A Warrior’s Tail review: Can a low-budget Russian animated film stand up to the heavy hitters this Easter holiday?
A Warrior’s Tail review
With the holidays upon us you can expect your fair share of animated features descending upon the multiplexes. There’s sequel Kung Fu Panda 3, Disney’s excellent Zootropolis, Rob Schneider as a polar bear in Norm of the North, and the obligatory foreign animation with an English dubbed thrown on top of it, A Warrior’s Tail. The Russian animation seems to have been produced with an English release in mind however, which means lip-synching isn’t much of a problem.
After his village is attacked by brightly coloured Hyena’s, Savva (Milla Jovovich), escapes and looks to find help of some kind kind. He meets a white wolf, Angee (Will Chase), who tells Savva about a wizard on a mountain who could help him. On their way they encounter other travellers such as Puffy (Sharon Stone), and a cursed baron and a mosquito (Joe Pesci) who never leaves his side. They must reach the wizard to achieve their goals, but must also evade capture from a simian army ruled by the three headed Mum Jozee (Whoopi Goldberg).
A Warrior’s Tail review
The story elements obviously owe a lot to The Wizard Of Oz. A traveller seeking a goal must get to a wizard and picks up other people also looking for their dreams to be answered. There are other fantasy elements that A Warrior’s Tail borrows liberally from, but it is such a diverse bag that it creates a semi-original feel to it throughout. There are no huge surprises, but at least the characters have clear arcs that are enjoyable to watch unfold.
The best part of the film are the stunning visuals. Lighting and design are at the forefront in this beautifully crafted film, with sunsets adding golden gorgeousness to emotional scenes, and a dark and sinister opening creating a powerful atmosphere. Unfortunately there is something lacking once the characters move and the landscapes are interacted with, but we have to forgive a film that isn’t Disney or Dreamworks and still looks this good.
A Warrior’s Tail review
Taking on the vocal talents of stars who were much bigger in the 90s doesn’t mean they are phoning it in. Stone is cute and funny, while Goldberg is scary and serious enough as the villain. Even Pesci, making this his third film in eighteen years, sounds like he actually cares for the part. Jovovich is an excellent choice as the lead, as she uses her femininity to add innocence to a prepubescent male hero, and also has enough maturity to justify his rise in confidence.
A Warrior’s Tail is far from perfect, and with a number of noticeable flaws it may very well remove some viewers from the story altogether. Thankfully, for those who don’t mind a few stiff characters here and there, it’s and creativity too. It may not have the polish of Kung Fu Panda 3 or the witty and daring script of Zootropolis, but it shouldn’t be ignored completely.
A Warrior’s Tail review by Luke Ryan Baldock, March 2016.
A Warrior’s Tail is released in cinemas on 1st April and on DVD from 11th April.
