Now stay with me here. I know the Lego Ninjago movie came out last year in September. And I understand that it is a point of topic many people have lightly brushed on, and then left to be forgotten.
However, as a long-time fan of this show, I feel honor bound to have at least one chapter dedicated to it. It was the very first cartoon I watched which wasn't entirely PG, like 3-2-1 Penguins or VeggieTales. I may have just revealed my age by mentioning those two shows, but whatever; the point stands that Ninjago introduced me to the wonder of shows based off action, taught me how to develop characters even when you may not have the most time with them, and dragged me through emotional roller coasters with each plot twist it threw at you.
You would think someone who is so attached to the series would have gone out of their way to see the movie in theaters, but this was not the case for me. Not only was I in the midst of a particularly trying college term, but the commercials scared me. I was aghast that they were not only replacing the ninjas character design, but their voices and personality as well. Filled with dread in regards to it, I decided to avoid watching it for as long as possible...but a few days ago, I finally struck up the nerve to watch it.
And, oh boy, do I have some strong opinions on this movie.
To start off with, let me introduce the main points which I shall be judging the series and movie on. Plot, Music, Characters, Voice Actors, and Art. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's start with analyzing the TV show.
Ninjago: the show
Plot: In the first season, the story started out simply enough. Kai, or the red ninja, lived in a blacksmith shop with his sister, where they followed the same career as their father had and sold weapons and armor. One day however, their village is attacked by skeleton warriors, who seem to be fixated on the very shop the two of them work at. At first the two young ones fight them off pretty well, especially when the wise man known as Sensei Wu comes; but in the end the skeletons end up abducting Nya, Kai's sister. This leaves Kai with a furious desire for revenge and to get his sister back, which is just what Wu needs in order to convince Kai to join his team of ninja. The plot then begins to become more complex from there, as it is revealed that the ninja must gather the four golden weapons in order to stop the mastermind behind the skeleton attacks, Garmadon...and it is later revealed that the weapons are needed to awaken their elemental powers as well.
Each season adds more villains and detailed storylines to the lore, including snake tribes, stone warriors and an Overlord, even robots or "nin-droids" along with ghosts. There are usually more weapons for the ninja to collect as well, whether they be fangblades, jade blades, or even technoblades. After a while it becomes a little tacky, since practically every villain becomes defeated in the same manner. But old villains do come back in newer episodes, and they will not hesitate to make references to past battles that new fans may not catch. This is important because it makes the story feel real, instead of just redoing everything each season.
For instance, take a look at the Fairy (fairly?) Oddparents. Timmy keeps getting himself into dangerous situation after dangerous situation, often in equally ridiculous ways; but he never really learns from his mistakes. In fact, I even caught him wishing for the same thing that he'd already wished for in a prior episode once. Little inconsistencies like that harm a show and solidify the knowledge that it's merely a commercially driven creation of some corporate industry.
But simple touches that are taken in Ninjago, like Kai starting to become more soft-spoken and understanding towards his teammates, Nya learning about mechanics through her knowledge of blacksmithing and the various times she'd been left alone on Destiny's Bounty, Cole starting to relax more after his father approved his lifestyle and openly showing traits besides being a ninja...these are small things, for sure, but important nonetheless. There are more examples of this, such as when Zane offered up his life for his friends and Jay chooses to let a djinn torture him rather than put Nya in harms way; but most of the best cases of this are also huge spoilers, so I won't reveal them.
Overall: The plot is mediocre at times, but it shows a great example of what a good kids show should have; stories with overarching plots and action that doesn't try to hide the fact that sometimes bad things occur.
Music:
Well, it's hard to describe this accurately, but simply listening to this one song can help you visualize what I mean. Ninjago's soundtrack always sounded genuine to me, even though as a young child I didn't know the most about Japanese history or music. But the flute playing and the subtle "oof" noises in the background just seemed to fit the theme of the show. The tune is playful, and quite uplifting at first; but there are some darker beats as well, to symbolize that though the ninja may receive victories and great friendships at times, there is always evil that will be laying in wait for them as well. The way the track ends always made me think of running, like they were running towards the threat with weapons bared.
The other soundtracks work the same way, as they beautifully assist the listener in imagining that they are truly in an Asian-based world where ninja battle ghosts with fidget spinner powers. They are all done by an authentic, japanese instrumented orchestra and it really sounds like it. In fact, even as an adult who doesn't watch children's shows nearly as much as I used to, whenever I hear a new season of Ninjago is coming out I always look up the opening and listen to it, for the remixes they make alone are unique and interesting.
So my overall opinion of the music is that it's pretty darn good.
