If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:
Enter the
Dragon
With this episode, it goes to show that sometimes the most
threatening things can come from the most unlikely places. Dojo the dragon is typically a scrawny, often
nervous character who’s prone to breaking into rashes and sneezing fits when
sensing Shen Gong Wu. You’d probably
never guess that he would go mad with power and nearly bring darkness to the
world. This makes for an intriguing
story concept and it really delivers.
It’s the time of millennia when Dojo’s dragon instincts cause him to run
rampant and bring destruction everywhere he goes as he senses new Shen Gong
Wu. The only thing that can stop this is
having himself be locked up in a box all day.
Omi is chosen to guard the box while the others search out new Shen Gong
Wu themselves. Doing so proves to be quite
difficult with Dojo prone to all sorts of tricks to get the guard to open the
box. This even includes shapeshifting
and doing voices, which is not something we typically see of Dojo and proves
how powerful he becomes at this given time.
Omi doesn’t fall for the ploys, but when he opens the door to feed Dojo
following too many complaints, there’s an honestly clever trick at play. Just when it seems like Dojo is gone, he
turns out to be invisible the whole time, and with Omi too dumbfounded, the
dragon is able to get out.
This is where
all sorts of magical craziness takes effect from Dojo getting out. He develops more monstrous features as well
as a second head, and his mind is clouded with sinister thoughts. Easily the most sinister thing he does is
flat out eat anyone who stands in his way.
Jack Spicer, for instance is practically helpless against the usually
skimpy dragon, and is the first to be devoured, and the Xiaolin Warriors are
not too far behind. They don’t get eaten
alive by stomach acid or anything like that, but it’s still pretty huge for
this to happen to the main cast.
Dojo’s
rampage bringing darkness onto the world is still something that can’t be
overlooked, so the creative measures to get out without hurting Dojo are quite
welcome. With a few Shen Gong Wu and
making the dragon interior much hotter, Omi gets sweated out of Dojo to face
him in a showdown in the name of fixing his mistake. They’re lucky to come across another new Shen
Gong Wu to make it happen, and the ensuing showdown is another fascinating one
of a small monk against a huge creature.
It’s also meaningful when you consider that the creature is someone
who’s usually a friend of Omi’s. We get
a lot of intense fast-paced action through a barren canyon with a fair share of
surprises. Among them is an intense use
of being launched into the air by fire breath from under the top of a
mountain. The resolution to the showdown
is of clever use too as Omi gets Dojo in his box by letting the dragon come at
him and crash into it while it’s hidden by the Shroud of Shadows. It should be noted that Omi, one of the good
guys, bends the rules by using more Shen Gong Wu than what was wagered. I could call it a plot hole, but since it’s
for a good cause and we see villains do it a lot as the show goes on, I’ll
consider it cleverness on Omi’s part after starting this whole conflict.
Dojo brings a fresh shake-up to the typical
formula with his ailment, and the results don’t let up on the excitement and
risen stakes of trying to stop his rampage.
Even if the status quo is maintained afterwards, this is still one of
the show’s most memorable experiences.
A+
The Ranking
1. Citadel of Doom
2. Enter the Dragon
3. Days Past
4. PandaTown
5. Crystal Glasses
6. The Shard of Lightning
7. Sizing Up Omi
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where our heroes face the power of a time travel Shen Gong Wu.
If you would like to check out other Xiaolin Showdown reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
No comments:
Post a Comment