Zack Snyder's Latest Project Slays With Blood-Soaked Action: But Is It Enough?

Zack Snyder's partnership with Netflix has been a story of diminishing returns, with projects like Army of the Dead and the Rebel Moon films (and their shamelessly marketed director's cuts) promising more than they can deliver. So, when the news broke that Snyder was working on an animated Netflix series based on Norse mythology, it's safe to say that expectations were tempered. What we got is Zack Snyder's Twilight of the Gods, an ultra-violent animated series that is more than just Kill Bill in Viking clothing.

Twilight of the Gods takes its cues from the Norse mythological canon, reimagining the gods as fallible, complex characters with a penchant for the dramatic and the bloody. The animation is striking, with a kinetic energy that propels the action sequences forward with reckless abandon. It's clear that Snyder had a field day with the freedom of animation, indulging in imaginative set pieces and gut-wrenching violence that would be all but impossible to replicate in live-action.

But despite its technical prowess and undeniable energy, Twilight of the Gods can't shake the feeling that it's a hollow exercise in style over substance. Snyder's influences are writ large on the series, from the aforementioned Kill Bill to anime classics like Berserk and Claymore. While these influences are worn proudly on the series' sleeve, they often feel like they're prioritized over the narrative itself.

The story of Twilight of the Gods is drawn from Norse mythology, but it's been tweaked and arranged to suit Snyder's sensibilities. This means that we get reimagined takes on classic characters like Odin, Thor, and Freyja, each one fleshed out with their own brand of drama and angst. It's a sprawling narrative that takes in everything from gods and monsters to royalty and peasant rebels. While this may sound heady on paper, in practice it often feels like a disconnected array of vignettes and set pieces rather than a cohesive narrative.

Perhaps this is where the Kill Bill influence comes in most strongly - like Quentin Tarantino's action opus, Twilight of the Gods prioritizes style and atmosphere over narrative momentum. While the action scenes are certainly memorable, the bridges between them often feel like afterthoughts, padding out the narrative with awkward dialogue and cringe-worthy humor.

Still, for fans of Zack Snyder's distinctive style, there's plenty to enjoy in Twilight of the Gods. The action sequences are effortlessly cool, and the animation is frequently dazzling. As a fan of Norse mythology, it's also interesting to see these classic characters reimagined in Snyder's idiosyncratic universe.

In the end, whether or not you'll enjoy Zack Snyder's Twilight of the Gods will likely depend on your feelings about the director's past work. If you're willing to forgive its narrative shortcomings in favor of some truly inventive action sequences, then this may be the series for you. However, if you're looking for something more substantial - something that matches Snyder's distinctive style with a more cohesive narrative - then you may find yourself coming up short.