May 23rd, 2008: A Force to Be Reckoned With?

In 2005, Cartoon Network premiered its first real action cartoon since Samurai Jack. It was a series made up of largely stand-alone stories following a kid named Ben Tennyson (get it?) who, while traveling on a summer road trip with his cousin Gwen and his Grandpa Max (hey, a name that doesn't rhyme), discovers a device with great power. Guess whatpower it is? It is the power to turn the user into ten alien creatures (get it again?) for a limited amount of time.

Ben initially calls it just a "watch", but over the course of the 52-episode series discovers there is more to the "watch" than he bargained for. It is the "Omnitrix", and it holds secrets and abilities that dozens of aliens, as well as a few humans, desire. The series consists mostly of Ben arguing with Gwen, learning about his grandfather's alien-busting past, and trying to find out more about the Omnitrix, all as he fights against both massively powerful aliens (Vilgax) and villains of the week (Dr. Amino).

Ben 10 received the exact opposite reaction of the other original action cartoon premiere of 2005; IGPX, in every way. IGPX was critically acclaimed, Ben 10 was generally panned. Ben 10 was a popular success; IGPX, for one reason or another, was not. So as IGPX was shuffled off to Fridays nights to die, Ben 10 held steady in its Saturday morning slot for long runs, and also held down the final slot on the "Miguzi" programming block for a while. In the process, Saturday mornings took on a higher priority at Cartoon Network than Toonami, resulting in the nearly all-premiere SatAM block we know as Dynamite Action Squad, while Toonami was left largely to its own devices.

Ben 10's critical hate is not wholly undeserved. The show was relentlessly immature, and there was too little character development for Ben or Gwen to let them move beyond their childish impulses. Most of the development was spent on Max, and most of that revolved around the unveiling of his various secrets. The animation wasn't bad, though it was worse in earlier seasons than later ones, but it did leave a lot to be desired. However, Ben's escapist adventures on the seemingly-never-ending summer road-trip resonated with children. Certainly more than nearly everything else put out by the network since 2005 - except Naruto.

However, for one reason or another, the decision was made to change the Ben 10 story. So Ben 10 came to an end earlier this year, with its final episode airing in March. And then we saw the premiere of a new Ben Tennyson, and a different mood altogether.

Ben 10: Alien Force premiered on Cartoon Network's current Friday night block, Fried Dynamite, on March 21st. It broke records for an original animation premiere. It has been airing on Saturday mornings since then, remaining the headliner for the block. On April 5th, at the Cartoon Network Upfronts, Ben 10: Alien Force was suddenly announced for the new Friday night action block as one of the block's headliners.

And now, after much speculating, Ben 10: Alien Force will join Toonami on May 24th, just two months after its premiere. I feel it is prudent to review the show, for those who haven't been watching but may watch the show as it reruns on Saturday nights.

To put it simply, if you're after light-hearted, comedic, episodic action, this isn't the Ben Tennyson you're looking for. Not anymore.

The first big sign of change from the original Ben 10 is the timeskip. Now fifteen years old, Ben Tennyson has changed a lot since the days of Ben 10. He is more mature now. He doesn't lash out at Gwen anymore. He is serious, though not above some quippage. And he isn't as enamored of the Omnitrix as he used to be, either. He is now knowledgeable about the Omnitrix and is more aware of his responsibility. Instead of viewing it as an awesome new toy like his younger self did, Ben now views the Omnitrix as something to save and help people...namely Grandpa Max, who has vanished while tracking an alien conspiracy.

Gwen has changed as well, even more so than Ben. Gwen now acts like an older sister of sorts, and sounds like one too. Those expecting the loud, smart-alek tones of a younger Gwen will be taken aback by the relatively gentle, solemn voice and manners she has now. She has also jumped a level in badass-ness, as she now has far greater control over her magical abilities (quickly demonstrated in the 1st episode).

Finally, an antagonist from the original series, Kevin Levin (yeah, they really like the rhyming names), returns as well, only now he's on Ben's side. Despite being a malicious, half-insane rival in the original series, Kevin has undergone the biggest makeover of the cast. After stopping the current conspiracy (mostly because it was messing with his arms deal), he becomes the show's most crude and sarcastic hero. Not to mention that he suddenly has a fairly obvious crush on Gwen.

The show tries to distance itself from the original series.

