Imagine if you will, you ask ChatGPT to write a parable about a boy lost in the snow, looking for a permanent home, who meets a mole, a fox, and a horse along the way. And you ask ChatGPT to write it as if every line was taken from a Hallmark card, and each scene uses a completely literal aphorism. Then you get this little attempt at pandering to an audience.
I'm not kidding -- I fed the premise into ChatGPT and it reproduced two lines from the script, exactly!
The animation was lovely, but ended up being a bit monotonous, and that's the only thing I can recommend about it. We did see it back to back with the other four Oscar nominees, and had a range of viewers from kids to near-seniors, and while the consensus on the best one differed, the consensus on this one did not.
I realize this is based on a children's book, but the better children's literature is propelled by a story, not by epigrams and attempts at koans. There was a six year old in front of us at the theater who said, about 2/3 of the way through, "this is dumb! Why isn't he cold? What does he eat?" and the rest of the audience hooted appreciatively. Scriptwriters of the world, take note: if your intended audience is kids, talking down to them is the worst way to get your message across.
I'm not kidding -- I fed the premise into ChatGPT and it reproduced two lines from the script, exactly!
The animation was lovely, but ended up being a bit monotonous, and that's the only thing I can recommend about it. We did see it back to back with the other four Oscar nominees, and had a range of viewers from kids to near-seniors, and while the consensus on the best one differed, the consensus on this one did not.
I realize this is based on a children's book, but the better children's literature is propelled by a story, not by epigrams and attempts at koans. There was a six year old in front of us at the theater who said, about 2/3 of the way through, "this is dumb! Why isn't he cold? What does he eat?" and the rest of the audience hooted appreciatively. Scriptwriters of the world, take note: if your intended audience is kids, talking down to them is the worst way to get your message across.