rad, the richest, most popular boy at Lugosi Junior High School, is figuring out whom to invite to his "coolest annual birthday bash in the Bay area" when he begins to hear drum music. His parents are in Africa buying African tribal art for their collection and the butler isn't around, but Brad knows there has to be some logical explanation for what's going on. However, when his printer catches fire and burns his invitation list, he worries that all these strange happenings might screw up his party.
At school, a secret group called the Phantom Investigators are talking about Brad's 13th birthday party just like everyone else. Daemona, the group's leader, doesn't understand why anyone would want to go, but the others, Kira, Casey and Jericho, all have different reasons for wanting to be invited.
For Kira, it's not about the mansion, the tennis courts, the VR games or the Formula One racetrack. She'd just like a job to D.J. the party. Jericho gets an invite because he skateboards and is cool. Unfortunately, Casey is anything but cool, and his barometer of popularity statistics shows him the strongest candidates for invitations are "prominent in athletic activities, free of braces, glasses or oily skin, and possessive of a moderate to low I.Q." In other words, he doesn't have a chance of snagging an invite.
However, when Brad hears drum music at his mansion again and the African masks and relics begin to move, he knows he's in trouble. He calls in the Phantom Investigators to get rid of the problem. Daemona wears her super-sleuth cape and mask to disguise herself, while telepathic Kira goes in as the D.J., with telekinetic Jericho as her helper. Shapeshifter Casey goes in as a speaker, since he can take the shape of anything with the same mass as himself.
Once inside, the group springs into action, only to find that it all has something to do with an African witch doctor. They know that witch doctors aren't evil, but this one has a problem and unless they can help solve the mystery, Brad may have only 24 hours to live. And, even worse, the coolest annual birthday bash in the Bay area might just have to be called off.
Scooby-Doo for a new generation
Phantom Investigators is an entertaining and striking new animated series from the creators of Nickelodeon's Life with Loopy. With fresh characterizations and just a touch of an "it's okay to be who you are" message, the series has a bit of Scooby-Doo in its heart.
All the kids are smart, courageous and special in their own ways. Their powers aren't explained, although the kids have some theories why they have them. But what it comes down to is that it doesn't matter. Their powers may make them special, but it's their teamwork that makes them powerful, and they
couldn't take on the supernatural without it. Backing them up is an adult, their mysterious mentor, Professor Navarro. That's a nice message too, that the kids may solve the mystery, but not without an adult's counsel.
By far the most outstanding element of Phantom Investigators is its unique visual style. Created using a combination of stop-motion animation, puppetry, CGI special effects and live action, the visual effect is distinctive and offers a rich color palette.
"Birthday Presence" is a good opening for the series. While it leaps right into the action, each character does get a moment, and they are individual enough to stand out. The story itself deals with popularity, while upcoming stories will focus on competition, nightmares and a kid's fear about his dad's obsession. These are all situations that kids can relate to, which is what an animated series for children should be all about.
