"Most of us inhabit at least two worlds: The real world, where we're at the mercy of circumstance... and the world within, the unconscious, a safe place, where we can escape..." With those words, the "villain" of the series, Mr. Gone introduces inside the viewers into the world of "The Maxx", a fascinating world where the line between the fantasy and the reality isn't very clear and most things aren't what they seem at first glance."The Maxx" is a very faithful adaptation of the Sam Kieth comic in which it was inspired: Though abbreviated, this animation equals the original comic book in quality, helped, no doubt by the heavy involvement of the original creator. Additionally, some story lines from the original comic were also expanded for the better (Like for example Sarah's introduction) Even when it was very-short lived (Like many other good animated shows) "The Maxx" is still one of the most interesting series ever done in the history of television, being another perfect example of the potential that animation has a medium for more mature, complex and original stories.Every single episode of "The Maxx" is a marvelous experience, and it certainly left me wishing to see more of the plot and characters. Is a superhero-animation like no others, and in those times where everything seems to be done and told, shows like this are the perfect example of how much could be with apparently "normal" concepts from fiction, such as masked heroes and alternate realities. After all those years, the only series to be remotely similar in quality and mystery to "The Maxx" was the excellent and underrated motion-comic "Broken Saints", which even when it doesn't seem to have many things in common with "The Maxx" at first sight, manages to be equally deep and fascinating in what concerns to the exploration of the inner world of the main characters, alternating it with the harsh reality.

One of the best animated series of all time.Here's why...The writing is some of the best I've ever seen when it comes to animation. It is, at times, utterly confusing and that's the point. You, the viewer, are thrown into the world of "The Maxx." It is as bizarre as the Maxx's psyche and will leave you wondering what you just watched. The amazing cinematography amidst the complexity of storyline make "The Maxx" appealing to the eye as well as the mind.

I knew I was going to need something good and strong to wash off "Snowed in at the House of Mouse" today, so I rented "the Maxx". I saw bits of it when Mtv aired it as a mini-series and was taken in by the excellent visuals and believable -almost pitiable- cast of characters. But before I gush, a little history is needed here.Some time in the mid-90's, Mtv actually had a few good shows. No kidding. At the time it pained them to interrupt the music videos (!!!???!!!) for a while to show them, but that's another rant in itself. They had an animated mini-series block called "Oddities". One of these was the grotesque, overplayed "the Head" and the other was "the Maxx".So what would you say if I told you now that this cartoon is darker, more complicated, and better written than any of the live-action movies in the new release shelves the past three weeks?Go rent it tonight. This is going to stay with you for a long time.

This is some of the best animation I have yet seen come out of this country. "The Maxx" is, after its two hours have passed: scary, very funny, thoughtful, intelligent, profound, disturbing, highly imaginative, and ultimately quite moving.Part of the charm of "The Maxx" is that it's clear that the directors of the series are familiar with how people read the comics; how all the elements and dialogue reach the eye. In this way "The Maxx" is far more imaginative than live-action stuff, because it's loose of the bounds of physics laws and a clear-eyed camera. It makes other films based on comic books, "Batman," "Blade," etc., seem clunky and artificial by comparison.The plot, though drawn from a mish-mash of dream interpretation stuff, pop psychology stuff, Freudian stuff, and miscellaneous mythological references, matters little in the end -- when all is explained, it's a little disappointing because the confusion that "The Maxx" envelops around the viewer was part of what was so good about it. It's the confusion, the intricate layers of reality and unreality, that helps make this show so special.When you get down to it, it works anyway, thanks to a number of really magnificent things. First, the characters of The Maxx, Julie, and Sarah are multi-faceted and very endearing. Despite the exhilarating cascade of visuals, this is ultimately a character-driven fantasy/drama. That's not all that "The Maxx" ought to be treasured for, though. Sam Keith has created a world (heck, a number of worlds) that are so fiercely original, so imaginative, that nothing short of a complete lack of sympathetic characters would be able to ruin his visionary achievement. To his credit, Keith gives us everything that we've been missing in Hollywood's interpretation of the comics: not just strong visuals, but great writing, a mass of original ideas, and memorable characters.