Cartoon about 2 wolves, an alpha (Panettiere) and an omega (Long),who get relocated to Idaho and there journey back home. Two wolves that are unable to "be" together get captured and relocated to another park halfway across the country. They set out for home with help from some very funny friends. Being a kids movie not much really to review, (except my kids really liked it). For the adults who watch this I really found it to be a metaphor for a class based system of the haves and have-nots. I may have read too much into it, but it makes a good point of love conquering all, no matter who or what you are. Deep enough? There were some really funny scenes in this but it is definitely a kids movie. Adults won't be totally bored, but don't expect "Shrek" type humor in this. I give it a B-, My kids give it an A.
108 Reviews
Alpha and Omega : The High Maintenance Couple
MosHr12 September 2010
Alpha and Omega is a competent baby-sitter but doesn't have quite the chops to be as absorbing for adults as well, as Pixar movies do. The movie is a standard fare love story and standard fare animal animation somewhat encased in a male bashing advertisement's philosophy. Humphrey is the idiotic male whose carelessness actually is a major plot point in the story while Kate is a mature, responsible, competent hunter, pretty, yada yada and so on.
The quality of the movie is top notch, and has a beautiful 3D that creates makes the scenes look much better and vibrant, though darker like using sunglasses using the 3d glasses. The movie is reminiscent of a lot of animal movies that happen in jungles that partially cross paths with humans. The golfer geese are funny and the bears, caribou all provide a lively background for the story to unfold.
Great movie to go with your daughter if you can bear the kid directed non-Pixar movies.
The quality of the movie is top notch, and has a beautiful 3D that creates makes the scenes look much better and vibrant, though darker like using sunglasses using the 3d glasses. The movie is reminiscent of a lot of animal movies that happen in jungles that partially cross paths with humans. The golfer geese are funny and the bears, caribou all provide a lively background for the story to unfold.
Great movie to go with your daughter if you can bear the kid directed non-Pixar movies.
"Alpha and Omega" Follows the Pack
jgregg4217 September 2010
"Alpha and Omega" is your standard kiddy flick of conflict and resolution with much detail to the 3D imagery and not enough to keep Mom and Dad entertained. The story brings nothing new to the party; it's like the friend that you invite and tell him to bring a side dish. "Toy Story 3" spends all night baking cookies for everyone. "Despicable Me" puts forth an effort by bringing barbecue weenies in a Crock Pot. "How to Train Your Dragon" takes the time and mixes 7-Up and punch. Then there is "Alpha and Omega," who stops at the local gas station and picks up a fun sized bag of Doritos for itself and arrives 30 minutes late.
The story begins by introducing us to the main characters, Humphrey (voiced by Justin Long, the guy from the Apple commercials) as the Omega wolf and Kate (voiced by Hayden Panettiere from "Heroes"), as the Alpha wolf. They are acquaintances at the beginning of the movie, where it is hinted at that Humphrey has a crush on Kate. After a winter at Alpha school Kate is being trained to become a leader of the pack and Humphrey is still palling around with his knucklehead friends.
Humphrey and Kate's wolf pack has a rival pack that is trying to take the caribou hunting from them. That doesn't fare well with Winston (voiced by Danny Glover) who is not only the leader of the pack but also Kate's father. And, who is the leader of the rival pack? It's Tony (voiced by Dennis Hopper, in his last film), who has some unexplained history with Winston. Tony. Really? This great wolf is the leader, the old wise sage, and that's the best name they could come up with? Tony the Wolf. Sounds too much like Tony the Tiger.
Humphrey is in love with Kate but she is arranged to be courted by the rival pack's Alpha male, Garth. The packs have a ritual where the adolescents meet at a mountain in Jasper National Park to howl at the moon. It's comparable to going to a junior high dance at the taxidermy display inside a Cabela's. There was a song and dance element here that felt out of place. I felt uncomfortable to see these wolves dance seductively together in a kid's film. At that point, I understood why wolves chewed off their own leg when caught in a trap.
At the "howling" Humphrey and Kate are hit with a dart gun and transported from their park in Canada to a park in Idaho. Here they are set free and it's up to them to find a way back home.
The couple is eventually befriended by Marcel, some sort of a cross between a Canadian goose and either a bald eagle or a vulture (I couldn't tell) and his side kick Paddy, a yellow duck. These two birds are avid golfers. Hitting the golf ball gives the movie a reason to exploit their 3D technology. Hey, you paid for it; you might as well use it, right guys?
Marcel and Paddy keep showing up during the movie to act as guides for Humphrey and Kate. It's not fully explained how these four keep running into each other but it just so happens that they always show up at the right time.
The rest of the picture is about how Humphrey and Kate work as a team to get back home while realizing an Alpha and Omega wolf can have deep feelings for each other.
Should you see this movie? Nope. It was trying to be kiddy movie with goofy elements of bathroom humor and at the same time a movie with adult themes about falling in love.
The 3D action sequences were well done. There were several scenes of Humphrey finding old trees to slide down hills and incorporate the first and second person angles of sliding. And, as my 11-year-old daughter pointed out, whenever these wolves needed an old tree to use as a sled it just so happened to be within reaching distance. How many dead trees are there in a forest?
If you absolutely feel that you still need to go, bring your kids if they are under the age of 10 and if they have very little imagination on their own. Or just wait until it's out on DVD because after you spend $10 each you won't be howling with excitement, it will be more of a whimper.
