Review by Dennis D. McDonald

I was transfixed by this animated film, not because of the story — a traditional mix of family-oriented fantasy quest elements — but because of the astonishing artistic imagination on display throughout the film.

It’s a dragon quest. A knight and a small rag-tag band of followers set out to vanquish a nameless horror that awakens every 20 years to devour all that is beautiful and colorful. On the way they argue, get to know and trust each other, and experience a series of challenges and adventures that are both visceral and elaborate. The characters are enjoyable, the animation fluid and clean, the dragons imaginative, and the world on display here rivals Pandora in its visual splendor and imagination (seriously).

What comes to my mind is that I would like to see the production team responsible for this film do an adult animated version of Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age.

Review copyright (c) 2010 by Dennis D. McDonald. Movie accessed via streaming Netflix and XBox Live connection.