Elemental Digman - Renegade Animation #111
In this episode, Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru discuss the Comedy Central animated series Digman!, and Disney/Pixar's Elemental.
What’s going on, everyone? This is your Captain speaking, and the timing of this episode could not be any better! June has been a busy month for animation fans, and according to box office analysts, early estimates suggest that we’ll see two animated film claim the top 2 spots this weekend. One of those two, Disney/Pixar’s Elemental, is the subject of this week’s podcast, while we also discuss Comedy Central’s newest animated series, Digman! Tune into the episode to hear the full discussion.
Digman!
If you’re a fan of The Lonely Island, DuckTales, Indiana Jones, and/or National Treasure, then this series was made for you! On paper, you might think an entire adult animated series centered around Andy Samberg’s comedic impression of Nicolas Cage would get old, but Digman! has so much more to offer. The show has a great cast of characters, it’s packed with great verbal and physical comedy, and the adventures they embark on are genuinely thrilling. I would certainly recommend adding this to your pre-game in preparation for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny!
“For the first few months of this year, I was worried about the state of adult animation after the disaster that was 2022 where animated films and shows were getting canceled left and right. Didn't help that we were starving for interesting films and shows to talk about until we were getting the slow rollout of fun art to talk about. Digman! is one of those surprises that help diversify the animated series aimed at adults. It's funny, action-packed, compelling, and just a wild ride from start to finish. The fact it's a Comedy Central show that got renewed for a second season, hopefully, shows that they are more committed than ever to not just rely on South Park as their one animated series to push on a channel that feels like it's on its last legs. I mean, you can describe a lot of channels like that, but still. If you haven't seen Digman! yet, then please give it a chance. It's only 8 episodes and it's a rip-roaring good time.“ -The Animation Guru
Elemental
Generally speaking, Cameron and I both enjoyed this movie. I just personally happen to love it more, despite recognizing some of its apparent flaws. One thing you can’t deny about Pixar is that they’re never finished pushing the envelope with their animation. These character designs, particularly our two romantic leads, are some of the most creative I’ve seen from this studio. When it comes to the writing, I’ll concede that it absolutely feels like a feature debut, which could explain many of its narrative and thematic shortcomings. However, what worked for me were the relationships between the characters, and Thomas Newman’s incredible score!
“While it’s world building and writing are not the strongest, this Pixar romcom offers delightful twist and turns through a visually stunning and intimate experience.“ -The Animation Guru
That’ll do it for this episode! Thank you all for joining us! Please visit https://entertainmentcommunityfund.org/ and donate under the designation of Film and Television if you wish to support those that are effected by the 2023 WGA Writers’ Strike!
