SATANIK

There is much that I love about Satanik, and very few faults I find in it, thus I shall start with the faults. The three problems with this movie are voice acting, narrative, and timing. Satanik was cursed to be release practically moments before 3dmm expansions really took off, leaving the comic effect, that Andres was attempting, rather primitive in comparison of what could have been. This is not a reason to deduct points of any sort, or even dislike the movie in any way, as this is beyond control of the director. It is merely sad that the movie could not be as beautiful as intended. But, Andres’ vision is clear, and it works incredibly well, even without advanced expansions.

The second fault lies in the voice acting. Jaymond and Barton did an amazing job, as did the supporting cast… it is the voice of Dana that I could not stand. It wasn’t her voice itself; it was the sheer lack of any sense of emotion. It was far too obvious that she was reading. It also sounded like it was her first time reading the lines, and she was thinking how to say the lines while saying them. It didn’t work, at all, and really killed any scenes with her in them for me. But alas, I know far too well the daunting task that is obtaining women voice actors. It’s impossible. I don’t hold it against Andres in any way, and I’m not going to let it deter me from the collective masterpiece of Satanik.

The fault of narrative is present in only one scene, right before the big heist. Satanik walks in screen, a black screen, and explains what has happened and is happening. I seriously did not appreciate this scene. It was superfluous in the sense that anybody who would actually need Satanik to explain the plot thus far might as well stop watching the movie. Perhaps Andres felt some parts were vague and could be misinterpreted, and was worried that people would complain that the flow was awkward and hard to follow. I felt it the complete opposite, and that this scene was so out of place that it was like a dam for the flow of the plot. I was into the movie, and then wham! Right in my face. This scene was unneeded, and I feel it detracted from the experience of watching the movie.

And that’s it; those are the only faults I can find. Everything else, I loved. I loved the comic book style, with the scenes imitating frames of comic books. I loved the colours and the design. I loved the plot and the characters. The dialogue in this movie was brilliant, containing a completely sick and twisted emotion knot in ever line that came out of Satanik, especially those he shared with Dana. Again, it is a shame Dana had a terrible voice actor, as it made the lines very awkward, and not… right. But listening to the words and not the pronunciation, the lines are amazing. Satanik is a truly sick individual, as is Dana. This shows in their dialogue even more than their actions.

The plot, as I mentioned, I love. It’s a heist movie, yet more. The intertwining focus of Satanik and the Mercier throughout the movie keeps the flow interesting. The time spent focusing on either character is not so lengthy as to bore the audience, it is perfectly balanced. This is not to say I would ever get bored of a pure focus on Satanik or Mercier, as I find both characters extremely intriguing, but I can understand that some people would. Either way, the plot is solid. Ever scene is entertaining and purposeful. I am not familiar with the works of Pietro Granelli, so I am unsure as to whether the plot is original, or an adaptation. I know the characters are based on his works, and I would think the story is as well, but this is beside the point. The film version works, on many levels.

The music is fitting, as would be expected. The credit music, even with its over-the-top humour and eyebrow-raising lyrics, fits. I have always enjoyed the music in Andres’ movies, and Satanik is no exception. The favourite piece plays during the introductory credits, which is also a beautifully executed sequence. I love the cartoon motion of the text and the 2D forms of the characters, as well as the smoothness of it all. Very enjoyable, made me excited to watch the full movie.

Satanik is a masterpiece in the purest form of the word. It has its faults, with the vision is there. Execution never turns out like one expects, even when they claim to be satisfied with their work. I have never been fully satisfied with anything I have ever made. I have accepted completion, liked it, but always feel more could be done. I don’t hold Dana’s voice against Andres. But that scene, with Satanik explaining the plot… I really didn’t like that. Still… perhaps I’m being too lenient… but I can’t justify, based solely on the one scene, giving it any lower than:

10/10