The animated series Metalocalypse aired for four seasons on Adult Swim, from 2006 to 2012, and followed the adventures of the members of the death metal band Dethklok. There was supposed to be a fifth/final season of the series but that ultimately didn’t happen, and the one-hour rock opera special that aired in 2013 left more questions than answers. Now, a decade later, Metalocalypse fans finally get the closure they’ve been waiting for.
Dethklok consists of lead singer Nathan Explosion, drummer Pickles, lead guitarist Skwisgaar Skwigelf, rhythm guitarist Toki Wartooth, and bassist William Murderface. In the 2013 special, Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem, the Metalocalypse was looming, and the Metal Masked Assassin had kidnapped Toki Wartooth and Abigail Remeltindrinc. The rest of the band reluctantly went on a rescue mission, and in the process, they activated the power of the Doomstar, and killed the Metal Masked Assassin (or so they thought). It looked like Nathan and Abigail had become a couple, and the band’s former manager Charles Foster Offdensen had become the new high priest of the Church of the Black Klok. However, Murderface’s wrist had been wounded in the battle, and some dark force appeared to be taking over his body. Meanwhile, a mysterious tribunal containing several high-ranking government and military folks had been inexplicably watching over Dethklok’s and their activities.
And so fans were left with many open questions, such as what is happening to Murderface?, what is this tribunal all about?, what is the Metalocalypse and can it be stopped?, and so on. The good news is that Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar picks up right where the 2013 special left off, and provides answers to all of the questions and more.
As the animated film opens, the band is giving a press conference, their first since heroically rescuing Toki Wartooth. Nathan announces that the band will be launching a world tour and releasing a new record. However, Nathan’s memories of what happened when they saved Toki start to come rushing back, causing him to collapse on stage and have a breakdown. Adding to his pressure, is the fact that the Metal Masked Assassin has returned, and evil will take over planet unless the band can stop the upcoming Metalocalypse. The prophesy says that Nathan will write the “Song of Salvation”, and when it is performed, it will stop this oncoming Metalocalypse. The prophesy also tells of a secret Army of the Doomstar, that will aid the band in bringing this about.
As Nathan struggles to find the right inspiration for this world-saving song, Murderface is having a crisis of his own, wondering what his place in the band really is. He starts seeing some haunting visions of the Metal Masked Assassin, and an evil force seems to be taking over his body, as the tribunal plots to use him to locate and eliminate this mysterious Army of the Doomstar that can prevent their nefarious plans.
I wasn’t really a regular watcher of the original Metalocalypse series—I had only seen the odd episode here and there over the years. Jumping right into this movie, I wasn’t fully aware of the larger mythology and story of the series, and so I initially found some of the larger storylines to be a bit confusing. However, at the core of the film is this story about this family-like unit of the band and how they come together to help one another. The band members go on this fun, exciting, and music-filled journey—especially Nathan and Murderface—to overcome their inner demons and save the world.
As the head lyricist for the band, Nathan literally feels the weight of the world on him. He knows that he is supposed to write an uplifting song of salvation that saves the planet from the end of days, but how is he supposed to be inspired when there are several other things going on in his life that have put him in a depression?!
“ I don’t know what salvation is. Hope isn’t a metal concept. People don’t come to me for salvation. They come to me if they want a song about how your guts will be liquefied by a weed whacker. I sing about death, not about how you’ll live. And all I can think to do is write what I know. The most furious and f**ked up, the most brutal song ever written.”
To try to help him in his mission, the band heads to Dais Keep, where the Song Guru serves as a trainer and advisor, trying to get Nathan out of this funk by transforming him physically and spiritually. (This leads to some really humorous training montage sequences.)
Meanwhile, Murderface is struggling with his own inner demons as he tries to figure out his place in the band. At the same time, he’s also trying to keep the fact that some evil force is taking over—possibly putting the whole band at risk.
In addition to the very humorous (and often moronic) antics of the Dethklok band members, Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar is filled with lots of original music—both songs and score— and a new companion album, DETHKLOK Dethalbum IV, has also been released to accompany the film. I’m not really a heavy metal listener, but the music really fits the movie and helps to tell the story and inform what’s going on. There are several musical montages where the dialogue is drowned out a bit and takes a back seat so that the soundtrack can shine. You can definitely sense that the filmmakers were inspired by the classic Heavy Metal for the look and feel of the movie. The film has some great action-packed (and sometimes quite gory) sequences, and ultimately builds to a really exciting and over-the-top finale.
Warner Bros. has released Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar on both Blu-ray and DVD disc—we were sent the Blu-ray version for review. The film has a different look and animation style from the original series. While the characters still look very much themselves, everything just has a very cinematic look and feel, with a wider 2.35:1 aspect ratio. That said, the picture is generally quite clean and clear, with beautiful colors and a solid level of detail throughout. The DTS audio track provides clear dialogue (except where seemingly-purposely muddled to let the music shine through), and some excellent original music that fills the room. The track also makes nice use of the stereo and surround channels to provide a more immersive experience. This is especially noticeable during crowded concerts, or when people are talking in expansive rooms and there is this echo.
The Blu-ray disc is packed in a standard HD keepcase, along with a cardboard slipcover and an insert with instructions on how to redeem an HD Movies Anywhere compatible digital copy. A folded poster is also included inside the case. The disc contains a 24-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with the cast and crew.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:23:25)
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
- HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)
- Behind the Metal Curtain (23:49)
The cast and filmmakers discuss bringing the series to a conclusion, the writing process, the darker tone of the film, increasing the visual scope from the series, the look of the characters, making the film look more cinematic, the new animation style and their inspirations, the use of weather, 3D modeling and ink tanks, the guest voice cast, the music, and balancing the score with the heavy metal songs. It closes with a Fan Jam—a montage of footage of fans from around the world playing along to Dethklok. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with executive producer/director/writer/composer/voice actor Brendon Small, consulting story producer Mark Brooks, story Janine Ditullio & Andrew Kevin Walker, character supervisor Songgu Kwon, producer Laura Allen, animation director Mike Roush, technical Director/3D props designer/digital FX artist/supervising compositor Bryan Wieder, executive producer Antonio Canobbio, assistant director Travis Simon, art director Arthur Tang, fan/musician Kirk Hammett, Dethklok drummer Gene Hoglan, and Dethklok engineer/mixer Ulrich Wild. - Poster
Included inside the Blu-ray keepcase is a folded 18″x24″ poster matching the cover art of the Blu-ray. (A sticker on the outer cardboard slipcover indicates that this is included.)
Blu-ray:
Digital (code may not be valid after 9/30/2024):
Extras:
Final Thoughts:
Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar provides a satisfying conclusion to the Metalocalypse series, giving fans the closure they’ve been waiting for. While it may be tough for new viewers to jump in and fully understand the larger mythology of the show, the film will still be an entertaining watch, filled with humor, action and a great soundtrack. Warner Bros.’ Blu-ray release provides solid picture and sound as well as an interesting behind-the-scenes featurette, a digital copy of the movie, and a folded poster. This release is a must own for and fan of the original series.
Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar (Blu-ray)
38% Off $22.98 $14.25 (as of November 16, 2024 07:53 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar
$14.99 (as of November 16, 2024 07:53 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