The story begins by introducing us to the main characters, Humphrey (voiced by Justin Long, the guy from the Apple commercials) as the Omega wolf and Kate (voiced by Hayden Panettiere from "Heroes"), as the Alpha wolf. They are acquaintances at the beginning of the movie, where it is hinted at that Humphrey has a crush on Kate. After a winter at Alpha school Kate is being trained to become a leader of the pack and Humphrey is still palling around with his knucklehead friends.
Humphrey and Kate's wolf pack has a rival pack that is trying to take the caribou hunting from them. That doesn't fare well with Winston (voiced by Danny Glover) who is not only the leader of the pack but also Kate's father. And, who is the leader of the rival pack? It's Tony (voiced by Dennis Hopper, in his last film), who has some unexplained history with Winston. Tony. Really? This great wolf is the leader, the old wise sage, and that's the best name they could come up with? Tony the Wolf. Sounds too much like Tony the Tiger.
Humphrey is in love with Kate but she is arranged to be courted by the rival pack's Alpha male, Garth. The packs have a ritual where the adolescents meet at a mountain in Jasper National Park to howl at the moon. It's comparable to going to a junior high dance at the taxidermy display inside a Cabela's. There was a song and dance element here that felt out of place. I felt uncomfortable to see these wolves dance seductively together in a kid's film. At that point, I understood why wolves chewed off their own leg when caught in a trap.
At the "howling" Humphrey and Kate are hit with a dart gun and transported from their park in Canada to a park in Idaho. Here they are set free and it's up to them to find a way back home.
The couple is eventually befriended by Marcel, some sort of a cross between a Canadian goose and either a bald eagle or a vulture (I couldn't tell) and his side kick Paddy, a yellow duck. These two birds are avid golfers. Hitting the golf ball gives the movie a reason to exploit their 3D technology. Hey, you paid for it; you might as well use it, right guys?
Marcel and Paddy keep showing up during the movie to act as guides for Humphrey and Kate. It's not fully explained how these four keep running into each other but it just so happens that they always show up at the right time.
The rest of the picture is about how Humphrey and Kate work as a team to get back home while realizing an Alpha and Omega wolf can have deep feelings for each other.
Should you see this movie? Nope. It was trying to be kiddy movie with goofy elements of bathroom humor and at the same time a movie with adult themes about falling in love.
The 3D action sequences were well done. There were several scenes of Humphrey finding old trees to slide down hills and incorporate the first and second person angles of sliding. And, as my 11-year-old daughter pointed out, whenever these wolves needed an old tree to use as a sled it just so happened to be within reaching distance. How many dead trees are there in a forest?
If you absolutely feel that you still need to go, bring your kids if they are under the age of 10 and if they have very little imagination on their own. Or just wait until it's out on DVD because after you spend $10 each you won't be howling with excitement, it will be more of a whimper.
Why do people give this film a hard time?..
rexiepie14 November 2011
I have always loved movies with animals in them like lion king, lady and the tramp and so on when i saw alpha and omega i loved it and there are a few reasons why i think this movie didn't get enough credit 1. it was a very original story i have never seen anything like it. 2 the animation is different witch i like 3. the acting was very good. and so this movie that got 4.8 should of had a 6.1 so anyway even if someone tells you this movie suck's just see it for yourself and give it a chance you might be surprised and i also highly recommend it for any wolf lover's but i don't recommend this movie for kid's the age of 1 to 5 due to some of the sexual actions.
Neither Alpha nor Omega, Clocks in at about Sigma
RichardSRussell-120 September 2010
Alpha and Omega (1:28, PG, 3-D) — other: talking animals, 3rd string, original
I feel a little sad giving this movie a 3 (which matches up to the adjective "bad" on my 9-point scale, just above "awful" and "execrable"), because it's not as if it's really offensive, irritating, ugly, loud, stupid, or any of the other things that normally nets a rank in my bottom 1/3 — the "avoid these" bunch. But it just isn't very good, so my advice has to be to skip it, despite its kindly intentions.
It's an animated pic about 2 young wolves, Humphrey (Justin Long), the omega (bottom of the pecking order), and Kate (Hayden Panettiere), the alpha (leader of the pack, or at least in training for the position*). It's part of the movie's simplistic conceit that there aren't any wolves in the beta-thru-psi range. Furthermore, the social gulf between alpha and omega is such that they may be friends but are never, never allowed to, uh, howl together.
Yes, that is the awkward bowdlerization that the film uses to let the adults know that these 2 hormone-filled teen-equivalent wild animals may in fact be inclined to have carnal knowledge of each other, while ostensibly protecting the sensibilities of the little kiddies in attendance. In furtherance of this latter objective, we get an embarrassing sequence in which the wolves actually do engage in a pathetic imitation of howling, supposedly to satisfy their innate longings for this shared intimacy.
As tension builds between the eastern and western hunting packs over who gets to raid the caribou herds of Canada's Jasper National Park, our heroes are shot with tranquilizer darts and trucked off to the Sawtooth National Wilderness of Idaho, where they are expected to repopulate the region. This too is discussed on screen with much hemming, hawing, winking, and nudging. (Really, screenwriters Chris Denk and Steve Moore, if you didn't want to talk about sex in front of the urchins, you should have made the movie about something else. And, directors Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck, depicting them sans genitalia is no more convincing than those udders on the bulls in Disney's Home on the Range.)
