adminA Tale Dark and Grimm You're never too old to watch cartoons, especially when they're sarcastic, snarky, and funny. A Tale Dark and Grimm is coming to Netflix. And while this looks all cutesy, it's exactly as the title suggests. This animated series follows Hansel and Gretel as they run away from home to find better parents or at least ones who won't chop off their
heads. As Hansel and Gretel leave their own story and venture through other classic Grimm fairy tales, unexpected narrators guide us through the encounters with witches, warlocks, dragons, and even the devil himself. As the siblings roam a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind the famous tales, as well as how to take charge of their own destinies and create their own happily ever after. Because once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome. So I'm not really sure what age this is directed at, because animated fairy tales feel like they should be semi kid-friendly. But then again, these are stories from the Brothers Grimm.
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So they're pretty twisted. Like the synopsis stated, Hansel and Gretel lose their heads and then run away in an effort to find a life where they're loved. Along the way, they'll encounter all kinds of other Grimm tales which may or may not have happy endings. To help us as the audience understand everything that's going on, there are three characters who inform us with what's going on, as well as giving us some insight and commentary along the way. And the storytellers are three crows. One is a violence-loving psychopath. One is concerned for the audience's mental well-being. And the other is our narrator. They are hilarious as the stories being told. And because they break the fourth wall and speak directly to us, we're drawn right into the story, which I really enjoyed. Now, I also laughed out loud more than a few times because of the banter that they provide. The animation in this is wonderfully done. The majority of the time, it's a 3-D type of style. But every so often the animation changes to 2D and it looks just as stunning. And I like the contrast and the way that it switches back and forth, because it has a very clear purpose for going into that 2D style. Now, the reason I mentioned that I'm not sure about the target audience is because of the tone and the content of the stories. Now, kids are going to be familiar with most of these, but the series kicks them up a notch and really emphasizes the darker portions of those stories. For example, without getting into spoilers, Hansel and Gretel meet the witch in the forest with the candy house. Now we know from the fairy tale that she cooks and eats children. But this series gives us the reason she has a taste for the kiddos. And honestly, I laughed when the reason was revealed, but it was more of a shocked laugh that they went there. I mean, it was funny, but it's also twisted. And the show is filled with moments like these where we sort of know where the story is headed, but then they'll put in a twist to keep it exciting. They'll take what is familiar and then subvert our expectations with the surprise. There's a great amount of humor infused as well as action. And there's even a little romance and suspense that's thrown in as well. Now, as much as I really enjoyed the storytelling and the tales that are being explored, as well as the snarkiness of the narrator crows, there did come a point where it all became just a little bit too much. I mean, it's not that it got too dark for me or even to twisted, just the charm of the gimmicks seem to wear off a bit for me. There are 10 episodes or chapters, and they're each about 30 minutes long. So it's not a terribly long time commitment. But maybe had I not binged the entire thing, it wouldn't have worn on me as much. It's not like I stopped laughing or I wasn't invested in the story. I just laughed less often and then started to care just a little less. So maybe if I'd watched half, then taken a break and then binged the last half, either later in that day or maybe the next day, it would have all felt fresher to me, and I would have maintained the high level of fun that I was experiencing in the first half. Now, despite all that, I think the storytelling itself is well crafted. The tales are complex enough to hold the attention of adults and still fairly simple enough for the younger audiences to grasp. And the action and the antics of the characters are most likely what the younger viewers are going to be entranced by. But it's the narration and the story content that should intrigue everybody else. The voice cast did a wonderful job also in creating voices that match the look and feel of their animated counterparts. Now, for me, the most recognizable voice came from Jonathan Banks with his scratchy baritone quality of voice. And the one that surprised me that I don't think I'd ever pick out was Adam Lambert, who played the devil. And he cracked me up. I mean, as somebody who occasionally makes up their own words, I have great appreciation for the character of the devil in this. That dude takes regular words and then messes with them to make his own vocabulary, which I found to be pretty entertaining. I was surprised with the emotionality of the show is able to evoke. At the heart of the series is a tale of the love between a brother and a sister seeking belonging and family. And this theme plays out so well across all the individual stories that the show examines. And the mix of humor with heart ends up creating some very captivating drama. I don't think it's going to make anybody cry, but it was still pretty touching. So all in all, A Tale Dark and Grimm is an amusing and entertaining look at the Grimm fairy tales. And what I thought was a kid's show is much darker and twisted, creating imagery and story arcs that are geared much more towards teens and adults. The animation is colorful and immersive with a voice cast that truly bring the characters to life. And while I think the charm does wane a bit when the whole show is binged in one sitting, the amount of heart and humor make this a tale worth watching. There's no sex, nudity or even profanity, but there is a pretty good helping of animated violence. I give A Tale Dark and Grimm four out of five couches. Do you have a favorite Grimm fairy tale? Now, I grew up reading them at my grandparents house, and the one that always stuck with me was Snow White and Rose Red.
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Lanre
