Retelling of classic stories has been the cornerstone of successful animation films. This time, director Vincent Kesteloot decides to retell the epic of Robinson Crusoe, the fictional character who was stranded on an island and made a world for himself there. There have been no less than 5 films about the character, with the first known film releasing in 1902, a silent one. We review the latest film, titled Robinson Crusoe, an animation film that hits the theaters this week.
Robinson Crusoe is a young sailor who gets shipwrecked and is stranded on an island. He spends his time building a impromptu light-house so he can be saved. He and his trusty dog meet the animals and birds on the island, who are apprehensive of him at first but become friends later. However, they have to counter a pack of evil cats who want to destroy Crusoe and everyone on the island.
And added to this story is a number of island animals, main among them being Mak, the parrot. This review doesn’t speak about the other characters because even the film doesn’t. Apart from Robinson and Mak, the only aspect we know of the other animals -- a goat, a chameleon, a pandolin -- is that they exist on the island.
The concept might have looked very good on paper - Robinson Crusoe from the POV of the animals on the island - but the film is jarred by a scattered screenplay that doesn’t have a single high-point - something’s that a necessity in an animation film. There’s little in the screenplay, written by the trio of Lee Christopher, Domonic Paris and Graham Weldon that will keep the audience engaged. What’s also sorely missing is any humor in the proceedings and the film finally ends up being an underwhelming experience. The screenplay writers don’t even spend time on some of the critical plot-points, leaving the audience confused.
The other aspects of the film are good enough.The background music by Ramin Djawadi does its job. The voice acting by just about everyone is okay. In a nutshell, a unhappening screenplay and an uninspired script makes this film a letdown.
Image Source: facebook/ Robinson Crusoe