The problem is that Kate's, um, paw was promised in "marriage" (yes, that's what they call it) to Garth (Chris Carmack), the effective prince of the eastern pack, in a union which would supposedly unite the 2 clans in peace and harmony. But when Kate disappears, Garth's dad Tony (Dennis Hopper, in his final role) accuses his opposite number, Winston (Danny Glover), of trying to prevent the merger so he can keep the meaty resources of Jasper for his own followers. Why exactly this is contingent on the princess materializing at the appointed moment is never explained; if you think it's hard for adults to figure this out, imagine how bewildered the tots are going to be.
Anyway, Kate and Humphrey, upon being decanted in Idaho, immediately launch into Homeward Bound mode, abetted by the comic-relief birds, a balding Canada goose golfer with a French Canadian accent and his caddy, who I think is supposed to be a British duck. Right about here is where you get the impression that the characters were created by throwing darts at a thesaurus.
The wolves spend a lot of time standing upright, engaging in the kind of somersaults that would do credit to an Olympic gymnast, sledding down hills inside hemi-logs, sampling blueberries, wearing flowers, and occasionally advocating vegetarianism. Aside from that, totally realistic.
I saw the movie in 3-D, and it was used effectively rather than garishly. The depictions of the forest in the background were really quite good. The animation itself, however, seemed cut- rate, over and above having it done in Mumbai. For example, everyone concedes that fur is an animator's biggest challenge, and this movie had lots of it. Crest Animation decided to fake it by showing the fur in clumps which never moved internally and only moved minimally with respect to each other. Expressive features like eyes, mouths, and snouts were done mediocrely. (I concede that I've been spoiled rotten by DreamWorks and Pixar, and that Crest is still kilometres better than Hanna-Barbera.)
My best advice? If you want to see a really, really GOOD movie about wolves, go out and rent Never Cry Wolf, but stay away from Alpha and Omega.
–––––––––
*Since we're suspending disbelief here, we graciously concede, for the sake of political correctness, the possibility of an alpha FEmale.
I feel a little sad giving this movie a 3 (which matches up to the adjective "bad" on my 9-point scale, just above "awful" and "execrable"), because it's not as if it's really offensive, irritating, ugly, loud, stupid, or any of the other things that normally nets a rank in my bottom 1/3 — the "avoid these" bunch. But it just isn't very good, so my advice has to be to skip it, despite its kindly intentions.
It's an animated pic about 2 young wolves, Humphrey (Justin Long), the omega (bottom of the pecking order), and Kate (Hayden Panettiere), the alpha (leader of the pack, or at least in training for the position*). It's part of the movie's simplistic conceit that there aren't any wolves in the beta-thru-psi range. Furthermore, the social gulf between alpha and omega is such that they may be friends but are never, never allowed to, uh, howl together.
Yes, that is the awkward bowdlerization that the film uses to let the adults know that these 2 hormone-filled teen-equivalent wild animals may in fact be inclined to have carnal knowledge of each other, while ostensibly protecting the sensibilities of the little kiddies in attendance. In furtherance of this latter objective, we get an embarrassing sequence in which the wolves actually do engage in a pathetic imitation of howling, supposedly to satisfy their innate longings for this shared intimacy.
As tension builds between the eastern and western hunting packs over who gets to raid the caribou herds of Canada's Jasper National Park, our heroes are shot with tranquilizer darts and trucked off to the Sawtooth National Wilderness of Idaho, where they are expected to repopulate the region. This too is discussed on screen with much hemming, hawing, winking, and nudging. (Really, screenwriters Chris Denk and Steve Moore, if you didn't want to talk about sex in front of the urchins, you should have made the movie about something else. And, directors Anthony Bell and Ben Gluck, depicting them sans genitalia is no more convincing than those udders on the bulls in Disney's Home on the Range.)
The problem is that Kate's, um, paw was promised in "marriage" (yes, that's what they call it) to Garth (Chris Carmack), the effective prince of the eastern pack, in a union which would supposedly unite the 2 clans in peace and harmony. But when Kate disappears, Garth's dad Tony (Dennis Hopper, in his final role) accuses his opposite number, Winston (Danny Glover), of trying to prevent the merger so he can keep the meaty resources of Jasper for his own followers. Why exactly this is contingent on the princess materializing at the appointed moment is never explained; if you think it's hard for adults to figure this out, imagine how bewildered the tots are going to be.
Anyway, Kate and Humphrey, upon being decanted in Idaho, immediately launch into Homeward Bound mode, abetted by the comic-relief birds, a balding Canada goose golfer with a French Canadian accent and his caddy, who I think is supposed to be a British duck. Right about here is where you get the impression that the characters were created by throwing darts at a thesaurus.
The wolves spend a lot of time standing upright, engaging in the kind of somersaults that would do credit to an Olympic gymnast, sledding down hills inside hemi-logs, sampling blueberries, wearing flowers, and occasionally advocating vegetarianism. Aside from that, totally realistic.
I saw the movie in 3-D, and it was used effectively rather than garishly. The depictions of the forest in the background were really quite good. The animation itself, however, seemed cut- rate, over and above having it done in Mumbai. For example, everyone concedes that fur is an animator's biggest challenge, and this movie had lots of it. Crest Animation decided to fake it by showing the fur in clumps which never moved internally and only moved minimally with respect to each other. Expressive features like eyes, mouths, and snouts were done mediocrely. (I concede that I've been spoiled rotten by DreamWorks and Pixar, and that Crest is still kilometres better than Hanna-Barbera.)
My best advice? If you want to see a really, really GOOD movie about wolves, go out and rent Never Cry Wolf, but stay away from Alpha and Omega.
