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Writer's pictureThe Owl's Eyes

Love, Deaths and Robots: Animation is (not) for Kids

Updated: Feb 8, 2023


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A lot of boomers and baby boomers have a very bad opinion of animation. They think that's just cartoons and kid's show. This is a profound misconception of something which has never been for children. Probably they've never seen Fritz the Cat, Heavy Metal and Akira. These could be considered pure ignorance. But you don't need to see movies rated R to understand that animation is more for the adults rather than their sons. You just need to take a look at Anime or simply by looking at a causal Pixar movie, where adults themes are adressed in a mature and stunning way, like Soul. We could say that animated feature are becoming more and more mature, directed toward an adult group. Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites and Invincible are other examples that we're embracing the incredible possibility offered by this medium. A series, an anthology, tries to show us that, by giving us a cornucopia of shorts strongly based on animation, which is pushed to its limits.


PLOT

"A collection of animated short stories that span various genres including science fiction, fantasy, horror and comedy" or "Like Black Mirror but gorier and fully animated".


SCRIPT

As antology, it has different episodes with different plots. The episodes have in common the fact that these deal with the theme of the unknown. This is why every episode is a mix of sci-fi and horror, which are two genres anchored on the concept of the unknown. One could say that there's no arch and a defined plot but this is what makes the show strong. The script shows us a glimpse to a story and leaving us with the desire to know. This is why it isn't as Black Mirror. Everything is wrapped under a veil of mystery, which makes every episode rewatchable. I like the fact that every episode deal with a different kind of topic, to keep the series fresh, and shock the viewer through a mix of gore, nudity and cliffhangers which leave you with a pending mouth or a shaken mind. I could say that the show is about humanity, rather than technology, and the threats which could undermines it and its morals.


Script: 8/10


ACTING

Sometimes is very good, sometimes is mediocre and sometimes is below average. It's a mixed bag which doesn't ruin the spectacle because most of the episodes have very few words in it, which isn't enough to say if the voice actors are intrinsically good or not. Some episodes involve talented actors, one of them has part of it in live action, who help keep up the quality of the series, like Samira Wiley, known for The Handmaid's Tale, and Michael B. Jordan, a star of Black Panther.


Acting: 7/10


PHOTOGRAPHY

Most of the episodes have truly stunning shots. It'll be novel for you to see such marvels for the first time. The colours are always used as a way to tell something more, to add substance to every story. Even though most of them are visually stunning, there're a few episodes where the photography is boring and that invalidates the quality of the show a little.


Photography: 7/10


EDITING

There's a lot of slow motion and most of the time is used to enhance the style and drama of a scene and it works. It works but sometimes it seems a little too redundant and becomes lame. The camera is always used in a dynamic amnner, which is right for this kind of series but overall I didn't find the editing particularly engaging. The best section isn't this one, actually is the one which comes next.


Editing: 7/10


SPECIAL EFFECTS

The best thing of the series. It's ever changing and it always fits the episode's tone. Sometimes it's simple, sometimes is slightly laboured and other times is downright amazing. Some episodes have such a beautiful and lifelike cgi which could make you think that what you're watching is live action. You won't ever find a show with such special effects and variety. It's almost perfect and this is why I consider this show an hidden gem, a treasure to be cherished.


Special Effects: 8/10


SOUNDTRACK

A few episodes present a memorable soundtrack but most of them has a score which does exactly what is needed without taking a lot of risks. It's an harmless letdown but it doesn't hurt the experience as much as you could think. The one below is, in my opinion, my best song in the soundtrack because it fits perfectly in the story and give the chills.


Soundtrack: /10


COSTUMES

Some episodes have pretty cool costumes but most of the series is characterized by an average use of clothes and stuff like that. I've expected more from an animated series because usually this is one of their strength, like in Castlevania.


