正在同步电影信息
Author:DICKSTEELfromSingapore<br/> WhileIhaveonlyreadthenovelbyHoMinfongonceaverylongtimeago,Icertainlycan'trecallthatithadtalkinganimalswhoassistedthevillagersintheirordeal,orhavingacharacterwho'saMrTechnologicalFix-it.Talkinganimalsareverypasséinanimatedmoviesalready,sowecertainlydoneedanotherlocalproductiontryingtoapetheiroverseascounterpartsthinkingthatitisaruleofthumbratherthananexception.Thestoryitselfisstrongenoughtobemadeeitherinananimatedfashionorliveaction,butthisversionofthestoryjustdumbsitdownsomanylevels,it'shardlyrecognizable.<br/> Dawanisayoungvillagegirlwhoharboursthedreamofgettingoutofhervillageinthelureofthebrightlightsinthebigcity,andtodoso,hastofightcustomsandtraditionthatgirlsaremeanttobebethronedawayearlyatayoungagetosomeonetheyloathe,andschoolsforthemareanunnecessarypartoflife.Inordertofulfillherdream,shehastogoagainstthewishesofherdad,aswellasirkherbrotherassheout-scoreshiminalocalexaminationtoclinchascholarship.Also,theirvillageisunderthreatofanunscrupulouslandlordtryingtobulldozehiswayintoprofitsbydrivingeveryoneoutofhisland.<br/> That'sthegistofthestory,andIdon'tseehowanimals,andagrizzlybearatthat,couldfitintothewholepicture.Yesanimatedmovieshavebeenpopularwithtalkinganimals,butifit'snotinthestory,thenpleasedon'tforceitin,alongwithspectaclewearingmonkeys.<br/> Beingamusical,thesongsarelessthaninspiring,andwhilethelyricsdon'thavetorhymenecessarily,itcameoffmorelikenotknowinghowtosingitfurtherthatitgetsslappedwithsomewordsinananyhowlyfashion.Sometriedtopassoffashumour,thoughtheeffortisseentobeastootrying.Thesongsalsodon'tseemtocarrythenarrativeforward,andinstead,stagnateswhenthecharactersbreakoffintosonganddance.<br/> Butofcoursewejudgeananimatedmoviebythequalityoftheanimation,andhere'swhereitreallyfellshort.Thecharactersarestilltoostiff,withoutthenecessarydetailedfacialexpressiontorepresentemotion.Movementwasrigid,andseriously,theaudiencecouldhavebeenwatchingabunchofrobotsperformwithmuchmoreconvictionandemotionthanwhatyougethere,andgetmoresatisfactionoutofthat,unlessyoucountwalkingonairanovelty.Everythingwasplainstiff,andunlessthecharactershadplentyofstarchontheirclothes,they'rereallywearingrigidsacks.Don'tgetmestartedontheanimalstoo,astheycouldhavebeenanimatronics.Butthebiggestshortcomingexposedinthefilm,wasthelackofacolourfulpalette.Grantedthere'stheword"Dawn"inthetitle,buttointentionally(orotherwiseduetotechnologicalandimaginativelimitations)seteverythingduringthatperiodoftime,justshowsquestionablequality.Formostparts,there'salwaysthisorangehuewhichtellsusthattheanimatorscouldhavetriedtogetawaywithlevelofdetailthatisrequired-justpainteverythingorange.<br/> Voiceactingtooneedssomegettingusedto,andIsupposeitwilltaketimetobuildupacrediblepooloftalentinthisarea.It'skindofstrangeaswelltobehearingreallifecoupleLimKaySiuandNeoSweeLinplayoppositeeachother(grand)motherand(elderly)son,thoughcreditmustgotoCelinaRosaTanintheleadroleofDawan,andheradequatevocalswhenlaunchingintosong.<br/> MyfriendatmovieXclusive.comlikenedthismovietoayawn,andIsharetheexactsamesentiments.There'snothingnewnorrefreshinginthispieceofwork,andworse,thestory'sprettyboringasyou'realwaystenstepsahead,knowingjustwhatwillhappen,andwhichcharacterwilldowhat.Italsodidn'thelpthatthepoorstorytellingtechniqueslikejarringtransitionsandthrowingofcharactersaroundwithouttheirmotivationclearlyconstructedmartheoverallproduction.ItmaybethefirstmoviefordirectorPhilipMitchell,butcertainlyit'sbynomeansareasontothrowsomuchmoneyatitforsuchmiserablereturns.<br/> Onething'sforsure,isthatweneedtotakeacloserlookatlocalanimatorsworksinthenextAnimationNationshowcase(Imissedthisyear's),asI'mquitecertainthereareworthyfilmmakersinthatarenawhodeservesomebudgettogettheirfilmsmade,andnotbigbudgetedoneslikethisthatclearlyhasalotofworkleftunpolished.
