Director: Peter Hausner, Michael Helmut Hansen, Trylle Vilstrup, Jens Møller, Per Risager
Distributor: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Duration: 10 x 22 minutes
Ninjago – Masters of Spinjitzu Rebooted: Season 4 (DVD) – Series Review
Season three of the Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu has only just been reviewed by us, and here we are, ready to present you with our findings of season four. It’s time to follow the Ninja in a new adventure, this time not in New Ninjago City, but on Master Chen’s island. There they will partake in the Tournament of Elements. But beware, only one can remain.
After Zane’s (Brent Miller) death, the Ninja (Kai, Cole, Jay and Lloyd) are shattered. They are all trying to deal with the loss of their good friend, but because of that, they start to grow further and further apart. One day, while eating at Master Chen’s (Ian James Corlett) Noodle House, they get invited to come to an unknown island, to participate in Master Chen’s Tournament of Elements. It seems like this Master Chen is more than just the runner of a noodle restaurant. The Ninja decide to come along to the island, somehow sensing that Zane might still be alive, and that the answer to his disappearance may lie there.
This Tournament of Elements brings all of the Elemental Masters together, each with their specific characteristics. They will have to fight each other, trying to obtain the Jadeblade. The winner moves forward, the loser is eliminated.
One of the other contestants is Skylor (Heather Doerksen), the Master of Amber. Kai (Vincent Tong) immediately falls for her charms, but she’s a difficult one to figure out. Somehow it seems like she’s holding something back.
When Jay (Michael Adamthwaite) and Cole (Kirby Morrow) are chosen to battle each other, things get tricky. The plan was to stay together as a team, to find out what Master Chen and his right hand Clause (Scott McNeil) are up to. One thing is certain: they’re up to no good. Sadly, with two of the Ninja having to battle each other, there is no doubt that one of them will be eliminated. The Ninja refuse to be defeated though, and see this as an opportunity to find out what actually happens to the losers, and maybe get a step closer to Zane. Turns out Chen’s noodle factory employs the losers after the Master takes their powers. Once he possesses all the powers of all Elemental Masters, he plans to perform a spell that turns his followers into Anacondrai, the most powerful and dangerous of all Serpentine tribes, so he’ll become the master of Ninjago. Uh oh, this can’t be good.
The pace of the story isn’t as fast as it was in season three. Although again, there is plenty of action going on in every episode, because of the many battles in the tournament, it feels like this doesn’t add that much story value. Nonetheless, these action sequences are often very entertaining to watch. It is nice to see what powers the other Elemental Masters possess, but it seems as if that is almost the only purpose of the first couple of episodes. A few episodes in the running, this does get better, as the story picks up a faster pace from there on, and the Ninja finally seem to be back to battle evil once again.
One thing that is very interesting to see, is that the character of Sensei Garmadon (Mark Oliver) is deepened. Throughout the season, you will get a good insight into his past, and certain things he may not be so proud of.
Humor keeps being a strong point in this Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu series, the funniest of them all probably being Dareth (Alan Marriott), the brown Ninja. His laid-back vibe, his Elvis haircut, his funny voice and his strong urge to tell Master Chen to make his delicious Puffy Potstickers again, all add to his greatness (when it comes to being funny anyways). Another funny thing worth mentioning is one of the battles, where they all have to roller skate, and try to help Lloyd (Jillian Michaels) win from the Master of Form.
Voice acting, again, is very well done. Especially the supporting characters seem to have been well taken care of when it comes to that. This of course adds greatly to the overall feel, making the series that much more interesting to watch. It’s also funny, and maybe a tad predictable, that Clause, the brain behind the mad Master Chen, has a distinctive British accent.
Animations are very lively and facial expressions are really well portrayed. This way, even without words, emotions are very nicely displayed, giving the characters an extra dimension.
Conclusion
Season four of the Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu series might have a slow start, but once the dark intentions of Master Chen are fully uncovered by the Ninja, that issue soon gets swept off the table. Other than that, this season is a nice addition to the series, also because we learn a lot more about the past of different characters. Young and old will certainly be entertained by these little yellow men once again, and it’s certainly a must-see for all who want to know the answer to season three’s cliffhanger.
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