Zog (2018 TV Movie) User Reviews

Nice Dragon story for kids

[AdrenalinDragon · 6/10 · 20 March 2021]

Cute little kids short film I watched randomly after seeing a movie. Literally How to Train Your Dragon with dragons being taught how to be dragons at school. Throws some Human characters in the mix and provide a straightforward lesson on growing as a person and helping others.

Moves at a good pace, the Animation and voice work is okay. Some little easy gags here and there. Perfectly harmless little bit of fun. The dragons kind of remind me a bit of the ones in the Spyro video game series. Might be a bit simplistic for adults, but children will have a good time with Zog.

5.5/10

Fantasy fun film mostly for the little ones

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 30 December 2018]

"Zog" is a British 25-minute animated short film from 2018, a holiday release from just a few years ago, and BBC always has at least one of these per year, mostly animated. For some reason, I thought early on that this was some little How to Train Your Dragon spinoff, but no it is not and the dragons look different compared to the successful franchise I just mentioned, but the thing that stroke me different the most was the narration here. Because this one made it very obvious what it was because it is so similar to some other projects by director Max Lang in terms of nursery rhymes and the ways in which they are presented. He is a 2-time Oscar nominee and this was not the first time he worked on a film based on a book by Julia Donaldson. This one here did not make the Oscar short list though if it was even available. I don't know maybe for next year.

The animation is fine I think. So is the story. I felt there is nothing that really stands out about this movie, but there is also nothing that sucks. It has some funny moments like when our hero finally thinks he gets the star he always wanted, another dragon comes along and has the ultimate groar. Or how the princess dummy's doll falls off after he "saves" her. A nice reference too about dragons capturing princesses from the creature's perspective here and not from the one of the knight who comes to save her. Anyway, said knight is included too, but not as a major character. He also does not exactly look the handsome hero type. Then again, the princess is not as helpless as it seems as we find out at the very end in a nice little twist. I don't really like films with forced happy ending, but here it felt right and entertaining and also pretty credible.

The cast list isn't too shabby either with Lenny Henry, Kit Harrington and Tracey Ullman and we should not forget this is a small screen release, even if there was never any doubt with the makers' history this would turn into a success. It has some charm to it for sure and well Henry's narration makes it probably a better watch for kids than grown-ups and I am saying this as somebody who really likes animated films and thinks there's so many great ones out there for adults too. This one here is not a failure for adults either, not at all. I am just saying maybe kids are more likely to enjoy it and it's probably not a film that will suck grown-ups enthusiastically into the world of animation. Still, there is no hesitation for me in giving this a thumbs-up. Nice attention to detail for all kinds of production values and I suggest you go check it out. Lang and Donaldson deliver again.

How to train your dragon

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 25 December 2018]

I was more excited that Zog sees the reunion of Lenny Henry and Tracy Ullman. Two thirds of a Kind!

Julia Donaldson's Zog is about a young dragon that is training how to be a dragon.

The other young dragons learn how to roar, fly or breathe fire quicker and better than Zog.

The accident prone Zog tries his best and hopes to get a medal for his efforts.

When he captures a princess, Zog finds that his true vocation is actually helping others.

A charming animation for Christmas bought from the same team behind The Gruffalo and Stickman. Nicely animated, quirky and kids will enjoy it.

Colorful and enjoyable, even if the message will be writ a bit large for adult viewers

[bob the moo · 9 March 2019]

This last Christmas the animation from the BBC was another in a handful of film adapting Donaldson's children's books. This one sees a young dragon learning his trade, and when he keep messing up, there is a young girl around to help him out here and there (a girl who also is struggling to learn her 'trade'). The structure of the lesson allows for an engaging episodic approach to the film, and the events are played out with humor. Not really laugh out loud funny often, but amusing and cheering across it all.

The animation matches the style of the book well, and looks great - Zog himself is a nice character and none of these dragons will cause bad dreams. The plot ends with a positive message which applies to everyone, but in particular leans into the female character for its delivery. It is a very positive message and it was only the cynic in me that rankled a bit at how clunky it was played out - very direct. Of course then I remember I was watching a children's film based on a children's book, so probably it deserves a pass. The voice cast feels overly starry; they do well but some of them feel almost like distractions - they are cast for this film as an 'event', which I suppose is fine as they do work.

