Title: Samurai Jack: Series Finale
Created By Gendy Tartakovsky
Running Time: 90 minutes without
commercials
Media: Cartoon Network Original Series (NTSC
VHS Screener)
Premiere Saturday, September 25, 2004, at
7pm (ET/PT)
Network: Cartoon Network (Check your local
cable/satellite listings for channel)
TV Rating: Not Available At Time Of Review
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
Wow, it seems like
yesterday when I first received a screener for animated series “Samurai
Jack” long before the program won an Emmy Award and caught the eye of
filmmaker George Lucas, who tapped series creator Gendy Tartakovsky to produce
the first twenty episodes of “Star Wars: Clone Wars,” which itself was won
an Emmy and now Tartakovsky is hard at work preparing the third season of
“Star Wars: Clone Wars,” which is expected to air in the early spring of
2005 on Cartoon Network. To celebrate Gendy Tartakovsky’s achievements,
Cartoon Network will be airing episodes of “Star Wars: Clone Wars” in
between the final four episodes of “Samurai Jack.” The schedule is as
follows:
Saturday,
September 25, 2004, (ET/PT)
7pm
- “Samurai Jack” (The Four Seasons Of Death)
7:30pm
- “Star Wars: Clone Wars” Chapter 1 – 5
8pm
- “Samurai Jack” (Tale Of X49)
8:30pm
- “Star Wars: Clone Wars” Chapters 6 – 10
9pm
- “Samurai Jack” (Young Jack In Africa)
9:30pm
- “Star Wars: Clone Wars” Chapters 11 – 15
10pm
- “Samurai Jack” (Jack And The Baby)
10:30pm
- “Star Wars: Clone Wars” Chapters 16 – 20
“The Four Seasons Of Death” has Jack encountering various dangers while traveling the perilous wilderness. This episode uses the series trademark multiple aspect ratios to tell four short stories that are not unlike “The Man With No Name Trilogy,” which of course was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Samurai films anyway. “Tale Of X49” is a noir told from the point of view of an assassin droid, forced out of retirement by Aku, who has his beloved pet. “Young Jack In Africa” is a great flashback story that gives more insight into the foundations of the signature heroic character of Jack. Finally “Jack And The Baby” tells a story mixed with humor and action as Jack tries to find a young lost baby’s parents. All of the episodes have a sense of pathos to them that contrasts well with the look of the series as well as its themes.
There is no definitive
conclusion to the overall quest, which disappointed me, but there could be a new
“Samurai Jack” adventure someday after Tartakovsky finishes his work on
“Star Wars: Clone Wars.” These are also still great episodes no fan should
miss so bow down before your TV on Saturday, September 25, 2004, at 7pm (ET/PT)
and show some respect to one of the most heroic original characters to ever air
on Cartoon Network.
© Copyright 2004 By
Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.