Characters:
The characters of Ninjago have been a slightly controversial point with me and my friends. Most of them seem to think that each member of the cast shares no differing qualities besides the fact that they wear differently colored clothing, and fail to recognize the personalities each of them come with as well. Kai may be called the hothead of the group, but he runs into action less and less through each season, even playing the part of negotiator between his team and a villain in season four. He gradually matures into a sensible fighter, who realizes that the only life skill he's ever really accumulated is how to fight, and he regrets that. In fact, in season four he gets a helluva lot of development, as we see that he fights in bars in order to get by and that his need to lash out at people has been replaced with a desire to know more about his past.
Nya starts out as a damsel in distress, for though she shows remarkable strength in the first episode for someone who received no professional training, she gets captured and used as bait for her brother Kai. She is a more believable one though, for she gets understandably frightened by the Shadow Lord who captured her and then afterwards works to better herself by building an awesome mech and fighting in it under the guise of Samurai X; that is, until it is revealed in Season 5 that she is the water ninja, at which point she trains to unlock her true potential. It never feels like her skills are rushed, as each episode with her in it shows and explains how she gradually comes to have her skills, so she isn't automatically turned into a Mary Sue character. She has flaws just like any person would, which helped me to solidify an image of her in my mind.
Jay was at first the quirky inventor of the group, and he still kinda is...especially when it comes to him being used as the comedic device for most of the episodes. He tends to get scared easily, even though he is by far the fastest to pick up on new techniques and skills. He learned how to use spinjitzu, airjitzu, and the digiverse faster than any of the other ninjas, but his talents do not lie solely in picking up things and being good at repairs. He is arguably the most successful ninja when it comes to romance, as he is extremely sentimental when it comes to Nya and sacrifices himself to save her again, and again, and again. The boy is a glutton for punishment, I'm telling you.
Cole is, unfortunately, one of the lesser developed characters in the show, which I think is sad. He certainly has a lot of great potential; he joined Sensei Wu's group even when his father wanted him to join a dancing school, and was able to regain his father's pride in him by going to a talent show and not only mastering a dance move he had failed years before, but by stopping serpentine from stealing the award and making a scandal out of the event. He was thus able to show his father that he did respect him, and wanted to make him happy...but that he was going to do it his way.
Lloyd is, to put it bluntly, the "chosen one." He doesn't start off as a naive farm boy though, like most characters who follow the trope...no, he is the ambitious son of Garmadon who abandoned his boarding school to enforce"terror" onto a nearby village. After completely failing this and getting humiliated by the ninja, he heads into the mountains and accidentally let's free several serpentine tribes that have one goal on their mind; destroying Ninjago. At first Lloyd is fine with this plan, but after the ninja capture him and his uncle Sensei Wu explains the immorality of his actions, he repents and even joins their side. At first he is nothing but a prankster-loving miscreant aboard their ship, but after it is revealed that he is the green ninja he dedicates himself to learning how to fight and control his powers. Though he doesn't go off to the best start; needing his father to save him after a failed attempt to save the ninja in All of Nothing, and getting his leg broken when he first tried to stop his father; in the end he fulfill his destiny and becomes a capable leader of the team, as his experiences have honed his best qualities to a perfected point.
Now, I could mention many other characters from the show, but for the sake of brevity I shall end this section here.
Voice Actors:
Now, I'll sound pretty biased here, but as someone who grew up with these voices I always thought they fit perfectly. Vincent Tong knew just how to make Kai sound youthful yet mature at the same time, Brent Miller did a perfect job of having Zane sound serious and a bit detached, even when during dramatic moments, Michael Adamthwaite performs outstandingly as Jay, as every time I listen to him I always admire the different vocal ranges he can reach so easily; Kirby Morrow was a favorite VA of mine even before Ninjago, as he also voiced Miroku from Inuyasha, and I had no clue Lloyd was voiced by a girl until I looked it up. Paul Dobson has an impressive array of voice talents as well, as he voices not only Sensei Wu but Zane's father, several of the enemies, and even Garmadon as well. Kelly Metzger does a serviceable job; she isn't the best I've heard, but she's far from the worst either. I'm content with most of the voices in the show actually...except for the performances given in Season 6. Several of the villains had simply cringy voices, especially if you include the pathetic green snake who goes by Klancy. In fact, the voices for season 6 were one of the main reasons my thoughts for the show have been turning more negative, and Day of the Departed and Season 7 simply continued the terrible casting. While the voice acting is far from perfect, the earlier seasons had amazing voice actors who actually gave a damn about what they were doing, so I wouldn't say it's a complete failure either.
