[7.8/10] I suppose the revival season of Samurai Jack should have prepared me for some of this, but I was not anticipating how intense a lot of this was! Watching the horn-nosed dinosaurs chomp down on Spear’s wife and children in front of him, and do the same to Fang’s offspring in front of her(?), replete with splashes of blood was pretty hardcore. It’s beyond the level of brutality we’ve seen in most of Tartakovsky’s other efforts.
But I like that it’s in service of something. It’s not just gore for gore’s sake. It establishes Spear’s anger at pain after watching what he loves be taken away from him. Likewise, we understand Fang’s reciprocal fury and loss when the same fate befalls her family. These aren’t just harsh deaths -- they’re motivation and the emotional turning points for the show’s major characters.
It’s painful to see Spear contemplate suicide after he returns to an empty cave. It’s heartbreaking listening to Fang’s mournful roar after her babies are gobbled up. The episode takes just as much time to live with the aftermath of these losses as it does to show them in action.
As expected, though, the action here is very good. Some of the animation is a little choppy in places, and the designs don’t leap out at me as they’ve done in some other Tartakovsky projects. That said, when things are in full gear, the fluidity and exaggeration of the animation is on point. The creative team puts together some really superb sequences of Spear and Fang facing their aggressors and finding creative and vengeance-fueled ways to make them pay. For all the cool spear/rock/bite/tooth combat involved, it’s particularly cool and triumphant when the two grieving parents team up with one another to take down the massive dino who snuffed out their families.
The pair’s bond after the grisly events is heartening amid tragedy, and it’s a good setup to help us understand what drives these two figures and why they'd be together. Color me quite interested to see what else Tartakosky and company have in store for us!
Gonna be honest with you.... This is art........ limited by the limitations of 2D animation. That's as real as I can get.
Surprisingly emotional and that without a single piece of dialog. I wonder if the show can keep this up!
When the first episode gets you upset, it's a sign
I was so relieved to see the baby dinosaurs die, this was pretty awesome
What a surprising introduction to the show. Very well told, without a single word of dialogue. They got me in my emotions all the way through.
How are they going to top this episode? You had the tragic circumstances and revenge all in this episode, and the epic teamup of them both, showcasing their abilities. I imagine there's not much development to be had for a stone age man and a dinosaur, but i'll be interested to see what happens next. Excellent music choice too, that fits in with this anachronistic world.
Wow. I was not expecting to be blown away by this!
I've got to be super anal about this but OK sure here it is. Story wise, storyboarding, production, sure thing, this is a 10/10 absolutely........ but the limitations of 2D animation prevents this from becoming a solid ten for me. I wish that weren't the case, but that seems to be it for me. I can only personally give it a nine. That's not to say that this is BAD of TERRIBLE. This is fucking ART right here.... just.... you know... illustration prevents me from resonating with this better on a primal level. That's not meant to be a pun. I've just trying to describe how I feel.
Can i watch on this site?
My emotions dot gif. Genndy can do no wrong
Shout by Travis GosselinkVIP 10BlockedParent2019-10-07T20:15:10Z
WOW this was brutal and hit me in the feels at the same time! I love how there is no dialog, but the story being told is crystal clear. Excited for the next episodes!