Godspeed, Batman! Dawn of the Nugget - Renegade Animation #129
In this episode, Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru shine the Indie Spotlight on the pilot for Olen Rogers' new series Godspeed, and discuss Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and Merry Little Batman!
What’s going on, everyone? This is your Captain speaking, alongside my co-host and editor of the podcast, the Animation Guru. We have a great episode to share this week, as we shine the Indie Spotlight on Olen Rogers’ new series Godspeed. We’re also discussing the highly anticipated sequel from Aardman Animation, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, and DC’s Merry Little Batman! Tune into the podcast to hear the full discussion, while you’re waiting till the last second to wrap all your presents!
Godspeed
We’ve said this pretty much every time we cover a new pilot, but if we want to see indie animation become “the future,” then we have to be there to support all of it! Take Godspeed for example, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller with a great hook: we follow Iris (voiced by Bryce Charles) and her karaoke-bot named Bowie (voiced by Olen Rogers) as they embark on a perilous journey through a planet-ending storm in the hopes of reuniting with their family.
“Alongside Monkey Wrench and Lackadaisy, Olan Roger’s Godspeed is a triumph in the indie animation scene with a fantastic dystopian sci fi thriller that definitely makes me want to see more.“ -The Animation Guru
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
The first Chicken Run was a childhood staple of mine, one that I still own on VHS. I’m not quite sure if the sequel is as good as the original, but I still had a great time watching it. Most of the original cast returns to reprise their roles, but the most notable exceptions are Thandiwe Newton stepping in as the new voice of Ginger, while Zachary Levi is the new Rocky. Bella Ramsay is the scene stealer as their daughter Molly, who happens to have one of the best arcs of the film. The animation is spectacular, as one should expect from Aardman Animations, and the bright colors and playful humor contrast nicely with the high stakes of the new nugget farm, ran by an old arch nemesis.
“While the sequel can never be the original film, Dawn of the Nugget offers an entertaining twist on the Mission Impossible formula as Ginger and the gang must rescue her daughter from the hands of a sinister old enemy.“ -The Animation Guru
Merry Little Batman
This was just delightful from start to finish! It walked a fine line between sweet and silly, which is what you would normally expect from many of the great Holiday classics. And while this is certainly an Elseworlds interpretation of these characters, particularly Luke Wilson’s take on Bruce Wayne and the phenomenal Yonas Kibreab voicing perhaps the most likable version of Damian Wayne I’ve seen throughout various adaptations, they still stay true to their core traits. The art style is a lot of fun, almost like a children’s book come to life, while the action is well choreographed.
“Merry Little Batman combines Batman with wintertime festivities, Home Alone antics, and genuine heart with this Christmas wonderland take on the dark knight.“ -The Animation Guru
That’ll do it for this episode! Thank you all for joining us, and we hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We have provided resources for those who wish to support the victims of the Israel-Hamas war: https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/, https://www.ifnotnowmovement.org/, https://itch.io/b/2120/games-for-gaza, https://www.instagram.com/palestineredcrescent/, https://buildpalestine.com/2021/05/15/trusted-organizations-to-donate-to-palestine/, https://www.npr.org/2023/10/13/1205235922/help-israel-gaza-humanitarian-organizations.
