This film should be getting far more attention, as a warning to all who take an idea for a 10 minute short and stretch it until it snaps, leaving the original idea lifelessly limp. It's truly the Heavens gate of animation - A movie so loathsome it has coined it's own genre 'Uglymation'. There is not one frame that can be considered as anything other than repugnant. The characters, the plot and the direction, all repulsive. If it had either polarity of an underlying relentless nihilism peppered with humour or under the dirt a little bit of uplifting sentimentalism and a 'film with a big heart' approach, having either would have salvaged it. Unfortunately it's just inane drivel. Simple 'off-the-shelf' style models animated by hacks with no feeling for animation or talent for bringing life to vector graphics. The rot is indicative as with rest of the team - the texture mappers seem obsessed by scatology and grime.
It is telling that as a cliché, Norway is seen as a mostly dark, cold and bleak country and if true that clichés have a glimmer of veracity about them then maybe it is a very informative film about living in Norway. As a nation Norway has the highest literacy, educational average per capita, income per capita etc, etc... in the world and their major animation achievement is this movie ? The peak of European artistry makes this ? Nine years in the making - must have felt like being imprisoned for a whole decade while working on this 'Uglymation' epic. Imagine the money wasted that could have driven other artistic projects.
It's not funny, It's not been art directed and it is obvious that it was made by a group of mostly untalented nine to five artisans. Fine in a short, but as a cinematic statement of national identity or artistic expression - shameful. If you have a team of beginners 'don't start by making a feature' should be the only reason why this film is remembered.
It is telling that as a cliché, Norway is seen as a mostly dark, cold and bleak country and if true that clichés have a glimmer of veracity about them then maybe it is a very informative film about living in Norway. As a nation Norway has the highest literacy, educational average per capita, income per capita etc, etc... in the world and their major animation achievement is this movie ? The peak of European artistry makes this ? Nine years in the making - must have felt like being imprisoned for a whole decade while working on this 'Uglymation' epic. Imagine the money wasted that could have driven other artistic projects.
It's not funny, It's not been art directed and it is obvious that it was made by a group of mostly untalented nine to five artisans. Fine in a short, but as a cinematic statement of national identity or artistic expression - shameful. If you have a team of beginners 'don't start by making a feature' should be the only reason why this film is remembered.