Costumes: 6/10


CONCLUSION

Script: 8/10

Acting: 7/10

Photography: 7/10

Editing: 7/10

Special Effects: 8/10

Soundtrack: 6/10

Costumes: 6/10

AVERAGE: 7


It's an amazing series which is incredibly original and has a pretty distinctive style. It deals in an intriguing way with different topics which are about our society. Every episode has a unique identity and the series is easily rewatchable, especially some episodes, which are masterpieces. This show is a blessing for who is passionate about animation and who is attracted by the possibility of the medium. A wonderful and variegate experience made of short teasing stories which hook you from the first moment. A must watch for everyone.



Director: Tim Miller

Screenplay: Philip Gelatt, Tim Miller

Cast: Scott Whyte, Nolan North, Steven Pacey, Emily O'Brien, Fred Tatasciore, Matthew Yang King

Soundtrack: Rob Cairns

Cinematography: Ken Seng

Running Time: 12 minutes




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Antología de animación creada por David Fincher y Tim Miller para Netflix que abarca la ciencia ficción, la fantasía, el terror y la comedia. "Love, Death & Robots" tienen una variedad y una fuerza visual fuera de lo normal, tan pronto estás en un videojuego como en un intento de fotorrealidad (SÚPER real) o en un mundo en 2D, pero te deja cierta sensación de insatisfacción a nivel de guión (y me temo que esto se ha convertido en la marca personal de Netflix, por muchos "Fincher´s" o "DiCaprio's" que tenga). Pero bueno, estoy aquí para recomendarla y, como siempre, hablaré de las cosas por las que la recomiendo, porque es una pequeña joya que nos va a permitir descubrir nuevas voces en el mundo de la animación. Y es que esa arriesgada mezcla de estilos visuales y formatos narrativos nos despierta cierta nostalgia ochentera (un poco misógina e hipermasculinizada). La serie es hipnótica y te deja con ganas de más, como un sueño, que por muy aversivo que sea siempre quieres un poco más de esa no realidad. Podemos decir que funciona como catálogo de lo que puede lograrse visualmente cuando no hay límites (siempre y cuando se incluyan los tres elementos: amor, muerte y robots). La visión apocalíptica de Miller empapa toda la serie y tiñe de sangre y suciedad la pantalla, muy al estilo de Deadpool, y maneja claros referentes como "Star Trek", "Alien" o el anime. Además, tiene un "clasismo" que recuerda mucho a la ciencia ficción de los últimos años, muy al estilo de "Blade Runner 2049", con todo lo bueno y lo malo que ello conlleva.

En definitiva, una serie entretenida y simpática, un intento de "Black Mirror" para gamers y fanáticos de lo visual, de lo mejorcito de Netflix (no era difícil), aunque no deja de lado los tópicos recurrentes, los giros previsibles, los diálogos simples, el sexo innecesario y el descontrol generalizado.

Mi puntuación 3/5



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📺 Love, Death + Robots (2019 - )

¿Dónde la encuentro? Netflix


Cada temporada está compuesta por una colección de cortos animados pertenecientes a distintos géneros, como la ciencia ficción, la fantasía, el horror y la comedia.


No hay un hilo conector entre los episodios; cada historia es independiente. La tecnología y lo futurista es un rasgo común entre la mayoría de las historias, pero cada una cuenta con su toque especial, y todas nos invitan a reflexionar sobre temas profundos, incluso las históricas más cómodas y delirantes.


Al ser episodios cortos (la gran mayoría dura menos de 15 minutos) son perfectos para ver en cualquier momento del día, en algún break o espacio vacío. También se vuelve ideal para maratonear una temporada entera en menos de un día (como fue mi caso).


En las imágenes pueden ver algunos de los episodios que más me gustaron o que más me dejaron reflexionando, pero todavía no puedo definir cuál es mi favorito.


¿Ustedes tienen un capítulo predilecto? Y en caso de no tenerlo, ¿cuáles fueron los que más le gustaron?


🍿Calificación: 4.5/5



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