1. Enter the Sky Pirates
Now with a far clearer mission in mind, Niko, Lyra, and Mandok are ready to face the evil volcano and wicked Nar Est. Of course, the new challenge is making it to the volcano first. “From the Shattering Springs to the Clouds of Chaos” opens with them pursued by a bunch of giant chicken/dinosaur creatures in a scene that reminded me immensely of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Mandok pulls them onto a geyser and before they know it, they’re launched on deck of a flying pirate ship. Or rather, a gentlemen and ladies of fortune ship. The sail is held together with tape, a patchwork of material. Like always, Niko and the Sword of light has some interesting design ideas, though often times the budget doesn’t seem big enough for the animators to realize everything they’re aiming for.
More than that, the pirates have some ongoing beef with Mandok because it seems Mandok just makes everyone’s life that much more difficult.
2. Wrapping Up Loose Ends
This episode addresses some of the lingering plot threads from the front half of the season. It’s here, while walking the plank, that Mandok finally confesses to having been sent to spy on Lyra and Niko. “It’s a double-double cross!” he says, struggling to figure out his ongoing web of deceit. Forgiveness is pretty quick. Niko, as always, is immediately willing to see the best in people. Lyra has to work through his past actions to decide Mandok’s all right after all. By the end of the episode, they’re all able to continue on their merry way.
The episode also wraps up the thing with the pillbug Nar Est has been using to track the ground. From afar, high up in his volcano, Nar Est sweeps a bunch of dark magic and turns the thing into a giant flying squid that shoots lightning.
3. What We Talk About When We Talk About the Designs
One of the strongest elements of Niko and the Sword of Light has consistently been its designs. The monsters are interesting mashups of easily identifiable creatures, something sure to spark its young audience’s imaginations. The lightning squid has a translucent skull full of dark magic and shoots beams of light out of its sphincter mouth. There’s also the bird/dinosaur things at the opening (though you could argue dinosaurs are already birds so there can’t really be a hybrid of them, but that’s really missing the point completely) with their macaw feathers and snarling snouts.
I’m also about the photographic work the animators are trying to put here. The transition between the bright blue smooth sailing skies and the evil purples and magentas of the lightning squid is handled with aplomb. Michael Moloney has a firm grip on his sense of space. He liberally apes from Wrath of Khan for the climatic showdown, the monster sliding past the sky ship in eerie silhouette. I hope if the show gets a second season, Amazon ups the budget a lot because you see all these ideas and elements on the screen but they struggle to come to life. When a tentacle hits the deck, there’s very little damage. The ship never feels like an operational pirate ship because there’s just too few characters, though Moloney has the animators have them scramble around as best he can. As Niko and the Sword of Light grows more confident in its story, it’s somewhat disheartening to see its production values struggle to meet its ambition.
4. In the Volcano
I’m not entirely sure if Nar Est is a scary villain. An effective villain. Much of a villain at all. Yes, he has all the hallmarks of evil, with the floaty phantom thing and ability to corrupt any of the creatures he wants throughout the world. Yet, the show presents him as a sort of doofus. None of his spells work out too well. His henchmen are incompetent at best; they’re also constantly getting on his nerves. He claims to have all these grandoise plans but, as far as I can see, he hasn’t done anything. Any of his influence is lingering from his coup centuries ago. The only true motivation, beyond the abstract grab for power, I know he wants is to return to his corporeal form. But would he even be as powerful if he had a body?
Continued belowPoint being: he’s not scary enough or threatening enough to be truly memorable, even with Steve Blum’s performance.
5. Flicker’s Expression
My favorite part of this week’s episode involved Flicker, the flying caterpillar thing. Niko is hurled into oblivion by the lightning squid, only to be saved at the last second by Flicker, now equipped with brand new wings. Niko’s grateful, sure, but he’s not about to lose sight of his mission. Sword held high, he yells at Flicker to charge. And, for a few quick frames, we’re given a look at Flicker’s overall exhaustion and exasperation. He rolls his eyes, takes a moment to gather his wits, and charges. It’s the best.
