Russian cel movie: Prince Vladimir

[MonkeyFunk]

From CartoonBrew.com:


http://www.cartoonbrew.com/archives/princevlad2.jpg

Just when you thought cel animation was dead and shipped to Siberia: PRINCE VLADIMIR (http://www.knyazvladimir.ru/en/index.htm), a Russian production, will be released in the U.S.S.R. next month. Directed by Yuri Batanin, a veteran of the Soyuzmultfilm Studio, it's apparently the first of two feature length films about the heroic king—the second is in preproduction now and scheduled for a 2008 release. The website (http://www.knyazvladimir.ru/) is loaded with images (http://www.knyazvladimir.ru/en/index.htm?082a0398/index.htm), information (http://www.knyazvladimir.ru/en/index.htm) and trailers (http://www.knyazvladimir.ru/en/index.htm?08490998/index.htm).

[Toonboy]

I can see where this has promise and where this might fail. As turmoiled as Russian history is, it makes for a good source material for countless stories, and an animated movie like this just begs for an English translation simply because it doesn't look like an Anastasia style kiddification. However, some of the characters look like blatant caricatures. The elderly man with a permanant grimace on his face and a dark complexion looks like he could be the villain. The hero as an adult looks like the stereotypical "big country man with a beard and a good heart and huge muscles". On the other hand, the animation style is very appealing.

BTW, CartoonBrew is behind the times by about a decade. U.S.S.R.? XD

[Lucky_Bob]

OHO!
I heard about this movie a few months ago. I'm really intrested to see if this will ever be released in the U.S...

James :cool:

[lupercal]

BTW, CartoonBrew is behind the times by about a decade. U.S.S.R.? XD

Or maybe they're ahead of the times by ten years, the way Putin is running the place. Bring back Gorby. Putin looks like some thug out of a British crime flick.

Loop

[P.C. Unfunny]

Or maybe they're ahead of the times by ten years, the way Putin is running the place. Bring back Gorby. Putin looks like some thug out of a British crime flick.

Loop

Thankfully, Putin is not running for re-election.

[sizz_leteen]

We learned all about King Vladimir in Ukrainian history class in grade school. I'd love to see this, though I'd prefer seeing a subbed version rather than a dubbed one.

[thranx]

I'm just back from Russia, where I bought a DVD of Prince Vladimir. As my Russian is pretty feeble, it was somewhat difficult to follow all the plot points.

However...the film is gorgeous to look at, heavily influenced by Miyasaki in its detailed depiction of Nature. There is some serious action, including blood (if not gore) and definitely little concession to the kiddies.

Problems include the mixing of cartoonish characters (the two hulking sons of Boryan, the elderly forest-wizard) with far more realistic types such as the Prince himself. Also, there are some spots where the use of computer-generated animation, especially in the depiction of water, jars against the presence of the hand-drawn figures. And the dialogue is often delivered in tones so operatic I half expected Chaliapin to be credited.

Still, a beautiful film to look at, full of gorgeous, historically accurate backgrounds and details. This exoticism alone should make it a worthy pickup for a U.S. studio. Normally I'd prefer a subtitled English version, but the dialogue is so heavy that in this instance I believe dubbing to be a better choice.

[inuitka]

I just wanted to say that there are two other new Russian animated films: "Alesha Popovich" and "Dobrynya Nikitich". And they are very good! Much more enjoyable than "Knyaz Vladimir" :)

[lupercal]

Welcome! Some Eastern European input. Much appeciated. Or is Poland not east anymore. Sorry, if not. I still remember Solidarity and all that.

That's all.

Loop