Art:
Ooh boy, this is probably where I shall be the most critical.
Now, when I was younger, I loved the art and thought it was amazing. The different scenes of a tranquil village, treacherous mountains, drifting clouds, and underground caverns...back then I couldn't get enough of it. But now that I am older, I know that more is needed than a diversity in scenery in order to classify something as having good art. For I can often spot imperfections in the 3D scenes where they obviously didn't patch things up, and the characters don't have a lot of variety or freedom in their movements. Part of it is the fact they are legos, of course...but scenes where they are supposed to be screaming or frowning are lessened because of the small range their mouths move. Their limbs also move around in a stiff manner, which again, makes sense; but their arms at least should be moving in a more fluid way, so that they don't seem like attached balloons constantly. The colors aren't very impressive, and while they at least don't clash too horribly, backgrounds tend not to stand out and just seem rather bland. This is definitely something they should improve...and after seeing the Son of Garmadon trailer, it looks like it shall.
Ninjago: the movie
Plot:
This plot is...decent. I'll start off with that. The main point of the movie is basically for Lloyd to reunite with his dad by foiling all his evil plans to take over the city, and eventually bond with him while his ninja team have him captured on their way to find the objects needed to restore their elemental powers. It's pretty silly to be honest, which is understandable when rated towards kids...but in comparison with both the tv show and prior Lego movies released, it's pretty pathetic. Those forms of entertainment were ones both kids and adults could enjoy, and though the plot of the show was oftentimes simple as well, it never seemed as condescending as this film. Tropes regarding the ninja team, storyline and character relationships were heavily utilized and never really tried to be anything unique. The randomness of bringing an actual cat into the lego world felt bland to me, after what I'd seen in the Lego Movie, and most of the action scenes were too flashy and fast for me to really enjoy either. I think the most entertaining portion of the movie was when it was revealed what happened to all of Garmadon's staff when he threw them out the volcano, which I appreciated since I've always wanted some sort of henchman uprising from all the poor stormtroopers and orcs out there that were constantly being abused by their employers. But while there were many other scenes which brought a grin out of me, the overall story seemed like a regurgitated version of Return of the Jedi, since both parents and sons start off on opposite sides but then like each other in the end. All in all, I was pretty bored by it.
Music:
In the movie they tried to modernize the music, and it really shows. Though none of the music is inherently bland, it sounds mediocre compared to the show's soundtrack. None of the songs really stood out to me, and the ones that got me pumping my head were covers of other songs Sensei Wu did with his flute.
Characters:
This was probably the biggest letdown for me, because Ninjago's biggest strength has always been it's characters for me. Whether it was the main cast or the side ones, there were skills and flaws each person individually owned which not only made them fleshed out, but also made them unique. If someone were to replace Jay with Justin Bieber, for instance, there would instantly be something missing in the show. No one has quite the same wacky sense of humor or terrible yet cute laugh, or possesses the ability to complain while also assisting someone voluntarily. However, in the movie, everyone was a cookie cutter character. Sensei Wu didn't change much, since he's always kinda been the same indecipherable mentor; but Lloyd went from being in a confused mix of admiration and shock at his father's outlandish behavior, to a bullied teen that has definite daddy issues. In the show it was easier to root for him, since we saw he was regretfully pushing aside the love he felt for his father in order to do what was right, and he felt guilty because of it; but in the movie, he seems more like a toddler having a temper tantrum, constantly putting his friends at risk while he whines about his father never being there for him. It frustrated me because though it is important that characters have some flaws, they took his personality to a very different level, and I was upset how childish they made him.
The other ninjas also suffer, as barely any of them have lines in the story and when they do, it's to solidify the stereotypes they have been given. Kai is made into the dark, emo member of the group; Nya has been turned into a punk girl for some reason, who wears black leather and spikes all the time; Zane is a robot and that's about it, while Jay has retained his complaining nature while also abandoning all of the quirks that made him funny. Cole was given a little more identity, as it was revealed that he loves music and dancing, but there was nothing more shown, and his leadership skills were practically nonexistent.
They did manage to get Garmadon's personality down, and for that I am grateful...it's still better than Dragonball Evolution, I suppose. But the damage was already done in my opinion, and his humorous comments and characteristics weren't enough to redeem my view of the movie.
Voice Actors:
Again, just so you're carefully warned, I am very biased when it comes to the voice actors. I thought the original crew were perfect and I felt very peeved when they changed the cast for the videogames, but hoped things would be different for the movies. I did so in vain.
Not only did they completely change all the voice actors, but they altered the voices to such an extent that it was hard for me to see them on the screen and realize they were the same characters I had come to know and love.
