I know I am going to get a lot of hate for this review, but here goes...
I never watched Samurai Jack as a kid, but I often saw it was on Cartoon Network. I just preferred watching things like Ed, Edd and Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Cow and Chicken and a whole host of mindnumbing cartoons. Samurai Jack always came across as too serious for my childish mind. However, at the ripe old age of 25 I decided to embark on the quest to watch this, since it was notably commissioned for an extra season in 2017.
I am going to divide this review in two parts: seasons 1-4, then season 5 on its own (as will be made clear). The story follows a samurai trapped in the future by an evil 'Aku', and the series follows his quests the defeat said evil. Seasons 1-4 attempt to show this, with each episode focusing on a minion sent by Aku, an entirely different villain, or Aku himself. Whilst I appreciated the journey Jack was going through, it felt somewhat lacklustre. As the series progressed, it felt less and less like Jack would ever truly face Aku and complete his objective. I won't spoil things for you, but I must say I felt deflated as each episode went by without ever feeling Jack would get back to the past.
The positives of seasons 1-4 are numerous. The animation style is excellent and original. Like in Dexter's Lab, the creator of Samurai Jack gives the protagonist and villain simple and sharp features which distinguishes them from everyone else. The backdrops are well thought out and you can see the effort that has been put into it. The voice acting is great, when it is there. One of the things people love about this cartoon is that it is the lack of a need for speech that makes this cartoon so excellent. I (controversially) disagree. A lack of speech makes it quite boring because not a lot actually happens in each episode. Having a few episodes being like this would have been great. But every episode? I remain to be convinced.
The other gripe I have about seasons 1-4 is that it doesn't really have a target audience. It is too dark and 'adulty' for children, yet it is too slow-paced and soft for adults. If it had a bit more action or adult themes I think it would have been more entertaining for people of my age.
Now onto season 5, an entirely different beast. Unlike seasons 1-4 where each episode is standalone and doesn't feel like it is going anywhere, season 5 is the complete opposite. You get a core plot to the series and it is a good one. The animation remains crisp and even improved from seasons 1-4. You even get more dialogue between the characters, including Jack. What I loved most is that it finally decided to become an adult cartoon. The plot is dark, yet interesting and the action is finally what I was hoping for. Overall, season 5 is what I had wanted from seasons 1-4 and then some.
All in all, Samurai Jack is not a bad cartoon, but it just isn't truly standout. Seasons 1-4 have a storyline that doesn't really satisfy the audience's need for a core plot or a sense of finality. However, season 5 makes up for this, making it the best season of the series. I would recommend you watch this film if you enjoy watching manga or other cartoons aimed at adults.
I never watched Samurai Jack as a kid, but I often saw it was on Cartoon Network. I just preferred watching things like Ed, Edd and Eddy, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Cow and Chicken and a whole host of mindnumbing cartoons. Samurai Jack always came across as too serious for my childish mind. However, at the ripe old age of 25 I decided to embark on the quest to watch this, since it was notably commissioned for an extra season in 2017.
I am going to divide this review in two parts: seasons 1-4, then season 5 on its own (as will be made clear). The story follows a samurai trapped in the future by an evil 'Aku', and the series follows his quests the defeat said evil. Seasons 1-4 attempt to show this, with each episode focusing on a minion sent by Aku, an entirely different villain, or Aku himself. Whilst I appreciated the journey Jack was going through, it felt somewhat lacklustre. As the series progressed, it felt less and less like Jack would ever truly face Aku and complete his objective. I won't spoil things for you, but I must say I felt deflated as each episode went by without ever feeling Jack would get back to the past.
The positives of seasons 1-4 are numerous. The animation style is excellent and original. Like in Dexter's Lab, the creator of Samurai Jack gives the protagonist and villain simple and sharp features which distinguishes them from everyone else. The backdrops are well thought out and you can see the effort that has been put into it. The voice acting is great, when it is there. One of the things people love about this cartoon is that it is the lack of a need for speech that makes this cartoon so excellent. I (controversially) disagree. A lack of speech makes it quite boring because not a lot actually happens in each episode. Having a few episodes being like this would have been great. But every episode? I remain to be convinced.
The other gripe I have about seasons 1-4 is that it doesn't really have a target audience. It is too dark and 'adulty' for children, yet it is too slow-paced and soft for adults. If it had a bit more action or adult themes I think it would have been more entertaining for people of my age.
Now onto season 5, an entirely different beast. Unlike seasons 1-4 where each episode is standalone and doesn't feel like it is going anywhere, season 5 is the complete opposite. You get a core plot to the series and it is a good one. The animation remains crisp and even improved from seasons 1-4. You even get more dialogue between the characters, including Jack. What I loved most is that it finally decided to become an adult cartoon. The plot is dark, yet interesting and the action is finally what I was hoping for. Overall, season 5 is what I had wanted from seasons 1-4 and then some.
All in all, Samurai Jack is not a bad cartoon, but it just isn't truly standout. Seasons 1-4 have a storyline that doesn't really satisfy the audience's need for a core plot or a sense of finality. However, season 5 makes up for this, making it the best season of the series. I would recommend you watch this film if you enjoy watching manga or other cartoons aimed at adults.