At the outset, "Valiant" has some obstacles to overcome with the movie-going audiences at large in America. The most gaping chasm in its way to achieve a status better than average is the inescapable fact it's the first wide release feature-length 3d animated film to date from the Walt Disney brand that does not have Pixar attached to it. Having achieved a 10-year repertoire together with top 250 contending films such as "The Incredibles", "Monsters Inc", "Toy Story"s 1 & 2, Disney has so much go regain from their unjustly strained relationship with Pixar. And there is no denying that Vanguard's "Valiant", while putting forth a good effort, just cannot keep the fast pace of adventure, character development, plot, endearment and even marketing that a Pixar creation can.
The other major obstacle, as I observed with other movie-going patrons, is that the translation of British humor in conversation to many American viewers is garbled. I just didn't see much humor in the fast-paced beak flapping that composed many parts in the film's plot progression. Many of the jokes and gags just don't connect and sadly, as a result, must therefore progress with forms of bodily flatulence.
It is very important to separate "Valiant" from any other Disney 3d animated film to glean any sense of fulfillment from it. One must realize that none of the masters of animation at either Disney or Pixar contributed to it, and while "Valiant" fell short in many places, it is a, er...valiant effort from an up and coming production company overseas. The animation, for the most part, is very smooth and slick with very few noticeable errors in modeling or animation. The character models are simplistic enough in their design yet complex enough in their movement, and the effects and backgrounds are kept secondary to the characters, where they should be. The voice-casting is competent enough to keep the movie progressing forward, and the running time is mercifully short.
With the yet-to-be-mega-hyped release of "Cars" set to roll in 2006 to wrap up the current contract between Pixar and Disney, there is a sense that Disney must undertake and produce their own projects (like the upcoming "Chicken Little" and "Rapunzel: Unbraided") or mend their partnership with Pixar to produce a 3d hit that is truly worthy to carry the Disney name further than just the movie theater screens.
"Valiant" gets 6 of 10 stars.
The other major obstacle, as I observed with other movie-going patrons, is that the translation of British humor in conversation to many American viewers is garbled. I just didn't see much humor in the fast-paced beak flapping that composed many parts in the film's plot progression. Many of the jokes and gags just don't connect and sadly, as a result, must therefore progress with forms of bodily flatulence.
It is very important to separate "Valiant" from any other Disney 3d animated film to glean any sense of fulfillment from it. One must realize that none of the masters of animation at either Disney or Pixar contributed to it, and while "Valiant" fell short in many places, it is a, er...valiant effort from an up and coming production company overseas. The animation, for the most part, is very smooth and slick with very few noticeable errors in modeling or animation. The character models are simplistic enough in their design yet complex enough in their movement, and the effects and backgrounds are kept secondary to the characters, where they should be. The voice-casting is competent enough to keep the movie progressing forward, and the running time is mercifully short.
With the yet-to-be-mega-hyped release of "Cars" set to roll in 2006 to wrap up the current contract between Pixar and Disney, there is a sense that Disney must undertake and produce their own projects (like the upcoming "Chicken Little" and "Rapunzel: Unbraided") or mend their partnership with Pixar to produce a 3d hit that is truly worthy to carry the Disney name further than just the movie theater screens.
"Valiant" gets 6 of 10 stars.