aka No Slugs were a-salted during this film
it occurred to me yesterday that OF COURSE I had to go and see this film even though all the trailers and stuff I have seen about it haven’t made me want to.
I HAD to go - it’s Aardman!
And having now seen it I have to say the only two things that is wrong with it are that it did not hook me into the characters at the start and at the start there was what I consider to be a big continuity issue. it wasn’t ’til half way through that I actually started to enjoy it - which is a shame as it is really quite good, kinda.
It has great animation and is put together well. it is also kinda weird in a way I have not experienced before - or perhaps this was just the underlying concept that I was watching rats in a sewer and i was quite wary that I woudl see a big poop floating about at any moment. it certainly takes toilet humour in a totally literal direction!
I am wondering if Aardman has an NZ somehow connected to this film as there was a weird appearance of a New Zealand map at one point that had me perplexed coz I couldn’t figure out WHY there would be a NZ map with connections to the anatomy of a squirrel (I think it was a squirrel, I was distracted by the bizarre appearance of a NZ map) at this point (or any other actually) of this film.
The film is riddled with visual sound effects gags - which in themselves are hilarious and blend well with the Aardman tradition for the teeniest of detail that makes their films stand up well under repeat viewings. There is also a lot of slapstick - which I couldn’t help but laugh at.
There are also some pop culture references which flash by in almost bizarre ways so keep your eyes peeled.
I really enjoyed Jean Reno as Le Frog - I have a long standing connection with his acting and voice since he appeared in a film I have been fond of for too many years to remember now! Andy Serkis did a good job as Spike.
Overall the story just didn’t grip me - I am not sure if I was in the wrong mood or if I just got off to a bad viewing start with the continuity and the non connection with the chars. Not sure what it was really as it did seem to have all the elements that should have made it a good film. I couldn’t get an idea of it’s kid appeal as I was in a practically empty cinema (as I liek it).
I’d love to hear what others think. It’s certainly no Wallace and Gromit but then I am definitely biased in that regard - it is uniquely Aardman however and has many of the trademark Aardman delights. It’s good to see them trying something different and I hope this works out for them. As much as I LOVE the stopmotion - it’s going to be increasingly difficult for them to make it pay off for them with the nature of that medium and until they can figure out a way around that ( and cross fingers that SOMEONE does) they need to get their bucks somehow coz the alternative is to pack up shop and split up I guess…
it occurred to me yesterday that OF COURSE I had to go and see this film even though all the trailers and stuff I have seen about it haven’t made me want to.
I HAD to go - it’s Aardman!
And having now seen it I have to say the only two things that is wrong with it are that it did not hook me into the characters at the start and at the start there was what I consider to be a big continuity issue. it wasn’t ’til half way through that I actually started to enjoy it - which is a shame as it is really quite good, kinda.
It has great animation and is put together well. it is also kinda weird in a way I have not experienced before - or perhaps this was just the underlying concept that I was watching rats in a sewer and i was quite wary that I woudl see a big poop floating about at any moment. it certainly takes toilet humour in a totally literal direction!
I am wondering if Aardman has an NZ somehow connected to this film as there was a weird appearance of a New Zealand map at one point that had me perplexed coz I couldn’t figure out WHY there would be a NZ map with connections to the anatomy of a squirrel (I think it was a squirrel, I was distracted by the bizarre appearance of a NZ map) at this point (or any other actually) of this film.
The film is riddled with visual sound effects gags - which in themselves are hilarious and blend well with the Aardman tradition for the teeniest of detail that makes their films stand up well under repeat viewings. There is also a lot of slapstick - which I couldn’t help but laugh at.
There are also some pop culture references which flash by in almost bizarre ways so keep your eyes peeled.
I really enjoyed Jean Reno as Le Frog - I have a long standing connection with his acting and voice since he appeared in a film I have been fond of for too many years to remember now! Andy Serkis did a good job as Spike.
Overall the story just didn’t grip me - I am not sure if I was in the wrong mood or if I just got off to a bad viewing start with the continuity and the non connection with the chars. Not sure what it was really as it did seem to have all the elements that should have made it a good film. I couldn’t get an idea of it’s kid appeal as I was in a practically empty cinema (as I liek it).
I’d love to hear what others think. It’s certainly no Wallace and Gromit but then I am definitely biased in that regard - it is uniquely Aardman however and has many of the trademark Aardman delights. It’s good to see them trying something different and I hope this works out for them. As much as I LOVE the stopmotion - it’s going to be increasingly difficult for them to make it pay off for them with the nature of that medium and until they can figure out a way around that ( and cross fingers that SOMEONE does) they need to get their bucks somehow coz the alternative is to pack up shop and split up I guess…
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