The Legend Of Neil: It’s funny because it’s true!
By fred | August 10, 2008
Right, so recently I mentioned a couple of Internet series that were actually good (and funny), without going into any details or anything. And I don’t think I had any intention to come back at it, but then I found this hilarious little promo for The Legend Of Neil and, well, why not…
The Legend Of Neil, created/written/directed/produced/worshiped by Sandeep Parikh (Zaboo on The Guild), is a show about video game, sort of. From what I hear it is based on a famous Nintendo hit – The Legend Of Zelda - and I’m quite sure it is filled with references that all the geeks who played the game for years will love. That being said, I never played the game, and that isn’t stopping me from having a great time watching the show, because it’s obviously not targeted for gamers only.
The show stars Neil (Tony Janning), who was playing the game one minute, and the next wakes up inside the video game. Of course parodies and other shows about video games are legion, and not always funny. But here we are very quickly transported into this new world, and while Neil is not sure of what’s really happening to him, he soon let himself dive into this odd reality where wooden swords are magic and after killing your enemies you get to eat their hearts to gain strength – of course.
It shouldn’t make sense, none of it, but just like when playing a video game you don’t really care about it, you forget and let yourself go inside this new world. One of the main strength of the show might be its rhythm : not all the jokes really work, but you don’t really have time to think about it because things are moving forward and Neil has to face new challenges. His portrayal is a perfect match for the way the show is done, he looks confused about what’s happening yet just embraces it at the same time because, well, what else is there to do really ?
Of course the show is funny, and while I’m sure I probably miss quite a few “private” jokes for gamers only, you don’t need to be part of that world to appreciate this parody, a sign on its quality. The latest episode in date introduced the little fairy (Felicia Day), and that resulted in what I think is, so far, the funniest scene/episode of the show. She was a delightful obsessive “girlfriend” who probably made good use of about all the clichés one could find in such situations, but Day’s performance is just too delightful & hilarious for anyone to resist.
And, much like everyone else on the show or the show itself, they don’t take themselves seriously. This is all about having fun first, you can tell they are and that only helps you having fun as well watching it. Of course, that it is actually funny and with a plot that always moves on, each episode ending right when it should to ensure that you’re hooked and wanna come back next week, probably plays a part, too.
I also wanted to mention the special effect in the show, because while a silly outfit with long ears and a wooden sword might sound cheap, the production value is actually pretty good. No really, it’s pretty good, and quite better than some crap I’ve seen last season on NBC (yes, I mean Heroes). Plus, given the tone of the show and its second degree, wen you see a “giant” foot that looks just too way fake, it works. (Especially with a crazy little naughty fairy taking care of it…)
The show will have six episodes, the three first are already out and the next ones will be released every Thursday. If you haven’t already, you should check it out…
Posted in Reviews
