We’re back once again to talk about Love, Death, & Robots, specifically the Fourth Volume. We are more than happy to once again jump back in with a Conner’s Critique!
As always, our reviews are based on story, acting, and overall. So let’s jump on in.
Story 5/10
So many of the videos this season were enjoyable and had many hidden subplots and purposes. While the first episode, a marionette redoing of multiple concerts by Red Hot Chili Peppers, titled “Can’t Stop”, seems to fail the concept of most the other episodes of the series. However, it still was an interesting and cool view at an everyday life event done in an entirely different way.
The worst episode and story of the volume, I have to say, was most likely “The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur” which has Jimmy Donaldson AKA MrBeast playing in emcee in a gladiatorial bloodsport to the benefit of a luxurious upper class. Warriors and lesser citizens are forced to fight upon dinosaur backs and kill one another for the entertainment and glory of the ruling organizations of society. Either Mr. Beast lost all clues about what he was voicing, or he was okay with the idea of his brand being associated with pitting poor people against poor people, to entertain the masses. However, that does seem to be on brand with most of his videos and content, so maybe that is the point.
“Close Encounters of the Mini Kind”, the episode about an alien visit turned invasion, was bite size and glorious. I loved the embodiment of humanity as survivors and scrappers. I also loved the use of humanity trying to fight back and not realizing what they are doing being the accidental cause of destroying their own planet. It was very fitting and very short and sweet.
Rhys Darby in “Golgotha” in which he plays a priest asked to be the first to speak to an alien race, who are also religious, is an interesting story that I am left wanting more at the end of it.
But at the end of the volume, the best episodes of course are The Other Large Thing and For He Can Creep which are episodes that focus primarily on cats. As Love, Death & Robots knows who brings them the money. One episode, “The Other Large Thing”, appears to be a prequel to the re-occuring short of the robots that try to understand ancient humans, while the other episode, “For He Can Creep”, is about a cat fighting the devil. Both of which are the best episodes of the season and hold not only your attention but also your heart.
Acting 8/10
There are so many great voice actors who joined this season as well as a couple physical actors in the form of Rhys Darby and Graham McTavish who do an amazing job with a short live action story for Love, Death & Robots. When it comes to the voice actors, however, I was able to easily notice John Oliver and Chris Parnell in episode The Other Large Thing.
Emily O’Brien, Gary Furlong, and Dan Stevens all do a wonderful job getting us to fall quickly into and believe in the incredibly short and incredibly interesting stories within the fourth volume of Love, Death & Robots.
Overall 6.5/10
The season, when taken as a whole, is a triumph when compaired to prior volumes of Love, Death & Robots. While I do wish that we can see more journeys with past characters who’ve enjoyed in prior seasons, almost all of these episodes shy, two or three of them are brilliant masterpieces in the forms of short stories and suspense giving us new content and stories in a world of repeats, sequels, and rebrands. If I could just once again suggest to skip episode “The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur” as it is not worth your energy and time.
Conner’s Final Thoughts
It’s been a long time to be able to get four volumes of Love, Death & Robots. I only hope that we get many more through the years, as it’s a great anthology series. Hopefully it continues to hold the attention of Netflix’s viewers, but also help spread the beauty of short form content and stories.
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