Matt Groening's 'Disenchantment,' on Netflix, is Missing Some Magic

Matt Groening has made his mark on pop culture in a huge way, creating one of the biggest series of all time with "The Simpsons." Just before we entered the 21st Century, the cartoonist created another wildly popular and brilliant show in the whacky sci-fi parody "Futurama."

For his next play in adult animation, Groening headed to Netflix to launch "Disenchantment." With an insatiable thirst for fantasy in pop culture today ("Game of Thrones" is arguably the most popular show of our time and Amazon is readying a "Lord of the Rings" series), it only makes sense that the cartoonist's next series is a medieval fantasy. "Disenchantment," which hits Netflix Friday, is a solid addition to Groening's oeuvre but it's missing the satirical charm that made both "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" cultural phenomena.

With "The Simpsons," Groening and his team of talented writers, animators and voice actors turned the nuclear family sitcom inside out and on its head. With "Futurama," Groening spoofed sci-fi tropes but was still able to satirize today's culture while having the show set in New New York in the year 3000. (Don't forget, President Richard Nixon's head was a villain on the show.) For "Disenchantment," it's harder for Groening and Co. (which includes Josh Weinstein, a former "The Simpsons" showrunner) to react to modern culture and hold up a mirror to today's world because the show is set in a magical past.

Only two episodes were made available for review and "Disenchantment" proves to be a decent watch. Pilots are often tricky - they've got to establish characters, relationships, tone, setting, plot and so on. "Disenchantment" follows Bean ("Broad City" star Abbi Jacobson), a freethinking, independent and alcoholic princess who is being forced into marriage by her father King Z�g (John DiMaggio). Wanting to escape her life in the kingdom of Dreamland, she eventually crosses paths with Elfo (actor and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Nat Faxon), a magical elf who is also looking to leave behind his home. She's also cursed with her own "personal demon" named Luci (actor Eric Andre), who is Bean's worst influence.

That the "Disenchantment" has more in common with "Futurama" (they're both genre shows after all) than "The Simpsons," a reaching of the sci-fi comedy's first few episodes as in order. With the pilot having a runtime of about 23 minutes, "Futurama" is lean and mean, packing in jokes at a rapid-fire pace. In that short runtime, the show makes no waste and smartly establishes its three major characters, puts them together and lays the groundwork for the series.

With "Disenchantment" being on Netflix, the show is not constrained to work around commercial breaks and it doesn't have to obey a strict runtime. The creators and writers sprawl out and take as much time as they need to get where they're going, which turns out to be a detriment for the show. (The pilot for "Disenchantment" is 35 minutes). Similar to a number of Netflix series, "Disenchantment" isn't concerned about pacing; rather it saves its juiciest moments for an episode's final few moments, hoping that the cliff hanger or major turn of events urges viewers to click "play next episode" and binge their way through the series.

Still, "Disenchantment," most importantly, feels like a Groening production. A glance at its animation and you can recall characters from "The Simpsons"; the cartoonist's trademark look and style is there. "Disenchantment" is also more intricate, with more involved backgrounds and beautiful landscapes.

The jokes, though not as sharp, are clever and will undoubtedly provide hearty chuckles. Based on just two episodes, it's hard to come down hard on "Disenchantment." There's still plenty of room for the series to figure itself out, correct its problems (namely that long runtime) and eventually build itself into another great among adult animation. Airing on Netflix, it cane get by some of network and cable TV's censor rules. (Imagine if Homer Simpson could swear!) Though entertaining, "Futurama," deep in the shadow of "The Simpsons," didn't figure out what kind of show it was when it first aired. "Disenchantment" at least doesn't feel like Groening is trying to live up to the legacy of "The Simpsons" - or even "Futurama." It's a confident comedy that's taking its time finding its footing.