Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have made their mark in the movie industry as directors of “The LEGO Movie” and the “Jump Street” films. This dynamic duo is also the main production team behind FOX’s hit comedy “The Last Man on Earth”, starring Will Forte. Now they’ve brought us one of the network’s new Fall series, “Son of Zorn”. They’ve called it “weird enough” for TV. Weird can be good, but I just don’t think this example is good enough.
Jason Sudeikis voices the warrior Zorn, a Hercules-esque, hand-drawn animated character from the island of Zephyria. After a day of battle, he decides it’s time to visit his wife and teenage son, whom he hasn’t seen in years. So he hops on a commercial plane and heads from Zephyria to Orange County, CA.
Zorn’s wife…is human (Edie, played by Cheryl Hines), and so is his son, Alangulon. Tim Meadows, who has a great recurring role on “The Goldbergs”, plays Edie’s fiance, Craig. Every human notices Zorn’s quirky appearance, but he’s completely accepted in society. Unlike “Ted”, there isn’t a flashback that shows why Zorn isn’t considered a threat, it’s simply understood.
The funniest moments of the “Son of Zorn” pilot episode involve Zorn trying to adapt to American culture, including leaving a voicemail and two scenes with his sales clerk desk job boss. I laughed here and there, but Zorn is way too talky and the majority of the lines fell flat. And because the show’s core concept is, basically, one joke, I’m concerned this series won’t evolve much week to week. “Son of Zorn” may play better on late-night cable (think – “Adult Swim”), but for network primetime it’s both a little too out there, and not as clever as it could be.
LCJ Rating: C
“Son of Zorn” returns with its official “Series Premiere” – a new episode – Sunday, September 25 at 8:30pm ET on FOX.