–––––––––
*Since we're suspending disbelief here, we graciously concede, for the sake of political correctness, the possibility of an alpha FEmale.
Unimaginative Child's Play
abihunter-952-36185116 January 2011
There are good animations. There are bad animations. There are schmaltz-y animations. And there are cheesy animations. Between these categories, Alpha and Omega falls into 'bad' and 'cheesy' categories. Since the animal-movie genre hit Hollywood, the same plot lines have been used over and over again, but seldom do you see all of the clichés consolidated into one movie. Kate's mother was on the verge of psycho. Kate was the very embodiment of the ideal mate, while Humphrey (REALLY? HUMPHREY?) is the exact opposite. From the first twenty minutes of the movie, you can tell exactly what is going to happen and what order it's going to happen in. One of the redeeming qualities might have been the animation, except that everything behaves as if it's made of foam rubber. As said previously, the colors are nice, but in no way make up for the train wreck that was this movie. If Lionsgate managed to screw what could (should!) have been a good movie up this badly, I shudder to think about what The Hunger Games will be like.
Maybe they should consult someone.
aquawater9530 May 2011
OK seriously???? I study wolf sociobiology which is the study of social structures and behaviors. I couldn't watch the first five minutes without beginning to point out problems. They got a lot of the pack structure wrong and the way that wolves show dominance was poorly portrayed. One of the main things is tail posture. Dominant wolves have a high tail posture while subordinate wolves have a low tail posture. The Omega, there is usually only one or two, will often keep its tail between its legs especially when around an "alpha" male or female. Also, "moonlight howl??" It is a complete myth that wolves howl at the moon. In fact, most "howling sessions" occur in the early morning or late in the evening. In terms of the story, it was boring and predictable. The dialog was forced and over dramatic. I was very excited when I heard of a movie all about reintroductions of wolves. But this movie got it all wrong and made reintroductions seem like bad things. Better luck next time. This movie sucked!
A Decent Film
mattcc1191 February 2011
The story in Alpha and Omega was rather traditional but it still retained enough originality to be entertaining. Most of the originality comes into play with the script which I found had plenty of laughs for both children and adults. The subtle and frequent sexual innuendos caught me by surprise and made me laughing out loud several times throughout the film. It appears as if, judging by other reviews om IMDb, most people overlooked this humor. Even the jokes aimed at children were fairly tolerable most of the time. I actually enjoyed the voice acting and dialog in Alpha and Omega more than Toy Story 3.
The Achilles heel of Alpha and Omega comes into play with the animation which would be better suited for a slap stick weekly Nickelodeon cartoon show. This, combined with the questionable art direction of the wolves overly human stature, added a very child-like feel that distracted me from the well written dialog. The poor animation quality is particularly evident in the "howling" scene which left a lot more to be desired design wise.
I enjoyed the film enough to watch "The Making of" featurette which indirectly explained why the animation was so horrible... it turns out that all of the animation was outsourced to India. I was extremely disappointed when I found out. Art is the last thing that needs to be outsourced when there are so many ready and willing production facilities in America to take the business. American companies outsource far too many products already, lets not let them outsource our films.
All-in-all I liked the movie but the fact that the creators completely ignored the quality of the CG is unforgivable. I'm being a little optimistic with my rating of a 7, it was that distracting.
The Achilles heel of Alpha and Omega comes into play with the animation which would be better suited for a slap stick weekly Nickelodeon cartoon show. This, combined with the questionable art direction of the wolves overly human stature, added a very child-like feel that distracted me from the well written dialog. The poor animation quality is particularly evident in the "howling" scene which left a lot more to be desired design wise.
I enjoyed the film enough to watch "The Making of" featurette which indirectly explained why the animation was so horrible... it turns out that all of the animation was outsourced to India. I was extremely disappointed when I found out. Art is the last thing that needs to be outsourced when there are so many ready and willing production facilities in America to take the business. American companies outsource far too many products already, lets not let them outsource our films.
All-in-all I liked the movie but the fact that the creators completely ignored the quality of the CG is unforgivable. I'm being a little optimistic with my rating of a 7, it was that distracting.
Yawn
magellan33325 November 2010
I went to this movie not expecting much and it lived up to my expectations. None of the wolves have any real character development or character for that matter. The plot is quite bland and offers very little in the way of surprises. The trip back to Jasper Park comes a bit too easily. This would have been a perfect time to develop the two main characters a bit better or perhaps allow them some self realization. Granted this is a kid's movie, but so are all the gems that Pixar generates. This film gives no characters to cheer on, no conflict with any level of complex resolution and it just has an overall bland quality to it.
Quite good.-
sheamuspower121 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I liked this. It was a charming movie, nice animation, okay storyline i guess. The comedy was quite well done, but i think in some parts it is more teenage humor. Make it pg-13 and i would be satisfied.Especially when the two geese/ducks told them they were relocated to Idaho to 'Repopulate' the wolf population. It made me chuckle. I liked the story, a quite common, but with a similar animal theme. Quite interesting how they used two wolfs of different classes. Add some more 'oomph' to the storyline, and some more comedy, then this would deserve a full 10. Still a great movie to watch. The voice actors were well chosen though, so this movie still earns a 7/10.
The Vidiot Reviews...
capone66615 January 2011
Alpha and Omega
Gift shopping for a she-wolf must be difficult, since they already own a permanent fur coat.
Fortunately, the male wolf in this animated movie isn't expected to purchase any luxuries for his she-wolf.
