In Samurai Jack the titular samurai is forced to flee his village after the return of the evil Aku. He spends years traveling around the world learning all the skills needed to end Aku’s reign before finally being able to defeat Aku in combat. However, before he can strike the final blow, Aku traps the samurai in a portal to the far flung future where Aku has reigned for centuries. It is here where the samurai adopts the name of Jack and sets out on his quest to return to the past. AND THAT’S JUST THE FIRST EPISODE!
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| Jack vs. Aku |
The rest of the season Jack quests after various legendary items in an attempt to go back home. Jack being in the future makes the show a genre blend of both samurai and sci-fi films, not unlike the recent Mandalorian. Jack armed only with his traditional garbs and katana is often forced to face off against laser wielding robots. By the way, the shows action is terrific. It's energetic, frantic and intense. Jack often finds himself up against nearly unstoppable odds.
The first season has a bit of a tonal whiplash, however. Sometimes things can get pretty silly, with the likes of talking dogs; but the same episode has Jack facing off against hordes of robots in a guerrilla warfare style. Samurai Jack is at its best when it’s drawing from the likes of Kurosawa, and Sergio Leone films. Many lingering close ups on a character's eyes really help to build tension in a scene. While slow panoramic shots allow you to soak in all of the scenery. If you enjoyed The Mandalorian or any of Genndy’s previous works and still haven’t seen Samurai Jack, you owe it to yourself to give it a watch.
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| A Young Jack Travels the World |
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