I stumbled upon the 2021 animated adventure back in 2021, but I didn't sit down to watch it back then, as I must admit that I just didn't find any appeal in the art style used to bring the tale alive on the screen. Then I stumbled upon it again in 2022, and I opted to sit down and watch it this time.
And I will say that "The Spine of Night" was interesting. It was a rather nicely well-written tale of magic and malevolence. And it certainly is something that will find some appeal with fans of the fantasy and adventure genres, especially so if you are familiar with role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and such.
The storyline, as written by Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King, was actually enthralling and had lots of interesting contents to it. Keep in mind, though, that this is not an animated movie for a younger audience. The contents of the storyline is rather mature, and contains lots of explicit violence and bloodshed, and also nudity.
"The Spine of Night" has a good ensemble of voice actors, with the likes of Lucy Lawless, Richard E. Grant, Patton Oswalt and Larry Fessenden among many others. I especially liked the fact that they had Lucy Lawless to voice the leading role of Tzod, that was just nice.
Visually and in terms of the art style, then "The Spine of Night" does leave for something to be wanted. I mean, the art style and animation is good, but I found it to be a bit crude and could have used with a more artistic touch.
If you enjoy the fantasy genre, then you should give "The Spine of Night" a chance, should you have the opportunity to watch it. I was actually pleasantly surprised with the storyline.
My rating of "The Spine of Night" lands on a six out of ten stars.
The Spine of Night
2021
Action / Adventure / Animation / Fantasy / Horror / Sci-Fi
The Spine of Night
2021
Action / Adventure / Animation / Fantasy / Horror / Sci-Fi
Plot summary
To put an end to the eternal vigil of the all-powerful guardian of the last light of the gods, an unfathomable source of inexhaustible cosmic knowledge and power, Tzod, the fierce high priestess of the great jungle swamp called Bastal, braves the elements ascending an unforgiving, snow-covered mountaintop. As her long and arduous journey finally comes to an end, Tzod encounters the ancient sentinel of the bloom and its mystical blue flame and recounts the tale of how a single spore has changed the world below: a blood-soaked, centuries-old story of corruption, greed, tyranny, and destruction against the backdrop of the never-ending quest for control, influence, and illumination. But, humankind's atrocities echo through eternity, and heroes are always those who are expendable. Can a single petal of the small blue flower restore balance to the universe?
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Top cast
Tech specs
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There shall be blood in this fantasy tale of magic and malevolence...
Kill the scholars
This is a medieval fantasy tale that centers on a Tzod, a swamp witch and her quest to stop a scholar who has stolen the power of the bloom from her and is using it for evil. The film has animated nudity which brings flashbacks to Heavy Metal, but doesn't have a soundtrack that comes close. I found the tale on the boring side and nodded off once. Too much talking and explaining the plot.
The best western adult animated movie since Heavy Metal 1981
I have seen my fair share of animated movies - effortlessly more than 98% of casual viewers. To those who have worked on this movie - if you are reading this - bravo. The story is intriguing. The music spot on. This is obviously a work of passion and homage, but it already feels like one couldn't reliably date it, were it given to someone without telling them when it was produced. This movie will be found and enjoyed by those lucky and inquisitive enough for decades to come!
Going on a tangent: The warring Olympian-Titan myth in this movie is a gem. "The greater the sin, the greater the mercy: the deeper the death and the brighter the rebirth"
And a further side note: Sure, everyone reading this would have seen better animation and have heard a more memorable soundtrack - give me Hans Zimmer and the Ghibli Team and you'd get both. I can think of plenty of movies where the violence (animated or not) is "cool". There's nothing of the sort here.