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Recently, just last week no less, Cartoon Network released a brand new mini series from Owen Dennis called Infinity Train, which met with critical and viewer acclaim. Similar to Over the Garden Wall, it's only ten episodes long, but unlike that aforementioned mini series, it's planned to continue even further down the road. Honestly, while I like what they have so far, I think there's a lot of potential with this story to expand even further in tis universe. Even for something relatively short, there's quite the amount of stakes, tension, drama and even profoundness sprinkled throughout.
The series follows 12-year-old Tulip Olsen who stumbles upon a train that goes on for eternity to escape her own miserable life. Along the way, she meets a two-in-one robot companion One-One, an intelligent talking Corgi named Atticus and many more oddball characters as she searches for a way back home. The storyline of a young person ending up in a situation worse than their seemingly bleak life has been done before, but what Infinity Train succeeds at in its execution is the exploration of Tulip as a character. As the series follows her going through multiple train cars, she learns something new about not only the origins of the train's conductor, but also her past, her own insecurities and her personal strengths as a protagonist. Her own personal life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, what with her parents being divorced and all, but that doesn't mean it's worth leaving, hence her understandable goal to move from the past towards a better tomorrow. The other characters she meets are also charming in their own right, even if they're mainly either comic reliefs or minor obstacles in Tulip's way.
While the series is mainly sci-fi fantasy adventure, with several funny moments here and there, there's a surprising amount of horror displayed in it as well. The main antagonist of the series is the conductor, as well the train's steward, who not only look creepy by design, but are so determined to keep the train in order that they'll do whatever it takes to prevent Tulip from leaving, even if it means death. Most of the stakes come from their presence alone, and it's not hard to feel disturbed whenever they're around. In addition, the series has a good amount of emotional drama throughout, not just from Tulip's own life, but also her troubling situation of trying to move past it. Given that Tulip's parents splitting up has damaged her to the point of mistaking the Infinity Train for a real one, each cart she goes through represents her growth. She has to face the realities of her situation by overcoming her fears, no matter how dreadful the obstacles might be. Anyone who has gone through such hardships could feel for that, as such trauma can hit home for many individuals seeking love and care.
In terms of the visuals, the main highlight of the animation is definitely the train word building. As stated before, the series centers on Tulip going from car to car learning the ropes of her own struggles, so there are numerous set pieces worthy of admiration, such as a kingdom ruled by Corgis, a land made up of crystal gems, a car with no concrete logic or gravitational pull, and even a mirror car. One can tell that the animation team had a lot of fun putting these environments together, as they're packed to the brim with distinctive color palettes, creative design work, playful shot compositions and breathtaking scenery. As for the characters, they all display a rather cartoony flare while still sticking out well with emotive expressions and specific albeit limited gestures. Also, the synthesizer soundtrack adds in the necessary tension within the film's already established creepy tone, and it can bring life to even the calmest scenes. Props to the crew behind the special for elevating the psychological point of view of a troubled pre-teen through several inner worlds.
It's about time we had a solid blend of both drama and horror within a child's tale of self discovery. With an intriguing protagonist, charming side characters, stunning animation, and emotional resonance, Infinity Train is further proof as to why some stories are better off told as mini series instead of full-fledged shows. When you work within those limits, you can create a more highly structured narrative without going on too long, thus generating more intrigue from viewers who want to be told a story first and foremost. Here's to more possible ventures with Tulip very soon.
score 9/10
elicopperman 13 August 2019
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw5057835/ |
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9-1-2020 00:57:16
