[8.8/10] So scary and so cool. I liked just about everything about this. The character designs were great -- especially the frightened but helpful monkey folk and imposing angularity of the were-bats. The animation was outstanding, especially in very physical moments like when the were-bats are straining to lift Fang off the ground. The editing is superb, with sequences like Fang trying to ascend the spider’s tower really conveying his devotion. And the action is outstanding, with some really great fights between our heroes and the raptors, the werebats, and the spider.
But what I like most is how the episode manages to convey the emotions of all these situations without using a single line of dialogue. You get the monkey folk’s fear of the were-bats and appreciation for Spear’s help in their franticness and returning the favor. You get Fang’s determination without how many times she tries to scale the tower. You get Spear’s devotion to his friend when he goes to such lengths to save Fang from the Spider’s grasp. And you get the tension and desperation when the two are racing away from the raptors and later from the were-bats.
That said, a close second is how resourceful and clever our heroes are here. Fang playing dead in order to get the were-bats to airlift him up to the tower is a smart move. Spear using a dead triceratops’ horn to fell the giant spider, and then using its web-line to repel down the side of the tower is some quick thinking. And the way the two of them manage to shake off the were-bats by getting them crosswise with the raptors they were skirmishing with in the opening is a tremendously clever and satisfying way to get away from both sets of attackers.
All-in-all, this one is great visually, full of smart moves, and even rife with emotion given the stakes and friendship at play. A new high water mark!
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2020-10-27T02:40:37Z
[8.8/10] So scary and so cool. I liked just about everything about this. The character designs were great -- especially the frightened but helpful monkey folk and imposing angularity of the were-bats. The animation was outstanding, especially in very physical moments like when the were-bats are straining to lift Fang off the ground. The editing is superb, with sequences like Fang trying to ascend the spider’s tower really conveying his devotion. And the action is outstanding, with some really great fights between our heroes and the raptors, the werebats, and the spider.
But what I like most is how the episode manages to convey the emotions of all these situations without using a single line of dialogue. You get the monkey folk’s fear of the were-bats and appreciation for Spear’s help in their franticness and returning the favor. You get Fang’s determination without how many times she tries to scale the tower. You get Spear’s devotion to his friend when he goes to such lengths to save Fang from the Spider’s grasp. And you get the tension and desperation when the two are racing away from the raptors and later from the were-bats.
That said, a close second is how resourceful and clever our heroes are here. Fang playing dead in order to get the were-bats to airlift him up to the tower is a smart move. Spear using a dead triceratops’ horn to fell the giant spider, and then using its web-line to repel down the side of the tower is some quick thinking. And the way the two of them manage to shake off the were-bats by getting them crosswise with the raptors they were skirmishing with in the opening is a tremendously clever and satisfying way to get away from both sets of attackers.
All-in-all, this one is great visually, full of smart moves, and even rife with emotion given the stakes and friendship at play. A new high water mark!