. But just about anyone can be manipulated and taken advnatage of by someone they loved. It makes it painful as hell.
Drakken rubs it in a little but leaves kim and Ron in the basement. And.. he's almost won as Kim's utterly broken by this and you understand it: She lost at the thing sh'es good at, saving the world, and got gas lit by a weird android man, seemingly confirming every fear she had about herself. When the truth is like any situation like this.. it's all on Eric and the creepy middle aged man what made him. I get why Kim beats herself up.. because I beat myself up, we all do. It's what having anxiety is like.
Thankfully Ron is there.. and gives us one of the best confessions in the history of animation
"All right, KP, this pity fiesta is over. Drakken has not won, he played you. Now it's payback time. And, y'know, there are guys out there that are better for you than Eric. Guys that are real for one thing."
"You really think there's a guy out there for me?"
"Out there.. in here"
Ron confesses.. but he dosen't do it for him. He takes the risk.. because Kim needs it. Because she's at her lowest and needs to know someone loves her. Even if things were weird after... her happiness was what was important. It's why he didn't try to compete with eric.. and when now he's broken Kim's heart.. he's there. It could've sooooo easily come off like ron was trying to pick her up on the rebound.. but it misses it entirely. Ron simply wants Kim to know she's loved: that's it. He expects nothing. Dosen't try to pick it up after the world's safe. Just tells her he loves her so she knows she's loved at the moment she badly needs to hear it. And her response is a suprised.. but delighted really. Rufus needs to cut in to free them because you know, end of the world and such, but it's nice how this big dramatic moment... is just happy. Ron is nervous as hell when telling her, understandably given what he's risking for both of them, but Kim just seems genuinely elated.
I don't think Kim really THOUGHT about ron in that way. It's a huge step up from the usual "THEY DON'T KNOW EVEN WHEN THEIR TRYING TO PRACTICE KISS A MANEQUIN OF THEM " level of obliviousness I have had to deal with my whole damn life. Granted I didn't have such a specific example till Miraculous Ladybug, but I digress. Kim likely used the whole "he's a nerdddddd" thing to put up a wall between that. Ron was a tad more self aware as there had been several episodes where he was a bit too specific in denying them as a couple, but not so much that he genuinely considered it till now. Kim didn't realize the spark was there while Ron recognized it on some level but had no intention of lightning that fucker up.
Once they actually confront those feelings... it's easy. It's what makes this so sweet. There's no big operatic reaction, Ron just nervously admits what's been there all along, Kim is shocked for a second and then realizes "... wow that feels.. right. "
But before it can feel right in this motherfucker, feel good in this motherfucker, they have to turn this motherfucker. Kim gives one of her best lines in the entire series when storming in on Drakken who true to form is bragging about catfishing a teenage girl with a robot he had stalk her
"Your right Drakken, boys, dating. IT's hard. But this is easy!"
Then she kicks him across the fucking room and the final fight begins. It's a tense well done battle.. and a triumphant one with Kim taking on Shego as usual and Ron vs Eric.. which dosen't go quite well as what martial arts skills ron has are tied up in his weird subplot about mystical monkey power, but we still get some great action. Eric seals his fate by mocking rufus.. and when it seems all is lost... Ron just sits back and smirks. "Little dude holds a grudge".. and then rufus fucking bites out eric's non existant tendon and reduces him to a puddle of goo while he shrivels away.
Props for them both going that hard and giving me my night terrors for the next few weeks.
Not to be outdone Kim then SUPERKICKS Sheego into the transmission tower Drakken was using so hard the fucker collapses and Disney had to insert a scene of Shego in a paddywagon after this scene because Kim just.. straight up murdered her otherwise while Smirking triumphantly
Ron is less horrifying than his teammates but still confronts Drakken, whose baffled Ron is upset that ruining Bueno Nacho pissed him off this bad. And when Drakken still can't say his name Ron forces him to.. and FINALLY gets it. Boo Yah.
So the villians are arrested and somehow Shego lived so we're good there. With that Kim says there's still time... Ron wonders "For what" and she happily drags him off.
