By all accounts, Genndy Tartakovsky - creator of Cartoon Network's Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack - is touched by genius. Named in Variety's '50 To Watch' as a future leader in the entertainment industry, and four Emmy nominations for his animated work, it seems all he touches turns to gold - except video games.
Despite being developed under Tartakovsky's watchful eye - and with input from the voice talent, artists and composers who worked on the original show - Samurai Jack is a mess; the cartoon's stylish 2-D visuals have been clumsily recreated in 3-D, the sword swinging action requires little more than the ability to hammer your buttons until your fingers bleed, and the animated sequences are tedious compared to the boundless imagination of the TV series.
Younger viewers may find some fun here, but genuine fans will feel cheated.