Cheap The Monkees: Captain Crocodile (23)/Fairy Tale (18) (Video) (Jon C. Andersen, Micky Dolenz, Mike Elliot (III), Bob Rafelson, Alexander Singer, Peter Tork, Gerald Shepard, David Winters, James Komack, James Frawley) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Monkees: Captain Crocodile (23)/Fairy Tale (18)

The Monkees On Kid's TV and In A Fairy Tale
One episode from each of the show's two seasons are featured on this tape. The first is a parody of the long-running Captain Kangaroo series - here the Monkees get a gig on Captain Crocodile, but the reason for the invitation quickly becomes clear as the obnoxious titular host of the show uses the boys solely as targets of abusive gags. Mike finally demands the boys be allowed to play - a cleverly subtle allegory on the boys' real life fight with Don Kirshner - so the Captain relents - except no one sees the boys as they do the original version - far superior to the downbeat 1968 version - of "Valleri."

The epsiode features a terrific satirical montage of the boys in varied TV roles - newsmen, Mike as a weatherman, Micky starring in a Batman spoof, and the game show To Tell A Fib - but overall it isn't as satisfying as most of the other episodes because the boys are humiliated almost throughout the story and even in the epilogue, and the abuse wears out its welcome by the end of Act One.

Though ultimately lacking in complete satisfaction as well, the second-season episode Fairy Tale is nonetheless a clever attempt at something different - The Monkees starring in a cheesy fairy tale with Mike as the "beautiful" (?) princess. A big part of the reason for the episode's weakness is the mailed-in quality of the boys' performances - a sign of their dissatisfaction and exhaustion with the show. The best moment comes when a dragon gives the boys a riddle they figure out to his surprise.

The episode's music video is the interesting B&W rendition of Mike's rambling LA-street-scene poem "Daily Nightly," featuring Micky on Moog synthesizer.

Two great classic episodes
This video contains two episodes of the Monkees television series.

The first, "Captain Crocodile", is my favorite episode. In it the Monkees are hired to play on a children's television show, only to be the victims of a paranoid host who is afraid that the Monkees want to replace him. The episode includes a great romp set to the novelty tune "Your Auntie Grizelda" and a funny scene in which the Monkees tell the kids a story...from the dictionary.

The second, "Fairy Tale", is another favorite of many fans. The Monkees tell the story of a poor peasant in love with a princess. The episode spoofs fairy tales while providing the Monkees a chance to wear ridiculous costumes, most notably Michael Nesmith, who plays the object of Peter's affections, the lovely (?) Princess Gwen.

These are both great episodes. If you want to buy one of the volumes and are unsure of which to get, I would heartily recommend volume 8. Both episodes are strong, memorable, and funny. Whether you are a new fan or looking to revisit old memories, this tape is a great place to start.