A few years back, a CGI-animated fantasy series was released on Netflix. What grabbed my attention was that it was a series created by one of my favorite directors of all time: Guillermo del Toro.
He's the genius behind movies like Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy (the good one).
The series was called Trollhunters. On the surface, it looks very much like a kid's show. And to be honest, it is. However, it's done in such a way that adults can very much appreciate the creativity, humor, special effects, and sometimes dazzling animation. If you're also a Geek, then there's lots to like.
The monsters are scary, the action is cool, and the mythology is deep enough to satisfy. My youngest son and I made it our ritual to carve out time to watch each episode together, then debate whether to watch just ONE more if it ended on a cliffhanger.
We were thrilled when another season was released.
We were even more thrilled when we witnessed subtly expanding sub-plots that ventured into unexpected territory. The town of Arcadia (where many of the adventures take place) appeared to be home to supporting characters that had stories worth telling.
Enter another series called 3Below.
This spin-off told the tale of extraterrestrials who were on the run. Suddenly, we were jumping from fantasy to sci-fi. However, it was being blended together into a seamless story that integrated with the events of Trollhunters. Each series was intertwined and seemed to occur within the same timeline.
Just like the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), the town of Arcadia was creating its own shared universe.
Fast forward to the past few months. Recently, Netflix introduced a 3rd series called Wizards. Just like the first 2 series, all the characters continue to evolve and interact. The world building continues.
As the name suggests, the primary theme of this show is magic and those who wield it. What's cool is that there's a bit of time travel that explains a lot of the events that lead up to the first series.
My kid, @koolitime, and I have just binged all the way through the final episode. It definitely had us wondering what's coming next.
We didn't have long to wait. It looks like Netflix has just announced a MOVIE (not a series) that will include the characters from all 3 series! So that's cool.
It's called Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.
Would I recommend these to an adult friend? Hmmm...I dunno. I guess it depends on their level of geek. I do admit that I found myself chuckling at a lot of the humor.
However, if you have kids, I feel like this is a no-brainer. It's something that's definitely more enjoyable with kids (assuming that you're okay with fantasy violence). Probably best for ages 8-12. Maybe a little younger or older, depending on your sensibilities.
DISCLAIMER: All images and rights to those images belong to Netflix, Dreamworks, or perhaps a combination of the two.
