SAMURAI JACK: THE COMPLETE SERIES / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: VARIOUS / STARRING: PHIL LAMARR, MAKO IWAMATSU, KEVIN MICHAEL RICHARDSON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Long ago, in a distant land, the master of darkness opens a portal and flings a samurai into the far future, with his only hope to return home to track down Aku, the shape-shifting demon, to re-open the portal and send him home, while encountering some highly unusual characters and situations along the way. This is the premise of Samurai Jack, the show that made Genndy Tartakovsky a household name. With its release on Blu-ray, does the show from the early 2000s still hold up?
While the story on offer here isn’t the most complex, it is merely a device to be able to set each episode of the show in different scenarios involving the mute titular character. The animation on offer is utterly impressive, with each location and character incredibly well designed and lovingly created.
One of the brilliant aspects of the series is that each episode, while being standalone stories, fits part of a wider narrative. Each season feels like it takes its toll on both Jack as well as the viewer. It does a wonderful job of conveying the pain and torment he must be going through, with the fifth season taking a significant time jump, showing how badly the entire experience has affected him. It took its toll the viewer as well. You’ll feel every slice of his trusted blade, the raw emotion on offer and the pain and torment. This is a particular talent that Tartakovski has displayed in his previous shows as well as in his recent movie offering, Hotel Transylvania.
Samurai Jack is a show that we would gladly recommend to any fan of animation. It has enough interesting characters and scenarios to keep even the most ardent animation fan happy, with compelling themes and action to keep children engaged. The only caveat is that season five takes a very hard turn, becoming a very hard-edged, R-rated show. So if you hope to show this to the kids, maybe steer clear of the blood-soaked fifth season.
With its beautiful animation, compelling and interesting character designs and incredible writing, Samurai Jack is a joy to watch from start to finish, pushing you through an emotional gauntlet just like its hero.
