Zog (1) (2018) -
From the start there were obvious similarities to 'How To Train Your Dragon' (2010), certainly at the first meeting between Zog (Rocco Wright and later Hugh Skinner) and Pearl (Patsy Ferran) as well as the connection that was made and built upon.
And of course the style of animation appeared to have come from the same creators and studio that had previously released 'Room On The Broom' (2012) and 'Stick Man' (2015) among others. Which for me was a positive, because I loved the hybrid CGI/"Claymation" cartoon effect and I have always thought that it was done well. It is a staple to watch at least one of these releases every Christmas now, although I think my favourite is 'The Gruffalo's Child' (2011)0, which had that wintery cosy vibe to it.
I might like the others more if they were re-set in a colder climate to go with the time of year that they are shown. My absolute favourite film is 'The Snowman' (1982), so I suppose I am looking for something to replicate that nostalgic warmth and festive feeling that it provided and still does at least two or three times every Christmas.
With 'Zog' however I did feel that the moral was a bit on the nose, although I suppose that there was no point in complicating it for the kiddies?
I thought that it might be a bit much for really young children to grasp the point of the story, but I'm sure that they would at least appreciate the colours and characters. As an "Adult" though I thought that it could have had a bit more to it and I didn't think that it was worth paying the big bucks for names such as Kit Harrington (Gadabout), Tracey Ullman (Madam Dragon) or even Rob Brydon (Various) for the few lines that they had to deliver, that would have been just as successfully spoken by any other voice actor. I did appreciate Lenny Henry as the Narrator though, because his diction was clear and easy to understand, which hasn't always been the case.
It was a nice enough cartoon, but having since watched its sequel, I wonder whether it might not have been better made as two parts in one and slightly longer, maybe 45 minutes instead of two 30 minute instalments?
505.08/1000.
From the start there were obvious similarities to 'How To Train Your Dragon' (2010), certainly at the first meeting between Zog (Rocco Wright and later Hugh Skinner) and Pearl (Patsy Ferran) as well as the connection that was made and built upon.
And of course the style of animation appeared to have come from the same creators and studio that had previously released 'Room On The Broom' (2012) and 'Stick Man' (2015) among others. Which for me was a positive, because I loved the hybrid CGI/"Claymation" cartoon effect and I have always thought that it was done well. It is a staple to watch at least one of these releases every Christmas now, although I think my favourite is 'The Gruffalo's Child' (2011)0, which had that wintery cosy vibe to it.
I might like the others more if they were re-set in a colder climate to go with the time of year that they are shown. My absolute favourite film is 'The Snowman' (1982), so I suppose I am looking for something to replicate that nostalgic warmth and festive feeling that it provided and still does at least two or three times every Christmas.
With 'Zog' however I did feel that the moral was a bit on the nose, although I suppose that there was no point in complicating it for the kiddies?
I thought that it might be a bit much for really young children to grasp the point of the story, but I'm sure that they would at least appreciate the colours and characters. As an "Adult" though I thought that it could have had a bit more to it and I didn't think that it was worth paying the big bucks for names such as Kit Harrington (Gadabout), Tracey Ullman (Madam Dragon) or even Rob Brydon (Various) for the few lines that they had to deliver, that would have been just as successfully spoken by any other voice actor. I did appreciate Lenny Henry as the Narrator though, because his diction was clear and easy to understand, which hasn't always been the case.
It was a nice enough cartoon, but having since watched its sequel, I wonder whether it might not have been better made as two parts in one and slightly longer, maybe 45 minutes instead of two 30 minute instalments?
505.08/1000.