This is an interesting film done in an "offbeat" style. The animation is highly stylized and brightly colored, a stark contrast to the usually pastel and soft-edged Disney style. Some of the characters, such as "Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe," are -- well, cartoonish. I'm sure the parody of the knight-errant is well over the head of any child.
The story of the "quest" is simply told and unhurried. Plenty of time for children to enjoy the various side trips, such as Smrgal teaching Gorbash how to make dragon fire, or the two dragons getting drunk in the cellar of an inn and singing "Oh Susannah." The many scene breaks look like the movie was designed for commercial interruptions, a la television.
This is a niche film. Small children not too addicted to the Disney style will like it. Some of the conversation is stilted (again, everything about this film is very stylized, so the odd style of conversation is likely not unintentional) and you have to be able to accept it that way. Also, much of the conversation has double entendre or a level of humour that will go right by younger children, as when Gorbash asks Smrgal if he would really eat dwarfs and Smrgal replies, "Oh no, they are all hairy and tough, not worth picking out of your teeth."
My wife decidedly doesn't like this movie but I find it interesting enough in a curious way. And, of course, our five-year-old loves it.
The story of the "quest" is simply told and unhurried. Plenty of time for children to enjoy the various side trips, such as Smrgal teaching Gorbash how to make dragon fire, or the two dragons getting drunk in the cellar of an inn and singing "Oh Susannah." The many scene breaks look like the movie was designed for commercial interruptions, a la television.
This is a niche film. Small children not too addicted to the Disney style will like it. Some of the conversation is stilted (again, everything about this film is very stylized, so the odd style of conversation is likely not unintentional) and you have to be able to accept it that way. Also, much of the conversation has double entendre or a level of humour that will go right by younger children, as when Gorbash asks Smrgal if he would really eat dwarfs and Smrgal replies, "Oh no, they are all hairy and tough, not worth picking out of your teeth."
My wife decidedly doesn't like this movie but I find it interesting enough in a curious way. And, of course, our five-year-old loves it.