On July 10, 1953, the "Thunderbirds," the motley 157th Regiment from Oklahoma composed on Native Americans, Mexican-Americans, and local cowboys led by Captain Felix Sparks began their bloody 500-day tour of duty in Nazi-controlled Europe, from the vital supplies passage of Via Anziate in Italy to the snowy Vosges mountains of France, from the German town of Aschaffenburg to the horrific concentration camps at Dachau.
The most remarkable thing about this 4-episode mini-series (based on his story in Alex Kershaw's book "The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey" as adapted by Jeb Stuart) is its rendition of these war scenes in a novel animation technique called the Trioscope Enhanced Hybrid Animation, where digital images were superimposed on live actors. Using this advanced rotoscoping method, the exploits of Lt. Sparks and his men en route to the liberation of Germany in 1945 unfolded in compelling, and many times frightening, realistic detail.
Bradley James was in fine form in his portrayal of the legendary war hero Felix Sparks. We see his story start in 1942 when as a Lieutenant, he was assigned to whip a ragtag group of delinquent soldiers into fighting shape. With every episode, Sparks displayed unique leadership acumen with uncommon nobility as he was promoted in rank and command (he was a Colonel by the final episode). This was an extraordinary character to pull off, and fortunately, James had the charisma to do it.
Among his men, there were a couple of soldiers who stood out, and whose arcs were followed in all four episodes. One was Corporal Able Gomez, played by Jose Miguel Vasquez. Distinguished by a scar across his right eye, Gomez was of Mexican descent, fearless and loyal to the end. The other one was Sergeant Samuel Coldfoot, played by Martin Sensmeier. Coldfoot was a proud member of the Choctaw nation, an impulsive and hot-headed soldier who served as Sparks' trusted right-hand man.
Director and animator Greg Jonkajtys may have employed his new visually-stylized animated technique to cut costs on their location and logistic expenses, but this unique look actually set this series apart from others like it. I believe they were able to execute challenging battle scenes in all types of weather and terrain with grit and realism, despite the opinion of those who may complain how this animated filter can be a distraction. The cinematography and camera-angles were impressively postcard-perfect, each scene was literally a work of art. 8/10.
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