SilverWings
Since: Aug, 2015
05/05/2013 11:31:50
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WesternAnimation An Enjoyable Film
I've got to say, it's a very good kids film. The animation is spectacular, the voice acting is great, and the music fit very well. I do have to explain that I saw this on DVD with my older sister, who's very picky about her movies and doesn't generally enjoy kids films as she finds them silly and immature at times. However, here, she wound up deeply enthralled in the story, became legitimately angry at the villains, and enjoyed it a lot more than the "grown-up" movie she wound up choosing.
WesternAnimation Colossal highs and crushing lows
When I saw that this movie had a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I was intrigued. As a person who still enjoys a new animated movie a couple of times a year, I felt that I had to try it. I just didn't know what to expect. I said to myself "This will either be a forgotten gem or a laughable disaster". As it turns out, it's both at once!
Firstly, let's talk about the animation. It is beyond glorious. It's so realistic that at times, I actually forgot I was watching an animated movie. There's so much impeccable detail that I couldn't soak it all in. I don't think animated movies can get much better animated than this. Like Rango and WALL-E, the presentation of the movie is absolutely magnificent. Another thing I liked about the movie was the dark tone. This is a pretty dark movie; in fact, it's not really a movie for kids because it gets pretty violent and frightening. And this aspect of it works. The movie's gothic atmosphere feels just right; it's never too peppy or too miserable. The action sequences are also well constructed and very enjoyable.
So, what does this movie do wrong? Absolutely everything else. When I wasn't being awed by the spectacular eye candy or engaged by the dark action, I was often laughing at the aspects that failed. First of all, there are way too many characters, and some of them are bizarrely unlikable. The script is shamelessly corny, with loads of really cringe-worthy lines, and all of its attempts at humour fail. The pacing is completely bonkers, shifting dramatically from scenes of tranquility to scenes of intense peril with little to no warning. The story is a jumble of good ideas glued together in a really rushed manner, to the point where the plot stopped making sense half-way through it, so I just had to go along with it.
But you know what? I enjoyed it! As dumb as the whole thing is, the delectable visuals, menacingly dark atmosphere and incredibly engaging action set-pieces were enough to get me through it. To be honest, I think every fan of animated movies should see it once or twice. It's nowhere near a masterpiece, but it's such a peculiar mixed bag of highs and lows that it makes it an animated movie like no other. As a story of brave warriors and unlikely heroes, it falls flat on its beak. But as a work of art comprised of some of the finest visuals ever envisioned and crafted, it soars.