A pair of polar opposite wolves from Jasper National Park, Kate (Hayden Panettiere) and Humphrey (Justin Long), are relocated to a park in Idaho where they are expected to repopulate the wolf species.
Desperate to return to their home–where both of their wolf packs are warring over communal hunting grounds–Kate and Humphrey seek the travel guidance of a French-Canadian goose (Larry Miller).
Ill-conceived and poorly animated, Alpha and Omega is schlocky at best. The story is familiar, the subject matter is abnormal and the musical numbers featuring the wolves singing and dancing on their hindquarters is off-putting.
Besides, why would a couple of hungry wolves ever return to Canada when Americans are so much plumper? (Red Light)
Gift shopping for a she-wolf must be difficult, since they already own a permanent fur coat.
Fortunately, the male wolf in this animated movie isn't expected to purchase any luxuries for his she-wolf.
A pair of polar opposite wolves from Jasper National Park, Kate (Hayden Panettiere) and Humphrey (Justin Long), are relocated to a park in Idaho where they are expected to repopulate the wolf species.
Desperate to return to their home–where both of their wolf packs are warring over communal hunting grounds–Kate and Humphrey seek the travel guidance of a French-Canadian goose (Larry Miller).
Ill-conceived and poorly animated, Alpha and Omega is schlocky at best. The story is familiar, the subject matter is abnormal and the musical numbers featuring the wolves singing and dancing on their hindquarters is off-putting.
Besides, why would a couple of hungry wolves ever return to Canada when Americans are so much plumper? (Red Light)
Lovely Family animation movie
jkt20062 January 2011
Saw this lovely animation movie with family during my vacations. Had not heard much about it as there was not much TV promotions and publicity before the release, but was pleasantly surprised by the high quality of animation, character building, the story and many other aspects. For my family it turned out to be a perfect vacation movie. The soundtrack of the movie is also worth mentioning here. Referring to another review here criticizing the movie for beyond understandable reasons, I believe movies are made for having fun, and criticizing them for stupid reasons like this movie was inspired by whatever is nonsense, because at the end of the day most of the animation movies including by all top studios follow the fun, family, adventure, thrills, some moral/ethics at the end of the story themes and this one's no exception. We enjoyed it throughly until it lasted plan to buy the Blu Ray disc for the kids as they loved it as much.
Great
calowe-950-79681021 April 2014
This movie was great for an animated movie. The animation was great, they had a decent soundtrack, the characters were fun, and if you show this to your kids, they will like it. But, the plot was predictable at times, some of the jokes were corny. But over all this is OK since it is an animated movie that has a target audience of 8 or 9 year olds. It really just depends on if you like these kind of movies or not. Personally, this is one of my favourite animated movies of all time. Maybe that is because I am an animal lover and wolves are my favourite animal. Basically, I loved this movie and I hope you found this review helpful. Thanks!
Not meant for Children
lilysinlove6 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
So I thought the plot was incredibly lame and so did my three year old son to say the least. The two wolves get taken from their home to mate but they can not because she is an alpha, so they try to find their way home. Meanwhile at their home the eastern wolves are going to take the land because they have no food and the younger sister of the alpha wolves is falling in love her self with an alpha of the eastern pack. The plot is so used its like the dorky kid loves the popular kid and they parents hate each other, I am so over that. So in the end the two alpha wolves unite with their omegas and become one pack and all in all the two that were taken away could have just stayed where they were and mated and made their own pack and saved me a half an hour. I really thought the whole wolf idea was lame and really I felt like I was watching a cartoon version of a dirty soap opera. I just thought it could have been better played out with more of a love theme and not such a mating thing it was more sexual then anything else
A cute little flick...
japearson-554506 June 2018
If you understand at the get go that this movie was not made to amaze and simply for family enjoyment then you won't be let down...
Animation has certainly diversified over the years, leading to films which are described as breathtaking (Pixar for example), appealing to a much wider audience. This movie will probably please younger kids more, but the story is cute and so are the characters.
Overall, it has a Romeo and Juliet vibe, with an Omega wolf named Humphrey falling in love with an Alpha named Kate, which is of course forbidden! They end up being relocated to "repopulate" and must find their way back to prevent a fallout between two rival packs.
One thing I don't understand is the need for two alphas from each side to marry in order to prevent conflict, as surely this could be achieved by other means? Either way, I try not to overanalyse a children's movie and enjoy it for what it is.
The animation is quite simple and sometimes clunky, but I guess you could argue that it's stylised. I like the design of the wolves, but am not a big fan of the bears and some other minor characters as I feel they don't fit in. Overall, I say if you want some family entertainment this one will certainly do no harm, although it's not on the same level as some other films released in 2010, such as "How To Train Your Dragon" or "Toy Story 3".
Animation has certainly diversified over the years, leading to films which are described as breathtaking (Pixar for example), appealing to a much wider audience. This movie will probably please younger kids more, but the story is cute and so are the characters.
Overall, it has a Romeo and Juliet vibe, with an Omega wolf named Humphrey falling in love with an Alpha named Kate, which is of course forbidden! They end up being relocated to "repopulate" and must find their way back to prevent a fallout between two rival packs.
One thing I don't understand is the need for two alphas from each side to marry in order to prevent conflict, as surely this could be achieved by other means? Either way, I try not to overanalyse a children's movie and enjoy it for what it is.
