Empire Square DVD Review:

Empire Square is a strange concoction of shock language, shock tactics and a reflection of how debauched society has become. At least in England on a council estate anyway. The "South Park" wannabe cartoon is set on the aforementioned location and consists of three main characters, these are Richie a precocious young lad with tourettes syndrome, Rabbit the kid with morals and Hook, a streetwise lady that keeps the group sane.

There are obligatory characters that colour the landscape such as the crack whores, a timely reminder as to why you should always say no to drugs and Advertising Man who is ready to make you part with your cash as quickly as possible with a hair brained scam and Fat Kelly for obvious reasons and Guy Decanter, a television presenter, every young person should be afraid of.

Each episode is a three-minute sketch devised of the three characters and their daily outlook on life and all its contradictions. It is an intelligent and original comment on the youth of Britain and the way they look at the world as it deals with contentious issues but in a facile and redundant way.

This British animation is the brainchild of Blur drummer, Dave Rowntree and writer Matt Morgan and has recently been aired on Channel 4. It is put on at 11pm because like South Park, it's the kind of cartoon that should not really be watched by children that are younger than 15. The reason for this is because like South Park, it contains language and subject matter such as crack, crucifixion, selling babies over the internet and plastic surgery.

The cartoon has predictably become a cult classic, probably because of its no hold bars context and there is another aspect of the show as the website invites fans of the piece to conceive ideas of buildings and locations, that will be woven into the show in later seasons, making it one of a kind as the first interactive animation series. So far there have been at least 50,000 hits on the site and as it has received a Bafta nomination for Animated series there are high hopes once again for British animation.

Features List

12 episodes
This is the whole of the first series and as each sketch is only three minutes long, it will not take long to watch this DVD. It's a truly different way of looking at society.

24 individual gags
This vignette is comprised of different characters from the show telling "jokes" about life, Christ and miming. There are some gags that involve adverts that the kids are watching and show their reactions to what they are consuming. Entertaining, but in a sad way.

Gallery depicting character development
This set is a catalogue of all the familiar faces that make up the show. Alongside a description of the characters are sketches and drawings of how these cartoons came to fruition.

Karaoke version of "The Ho Song"
A version of a song featured in one of the episodes, enabling the viewer to sing along to all the crude lyrics. Very funny.

An alternative version of the first episode
Once you've seen this alternative, you will understand why it is just so. This episode deals with subjects like former Presidents and Prime Ministers and should be watched with caution.

An original animatic
A storyboard of one of the episodes. The soundtrack is heard in the background as images of the storyboard are shown. Interesting to see how a show is put together.

Final Comment

When I first took a look at this cartoon, I was shocked because of its content and the way in which it deals with harrowing subjects. Then I understood the irony of it all and why it is becoming a cult classic. Not to be taken too seriously, Empire Square is on of those rare gems that grow on you. The most innovative aspect of it is that you as a viewer can contribute by sending your ideas to the website, which is if you look at it very engaging. I look forward to the next series.



Catherine Emenike