Amazon's 'Undone' is a deep, impressive and ambitious animated series that ticks all the right boxes
'Undone' isn't your regular adult animated series. It's not easy to think you got have got the gist of what the series is about after watching the first episode. The rotoscoping (A technique that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce realistic action) gives the viewers a montage of the humdrum of everyday life. Coming from the creators of 'BoJack Horseman', Raphael Bob-Waksberg and Kate Purdy, the series sheds light on mental health and explains it by adding a hefty dose of time travel.
There were five episodes screened for review and the novelty is a standout. There's enough to convince you to give the animation series a whirl. Alma (Rosa Salazar) plays a 28-year-old daycare worker completely bored with her life. Her little sister Becca (Angelique Cabral) is getting married and it just adds to her already strained relationship with her family.
A fight with Becca is followed by a terrible car crash that scars Alma. The accident also results in the untimely death of her father, Jacob (Bob Odenkirk) and here's where Bob-Waksberg introduces an element of fantasy. When she awakes, Alma realizes that she has the power to travel through time and space in a non-linear fashion. This also gives her the ability to communicate with Jacob.
It's understandable why rotoscoping was used. The backgrounds are beautiful and look realistic. For instance, when Alma gets back to the present after taking a trip through time, the lovely, fantastical backgrounds fracture and it looks downright gorgeous. However, this is just the start of what 'Undone' has to offer. Salazar shines as a girl who is compelling, has a prickly demeanor and someone who toggles traveling between the past and the present. Odenkirk essays the role of Jacob to perfection. He is warm one minute and strict the next as he guides Alma in honing her newfound abilities.
If 'BoJack' packed a punch then 'Undone' delivers enough for a first-round KO. There's enough packed into Alma's character that adds to the emotional quotient and intrigue. Alma is a person who a millennial can relate to. Such is the show's depth that it asks for undivided attention and it is worth investing those 22-minutes on 'Undone'. It's entertaining and there a list of issues it aims to address while taking the viewers on a fantasy ride.
Apart from shedding light on mental health and time travel, the series also discusses the importance of family and relationships and gender issues. 'Undone' is deep and impressive, not to forget ambitious. The series can go a long way if the streaming network markets the series well. In short, a hit for Amazon is just around the corner.
'Undone' will premiere on September 13, 2019, on Amazon Prime Video.