Movie reviews

MLODE HORYZONTY (YOUNG HORIZONS) FILM FESTIVAL

KATAK, THE BRAVE BELUGA

Watchable. This Canadian animation about the pains of growing up teaches children about some beluga behaviours and for entertainment purposes features two funny seals and a wonderful big-nosed sturgeon. Basically it offers a "Finding Nemo"-like set of characters which works well but feels trite and monotonous, also the picture is kinda constant. Delightful gentle music accompanies the story. At some point "hasta la vista" is uttered in the English original. So it seems the Polish dialogue is more children-appropriate since it avoids both foul language and connotations from movies which are above the target audience age. 

PATTIE ET SA COLERE DE POSEIDON (ARGONUTS / EPIC TAILS)

Watchable. This movie has more detailed animation and tells about cute mouse Pattie, a pleasant fat ginger cat and funny ninja rats. But at some point the protagonists meet cyclops which are fat, green like Shrek and with red cherokee hairstyles (originally, in mythology, they were part horses) and use some machinery - it all makes no sense. On the other hand the rat mafia is fun, it's run by Don Carmine who asks for "a favour you can't refuse". You also hear "hasta la vista" at some point. The music consists of pleasant 80s pop and John Williams's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" theme, though the songs in the film are dubbed in Polish, only the end credit one is in English. There's an important mid-credit. 

KUTOPPEN - PA SPORET (A MYSTERY ON THE CASTLE HILL EXPRESS)

Watchable. Chickolina, Cowman Islands, Agatha Christensen are Easter eggs for adults. The Polish version offers a Polish song, in general the music is varied: from truly good to bland. On the whole it's entertaining, with serious undertone about seeds. The only problem is, this detective cartoon doesn't show the clues so you cannot try and solve the riddle on your own which severely detracts from the fun.

TOTEM

Walked out. This drama presents mundane daily life of a Mexican family, less mundane only through the fact one person has cancer, one is disabled, one is an alcoholic. Pair that with unduly intimate details like physiology. And the whole thing is thorough, as if in real time so it drags. And it lacks a point. 

KRUK (RAVEN) S. 1 EP. 1

Watchable. Starts weird until a shocking incident explains what was going on and why. Subsequent events also follow the pattern of: weird, makes sense, weird, makes sense. It's often disturbing and the violence repeatedly inexplicable at first which makes it difficult to follow both emotionally and intellectually. I still don't know what those drugs are about - why is he taking them and is he? Bizarre folk but non-Polish songs mar this weirdness even more. At least the ceiling robbery makes sense.

This episode is available free of charge on Canal+ online.