My Father’s Dragon (2022)
Image via Netflix
Ruth Stiles Gannett’s children’s book My Father’s Dragon had been adapted to animation once before, in Japan in 1997. But Cartoon Saloon put their own mark on the 2022 take, a co-production with Netflix Animation directed by Nora Twomey. While working within broadly familiar visual and narrative territory for the studio, My Father’s Dragon does have its own interesting wrinkles. There’s a more fantastical application of color throughout than in past Irish animated works, and the large animal cast has a blend of fairly representational designs (the gorilla) and bizarre stylization (the baby crocodiles that are essentially giant eyes with mouths). The story of the determined boy Elmer (Room’s Jacob Tremblay) and silly dragon Boris (Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo) reaching pivotal understandings together has a lot of charm. But for me, the show was largely stolen by the nuanced, sympathetic antagonists, led by Saiwa the gorilla (Ian McShane), who let fear and very real danger reluctantly drive them to dark ends that they ultimately prove capable of walking back from.
Where to Watch: My Father’s Dragon is available on Netflix.
Тайна Келлс
The Secret of Kells
0+
- 100
Рейтинг: 10
Голосов: 1
7.803
Кинопоиск
7.6
IMDB
Смотреть
-
Страна:
Ирландия, Бельгия, Франция, Великобритания -
Год:
2008 -
Время:
71 мин. / 01:11 -
Жанры:
мультфильм, фэнтези, приключения, семейный -
Перевод:
На русском языке
-
Возраст:
для любой зрительской аудитории -
Слоган:
«Turn the darkness into light» -
Режиссер:
Томм Мур, Нора Туми -
Сценарист:
Томм Мур, Фабрис Циолковски -
Актеры:
Эван МакГуайр, Кристен Муни, Брендан Глисон, Мик Лэлли, Лиам Хурикан, Пол Тайлак, Майкл МакГрат, Пол Янг, Нора Туми, Алли МакКанн -
Подборки:
Зарубежные / Полнометражные мультфильмы / Для самых маленьких / Приключения / Семейные / Фэнтези
АббатствоБашняВ ловушкеВандализмВарварВикингВолкВолшебная книгаВоровствоВоронаВступительное закадровое повествованиеВыкалывание глазаГлазГородская стенаГромГусиное пероГусьДеревоДлинные волосыДождьДомашняя кошкаДух лисыЖенщина-режиссёрЖестокое обращениеИконографияИрландияКвестКнигаКошкаЛазанье по деревуЛесЛесной духЛук и стрелыМагический реализмМакгаффинМонахМорское чудовищеМужской монастырьНападениеНезаконченная книгаНепослушаниеОбраз отцаОгоньОтношения дяди и племянникаПареньПениеПероПещераПлутПобедаПодстреленный стрелойПриродаПтичье пероРазделение экрана на частиРассказывание историйРукописьСвечаСвиньяСказкаСлепотаСтенаСтройкаСтройплощадкаСцена под водойСюрреализмТретий глазФеяЧернилаШёпотЭббот
Дядя запрещает мальчишке выходить за ворота монастыря. В окрестном лесу очень опасно. Поговаривают о злых духах. Кроме того, на страну продолжаются набеги норманнов, которые убивают всех на своём пути. Всё силы настоятель отдаёт строительству мощных укреплений для защиты обители. Но вскоре сбывается потаённая мечта Брендана. К ним прибывает легендарный иллюстратор книг.
Его родной монастырь разграбили викинги. Единственное, что удалось спасти, это недописанную чудесную книгу. На её страницы нельзя смотреть неподготовленному человеку. Он может ослепнуть, такой свет исходит от текста и рисунков. Видя интерес и талант нового знакомого, Айдан берёт его в ученики. Но для этого необходимо ослушаться, сходив в чащу за орешками, которые называют чернильными.
Там, среди вековых деревьев, он знакомится с девушкой. Эйшлин оказалась феей, повелительницей всех здешних животных. Она и показала парнишке мрачную пещеру, обиталище злобного чудовища, погубившего в прошлом её родителей. Придя обратно, он начинает постигать азы мастерства у учителя. Ведь именно ему предназначено завершить труд. Тем временем к стенам приближаются морские разбойники. Чтобы выполнить свою миссию, необходимо добыть глаз живущего во мраке монстра.
