歌至天明

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  • Author:DICKSTEELfromSingapore WhileIhaveonlyreadth… Author:DICKSTEELfromSingapore WhileIhaveonlyreadthenovelbyHoMinfongonceaverylongtimeago,Icertainlycan'trecallthatithadtalkinganimalswhoassistedthevillagersintheirordeal,orhavingacharacterwho'saMrTechnologicalFix-it.Talkinganimalsareverypasséinanimatedmoviesalready,sowecertainlydoneedanotherlocalproductiontryingtoapetheiroverseascounterpartsthinkingthatitisaruleofthumbratherthananexception.Thestoryitselfisstrongenoughtobemadeeitherinananimatedfashionorliveaction,butthisversionofthestoryjustdumbsitdownsomanylevels,it'shardlyrecognizable. Dawanisayoungvillagegirlwhoharboursthedreamofgettingoutofhervillageinthelureofthebrightlightsinthebigcity,andtodoso,hastofightcustomsandtraditionthatgirlsaremeanttobebethronedawayearlyatayoungagetosomeonetheyloathe,andschoolsforthemareanunnecessarypartoflife.Inordertofulfillherdream,shehastogoagainstthewishesofherdad,aswellasirkherbrotherassheout-scoreshiminalocalexaminationtoclinchascholarship.Also,theirvillageisunderthreatofanunscrupulouslandlordtryingtobulldozehiswayintoprofitsbydrivingeveryoneoutofhisland. That'sthegistofthestory,andIdon'tseehowanimals,andagrizzlybearatthat,couldfitintothewholepicture.Yesanimatedmovieshavebeenpopularwithtalkinganimals,butifit'snotinthestory,thenpleasedon'tforceitin,alongwithspectaclewearingmonkeys. Beingamusical,thesongsarelessthaninspiring,andwhilethelyricsdon'thavetorhymenecessarily,itcameoffmorelikenotknowinghowtosingitfurtherthatitgetsslappedwithsomewordsinananyhowlyfashion.Sometriedtopassoffashumour,thoughtheeffortisseentobeastootrying.Thesongsalsodon'tseemtocarrythenarrativeforward,andinstead,stagnateswhenthecharactersbreakoffintosonganddance. 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. Voiceactingtooneedssomegettingusedto,andIsupposeitwilltaketimetobuildupacrediblepooloftalentinthisarea.It'skindofstrangeaswelltobehearingreallifecoupleLimKaySiuandNeoSweeLinplayoppositeeachother(grand)motherand(elderly)son,thoughcreditmustgotoCelinaRosaTanintheleadroleofDawan,andheradequatevocalswhenlaunchingintosong. MyfriendatmovieXclusive.comlikenedthismovietoayawn,andIsharetheexactsamesentiments.There'snothingnewnorrefreshinginthispieceofwork,andworse,thestory'sprettyboringasyou'realwaystenstepsahead,knowingjustwhatwillhappen,andwhichcharacterwilldowhat.Italsodidn'thelpthatthepoorstorytellingtechniqueslikejarringtransitionsandthrowingofcharactersaroundwithouttheirmotivationclearlyconstructedmartheoverallproduction.ItmaybethefirstmoviefordirectorPhilipMitchell,butcertainlyit'sbynomeansareasontothrowsomuchmoneyatitforsuchmiserablereturns. Onething'sforsure,isthatweneedtotakeacloserlookatlocalanimatorsworksinthenextAnimationNationshowcase(Imissedthisyear's),asI'mquitecertainthereareworthyfilmmakersinthatarenawhodeservesomebudgettogettheirfilmsmade,andnotbigbudgetedoneslikethisthatclearlyhasalotofworkleftunpolished.

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