If during the viewing of some sitcom rerun you’ve ever had the thought, “Hey this is pretty good, but I’d really prefer it if the dad was played by a giant animated He-Man parody” then there is a show for you.
FOX’s new live-action/animation hybrid “Son of Zorn,” is a typical quirky primetime sitcom with an amusing twist in which the main character is entirely animated.
The plot is surprisingly simple. Zorn, the Defender of Zephyria, Conqueror of the tribes of Agon, decapitator of the dark herdsmen of Grith, is a hyper-masculine pastiche of fantasy icons from the ‘70s and ‘80s. His skill as a warrior is only matched by his utter ineptitude at being a father for his son Alangulon (or Alan for short). The two are complete opposites, Zorn with his over-the-top machismo and Alan with his awkward teenage political correctness.
While the trope of the out-of-touch deadbeat dad is certainly not groundbreaking, the show’s gimmick is eye-catching enough. Interaction between traditional live-action and 2D animation is a rarity in most media, usually reserved for larger budget films or children’s shows. This marriage of real and fantastical provides plenty of potential for creative gags. Whether it’s Zorn casually halving mailboxes and tables during fits of primal rage or him casually buying Alan a giant “Death Hawk” as his first car, the 2D animated aspect of the show adds an entire other dimension to the shows comedy.
Of course, having potential is only half the battle. To succeed, a show needs to be able to capitalize on said potential. Executing on its advantages is not something “Son of Zorn” does flawlessly.
For one, it often becomes painfully obvious that Zorn is not in the room with the other actors. And viewers may be thinking, “Zorn is a 7 foot, two-dimensional barbarian from an island called Zephyria. Of course he’s not in the room with the actors.” The cast often looks incredibly awkward working with the empty space occupied by Zorn. This stiffness varies in severity and some viewers may be able to tune it out, but a large portion of the audience will notice and be pulled out of any sort of immersion by it.
The acting itself isn’t bad for sitcom standards as comedic veteran Jason Sudeikis nails the loud bravado of a cartoon protagonist. Of course, he also gets the benefit of being Zorn and not having to work with Zorn.
It is rare that a TV pilot is perfect. More often than not they end up being the worst episode in an entire series. For many, if not most shows, it can take a handful of episodes or maybe even a whole season for it to find its stride. The pilot for “Son of Zorn” has it’s handful of more clever moments but only time will tell if this eccentric piece of television has what it takes to stick around.
