After reading so many negative reviews, I was pleasantly surprised by "Heavy Metal 2000." It makes a noble effort to pay homage to its predecessor but unfortunately lacks that movie's loony spontaneity.
The animation is on the same level as a DC Animated Original, with some dated CG effects added in. These do look a bit janky now, but at least the animators were trying to do something interesting. They use CGI for only a few scenes and particularly for one alien character, which does lend those moments an otherworldly quality.
This movie does improve on the original in one aspect: its blending of heavy metal music with the orchestral soundtrack. In the first film, the songs seemed almost an afterthought. Here, they feel more organic, injected when something brutal or unexpected is happening onscreen.
I liked that the villain is a throwback to the transformative powers of the Loch-Nar; he starts the movie as a normal guy and quickly morphs into the personification of evil. Julie Strain's character is great, single-minded in her quest for revenge and using every available opportunity to pummel her enemy. I also like the design of many of the aliens, particularly Zeek.
If anything, the movie's weakness is that it doesn't go far enough with its excesses. The literally cartoonish violence, gore, and nudity of the original are toned down, most noticeably in a few sequences that directly allude to the first film. Still, this movie could've just cashed in on the franchise name and gotten away with being a lot less ambitious.
The animation is on the same level as a DC Animated Original, with some dated CG effects added in. These do look a bit janky now, but at least the animators were trying to do something interesting. They use CGI for only a few scenes and particularly for one alien character, which does lend those moments an otherworldly quality.
This movie does improve on the original in one aspect: its blending of heavy metal music with the orchestral soundtrack. In the first film, the songs seemed almost an afterthought. Here, they feel more organic, injected when something brutal or unexpected is happening onscreen.
I liked that the villain is a throwback to the transformative powers of the Loch-Nar; he starts the movie as a normal guy and quickly morphs into the personification of evil. Julie Strain's character is great, single-minded in her quest for revenge and using every available opportunity to pummel her enemy. I also like the design of many of the aliens, particularly Zeek.
If anything, the movie's weakness is that it doesn't go far enough with its excesses. The literally cartoonish violence, gore, and nudity of the original are toned down, most noticeably in a few sequences that directly allude to the first film. Still, this movie could've just cashed in on the franchise name and gotten away with being a lot less ambitious.