The animation is quite simple and sometimes clunky, but I guess you could argue that it's stylised. I like the design of the wolves, but am not a big fan of the bears and some other minor characters as I feel they don't fit in. Overall, I say if you want some family entertainment this one will certainly do no harm, although it's not on the same level as some other films released in 2010, such as "How To Train Your Dragon" or "Toy Story 3".
wolf story
PennyReviews19 February 2013
Warning: Spoilers
The last few years, animation films tend to make stories that will excite not only the children but the adult audience as well. 'Alpha and omega' is not an exception. The story is about two wolves, who belong to different status in the their society and who, after an adventurous trip, they fell in love. Interesting plot, based on the familiar romantic stories, and developed on the structure of the wolf life. Nice twist with Cate's sister and her mate-to-be, that was a fresh note to the whole static story. In addition there was no surprise on the end, as there was a happy ending after all. All in all, a cute movie, however not easy to remember after the first time.
Not so great
HellsThorn22 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
It was a rushed movie. It was hardly an hour long, but the whole time it had this kind of manicky tone - all the characters and line delivery as well, like the producers were afraid kids would go to sleep or are too dumb to think. But Manic is alright sometimes, i reckon. However, in Alpha and Omega it does not work...it starts out a mess with fast animations and quick cuts, giving a disorienting feeling, and once you feel you recognize a character from the trailer, they are wisked off camera. The movie doesn't lay the ground story very well - the whole 'Alphas howl with Alphas and Omegas howl with Omegas' doesn't come off as crisp as it should have. It could of taken a Romeo & Juliet approach, but did not. That doesn't kill the movie, but the fact that the two leads (who fall in love inevitably) are an Alpha and an Omega is hardly given the time to establish. A&O is filled with clichés but right when you recognize them, another cliché is popping up. The movie goes too fast from which it came (but it came from nothing because it was all manicky at the beginning). The characters are typical, the busy uninterested girl, the silly fun loving boy who likes her, the stupid guy pals and the uninteresting dud that the girls father/society WANTS her to be with.
As far as comedy goes, the movies not very funny. The script is not very solid, and but does offer many moments when hilarious one liners could have take place, but instead there's these hush awkward trying to be funny moments that just made the theater feel more empty. And rather than building the characters up so they could become more than their archetype selves, they just put them in predictable situations like running from bears or marrying the wrong guy (imagine a kids movie that doesn't end with the male and female lead shagging up). The characters feel more like devices in the need to tell a story that has been told a million times. Forbidden love? Opposites attract? Yeah we know.
Even though i found myself dozing off, there was one or two moments i truly felt were good one even semi-great. The first time the two wolves howled together on the train i felt was reaching and getting a response (from me at least) and for a brief second i felt myself involved, but hey that lasted for about 20 seconds.
Maybe i am expecting too much, but i think this movie is only for kids who don't listen to characters talk and just watch the pretty colors on the screen because other than some nice aesthetics and a howling moment, this movie is the worst animated movie i have ever seen.
As far as comedy goes, the movies not very funny. The script is not very solid, and but does offer many moments when hilarious one liners could have take place, but instead there's these hush awkward trying to be funny moments that just made the theater feel more empty. And rather than building the characters up so they could become more than their archetype selves, they just put them in predictable situations like running from bears or marrying the wrong guy (imagine a kids movie that doesn't end with the male and female lead shagging up). The characters feel more like devices in the need to tell a story that has been told a million times. Forbidden love? Opposites attract? Yeah we know.
Even though i found myself dozing off, there was one or two moments i truly felt were good one even semi-great. The first time the two wolves howled together on the train i felt was reaching and getting a response (from me at least) and for a brief second i felt myself involved, but hey that lasted for about 20 seconds.
Maybe i am expecting too much, but i think this movie is only for kids who don't listen to characters talk and just watch the pretty colors on the screen because other than some nice aesthetics and a howling moment, this movie is the worst animated movie i have ever seen.
very cool title , very disappointing movie
adears31 December 2010
The title is as good as it gets , but hopelessly that is the only good thing about this movie.
as an animation Director everything about this movie made me feel bad, From a bad second handed story to Animations to Lighting and Shadings , everything is at a standard far far away from Hollywood.
When you wanna write a script you need a lot of research specially if you doing a period movie or something about animals or anything for that matter, something missing in here, something big.
Andrew Stanton, the Oscar winning Director of Wall E and Finding Nemo once said when your work is a xerox of a xerox of a xerox you would better think twice . Many scenes in this movie are poor quality xeroxes of other movies like Lion King and by Poor Quality I mean poor quality.
When Tangled , How to Train your Dragon, and Toy Story 3 are at movie theaters and you can see those , why would you even bother to go and watch this.
Wolfs are magnificent creatures but in this movie they were lowered and watered down to the level of dumb jackals.
as an animation Director everything about this movie made me feel bad, From a bad second handed story to Animations to Lighting and Shadings , everything is at a standard far far away from Hollywood.
When you wanna write a script you need a lot of research specially if you doing a period movie or something about animals or anything for that matter, something missing in here, something big.
Andrew Stanton, the Oscar winning Director of Wall E and Finding Nemo once said when your work is a xerox of a xerox of a xerox you would better think twice . Many scenes in this movie are poor quality xeroxes of other movies like Lion King and by Poor Quality I mean poor quality.
When Tangled , How to Train your Dragon, and Toy Story 3 are at movie theaters and you can see those , why would you even bother to go and watch this.
