Not sure how to feel about this. I’m a huge Crash Bandicoot fan, but that 30-second tease didn’t do much for me, so I can’t say I’m too disappointed. The art style and voiceover may not have been finalized if it was just a working pilot, though, so there could have been potential. I’m not a fan of Cortex’s voice here–it’d be great if they had gotten Clancy Brown or someone back, since he’s still going strong as the voice of Mr. Krabs.
The animation also gives off too many Cuphead vibes for me, and I feel it should have been closer to something like Ren and Stimpy or Looney Tunes, which Crash’s design was originally inspired by. Ironic, considering I also adore Cuphead, and people say the Netflix cartoon looks too much like Ren and Stimpy. Maybe Netflix and Amazon should have traded projects. (Or better yet, Netflix picks up the series since they’ve been killing it with both original animation and video game adaptations.)
Even if I have subjective problems with the art direction, the animation certainly looks fluid, and as a 2D purist, I’m very glad they at least didn’t go the easy route and make it CG like the games. I sincerely hope this isn’t the last we see of a Crash cartoon and that someone with a more clear vision will be given the opportunity to make something really special. Having Mario in cinemas in the same year as a Cuphead and Crash Bandicoot series would have been incredible. I want something that isn’t just a Roadrunner knockoff that relies on slapstick though, where Crash is completely silent and serves as an annoyance to Dr. Neo Wile E. Coyote Cortex, which was my takeaway from this clip; something that embraces the absurd hilarity of Twinsanity would be perfect.
Edit: Lol, I just noticed the live-action Crash mascot can be seen dancing on Cortex’s monitor in the last second of the clip. I really doubt the legitimacy of that being in an early pitch for internal use only and am starting to think this might be an elaborate hoax. Hope I’m wrong, though. It certainly falls in like with that absurd humor I was talking about.
