A vibrant, offbeat animated tale that never quite becomes this decade’s “Nightmare Before Christmas” but is still well-worth watching.
What Works: This has not been the best year for animated movies, and it feels like a lot of the major players have pretty much written off 2014. [Pixar didn’t even release anything this year, after phoning it in with mostly sequels in the last few years.] SO really any animated film with this much cultural flavor and originality is welcome. The dueling Gods, the love triangle, the land of the forgotten, etc. this feels like an especially rich (and semi-adult) animated world the creators realized. I particularly liked the animation style that made it look like each character is made of metal or wood, to replicate the look of a piece of folk art.
What Doesn’t: Although the film is a visual feast, something about the central characters doesn’t stay with you long after the end credits roll. The entire plot hinges on their relationships and the tricky friendship/love triangle at the center, and that never comes alive in the way it should have. By the end, it’s hard to remember that Zoe Saldana’s female lead knew both of these boys for most of her life.
What I Would Have Done Differently: More reviews later on today, so keep checking back!