I just saw this movie with a Toronto International Film Festival crowd, not one of whom applauded at the end. Film Festival crowds are usually quite generous and rarely does a filled theatre quietly walk out at the end.
It is not that this is a bad movie. I saw nobody walk out during it. In fact, at moments it's quite brilliant. It is just so slow and mind-numbingly morose that you simply have no energy to applaud at the end of the long two hours. Any movie, live or animated, where the characters are trapped in the throes of ennui had better be tremendously exciting because watching characters, who spent most of their time standing or sitting around doing nothing, is pretty darn boring. There are aerial battle scenes which were quite well executed and fun to watch, but even then, since we didn't know until the revelation towards the end why they were fighting, it had no context and became repetitive.
I understand there a book and video game associated with this movie, and those familiar with those may enjoy this, but others should be wary.
I'm giving it a 5, because it is an honest effort.
It is not that this is a bad movie. I saw nobody walk out during it. In fact, at moments it's quite brilliant. It is just so slow and mind-numbingly morose that you simply have no energy to applaud at the end of the long two hours. Any movie, live or animated, where the characters are trapped in the throes of ennui had better be tremendously exciting because watching characters, who spent most of their time standing or sitting around doing nothing, is pretty darn boring. There are aerial battle scenes which were quite well executed and fun to watch, but even then, since we didn't know until the revelation towards the end why they were fighting, it had no context and became repetitive.
I understand there a book and video game associated with this movie, and those familiar with those may enjoy this, but others should be wary.
I'm giving it a 5, because it is an honest effort.