Saturday, October 12, 2019

Enter the Dragon (Xiaolin Showdown Season 2 Episode 7) - 'Toon Reviews 35

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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.

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