As it turns out there's time for the Prom, which is still going at 1am but presumably Barkin was distracted by all the giant robot attacks and forgot to shut it down. Barkin, Kim and Ron's only teacher and local grumpus played by the incomparable Patrick Warburton... is weirdly not in this film and is the only major supporting character to not show up, but I assume Barkin's there in spirit because the school has no other teachers or staff.
So Kim and ron show up... hand in hand
Bonnie on the other hand thinks it's hilarious and tries to mock them.. only for everyone present to cheer like Rodney Dangerfield just told them we're all getting laid. As they should. It's a nice moment and while you could say "Wow that escalated quickly" it fits. Once the two accepted they had feelings for each other... it was again, easy. There's no risk, only reward. The enemy of this couple getting together.. was their self doubt, Kim's in carring way too much about what Bonnie thinks, and Ron in worrying abotu ruining things. I mean he was right on not making her pick between him or eric, that's a LOT to ask and he didn't know Eric was a creep, a weirdo and did not belong here, but them as a couple works for the same reason they worked as friends: they support each other. They dont' do it blindly, but their there: WHen Ron was having his treehouse mope sesh, Kim made time to talk things out and make him act lik ean adult, while Ron snapped kim out of her darkest hour by reminding her A) so Drakken got one over on you, go kick his ass and B) she's not alone and she never has been. IT's why fans wanted this and why I still hold this up as the golden standard of friends to lovers. It was inevitable like most of those... but it wasn't because they were a guy and girl who were friends. It wasn't because the show kept saying it until the audience either believed it or just tolerated it so they could get on with their lives. It was because the two had genuine chemistry, love one another, and something already fantastic they had naturally grew into something else fantastic. As Christy Carlson Romano's excellent song could it be plays, the two dance, kiss.. and enjoy this moment.
The show went on after this largely because fans demanded it once they realized it was ending just at the good part. The only part of this I really don't like is the INTENTION was to end it there, but I get it. It's how things were done and Disney likely feared such a big change because they hate continuity as it means you can't just.. air episodes however the fuck you want.
Thankfully disney DID listen to the fans... and likely their wallets but hey, whatever got us another season. And season 4 first plays with the idea of what most series would do at the time, with a nightmare of kim's face melting.. only for Ron to call Kim and for us to find out it's been months, this is just an anxiety dream he has, their still together. The show even keeps most of the big changes as a result of the movie. With Prom over Kim and Ron are now seniors and the idea of their futures plays into the season here and there. Drakken remains in prison for several episodes while multiple villians break out sheego to be their sidekick now. There's a bit more continuity than usual, and more I could get into best saved for another day if there's demand for it and another finale I admitely didn't like nearly as much, but is still solid enough. We got more after happily ever after na dit was great. Also they broke the battle suit the first episode back and didn't bring it back till the finale, suprising no one.
So it wasn't as obvious as I could make it, I love this movie. Reviewing it this rewatch only made me love it MORE, spotting more details and just how tightly packed this flim is: every moment has purpose, every bit of the plot stacks up, and it rewards a rewatch with bits of foreshadowing and setups for later. It hooks up a couple fans wanted, gives Kim possible a movie sized plot on a tv sized budget and still looks amazing. If you haven't seen Kim Possible the film stands WELL on it's own. It fills in the dynamics, catches up the audience and works well as an action movie with a slice of romance. It honestly does romance better than most action films. It's not shoved in there, like the Fall Guy it's just as important as the punching and twists.
If you can check out this movie, it's on Disney +, it's excellent and it's well worth your time both as an extension of the series, and as a film. Go watch it, happy prom, and thanks for reading.
This Pink sweater with colors with orange rose on is worn on Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay in Friends: The One With the Secret Closet (2002) and later worn on Raven Simone as Raven Baxter in That's So Raven: Escape Claus (2003) tv
I am watching Raven's Home, up to season 4, and I love that Devon and Levi's dad show up together whenever they appear, haha (they are not together together) and they look like a couple hahaha
Honestly if it wasnt for Keke Palmer and Raven Simone and Kyla Pratt little me would have NEVER developed any kinda selfesteem or confidence. Like my parents made sure I saw this constantly in my house
And I KNEW I could do whatever I wanted and have all the fun in life. We need to bring this era of black girlhood and success back