First off, I'll start with the ones which were decent; Sensei Wu, Nya, Lloyd and Zane. Though they all sounded way different, their voices didn't change their style too much, and fit in with the type of character they were trying to portray. They also didn't make me cringe, or clashed with the original voices much either, so for that I give them props.
But for Kai, Cole, Misako, Garmadon, and especially Jay...it was a very different story. Misako was another character they completely altered in the movie, so for the person she was trying to portray, it worked. But when I listened to her and thought about Kathleen Barr, who always sounded experienced and mature, I pretty quickly noticed there was a wide gap in skill. Garmadon sounded more comedic than serious, which again fit the feeling they were going for, but when I switched from watching an episode to seeing a scene from the movie there was another large gap among them. Cole always sounded sort of musical when he talked, as he had this small rasp that Kirby Morrow can handle so perfectly...but the movie interpretation was just normal. I can tell that whoever played him didn't change their voice much, as it sounded just like a man in their thirties. Kai barely spoke in the movie, so his voice's butchery wasn't as recognizable; but he was played by an American instead of an Asian like before, and it thus made me die a little when I heard it. I'm not the kind of person who cries about race injustice, but hearing his voice alone made me want to take on the girth of a SJW.
And then there was Jay...oh boy, where to begin. All the little lilts and outcries, the eccentric tones and ranges Adamthwaite could do...they all disappeared, to be replaced by a man of middling age who can only do one voice; and that's a young Ben Stiller voice. A really, really cringy version. I think his got the most upset, just because of how talented his original VA was in comparison. There's really not much more to say...except how disappointed I was with these voices.
Art:
Now, for the art section of this, I was quite pleased. It didn't have the same animation as the show, and that worked completely to its favor. The lego buildings were all complex and interesting, especially Garmadon's volcanic base; and the scenes taken in wildlife were the most outstanding, as the views were all naturally pleasing to the eye and several shots were ones worthy of making into a desktop wallpaper. I wouldn't say it was as varied as the Lego Movie's, or as grand in scale as the Batman one, but for what it was it was fairly good.
Now after reviewing them both back to back, you can probably tell what kind of score I'll give each of them. I'll rate the show a 4/5, and the movie a 2/5. Both of them aren't perfect, nor entirely bad; but the movies flaws definitely outnumber the ones the show possesses.
Before I close this chapter with the recommendations however, I just wanted to give all those I roleplay with a quick update. Now that college is starting I shall barely be available, as I have classes from 9-4, a job from 4:30-8, and then I usually study until 10, where depending on my mood or level of weariness I may stay up to roleplay or go to sleep. And to give you a look at how many rps I'm in, and what preference I'll use to respond, here's a list:
1. Group Roleplays with Anon; this is a highly literate roleplay, so I may want to write those responses first since chances are, people will pay attention to them.
2. Royals Roleplay; there aren't really any rules about being literate, so I can quickly write a response if tired.
3. Ostrakon, my roleplay; For obvious reasons this is prioritized, as I am needed to move the plot and already feel guilty about leaving roleplayers on there in the lurch.
4. Heroes roleplay; again, this is a literate roleplay, and some sort of constant activity is needed in it.
5. Silver Oaks; this is also a literate roleplay, but I shall probably save it for last since nothing of import is happening yet.
6. Zombie/Harry Potter/Tradition roleplay; These three are grouped together because I'm in similar quandaries with each of them. With the zombie one none of my characters have really gotten responses, so I can't do much, the Harry Potter one I'm frankly uninspired with, and I have yet to make my forms for Tradition.
7. About 5 private roleplays; to those I am having an individual rp with in pms, know that I truly do wish to respond! I just have filled up my schedule and run out of free time, so I am having some issues finding an available moment to reply.
So that's all of them. Once again, I'm sorry if I don't respond instantly or just seem to disappear for a day; I'm expecting my classes to become much harder, and I shall still do my darndest to remain active here regardless.
Now for something fun:
Recommendations
(These will be a little short, since this is the fifth time Wattpad has made me rewrite this part of the chapter.)
1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
This a great book and you should all read it in Spanish, like I had to for college freshman year :,)
2. .fun
This is a unique indie band that writes great songs and should really become more active in the music community. They were a big part of my childhood, as when everyone else I knew started fawning over Justin Bieber or One Direction, they were always my favorite band and made me interested in starting one of my own. That was before I realized I had no friends.
3. Devilman: Crybaby
I've only seen one episode of this so far and I can already tell it's good shizzle mcdizzle. The music and characters are great, and there's absolutely NO fanservice, gore, or spotty animation at all!