Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar is the brand-new movie from the brilliant mind of creator Brendon Small dropping August 22. In fact, the movie was written and directed by Brendon Small who did an absolutely amazing job bringing this magnus opus to life.
Aside from being visually stunning, the plot is spot on and the characters which comprise the band Dethklok are written in epic, bigger than life fashion, which metal demands. It’s a fun movie to watch delivering an even amount of drama to balance out the comedy, and because the writing is so good, you’re immediately drawn into the film, and it stays that way till the end.
The movie takes place after the rescue of Toki Wartooth. Lead singer Nathan Explosion finds himself traumatized physically after a band press conference goes wrong, and emotionally after his beloved Abigail refutes his marriage proposal. If that’s not enough, he’s also tasked with writing the “song of salvation” to save the planet and defeat the ultimate evil of Salacia. No pressure, right? Will the power of metal save the day? Will Nathan get Abigail back? You’ll have to watch Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar to find out.
I miss animated rock ‘n’ roll movies, especially those that are done well. The last real one that comes to mind is the greatest of them all, Heavy Metal. That’s the flick by which other movies get measured. So how does Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar fare against Heavy Metal? It’s a solid number two; it’s that damn good. There’s a lot of different moments throughout this movie that remind me of Heavy Metal without drawing direct comparisons between the two.
There’s also a heavy psychedelic vibe that runs through the underbelly of Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar which reminds me—in a way—of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine, just heavier and way more metal. Since I’m on this topic, the visuals in this film are absolutely hypnotic, and the way they’re presented to the audience is done in both a measured and compelling manner—That is, they don’t overpower a scene or dominate the flick. They just enhance the movie when they appear.
I’ll put this out there for the universe at large to consume. If Brendon Small does a sequel to Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar—and he should—add in elements from Heavy Metal. I can only imagine Dethklok possessing the Loc Nar and what that might entail. Overall, I can’t recommend this movie enough. It’ll satisfy metal fans, Dethklok fans, hell, everyone. Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar is a face-melting, heavy metal masterpiece. Don’t rent it; BUY it.