The Breadwinner (2017)
Image Via Elevation Pictures
On the other end of the Cartoon Saloon spectrum lies The Breadwinner, based on a novel of the same name by Deborah Ellis. Technically, the film was a co-production with Canada’s Aircraft Pictures and Luxembourg’s Melusine Productions, with Angelina Jolie as an executive producer. But Cartoon Saloon’s Nora Twomey served as director. It’s a sobering look at the plight of one family under the Taliban’s Afghanistan before the outbreak of war in 2001. The look of the characters is in the same general design family as the studio’s Irish tales, and a story-within-the-story done in a cut-out style offers the heroine, Parvana, some relief from the harsh world around her. But fantasy can’t bleed into reality here; to survive, Parvana must rely on her wits, her talents, and a few very good friends. The Breadwinner isn’t the type of story usually told in animation, but Twomey’s careful pacing and a brilliant voice cast helps it deliver a powerful experience through the form.
Where to Watch: You can rent The Breadwinner through YouTube or Amazon Prime, where it is also available for purchase.
Song of the Sea (2014)
Image Via Studio Canal
The Secret of Kells and Wolfwalkers mark the beginning and end of a loose trilogy from writer/director, Tomm Moore, with each entry drawing on elements of Irish folklore. The middle child is Song of the Sea. Besides their shared cultural tradition, the three films feature young people with close bonds to supernatural beings, well-meaning but harmful father figures, and the music of Bruno Coulais and folk group, Kíla. But Song of the Sea is in some ways the most unique of the three. It’s the only one with a relatively contemporary setting (the 1980s). It’s a different visual experience, not as intricate as Kells or as sketchy as Wolfwalkers. Instead, there’s an emphasis on the qualities of watercolor, artfully manipulated with modern technology. And there’s an initial bitterness to the story of Song of the Sea that isn’t in the other two Moore films; the disappearance of the family matriarch, Bronagh, on the night of childbirth leaves her husband broken, and drives her oldest child Ben to take out his grief and rage on his little sister, Saoirse. It’s Ben’s slow acceptance of his sister through their mystical adventure that opens the door to a healthy acceptance of that grief and provides the heart of an often melancholy but beautiful film.
Where to Watch: You can rent or buy Song of the Sea on Amazon Prime or Apple TV.
The Green Marker Scare (2012)
Image Via Old Japanese Daytime Soapstars
There is more to Irish animation than Cartoon Saloon – more than the output of an organized studio. The independent director, Graham Jones, has made several films on contemporary subjects concerning Irish youth. In 2012, he wrote and directed The Green Marker Scare, a psychological horror film about a young woman who investigates her father’s murder and finds a diabolical cult at the center of it all. It’s a grisly and rather pulpy story, but that’s not what’s remarkable about the film. Jones had the entire film done as green lines on white, and everything in it was drawn by children. A disclaimer at the front of the film stresses that none of the children knew that they were working on a horror picture. Jones says working with children was a “stylistic decision.” Being the work of child artists and a small indie crew, The Green Marker Scare isn’t the most polished animated film ever made, and it can sometimes be difficult to follow what’s going on. The subject matter is not for the faint of heart either. But it is a fascinating experiment in what animation can do.
Where to Watch: Jones has released the film in its entirety on his YouTube channel.
Captain Morten and the Spider Queen (2018)
Image Via Sola Media
It’s not unusual for animated films made in Europe to become international co-productions. Captain Morten and the Spider Queen was directed by Estonian filmmaker, Kaspar Jancis, with partners in Belgium and the UK. But the cast is all Irish, and the film was the first stop motion feature with animation produced in Ireland, by Galway-based studio, Telegael. Captain Morten is less a coming-of-age tale than a lesson in confidence and compassion, with echoes of Pinocchio and Alice in Wonderland thrown into the mix. It’s a variation on the old theme of a boy finding parallels between the characters populating his fantastic experiences and his humdrum life back home. Cian Patrick O’Dowd, the young man voicing Morten, is an engaging lead for a talented cast, and there’s a sly and steady tone to the film that nicely underplays some of its more horrific implications. There’s pirate treasure. There’s a giant cricket with a magic gun that sticks the title character in trouble. And there’s a set of delightful puppets expertly animated to get over a spirited adventure.
Where to Watch: You can find Captain Morten and the Spider Queen on Amazon Prime.
Cúl an Tí (2016)
Image Via TG4
Besides illustrating Irish folklore through their films, Cartoon Saloon have done their part to promote the Irish language. In 2016, they partnered with free-to-air Irish station, TG4, on a live-action/animated miniseries that traveled the country, celebrating songs and poems in the native tongue. In the live-action portion, presented, Pól Ó Ceannabháin, visited schools, conducting interviews with students, educators, and musicians. Cartoon Saloon’s role was to animate the music featured on the series, with each segment handled by a different director (their names are all listed on the studio’s website). This allowed for a wide variety of looks and tones, with additional input sometimes coming from the students interviewed on the series. Cúl an Tí can be intimidating at first to non-Irish speakers, but its aims are noble, and the animation goes a long way to make the songs and the language accessible.
