by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
I’ve always had a soft spot for animation. More years than not, at least a couple of animated features find their way onto my top 10 list. So I’m setting out to shine a light on some films that may have passed you by. The idea here is to take a look at some underseen gems—so no Toy Story or Frozen here.
Let’s get started.
Video game adaptations are having a moment right now.
The Last of Us is back for Season Two, and A Minecraft Movie is currently providing a much-needed win at the box office. So that all got me thinking about possible video game adaptations in the animated medium.
It’s no secret that I love Arcane, and even Netfllix’s Carmen Sandiego has a lot of charm, but I found myself taken in by another adaptation from before Hollywood started this current run of quality with an impressive voice cast.
Back in 2010, Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic came out. Released in conjunction with the Dante’s Inferno video game, the film follows Dante’s (Graham McTavish) trials through the levels of hell in order to retrieve his love Beatrice (Vanessa Branch).
Up front, I came away more intrigued than anything, and was helped by knowing a couple of factors going in:
First, I obviously knew the code hadn’t really been cracked on the formula for video game adaptations. So I didn’t go in with high expectations at all. I just accepted it for what it was — something to tie into the release of the game. In that way at least, I think the video game sort of structure, where Dante’s fighting a series of bosses, works for the film. I met the film on its level, and was able to have some fun.
Secondly, I knew that it was made by a handful of different directors, including Studio Ghibli and DC animation veterans, who imbued their own sort of styles on what the trials will look like. That means from scene to scene, the characters like Dante, Beatrice and Virgil (Peter Jessop), Dante’s guide, can look wildly different. While I could see how that could be distracting, by knowing that going in, I found the different styles to be an interesting exercise, and enjoyed seeing how the different directors visualized our characters and the trials.
As an adaptation of a very M-rated video game, the film follows suit. While the action is well-shot, it is very graphic and gory. During my viewing, I found myself thinking of another, more recent video game adaptation. The horrifying creature design paired with the graphic violence reminded me of Netflix’s Castlevania.
The script isn’t the greatest, which is ironic, given the source material, which is why it’s to the movie’s benefit that they’ve got some voice acting heavy hitters. If you’ve got some cheesy lines, but the likes of Mark Hamill absolutely chewing up the scenery, I’m going to have my fun.
While the video game aspect does help the story structure, it also hurts it a little when it comes to the action, even if it is fairly well realized. At a certain point, the trek through the circles of hell can feel repetitive, and certain circles feel more like obstacles than others. To help break things up, we are treated to flashbacks of Dante’s time in the Crusades. However, seeing everything he had done makes rooting for him a bit of a challenge, as I found myself wondering if he was redeemable.
All in all, I went in intrigued by the oddity of the project, knowing I was selecting something at a time when no video game adaptation had really garnered overwhelming acclaim. As a result, I was able to appreciate the project for what it was, despite its flaws.
Just go into the experience with your bar closer to hell than heaven.
I’m excited to continue to geek out on some great animated work you may not have had a chance to catch. Next month, we’ll have a guest writer as I take on another project.
You can read more from Jake Bourgeois, and follow him on Bluesky and Letterboxd