So I'm organized and decided to just do something similar to reviews. Now Reviews, Mini and Final, are basically that but while the Mini reviews are basically Final Reviews, only shorter. Final Reviews go into depth. Progress Reviews are essentially a point when the story reached a level of development basically or no development so far.
They are all read in my review tag.
First Impressions are based entirely on the first episode/season/whatever released. Typically, I would do an entire season if the plot is story-driven. Despite it saying first impressions, it can mean up to three episodes or more if I need to get a feeling. Depending on how much I need to see the feel of things. Pilots could mean either mean setting status quo or have yet to get a feeling for it. Either the show pre-planned or not; for example, ATLA and GF are pre-planned. I totally understand early installment weirdness like Glee which didn't have much planning involved...like ideas thrown about.
Now, this show is something I don't think Dreamworks has as part of their deal with Studio Mir. Lego was part of another studio altogether. Lego Elves may have aired on Disney Channel, basically telling you right there that it's a different competitor from Dreamworks-Netflix deal.
It just happened to be animated by the same guys who animated one Dreamworks show currently. We still don't know what kind of shows that Dreamworks is considering to make a 2D animated show. Other than Dawn of the Croods, Puss in Boots, and Dragons, those styles are not Mir's. I meanwhile they have less money than an expensive CGI movie, at least the CGI looks decent and doesn't look decrepit like in saying Norm of the North. VLD is Mir's artwork.
Let's start with the positives.
At the heart, it's a simple and pleasant story. Little cliched in character and plot, hell it started off with cliches. At this rate, there will be a Sokka for every series; if Lance is Space Sokka, then Farran is Elf Sokka.
The characters are silly and simple. Farran is basically Elf Sokka.
And Cronan is Goblin DOTU Lotor. Seriously, Lotor is a walking meme, a fucking loser in every way possible. He outright drinks a mean potion and no, I am not making that up though I swear I thought I have. He is trying to be the Lotor of 2017 (ace pilot, manipulative, mysterious) but he's actually the Lotor of old.
If I have to say my favorites so far, the goblins are the answer. Think of them as the snarky chew toy scared servants who had the displeasure to serve under a loser.
The voice acting is good. I doubt Andrea Romano was the voice director here. She is the Queen when it comes to her talent scouting, either of DC or animation in general. If any actor gets her vote, they would get a badge of honor and many are grateful for that from Mark Hamil to Wil Wheaton. Jensen Ackles of Supernatural fame has always been an incredible actor in comparison to his fellow cast members. I am not putting them down by any means because they are capable and talented in their own right. It's just he has been given notice by someone else but unfortunately, he is still on a show that is a zombie at this rate. There is a reason why Tyler Hoechlin and Dylan O'Brien had been scouted by Andrea Romano and Kevin Smith respectively and made a successful career for themselves with Colton Haynes. Mr. Hoechlin was Romano's offer for Batman just like Affleck.
If there is one thing I can consistently praise, the amazing animation from Studio Mir is something I will always appreciate. It's so fluid and their beauty is to die for.
But like Korra, the animation and voice acting jobs does not mean that the plot is left out of the open. I mean while Korra didn't start off with a good start although it did establish some stuff, it's just mediocre overall. This show overall is pretty much average.
I wouldn't write home about it.
I just feel there are passion and love in this than I do the Magic School Bus reboot.
Now the negatives.
It became quite clear that it had plot holes and come off more than a bit cliched. Certain characters might not connect as well as one might hope. Character development or depth isn't exactly deep per say. There is certainly characterization...which can lead to potential or outright stupid decisions. Looking at you, Naida.
Seriously, I can name the plotholes right here. For example, somehow these elves have creation powers for something, then why don't they create them to make their travel faster. If Ira or Iris makes an invention which I say is right there to make them travel faster than just running. Heck, they even made a freaking hot air balloon at one point. Yet they still travel on foot. Their method of travel seemed to depend entirely on the plot. Naida got there no problem, no evil Venus Flytraps or Shadowy creatures desiring the end of the world. However, Rosalyn previously mentioned that the Forest is entrenched with dangers that that Goblin King and his minions imposed upon. How about the goblins themselves? Cronan only has four main ones while his army, either having been forcefully brainwashed or just underlings like someone to serve the prisoner.