Wolfs are magnificent creatures but in this movie they were lowered and watered down to the level of dumb jackals.
an entertaining time passer
manicmeuk24 May 2011
im not going to bother going into the ins and outs of the story, there's plenty of info out there for that.
despite the negative reviews this one got, i quite enjoyed watching it, for a Sunday afternoon time passer. yeah the animation is a bit lacking, and the story is so cliché its painful, but, there were a few laugh out loud moments and in general an all round OK movie
don't watch if your into something that pushes the boundaries of animation techniques or story telling.
do watch if like me, u have a soft spot for the simple stories that help pass a relaxing afternoon.
absolutely fine for the kiddies really, some really obscure sexual references to appeal to the older kiddies but nothing to worry about. definitely a rainy day film
despite the negative reviews this one got, i quite enjoyed watching it, for a Sunday afternoon time passer. yeah the animation is a bit lacking, and the story is so cliché its painful, but, there were a few laugh out loud moments and in general an all round OK movie
don't watch if your into something that pushes the boundaries of animation techniques or story telling.
do watch if like me, u have a soft spot for the simple stories that help pass a relaxing afternoon.
absolutely fine for the kiddies really, some really obscure sexual references to appeal to the older kiddies but nothing to worry about. definitely a rainy day film
Great Movie...If You're Three
janellefricks26 January 2011
My preschooler accidentally ordered this movie OnDemand, and since it was a kid movie I let it play instead of calling and canceling the order. I will say this, it kept her attention. That is literally all I can say in it's favor. Awful, clichéd, ridiculous tripe from start to finish. The characters, totally unlikeable, every one. The situations, preposterous. You have to suspend your common sense at every turn. The jokes, stupid. They wisecrack at the worst possible moments. You can hear the writers in every word, contriving their lame jokes and unbelievable plot points. I groaned out loud several times, never laughed. It's like it was written by a class of 4th graders, with it's squirmy sex talk and predictable story line. With so many truly great animated films to choose from, this has no reason to even exist. Stay away, unless you are three and just want to look at the doggies for an hour.
Alpha And Omega Is Underrated
scamp455319 January 2014
When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was sold on it basically because I am a fan of animated dog/wolf movies, and I thought this would be another one of those movies. And I was correct. The reason Alpha and Omega has a negative reputation amongst critics is because most critics would rather watch movies that aren't animated comedies. But, being a guy who is open-minded most of the time, I don't just judge movies based on what they are. And with that said, I loved this movie.
There are a few things about it that are disappointing, but those things are very VERY minor when you consider how well the plot is executed. It's a very basic plot reminiscent of Homeward Bound crossed with Balto and Lady and the Tramp 2, but it's played out well and mostly avoids being just another CGI rehash movie. The humor is also well executed, too, as the movie relies on unintentional prat falls and tasteful innuendos and bathroom jokes that actually have context.
But, where this movie really shines is the character development. Kate and Humphrey have fantastic charisma that is no different than the main characters of Lady and the Tramp 2 and The Lion King, and we really get to know a lot about these characters and feel for them as the movie goes on. My personal favorite character is Lilly. This character is a really sweet character who is at first shy, but gains confidence once she starts hanging with Garth, whom she instantly falls for. Not to mention the voice acting is very well done, especially from Justin Long and Christina Ricci.
So, if there is anything out there that children should be watching, it's Alpha and Omega. Sadly, Alpha and Omega isn't as a popular name as something like Lion King, but as a movie, it sure has the audacity to be as good. I recommend this movie highly.
There are a few things about it that are disappointing, but those things are very VERY minor when you consider how well the plot is executed. It's a very basic plot reminiscent of Homeward Bound crossed with Balto and Lady and the Tramp 2, but it's played out well and mostly avoids being just another CGI rehash movie. The humor is also well executed, too, as the movie relies on unintentional prat falls and tasteful innuendos and bathroom jokes that actually have context.
But, where this movie really shines is the character development. Kate and Humphrey have fantastic charisma that is no different than the main characters of Lady and the Tramp 2 and The Lion King, and we really get to know a lot about these characters and feel for them as the movie goes on. My personal favorite character is Lilly. This character is a really sweet character who is at first shy, but gains confidence once she starts hanging with Garth, whom she instantly falls for. Not to mention the voice acting is very well done, especially from Justin Long and Christina Ricci.
So, if there is anything out there that children should be watching, it's Alpha and Omega. Sadly, Alpha and Omega isn't as a popular name as something like Lion King, but as a movie, it sure has the audacity to be as good. I recommend this movie highly.
Visually decent but disappointing effort
TheLittleSongbird23 February 2011
I love animation, always have, always will, but I was really disappointed with Alpha and Omega. It isn't without its redeeming qualities. The colours and sceneries are really beautiful to look at, and the voice acting on the whole is good. Justin Long was rather bland, but Hayden Penettiere was quite likable and Dennis Hopper impresses in his last film though as a film overall it is not something I don't think people will remember him by.
Chris Bacon's music is occasionally nice, but most of the time it doesn't fit completely with the scene it accompanies, in some of the action scenes especially it comes across as a little obtrusive. Also some the worst animation is in the musical sequences, and the dance scenes feel really out of place.
While I loved the colours and the sceneries, the character designs didn't impress me at all. In fact, I found them rather forced, especially with the goose. The 3D was okay, I have definitely seen worse where it not only distracts but isn't good in the first place. Alpha and Omega's 3D had its moments, but sometimes it wasn't sharp enough and it jarred with the much clearer backgrounds.
