Now available on DVD
Cast:
Geoff Andrews as Dirge
Michelle Fairney, Kagome and Haley Logan as Zoe
Directed by James Farr
Review:
Sometimes, when describing the greatness of a certain film, people enthusiastically state that “it has to be seen on a big screen.” Other times waiting for video is appropriate. Now, I’m not sure how Xombie: Dead on Arrival played on computer screens in short installments because I had never heard of it before, but I’m not convinced that a television is the best way to view it. The Flash animation seems more suited to a smaller screen. It appears somewhat rudimentary on a TV.
Originally shown in ten chapters that run around five minutes each, the complete series is packaged together. It certainly has its charm, but even at less than 50 minutes I found myself getting a little restless while watching it. I do not have an attention span problem; Xombie is just not my cup of tea.
Dirge (Geoff Andrews) is a zombie with a brain, which means he isn’t looking for human beings to devour. When he stumbles upon a little girl named Zoe (for some reason voiced by three different people), he becomes determined to get her to the only safe place left in the world. Hopefully her family will be there. Most of Xombie consists of Dirge kicking ass. He lays waste to all sorts of the living dead, and some robots for good measure.
Andrews does a great job as the voice of Dirge. His deep, booming voice reminds me of Patrick Warburton, otherwise known as Seinfeld’s Puddy, but without the goofiness. Xombie also has a healthy sense of humor. There are amusing lines about the annoyance of dead clowns, and when asked why he would save her, Dirge replies that he has a “soft spot for endangered species.” Quips like that help liven things up a bit (no pun intended).
Mostly, though, Xombie is a humdrum experience. I found it difficult to be engaged with the relationship between Dirge and Zoe. He is supposed to be your classic reluctant hero, but even in Flash animation the archetype feels trite. Also, the chapter breaks every four or five minutes becomes irritating in a hurry. Cliffhangers during a series make sense, but having to endure one ten times in less than an hour isn’t quite the same experience.
At this point, I feel like I have seen one too many zombie stories. Xombie isn’t fresh or interesting enough to separate it from the herd, animation or not. Dead on arrival pretty much sums it up.