Where to Watch: The entire series is available to view through TG4.
Bug Diaries (2019-2020)
Image Via Amazon Studios
Bug Diaries was the first series for Lighthouse Studios, an Irish-Canadian joint venture. It was produced by Amazon Studios, based on the children’s books by Doreen Cronin. Lighthouse provided production services for the adventures of Fly, Spider, and Worm as they make sense of a big world that’s even bigger from their buggy vantage point. The animation is nice and fluid, and the character designs are a fair approximation of Harry Bliss’s illustrations for Cronin’s books. Bug Diaries makes for solid children’s programming, and a great showcase for what Irish studios like Lighthouse can offer.
Where to Watch: You can find Bug Diaries on Amazon Prime.
Puffin Rock (2015-2016)
Image Via RTÉjr
The Irish folklore trilogy of Tomm Moore was produced by Cartoon Saloon, the studio Moore co-founded with Paul Young and Nora Twomey. But lyrical, emotionally-complex folk tales aren’t the only things made at Cartoon Saloon. They’re the studio behind Puffin Rock, a children’s program centered around the brother/sister team of Oona and Baba. They’re puffins, naturally, who make their home on a little rock based on the real-life Puffin Island off the coast of Ireland. Oona and Baba stumble into and out of various adventures on the island and its waters, imparting lessons to young viewers on family, friendship, and the natural world. Co-created by Moore and Young with Lily Bernard, Puffin Rock eschews outlines in its character design, offering a clean look with a subdued, naturalistic color scheme. It’s also narrated by Chris O’Dowd (Bridesmaids, The IT Crowd). The show aired on Nick Jr. in the UK, and a feature film was announced in 2019.
Where to Watch: You can stream Puffin Rock on Netflix.
Humans[]
Members
Image | Name | Bio |
---|---|---|
Pomni | Pomni was the second character (first human) introduced in the show. Debuting on January 27, 2023 in the teaser trailer uploaded by Gooseworx. She is characterized by her worried and nervous demeanor. As of now she is the first character with an official age, being 25 years old. | |
Ragatha | Ragatha was introduced June 28th, 2023 by Glitch Productions. She appears to be mostly carefree about her surroundings and is described as a «little optimist». She is voiced by Amanda Hufford. She is confirmed to be 30. | |
Jax | Jax was introduced on July 3, 2023 by Glitch Productions. He has been seen causing mischief (seen as tripping Ragatha and breaking Gangle’s mask) and has a seeming lack of awareness of his surroundings. He’s the second character with a confirmed age being 22 years old, making him the youngest in the circus. He is voiced by Michael Kovach. | |
Gangle | Gangle was introduced July 7th, 2023 by Glitch Productions. She is seen as having two distinct personalities, reflecting the comedy and tragedy theater masks, although a third has been teased by Gooseworx. She is voiced by Marissa Lenti. She is confirmed to be 26. | |
Kinger |
Kinger first appeared on July 15th, 2023 from Glitch Productions. He has been within The Amazing Digital Circus longer than any of the other humans. He is very twitchy and on edge, most likely due to his extended time within the Circus. He is voiced by Sean Chiplock. He is confirmed to be 48. |
|
Zooble |
Zooble was the last human to be introduced, appearing on July 19, 2023 by Glitch Productions. They are the most ambiguous human within the show as of now with no clear personality. They are voiced by Ashley Nichols. They are confirmed to be 22, but a few months older than Jax. |
|
Former Members | ||
Image | Name | Bio |
Kaufmo | Kaufmo was a human in The Amazing Digital Circus, but was abstracted around the time Pomni joined the show. Later, Caine sends Kaufmo to The Cellar. His age is not yet confirmed. | |
AI | ||
Image | Name | Bio |
Caine | Caine was introduced alongside Pomni in the January 27, 2023 in the teaser trailer from Gooseworx. He is the ringleader of The Amazing Digital Circus and holds power over all the other characters with reckless abandon. He is seen as charismatic and unaware of the potential harm he causes to those within the Circus. He is voiced by Alex Rochon. He is an AI. | |
Bubble | Bubble is the second artificial intelligence to be introduced within the show, debuting on July 11th, 2023 from Glitch Productions. Nothing is known about Bubble besides that Bubble may like to attack the inhabitants of the Circus. Bubble is voiced by Gooseworx. | |
Dr. Football is the third artificial intelligence to be introduced within the show. They never had a teaser, just a minor appearance in the Pilot Episode. Not much is known about the character, but one thing we know about them is that they value their privacy, and if somebody disturbs them while they’re taking a shower, they are not afraid to attack. |