Movies
An odd little collaboration between DreamWorks (USA) and Pearl (China), that feels like it doesn't really belong anywhere specific. The setting is decidedly Chinese, but the characters feel extremely American, so does the comedy. The result is a somewhat confused and often rushed film that never appears sure what it really wants to be. Yi misses her father and fails to connect with her mom and grandma. When she finds an escaped Yeti on her roof, it doesn't take her long to decide she will join him in finding his home. Together with her two nephews she begins a perilous journey, as a rare animal collector is hoping to capture the Yeti and add him to his collection. The characters are pretty irritating, the dub is poor and the classic CG art style is not all that attractive. The plot is also completely nonsensical, the fantastical elements in particular are only there to quickly get out of dire situations it seems. There are some interesting moments and the Yeti is pretty cute, but he can't save the film all by himself. Forgettable.Read all
Another drab US animation, though Sony does a slightly better job than their DreamWorks competitors. While the difference is overall small and Open Season is just as annoying as most other films in the genre, the slightly more abstract visuals gives the film a bit more character. That at least is something. It's still very loud and obnoxious though. Almost every character seems to be suffering from ADD. Even though these films are short in general, they still manage to tire me out really quickly. It also doesn't help that the jokes are tiresome and most of the action feels copied from other, better films. I'm sure Open Season is okay for its target audience, the fact that it spawned several sequels indicates it was at least a financial success. I just wish they'd go for a different type of comedy, slow things down a little (as they do a couple of times, to good effect) and deliver a film that aspires to do more than rile up kids at a birthday party.Read all