Besides, I haven't yet come to the worst assets of Alpha and Omega. The story is unbelievable mostly, I liked the concept and it started off great, but once the clichéd love story idea got introduced the film went downhill fast. Also there are several parts that struck me as odd and unbelievable, particularly with the wolf howl idea and the one with the war between the two wolf clans is half-baked.
The film is also devoid of a sympathetic and likable character, except for Kate, who is quite cute. They do some actions that make you go "what?" at the screen, and also there are more clichés than you can count in the characters alone. Being clichéd can work, but only if it's well-observed, depicted or written, not the case here. The pace is uneven, dragging in the middle, and while I have nothing against "happy" endings I found the ending here underwhelming.
The worst part is the writing. The script is mostly awful, with half-baked ideas and any parts that strive to be funny or poignant instead come across as eye-rollingly cheesy or cloying. The sex jokes also get too much, and feel really out of place, while the rest of the jokes are predictable and incredibly lame.
So all in all, not the worst film of 2010 or the worst animated film ever, but the most disappointing animated film I have seen in a while. 2/10 Bethany Cox
Chris Bacon's music is occasionally nice, but most of the time it doesn't fit completely with the scene it accompanies, in some of the action scenes especially it comes across as a little obtrusive. Also some the worst animation is in the musical sequences, and the dance scenes feel really out of place.
While I loved the colours and the sceneries, the character designs didn't impress me at all. In fact, I found them rather forced, especially with the goose. The 3D was okay, I have definitely seen worse where it not only distracts but isn't good in the first place. Alpha and Omega's 3D had its moments, but sometimes it wasn't sharp enough and it jarred with the much clearer backgrounds.
Besides, I haven't yet come to the worst assets of Alpha and Omega. The story is unbelievable mostly, I liked the concept and it started off great, but once the clichéd love story idea got introduced the film went downhill fast. Also there are several parts that struck me as odd and unbelievable, particularly with the wolf howl idea and the one with the war between the two wolf clans is half-baked.
The film is also devoid of a sympathetic and likable character, except for Kate, who is quite cute. They do some actions that make you go "what?" at the screen, and also there are more clichés than you can count in the characters alone. Being clichéd can work, but only if it's well-observed, depicted or written, not the case here. The pace is uneven, dragging in the middle, and while I have nothing against "happy" endings I found the ending here underwhelming.
The worst part is the writing. The script is mostly awful, with half-baked ideas and any parts that strive to be funny or poignant instead come across as eye-rollingly cheesy or cloying. The sex jokes also get too much, and feel really out of place, while the rest of the jokes are predictable and incredibly lame.
So all in all, not the worst film of 2010 or the worst animated film ever, but the most disappointing animated film I have seen in a while. 2/10 Bethany Cox
love Alpha and Omega
talha_javed32128 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This was a great movie and i don't know why people think this is a bad movie. They are showing the true love between Kate and Humphrey and showing that even though Kate is an alpha she couldn't save herself from the bear, it was Humphrey an omega who helped her.also, Humphrey jumps in to save Kate when the stampede is going on. People are saying that wolfs don't have blue or green eyes. let me tell u one thing more than half of the movies are made up example harry potter, lord of the rings. I loved it and i think they should make a part 2 for this. I don't know how people can even say that this movie sucks i mean look at this it shows the meaning of true love. So this is the reason i gave it a 10 star rating. so i hope you people watch it and vote for it.
Alpha and Omega is a pleasant enough 3-D computer animated feature
tavm23 September 2010
Okay, I wasn't really wanting to see this but my friend did and since we already watched my choice-Easy A-I decided to humor him and view this one next. It's not too bad, certainly with a voice cast that includes Justin Long and Hayden Panettiere in the leads and Danny Glover and the late Dennis Hopper, of which this film is dedicated to, as support. The scenes are wonderful, there are some amusements-both visually and aurally especially when we hear what a couple of ducks traveling along are saying-so on that note, this was a pretty pleasant and occasionally exciting picture. No great shakes but if you're interested in computer animation, Alpha and Omega is worth a look.
A little too bland
LazySod28 February 2011
Two packs of wolves, each split up in two - the strong Alpha wolves and the weaker Omega wolves. In the middle of the two packs a canyon filled with a herd of caribou, the sole source of food. Amidst the usual battle between the packs for territory there's an internal battle - one of young male Omega wolves is in love with a female Alpha of his pack. This love is strictly forbidden by the call for hierarchy, but a change is coming in on the winds, so who knows.
Story wise its a pretty much classic tale of male and female meeting under a pale full moon and falling into a howling mad love, but that's enough.
Animation films like this are meant for kids and the kid I saw this one with loved it. Personally I found it a little bland - while most of the animation of the characters of the scene is done pretty well the animation of the area around them leaves something to be worked on - many scenes are just plainly coloured bits and pieces that offer no animation at all. 3D effects were great though. Many of the scenes come alive as the depth changes.
All in all, I can't give it more than 5 out of 10 and even that is stretching it.
5 out of 10 wolves howling at the moon
Story wise its a pretty much classic tale of male and female meeting under a pale full moon and falling into a howling mad love, but that's enough.
Animation films like this are meant for kids and the kid I saw this one with loved it. Personally I found it a little bland - while most of the animation of the characters of the scene is done pretty well the animation of the area around them leaves something to be worked on - many scenes are just plainly coloured bits and pieces that offer no animation at all. 3D effects were great though. Many of the scenes come alive as the depth changes.
All in all, I can't give it more than 5 out of 10 and even that is stretching it.
5 out of 10 wolves howling at the moon
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