It's clearly aimed at a younger audience. I am not saying that is a bad thing when some great cartoons had came like Gravity Falls and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic are acclaimed despite the stigma that followed the latter.
As of now, I can't say if there is a story planned. We can infer there is a plan judging by the prologue and the first episode set up, but as of now, it's dubious. We do know there had been pre-planning in GF, VLD and ATLA, judging by the creator's word.
The ending just seemed odd. It's like the end of the first arc/adventure. I know Netflix has the habit of granting at least one more season unless there is a deal.
While the overall story is simple, I don't know what do they plan. Unlike how I know that Dreamworks struck a deal with Studio Mir to animate 4 75 episode/6 seasons, if split, then 8? run, this show is where I have no idea.
I don't have a problem overall with this show. Yes, there are plotholes and stupid decisions but it's beautifully animated and it's pleasant.
Just look at this mess. It looked like an app game.
It doesn't look like effort was made. I remember watching Magic School Bus when I was a child and this reboot is not doing any favors for any old-school fans.
Regardless of its edutainment value, the animation looks like utter complete shit.
Animation has grown so much and yet still underappreciated as a storytelling medium. I'm talking American here, folks because this stigma is stupid beyond belief. Like how I would fight an anti-Stratfordian on the side of the street, I will fight against anyone who dared to tarnish animation as a medium. Despite the efforts, Disney/Pixar/Dreamworks/Laika/Blue Sky/Illumination and so much more, the animation is regarded 'just for kids'. What irony when we got adult animation like Bojack Horseman, South Park, and Family Guy to consider. And that's not starting to get into Cartoon Network/Nick/and so many more studios from Korea, Japan, and good ole America.
Yet, the animation is still dismissed. Not just because Japanese anime have different values from America or that France has some beautiful movies, it's because it's animation. "It's for kids" is the common response and seriously, that is utterly disingenuous to the hard work producers, writers, and animators who pour their hours, spending years on this. It's disingenuous to the themes and emotions cartoons can push to the limit just as much as movies can.
When we already destroyed the idea that it's for kids the moment we created adult animation or give critical acclaim to certain movies, some less deservingly so. Seriously, Family Guy, American Dad, and South Park are animated and adults didn't raise much of an issue about that.
Yes, it's still an issue that animation is viewed just for kids when the animation is simply a medium that can tell a great story as epic as Exodus to sitcom like Bojack Horseman to stories like ATLA and Samurai Jack to breaking new grounds like Laika.
An animation is worth the effort, passion, and love that creators, artists, and animators threw into.
This show did not show the effort, passion, and love.
Lego Elves showed those qualities, even without the Studio Mir's artwork because seriously, if it was 3D like Trollhunters or Dragons, at least the qualities would show through.
Now, I kinda grew up on Liberty's Kids. Since my family don't have Disney Channel or Jetix (I usually watched those at my grandma's), we settled for PBS.
I remembered watching Liberty's Kids and loving it. You could even say it sparked my interest in history. Sure there are stuff they got wrong (I wouldn't consider Hamilton an abolition nor would I consider him the best of the founders. I mean he's a human being...with a lot of bad records under his belt. And Washington himself was famously neutral on abolition) but I would still consider it one of the best cartoons I seen on PBS specifically.
On Hamilton, I consider the story to be okay (because I know that they ultimately made an AU with little to no mention of other accomplishments of person of interests like Burr since most of the time, it's like a wiki page with a flourish of artistic license. And the characters they're focusing on is well...according to history aren't perfect. The history's inaccurate despite the accuracy. It's American history in broad strokes here). I prefer to listen the soundtrack. Hilariously, Liberty's Kids opening song have a rap verse that is funny now with Hamilton here.
Honestly, I prefer Hamilton in terms of music. In terms of honesty, Liberty's Kids.
That's just my honest opinion. And I'm not a huge history geek. I love and study history despite knowing things have been edited out or left out because of unsavoriness. Seriously, I didn't even know Hamilton has the first sex scandal of US history.
No comments:
Post a Comment