Dance Monsters

I wanted to like this and was looking forward to the first episode. The concept is fun, and I have to admit I don't really know how they pull off the graphics, so creds to the CGI. (It does make me wonder what the audience is actually seeing that we are not seeing on the final rendition.)

However there are several flaws in the show:

1. Unimaginative "large muppet" costumes that are big, heavy, clunky, and don't render the dance moves properly. It's possible to create a monster character that is slim enough and supple enough to actually dance.

2. The choreography is blase and uninspiring.

3. The dancers really aren't that good. Some may have been backup dancers at one time, but their moves now, some 15 to 20 years later, are not the quality we'd expect in this type of show. Again, the clunky 'monsters' make their poor dance routines even more disappointing.

4. Viewers mention getting tired of the cameras spending as much time on the judges as the dancers and I must agree completely. We're here to see the DANCERS, not the judges.

So all in all, this is a cute concept that flops. I stuck through the first two shows but have no desire to waste time to see "if it gets any better".... because I'm pretty sure it won't.

If they had slim, athletic, top-of-their-game dancers and monsters to match, this might have been a lot more fun. But I've seen better dancers on Instagram, the choreography really needs some work, and the monsters needed to be formed in a manner suited for dancing.

Thumbs up for the concept, two thumbs down for the execution. Wait... that's three thumbs. Well, it is a monster competition...

It was a very entertaining show, and my 4 year old liked it a lot. My main issue, which has been stated in other reviews, was the judging. Even if you try to base the results on their commentary you will get it wrong. They were just seemingly putting through whoever they thought would attract views. They complain one person didn't do well compared to how they did previously but they kept them and voted off a great dancer anyway. Also, i kind of wish we could see what the audience is seeing. The cgi is clearly added for the show but it takes away from reality. Pretending like these high definition holograms exist ruins it for me.

This show was a fun concept and I would probably watch a second season. That being said, the Judges are horrible. Ashley, at times, seems to be the only judge who actually understands dance but even he fails to mention the dancers skill and techniques. The jusdges never actually critique on skill or technique (like they should) but their "personality" and "energy". Neo and Lele openly admit to having their "favorites" So they are only picking the dancers who they like. And then there is Marsha. She literally only does three, maybe four, moves. She is repetitive, but somehow has made it quite far. After a while it is VERY clear the judges are not professional and only pick who they favor and not going off of their dances.

There is also this on going joke that Neo and Ashley keep reinforcing which is that Lele has a crush on the dancer Beti. It was very inappropriate. They were clearly uncomfortable.

If there's a second season they need to replace, at least, Neo and Lele with actual credible judges.

Love the idea of this show, but the judges definitely fell short and almost made us completely stop watching. There were characters we would have loved to see more of, but instead the judges kept around a couple of one-trick ponies, and even an injured contestant who dropped out the next episode. Seemed like a couple of cheap shots for drama that really weren't needed. Also, please stop cutting to the judges' faces/predictable responses when all we want to see is the contestants dancing during their routines! Would love to see another season and enjoy the diffrent dancers and their unique styles, but swap out the judges or we aren't watching...

The motion capture is visibly janky at many points throughout. The monsters are often weird and not even all that cute? The judges say a lot of odd, cringey things. One time a judge said something that was not funny whatsoever, but the crowd laughed really hard which means they're cutting and moving the audio around deceptively. I'm sure reality/competition shows do this all the time, but they could at least be sneaky about it.

Overall, the show has a nice/cute premise but the follow through is underwhelming. I hope a future iteration of the show, with more articulated facial muscles for the mocap, performs better.