Creators Tim Miller and David Fincher bring volume 3 of the Netflix animated anthology Love, Death & Robots to the platform, and I watch them all, but are they worth your time?
Love, Death and Robots Volume 3 Review
Terror, imagination, and beauty combine in new episodes which stretch from uncovering an ancient evil to a comedic apocalypse, telling startling short stories of fantasy, horror, and science-fiction with trademark wit and visual invention.Â
So the first volume of this anthology, it just blew me away with its wide range of animation and storytelling styles. There were 18 episodes that first go round, followed by a relatively short second volume with eight episodes.
For me, the second volume was just all right, but it didn’t feature the wide variety of different animation that I experienced with the first volume.
Now, this third volume is nine episodes, with their run times ranging from seven minutes to 21 minutes. It is a very quick binge and it can be watched in any order.
There’s a wide variety of animations showcased in this volume, from 3D computer-generated art to anime-style drawings to even photorealistic segments that look more like they were mocap than animation.
A fan favorite from volume one returns with the three robots. Now the social commentary in this episode is biting, but I found it hilarious with the robots delivering witty sarcasm as they verbally eviscerate humans and their behaviors.
This is also probably the funniest of all the episodes, as most of them take a much darker path and showcase a lot of the more dire side to humanity.
The anthology is the jacked-up brainchild of Tim Miller and David Fincher, and both of them direct episodes within this volume. In the special that I watched, both of the directors were interviewed and they talk about how they had set a time limit for each episode so that it helps to make a concise story.
Now what’s funny is that David Fincher, whose movies are always pretty long, he breaks his own rules here and directs the longest episode in the anthology. It’s beautiful to see, but it’s also incredibly violent and gruesome.
And as awesome as that episode was to watch, it’s not anywhere near my favorite. But that’s also the beauty of this anthology. With so many different styles represented, one story or style is probably going to speak to you more than it does to somebody else.
For me, my favorite because of the story was an episode called The Very Pulse of the Machine. It’s voiced by Mackenzie Davis and features more of a hand-drawn style that felt more like anime than traditional hand-drawn animation.
The story is filled with verbal symbolism infusing poetry with some breathtaking visuals. I was surprised at how much I was sucked into it and actually paused at the show after it had ended so that I could just sit with it for a bit.
And it takes place on IO, a moon of Jupiter, and Mackenzie Davis’s voice is an astronaut who is trying to make her way across the surface of the moon back to her ship.
This journey is patient, but it’s also harrowing, and as dark as the story can be, It also has a sense of hope to it, which I think is why I enjoyed it so much.
Now, probably the most visually stunning episode for me was the final one that’s called Jibaro. This feels so much like it’s real. I mean, not animation. The graphics are just off the charts in beauty, but then there’s this intense dance choreography that works its way throughout the story, combining beauty with absolute brutality.
And it’s stunning to watch. I am in awe at how the graphics were created. There’s metal, gold and jewels that are featured heavily in this, and the level of texturing and reflections to the animations, it’s phenomenal. Even if you don’t enjoy the storyline, just experiencing the visuals, choreography, and the audio, I think it’s a treat all in itself.
One of my dreams is to move to Scotland and there is an episode that both makes me want to move there and then makes me want to avoid it at all costs.
Mason’s Rats is another 3D story that follows a Scottish farmer with a rodent problem. Craig Ferguson and Dan Stevens voiced this episode, and while the story is pretty short at ten minutes, it’s humorous, quirky, violent, and ultimately fun.
The human character style reminds me a bit of Pixar’s Jerry’s Game and that’s probably because of how the faces are shaped and then what the hands of the characters look like in this.
Now this story is much more gruesome than that Pixar one and they really have zero in common, but the style did feel a bit like that Classic.
I love how each of these stories varies, with some bringing commentary on society while others are just taking us for a wild ride.
And probably the creepiest episode was called In Vaulted Halls Entombed and there is an element within this story that just made my skin crawl.
I was like no and then one of the characters started voicing that exact same sentiment. I mean, it’s beautiful to look at, but shit is nasty to watch. I want to say more about what the story reminds me of, but it would be too much of a spoiler. Just know that this one is an effective horror that makes great use of its 15 minutes.
With nine episodes in this volume, there should be at least one that catches your eye and sucks you in. And I found beauty and intrigue in each of them and I love how they all represent different facets of the human experience and then use the time constraints to create captivating stories.
One of the episodes called Swarm does feel like it’s only part one. It’s directed by Tim Miller, so my guess is that we’re going to see a continuation sometime in the future anthology.
Overall, Love, Death and Robots Volume 3 provides a wonderful variety in animation and storytelling styles. This is a quick binge but because each has differing layers of meaning and depth to the stories, you may find yourself pausing a bit between each one to digest and process the messages and meetings before you move on.
For lovers of animation, this is a visual treat showcasing top-tier quality in computer animation, hand-drawn graphics, and motion capture. But great animation isn’t enough to be fully engaging and thankfully the stories also provide wonderful social commentary or news views on life.
This was a blast to watch and once you start the bench I think you’re going to find yourself fully immersed in a beautifully twisted and darkly humorous world.
There’s sex nudity, a ton of profanity, and just a crap ton of violence.
I am going to give Love, Death and Robots Volume 3 Netflix Series 4/5.
so which episodes are your favorite in this? Let me know in the comments below.
Guys thank you so much as always for reading Love, Death and Robots Volume 3 Review. See you next time.