It sounds different from the beginning. Instead of the pop-influenced work from the first Ben 10, a symphony orchestra is now providing the soundtrack. The voice actors for Ben, Gwen, and Kevin have been changed (Yuri Lowenthal, Ashley Johnson, and Greg Cipes provide their voices, respectfully) and give the characters more maturity and range than they ever had before. Ben even briefly flirts with a girl in the first episode. Gwen is now dead-serious and genuinely cares for Ben.

The writing has also shifted: the humor is darker, almost graveyard, blended with a "blackened" take on the original's signature sarcasm. There is even mild fourth-wall breaking, Kevin mocks the name-rhyming of Ben's family in the most recently aired episode.

At the same time, the action goes to previously unseen levels. Ben now keeps the injuries sustained from his alien forms. A human grunt is vaporized in the first episode, and an alien bleeds to death in front of Ben, Gwen, and Kevin shortly afterwards. The most recently premiered episode contains the biggest mass alien death seen so far. It also shows the emotional aftermath on Ben and Gwen, something the franchise never attempted to do before. Even in the more stand-alone stories there are moral dillemas and internal internal struggles. Not everything is as it seems, and Ben and Kevin don't trust each other at all.

Even the villains have become darker. Complete enslavement and genetic modification of the human race is in play for the first story arc. Other villains are selfish manipulators and have a lust for destruction unlike the original series' antagonists. Dr. Amino's campy shrieking is gone, and Ben isn't making as many alien friends anymore. The villains aren't out to capture or steal, they're out to kill, enslave, use, and otherwise destroy.

The animation has also improved. While there's still a couple of jerky moments, they are more difficult to notice. The color palette has generally darkened, but that is because much of the series takes place in storms and at night. The bright colors of the original series are seen more infrequently, and broad-daylight battles are rare.

The more layered plotting and less-repetitive themes of the series are a huge step up from its predecessor. However, the show continues to miss something, the one thing that Avatar and Justice League have nailed, allowing those two cartoons to transcend being "mere cartoons".

That is, a soul.

Despite making all of the right external attempts, the writers, directors, and actors forgot to imbue it with the soul that makes you care about the characters onscreen and the story. Despite me wanting to care - as I do for Aang, Katara, and company on Avatar - Ben, Gwen, and Kevin still aren't quite there yet. There is just something off, something missing from the characters and the whole series that renders the show as above-average entertainment and nothing more. Ben, Gwen, and Kevin go through all the right motions, but the acting and writing still seems flat some of the time.

Perhaps the biggest sign that the series hasn't quite arrived yet is evident in the final premiered episode on Saturday mornings, before the show begins its break. Despite the big blow Ben and Gwen take, they don't cry. They don't mourn. They simply vow to continue their mission. They don't show any signs of the trauma that should be coarsing through their systems. They seem robotic.

Maybe that's why I can't bring myself to care. They aren't human enough, not yet. There has been progress since the knee-jerk, thinly-realized brats from the original series, but no one in this series has been fleshed out enough to be human.

As this first season seems to be in the process of transitioning from the original series, the Ben 10: Alien Force team needs more time to improve. We have to see if they can develop a soul for the show, and make it more than a half-hour advertisement. Ben 10: Alien Force will likely last for 52 episodes or longer if it remains the colossal ratings hit it currently is, so there is plenty of time to change things.

But, just like in the original series, Alien Force remains full of unrealized potential. This series shows signs of following through with its potential at times, and there have been a couple of episodes that are more compelling than others (oddly enough, those are the more stand-alone episodes). Perhaps, as we see Ben assemble his team to defend the Earth now that the first story arc has come to a close, we will see the show continue to become something special itself, one day.

For now, the series simply remains a step up from its predecessor. It's above-average entertainment, but until it develops its soul, Alien Force will be nothing more than that.

Ben 10: Alien Force, thus far, receives a 3.5/5.

If you haven't gotten up on Saturday mornings to follow the series, your chance to catch up is arriving. You are about to decide for yourself whether the show is worth your time. Starting on May 24th, when you're watching Toonami at 10:00 p.m., Ben Tennyson will take the place of Shu and company, making Ben 10: Alien Force the third new series to air on Toonami. That wll put 2008 ahead of 2007 in the amount of new arrivals to the block.

Decide for yourself what that could mean, too.

 

Discuss this topic in our forums.