Many reviews of this film seem to weigh the mass of content and the quality of the animation.
A better way to evaluate this movie is to consider the quality and purpose of the story elements and characterization, and the artistic vision and mood of the story and its environment.
What is different about the story and characterization of this movie, is not that it tells a tale that is thoroughly unique and surprising, but is rather that a classic and simple quest tale is executed in what you could call an artistically minimalist fashion.
Many animated films aimed at the family market are operating like a three-ring circus, containing a story for the children, veritably bulging with overripe characterization to distract us from the boring or poorly plotted story, and last, but certainly not least, containing a never-ending series of distractions for parents and adults who desperately do not want to be watching the film.
The mass of all this material can give such a film a cluttered appearance, and the swarm of pop-culture references stuffed in the film as jokes are doubly anachronistic, not fitting with the content of the film, and serving as a subtle irritation by constituting either yet another reference to tabloid-not news, or if the film is old enough, being simply altogether out of date.
Dragon Hunters is very different. You have to be able to appreciate a fairy tale; this film will not give you a variety show to go along with the fairy tale that you do not really want to see, but that story is beautifully and cleanly laid out.
In many cases, when evaluating an animated film; the latest Pixar release for example, we marvel, or at least listen to other people marvel, at the quality and sophistication of the animation.
What stands out about Dragon Hunters is not that film looks like it could only be made in a top-secret laboratory on the world's largest computer. This is not to say that the animation is backward either; the film is up-to-date, but what stands out about Dragon hunters is how well the tools of computer animation are used for artistic effect.
The overall look of the picture for example, is very well done, providing plenty of detail, yet lending a somewhat dreamlike quality to the movie that is very appropriate to a fairy tale. Having done a good job, the filmmakers also take their achievement in stride, and do not hobble the production with scenes that only serve to celebrate their own achievement.
Finally, I would note how this production stands out not so much in introducing a brand-new special effect, but rather in that the tools, the 'brushes' as it were, of computer animation, are wielded with verve and to artistic effect. All animated shows are affected by the fact that the characters in their world move in a particular way, which does not wholly conform to reality. In the Dragon Hunters, you feel more like you are watching a skilled marionettist, and less like you are seeing a great special effect that wasn't quite good enough.
So to sum up, Dragon Hunters is a minimalist story, and is a great one as long as you are able to accept that choice. The animation is of good quality, but more importantly, is artistically done within the level of technology in use. Like the Disney film "Snow White" Dragon Hunters is likely to retain its value after technology permits more spectacular effects, unlike say "King Kong" which can only be appreciated if much is ignored. The result, is a classic and timeless movie.
A better way to evaluate this movie is to consider the quality and purpose of the story elements and characterization, and the artistic vision and mood of the story and its environment.
What is different about the story and characterization of this movie, is not that it tells a tale that is thoroughly unique and surprising, but is rather that a classic and simple quest tale is executed in what you could call an artistically minimalist fashion.
Many animated films aimed at the family market are operating like a three-ring circus, containing a story for the children, veritably bulging with overripe characterization to distract us from the boring or poorly plotted story, and last, but certainly not least, containing a never-ending series of distractions for parents and adults who desperately do not want to be watching the film.
The mass of all this material can give such a film a cluttered appearance, and the swarm of pop-culture references stuffed in the film as jokes are doubly anachronistic, not fitting with the content of the film, and serving as a subtle irritation by constituting either yet another reference to tabloid-not news, or if the film is old enough, being simply altogether out of date.
Dragon Hunters is very different. You have to be able to appreciate a fairy tale; this film will not give you a variety show to go along with the fairy tale that you do not really want to see, but that story is beautifully and cleanly laid out.
In many cases, when evaluating an animated film; the latest Pixar release for example, we marvel, or at least listen to other people marvel, at the quality and sophistication of the animation.
What stands out about Dragon Hunters is not that film looks like it could only be made in a top-secret laboratory on the world's largest computer. This is not to say that the animation is backward either; the film is up-to-date, but what stands out about Dragon hunters is how well the tools of computer animation are used for artistic effect.
The overall look of the picture for example, is very well done, providing plenty of detail, yet lending a somewhat dreamlike quality to the movie that is very appropriate to a fairy tale. Having done a good job, the filmmakers also take their achievement in stride, and do not hobble the production with scenes that only serve to celebrate their own achievement.
Finally, I would note how this production stands out not so much in introducing a brand-new special effect, but rather in that the tools, the 'brushes' as it were, of computer animation, are wielded with verve and to artistic effect. All animated shows are affected by the fact that the characters in their world move in a particular way, which does not wholly conform to reality. In the Dragon Hunters, you feel more like you are watching a skilled marionettist, and less like you are seeing a great special effect that wasn't quite good enough.
So to sum up, Dragon Hunters is a minimalist story, and is a great one as long as you are able to accept that choice. The animation is of good quality, but more importantly, is artistically done within the level of technology in use. Like the Disney film "Snow White" Dragon Hunters is likely to retain its value after technology permits more spectacular effects, unlike say "King Kong" which can only be appreciated if much is ignored. The result, is a classic and timeless movie.