The Netflix Animated Series “Exploding Kittens” Review

Exploding Kittens is now available to stream on Netflix.

Back in ancient times, Egyptians revered cats as divine beings. Fast forward to today, where the animated Netflix series Exploding Kittens takes this concept and runs with it – though not necessarily in a way that would impress the ancient Egyptians. Loosely inspired by the popular card games of the same name (including VR and mobile versions), the show falls flat with its repetitive humor and lack of charm. The animation, while decent, feels like an afterthought and lacks the edginess it tries to portray. Instead of being cleverly subversive, the humor comes across as vulgar without any real impact.

Spanning nine episodes in its first season, Exploding Kittens stretches out its storylines to the point of exhaustion, delivers tired jokes, and relies heavily on cliffhangers to keep viewers engaged. The premise revolves around God (played by Tom Ellis) being sent to Earth in the body of a cat as punishment for neglecting his duties and to mend a fractured human family. Alongside God is Devilcat (voiced by Sasheer Zamata), whose mission is to cause chaos. While the performances of Ellis and Zamata shine, the writing falls short with predictable punchlines.

Throughout the series, both God and Devilcat claim credit for inventing well-known products or stirring up trouble, but these jokes feel stale and recycled. Exploding Kittens also attempts to incorporate references to pop culture, like Stranger Things, but it lacks the creativity to make these moments memorable. The show’s humor often feels forced and out of touch, missing the mark with its jokes about Internet culture and tech moguls like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

Despite some attempts to introduce time-travel and fantasy elements, including its own spin on vampires, Exploding Kittens struggles to find its footing and ends up feeling uninspired. The series prioritizes setting up future seasons rather than focusing on delivering a cohesive and engaging story. In the realm of adaptations, Exploding Kittens falls short of capturing the essence of the original game and lacks the satirical depth seen in other adaptations like Barbie.

While there may be occasional chuckles throughout Exploding Kittens, the excessive references and anticlimactic conclusion may leave viewers feeling underwhelmed. Ultimately, the series inadvertently makes a stronger case for dogs over cats, as it fails to celebrate the quirky charm of feline companions in a meaningful way.