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In a world much resembling our own, four disparate souls are
drawn to a dark city where their own fate, and that of the
worlds, will be decided. Driven by terrifying visions an American
programmer, a Japanese priest, a Fijian girl and an Arabic
mercenary have to find it within themselves to confront a
world wide conspiracy and to move to a point where they have
to decide whether they have it in themselves to sacrifice
everything for world salvation and the chance to know the
truth...
Broken
Saints is truly a prodigious work of flash animation,
created by Brooke Burgess who had previously worked as the
executive producer for the game Need for Speed III: Hot
Pursuit. It is a show with a strong philosophical and
religious bent. The show justifiably won the Online Film Festivals
Viewers Award at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival and Producer
of the Year at the 2005 Canadian New Media Awards.
The
story, stretching to twenty-four episodes over twelve hours
- all of it with a commentary track, is spread over four discs
including an enormous amount of extras. I was going to present
them in the main body of the review but they really are so
huge that, to be fair to the makers I felt that the full list
should be included but so as not to produce a huge gap the
extras are detailed at the end.
When
most people think of flash animation they generally think
of those free online games, or the odd parodies where only
the mouth moves unconvincing, this, my friends is in a wholly
different ball park. The show is touted as an animated book,
but in truth it is so much more. The visuals are way past
anything that you would have seen in flash animation before,
and they are just going to blow you away. This is art colliding
with computer savvy to create a whole new genre which demands
to be taken seriously.
Broken
Saints is much deeper and more convoluted than my introduction
gives it credit for. The only thing you can say is that once
you start watching it you not going to want to stop till the
end. Characterisation is spot on and as the various characters
go through their journeys towards the dark city you really
do end up caring what happens to these little animated characters.
You can watch the whole event with either a vocal track or
in its original format with just the music. The text at all
times is displayed on the screen.
Visually the discs are a real treat, but then as the show
was originally designed to be displayed on a computer only
an idiot could screw up the digital transfer. The show has
a 5.1 audio soundtrack which is never short of a delight to
listen to; subtitles are available in eight major European
languages.
If this is a vanguard for a new form of entertainment then
I for one am up for it. Go out and buy it - you won't be sorry
you did.
 
Extras
Disc
one
Art Institute panel discussion with Brooke Burgess (creator),
David Kaye (voice talent) and Carol Parnell (executive Producer)
Broken Saints soundtrack
Voice-over and audio features
Prophecy trailer
Classic trailer
Broken Saints game trailer
Three Easter Eggs
Disc
two
Walker National Art Centre lecture sessions with Brooke Burgess
Broken Saints apartment tour
Demo footage
A collection of press interviews
Two more Easter eggs
Disc
three
Tarot tree character profiles
Three more Easter eggs
Eight fan presentations based on the show
Disc
four
Making-of documentary
Sundance Film Festival featurette
Eight behind the scenes pieces
Five more Easter eggs
Charles
Packer
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