In November 2017, del Toro announced that Trollhunters would be expanded into a trilogy of interconnected animated series under the name Tales of Arcadia. The two sequel series set to continue the story would be entitled 3Below and Wizards, and would explore the secret worlds of extraterrestrials and wizards hidden in the same fictional town of Trollhunters.
It stands as testament that even at twenty-six episodes long, the show never feels like it's overstaying its welcome. With a second season likely, we couldn't be more excited at the prospect. While a simple story drives things along, the impressive visual flair del Toro brings prove compelling for fans of the creator, animation enthusiasts, and, of course, those valued kid viewers. Del Toro is renowned for his striking visual style and wild imagination that's often on display in his live-action films, but in Netflix's animated series, del Toro's vivid storytelling comes to life in the most colorful way yet. They have made their series with brio and wit, as much majesty as the budget will allow, and enough suspense and mystery to make one invest in subsequent episodes as they arrive. This thoroughly enjoyable unlikely-hero tale is visually spectacular and delivers some familiar -- but always refreshing -- messages about heroism. The series never fully shakes off the rigid, by-the-numbers storytelling, or its underdeveloped characters, but the frequent moments of heart and humor elevate what would otherwise be a cold, slick thing of stone. The show seeks to mine a new audience for del Toro's aesthetic, edging into the market of children and so compromises have been made that may not please those who prefer their del Toro productions messier and more obsessive. The show appeals on multiple levels, including the very ordinariness of the kids themselves, which only makes Dreamworks' animation seem even more stunning than it already is. Right now, it can be hard to find a story to fully escape into, but the show manages to craft a joyful, yet high-stakes fictional world where a wonderful, dangerous magic is just out of sight, ready to take you if you let it.
The series stars the voice talents of Tatiana Maslany, Diego Luna, Nick Offerman, Glenn Close, Frank Welker, Andy Garcia, Uzo Aduba, Oscar Nuñez, Tom Kenny, Cheryl Hines, Nick Frost, Ann Dowd, Hayley Atwell, Danny Trejo, Steven Yeun, Tom Wilson, Emile Hirsch, Kelsey Grammer, Jonathan Hyde and Alfred Molina. The cleverest thing about the show might be that the fate of the world is in the finicky hands of characters, whose voice talents have terrific performances.
Simon says 3Below: Tales of Arcadia receives:
Also, see my review for Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia.
No comments:
Post a Comment