Review: Dante’s Inferno – An Animated Epic
EA, especially recently, has done an excellent job marketing their games. A prime example is 2008′s Dead Space. Not only did they have magazine ads and the usual array of other advertisements, but launched a whole campaign that included a series of comics and a full length feature film, among a few other things. In keeping with that tradition, once again EA has come up with another excellent campaign, including a mock-up website for the most hilarious fake wii game you’ll ever see (after watching the trailer, try and pre-order the game), as well as another full length animated film to boot.
The Dante’s Inferno video game is based on the poem of the same name by Dante Alighieri, and the film is in turn based on that game. The game and film however only touch on a small part of the volume of work seen in the original poem, so don’t expect a true to form adaptation. It keeps to the same general storyline as the game – Dante, a warrior returning home from the crusades finds his home ransacked and his father murdered. Upon searching for Beatrice his betrothed, he finds her slain with Lucifer himself coming to claim her heaven bound soul. Dante, of course isn’t having any of this and sets off on an epic journey through the nine circles of hell to save her.
Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic is miles better than its Dead Space counterpart, and actually uses several different styles of animation from six different studios including Film Roman, JM Animation, Manglobe and my personal favorite of the film, Dong Woo (also responsible for “The Boondocks”). Some styles tend to work better than others however, and the more unique and interesting styles seem to have been used earlier on in the film. Also, each of the different nine circles of hell have a unique aesthetic as well, keeping them very seperate from one another which is always refreshing, allowing each of the styles to bookened important scenes.
One thing that is great to see is that the same cast was used from the game, especially since I think that Graham McTavish is absolutely perfect for the voice of Dante, so expect the same level of performance on both mediums. The orchestral music that is found in the film is also taken straight from the game and the haunting vocals of the choir and epic brass sections give weight to the battles with the larger demons.
Often times, Dante runs into the damned souls of people he knew while they were still alive. These segments break up the action scenes and allows you a small peek into Dantes past, seeing his relationship with these characters. We then get treated to Dante subsequently absolving them of thier sins or allowing them to suffer, twisting and writhing in torment, which is nice to see as this is a mechanics actually used in the game.
The flow and feel of the film can however feel unbalanced at times, as it seems to be rushing through all of the areas sure to be found in the game, but dragging the story at a snails pace. This contrast of the constant shift of scenes and the slow movement of the story is somewhat off-putting. Also, a few of the characters feel very wishy-washy, often bouncing back and forth between two extremes of morality.
SPOILER: For example, Dante’s father is potrayed as an evil man all throughout the film, but when the killer comes to Dante’s house, he suddenly appears to be a rightous saviour, willing to give his life to protect Beatrice. Later on, he tries to kill his own son for gold.SPOILER END
The contrast in character behaviour is jarring. Also, Dante is certainly no saint and commits some heavy sins, but he doesn’t seem to grasp the gravity of it all. I won’t go into too much detail to avoid spoilers, but it’s a minor complaint that I can certainly overlook considering how much I enjoyed the film over all.
Clocking in at just under an hour and a half, Dante’s Inferno – An Animated Epic is much more enjoyable than Dead Space: Downfall, boasting a better story, better animation and better acting. Overall, aside from a few glaring issues, anyone who plans on picking up the game should certainly give it a watch.
The film will be released alongside the games release on Feb. 9, 2010 on blu-ray and DVD.
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