Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar Blu-ray Review
“Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar” doesn’t rock.
It’s been 10 years since “Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem,” but series creators Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha have written and directed a new animated feature titled “Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar.” The film, which serves as a series finale, finds death metal band Dethklok (comprised of Nathan, Toki, Pickles, Murderface and Skwisgaar) preparing for the Doomstar which threatens existence. Nathan (the frontman) is destined to write the Song Of Salvation which prevents the Metalocalypse from happening. Unfortunately, Nathan is suffering from PTSD from past events and is heartbroken and doubting himself. On top of that, the evil Salacia is lurking about and wanting to usher about the end times. Can Nathan figure things out and write the song? Will the Shaman (Knubbler) and the titular Army of the Doomstar help him on his quest? All is revealed in the end.
The Adult Swim animated series “Metalocalypse” has become a cult favorite over the years and it’s clear this film was meant for the fanbase. In fact, ‘Doomstar’ goes as far as to tie fandom into the story as a not so subtle tribute to the fans. Of course, there’s also plenty of fan service here such as the inclusion of Dr. Rockzo and wrapping up major story arcs. If you are a fan, you will no doubt be thrilled to see these characters for (likely) the last time. For everyone else, it’s a bit of a hard sell.
“Metalocalypse” started out as a death metal parody comedy, but this feature film is more dramatic and less humorous. It’s understandable that the tone changed given the big apocalyptic implications of the story, but the film suffers for it. Sure, Small attempts to create a bigger story with more ambitious animation work (this is especially evident in the big crowd scenes, the trippy Dr. Rockzo sequence and the giant action set pieces), but more jokes would have helped (or at least ones that landed better). Story wise, it’s hard not to shake the feeling that the story is far too reminiscent of Bill and Ted and “Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny” too (both of which are better watches).
On a side note, it was very nice to see an “In Memory of Jon Schnepp” credit who was both a director and the character designer on “Metalocalypse” alongside being a film reviewer and vlogger. There’s even an animated version of Schnepp at the end which was a nice touch.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.35:1 1080p. How does it look? The colorful animation shines in hi-def, but there are noticeable flickers throughout the film.
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? It’s a series about a death metal band so of course the audio delivers an audible metal feast.
Extras:
* A poster
* Digital copy
* “Behind The Metal Curtain”- A 24 minute featurette that includes cast and crew interviews and discussions about the animation, music, and wrapping up the story.
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