peefyn

The plot of this movie is probably more interesting for those who are familiar with the original story. Basically there's three henchmen, and they're supposed to get a fan from a princess so that they can put out a magic fire that's in the way for them. As I am not familiar with the original story, I have to admit that I thought the three henchmen were supposed to be considered the bad guys (and I'm still not entirely convinced that the movie for some reasons takes the side of the villains).

It's interesting that the movie opens with a text saying that it's not a fantastical story, but a metaphorical one. Perhaps the metaphors are more obvious for the audience it was made for.

Today, it's the animation that makes this movie interesting. At times it's actually quite good, and with an interesting style. But mostly it's really bad. The rotoscoping is often quite fluid (and nice), but anything that could not be rotoscoped (like the animal faces, or exaggerated movements) is quite jarring. Perfectly understandable (this is one of the first animated features in the world, and the first one from China), and still interesting to watch. It lives up to it's reputation: Obviously influenced by American animation, but still very much Asian.

I love the fact that they made this a marionette film. It's beautifully executed, in that they both highlight how it's a craft that can be done well, but also highlighting it in its awkwardness. They respect the strings, but never go out of their way to hide them. This alone is a good reason to watch this movie.

That said, it's also a fun satire, done in the juvenile way that Trey Parker and Matt Stone has perfected. There's not layers upon layers to dig through of meaning, but there is a heart in the movie that's integrated into the crude jokes about sex and violence. By lowering our expectations, they manage to open us up to (something like) a moral reflection when we least expect it. They've done this for years on South Park, and it works just as well here. It's even true for their musical, The Book of Mormon.

It's also a delight how they're able to poke fun at pretty much everything, and how they're able to do in a technically interesting format. Even though I like South Park, I wish they would spend more time on projects like this.

This movie has some fantastic shots in it, and it manages to bring some of the amazement you can get from watching an actual musical live. The songs are mostly not that memorable, but they're always welcome when they come. They're also spaced out in an interesting way, fitting with the emotional flow of the movie. The actors do a terrific job playing their parts.

Even though I can easily get caught in nostalgia, I am also quite wary of it. This movie delves in it, but luckily it does in a way that feels thought through, and in the end it seems like it comes to terms with the fact that the present ain't so bad either. You can try to recreate the past, or you can bring the positive aspects of the past with you as you head into the future. To me, the latter is the most appealing, and it's how I felt this movie handled it.

All of that said, the movie never excels. It's a nice musical with great acting, impressive shots and a nice setting - and it deserves praise for all of those things. The complete package works nicely, but it it's no great loss to miss out on this movie.