About.com Rating
Legends of Chima is a gorgeous cartoon with texture, lush color and realistic CGI. Because Chima is produced by the LEGO team that brought us Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, I anticipated snappy dialogue and fun plot lines. However, Legends of Chima falls far short of the top-notch writing I've enjoyed in other LEGO cartoons.
Premise
Legends of Chima tells the story of the Chima Kingdom, a magical land ruled by very advanced animal tribes.
These creatures walk and talk like humans. They drive vehicles, use machinery and live in amazing castles and fortresses, but still have claws, teeth, tails and/or wings. And right now, they battle each other.
The Chima Kingdom that was once a pure and natural paradise has transformed into a land of unrest. Best friends, Laval the Lion and Cragger the Crocodile, turned into enemies. In the forests, vehicles are charging at each other in epic duels. Animal tribes are fighting over the possession of the super-powerful natural energy-source called Chi - which is the source of life and has the potential for unimaginable destruction. Legends of Chima premiered July 10, 2013 on Cartoon Network.
My Two Cents
Legends of Chima is Star Wars: The Clone Wars meets LEGOs meets ThunderCats.
Legends of Chima is one of the most gorgeous cartoons I have ever seen. Yellows, green and earth tones blend to form natural, harmonious landscapes. The characters are soft and textured, unlike the shiny LEGO characters in Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu.
The camera shots are like a feature film, with interesting angles and movement.
But the lush animation is undermined by the juvenile dialogue and childish acting. The artistic look of Chima is incongruous with dialogue that's sprinkled with "awesome," "duh" and "dude." The jokes are even worse, with lines like, "Who let the cat out?" The silly sound effects would be more natural-sounding in SpongeBob SquarePants, rather than this cartoon full of light, shadow, texture and depth.
The voice-over actors, all newcomers, aren't suited to the look of the cartoon, either. Most of the voices are too squeaky. Laval sounds like a surfer right out of the Valley, rather than a young prince trying to talk sense into his best friend.
The worst offense, however, is that Legends of Chima is painfully boring. You get the impression that all the effort went into the pretty pictures that are meant to sell Chima's toys, rather than building a world full of mythology, magical creatures and entertaining conflicts. Before you think I'm just too old to enjoy it, even my elementary school-aged children turned glazed eyes on me to ask if we could just shut it off.
I had high hopes for Legends of Chima, based on previous LEGO cartoons. With the sound turned down, Chima is much more magical.
Characters
Laval is the headstrong prince of the Lion Tribe who still has a lot to learn about what it means to be a leader. He may want others to see him as a powerful and responsible adult, but he's still a big kid at heart.
Cragger is extremely competitive and lives for the rush of victory. He's a ferocious and aggressive attacker who fights with a Snaggle-Toothed Spear, the blades of which can also spin much like a chainsaw. Laval and he were the best friends when they were younger. But everything changed when Cragger had his first taste of Chi.
Eris the Eagle is always extremely focused and quick-witted, which is probably why she spends more time with the earth-bound creatures, like Laval, than those who live above clouds. She loves adventures and puzzles, and can spin a yarn like no other creature. She is also an extremely strategic fighter.
Worriz the Wolf is his pack's negotiator. He was given this role because he was considered "the most personable." In reality, he is a vicious, ruthless, backstabber. His only saving grace is that he is able to disguise his true nature long enough to fool the other creatures. He can even occasionally fake a bit of charm when needed. He is the closest thing the wild wolves have to a statesman, but that's not saying much.
Crooler is the Crocodile Prince's ambitious and conniving twin sister. She is constantly goading her brother on and forcing him to take all the risks, while she seeks to enjoy the rewards of his success or mock him relentlessly when he fails. Some creatures see her as the real authority in the Crocodile Tribe, which is fine with her. She's happy to have the power, without any of the annoying trivialities and decision-making of official leadership.
For Spinnet the Skunk, nothing ever goes right. His tribe has vanished. His mightiest weapon is a foul odor, that accidentally slips out at all the wrong times. Yet Skinnet never lets the world bring him down. He always tries to tag along, or be part of the latest happening. Skinnet is not aligned with any tribe, and is possibly the most neutral creature in all of Chima.
Razar the Raven is a pure mercenary and a kleptomaniac who will fight for the highest bidder--and then steal all their weapons when they're not looking. A self-centered opportunist, Razar never does anything that doesn't somehow benefit Razar.
Gorzan the Gorilla, one of the most sensitive creatures in all of Chima, is incredibly powerful and can efficiently crush most enemies, but he will later anguish over "the poor flowers" he stepped on during the battle.
Rogon the Rhino is a classic party animal. This often causes problems with his ability to give or follow orders. At the first hint of merrymaking, he'll skip the skirmish for a bodacious bash with his buds.
Bladvic the Bear is one of the stronger and more powerful warriors in Chima, when he can stay awake. He's trusty and reliable, and would never do anyone harm.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.