Like most of the Donaldson animated films, not the deepest or most impacting film, but enjoyable, accessible, and with a nice easy message.

how to befriend a dragon

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 18 October 2022]

Zog is a klutzy dragon learning from teacher Madam Dragon (Tracey Ullman). He's the biggest dragon in the class, but the worst student. He is desperate to earn a gold star, but he never does. Young princess Pearl sneaks out of her mansion and finds an injured Zog. They become fast friends. The class is tasked with capturing princesses, but Zog is not good this either.

This is a fun little children's animated short. With all the rhythming, it's obviously adapted from a children's book. It's sweet and charming. It's a good story, but it does take a weird left turn at the end. It's an interesting and unlikely turn.

Excellent Adaptation

[rubberchicken2 · 10/10 · 12 January 2019]

We've been reading the book for a while and definitely felt like this was a good adaptation of the story. It's always difficut when a short story is made into a longer animation and you often get the feeling that a lot of it is simply filler. This really isn't the case with Zog - there are some very humerous sections which really add to the story. My kids have been watching it non-stop since Christmas, but it is so well done we don't mind (much!).

A Joy

[Pooledogg · 10/10 · 29 December 2021]

An absolutely wonderful piece of TV to watch with your children. Funny and creative. Animation is great. Voices too. Hope they do more than two. Love them both.

Excellent

[glynwalterjohnsrna · 10/10 · 25 December 2018]

Absolutely brilliant short film. Well done everyone!

A must see magnetic, comfortable and relaxing movie

[safwan364 · 10/10 · 29 January 2020]

A beautiful message, great watch, and re-watch .... my daughter just wants to see it again and again and she is just 4.

Recommended for a full family watch over a cup of tea.

Not the best, but harmless.

[adamjohns-42575 · 5/10 · 4 January 2023]

Zog (1) (2018) -

From the start there were obvious similarities to 'How To Train Your Dragon' (2010), certainly at the first meeting between Zog (Rocco Wright and later Hugh Skinner) and Pearl (Patsy Ferran) as well as the connection that was made and built upon.

And of course the style of animation appeared to have come from the same creators and studio that had previously released 'Room On The Broom' (2012) and 'Stick Man' (2015) among others. Which for me was a positive, because I loved the hybrid CGI/"Claymation" cartoon effect and I have always thought that it was done well. It is a staple to watch at least one of these releases every Christmas now, although I think my favourite is 'The Gruffalo's Child' (2011)0, which had that wintery cosy vibe to it.

I might like the others more if they were re-set in a colder climate to go with the time of year that they are shown. My absolute favourite film is 'The Snowman' (1982), so I suppose I am looking for something to replicate that nostalgic warmth and festive feeling that it provided and still does at least two or three times every Christmas.

With 'Zog' however I did feel that the moral was a bit on the nose, although I suppose that there was no point in complicating it for the kiddies?

I thought that it might be a bit much for really young children to grasp the point of the story, but I'm sure that they would at least appreciate the colours and characters. As an "Adult" though I thought that it could have had a bit more to it and I didn't think that it was worth paying the big bucks for names such as Kit Harrington (Gadabout), Tracey Ullman (Madam Dragon) or even Rob Brydon (Various) for the few lines that they had to deliver, that would have been just as successfully spoken by any other voice actor. I did appreciate Lenny Henry as the Narrator though, because his diction was clear and easy to understand, which hasn't always been the case.

It was a nice enough cartoon, but having since watched its sequel, I wonder whether it might not have been better made as two parts in one and slightly longer, maybe 45 minutes instead of two 30 minute instalments?

505.08/1000.

Had my 3 year old in stitches

[tomconder-849-407748 · 10/10 · 25 December 2018]

He loves the book and met zog at Waterstones and the film did not disappoint as he giggled his way through it

A beautiful story about to growing up, possibilities and friendship

[zelenizmaj · 9/10 · 25 December 2018]

When I told my kid that they will make a Zog movie, he kept pestering me for half a year when it will come. When it finally did, it was a marvelous short film that used some old stereotypes from kids stories, and turned them into something new and fit for today's world. Most of all, it teaches young girls that they can be whatever they want, and not only princesses In the castle, waiting for a prince.

A Dragon named Zog

[shrubsnout · 8/10 · 5 September 2022]

This is a short film that adapts a children's book. It features dragons, and eventually, a princess and a knight. It feels sped up due to it accurately portraying a 30~ page child's book. It takes some very small steps in giving Zog a smidge more depth than it's source. The other unnamed dragons have design flourishes that have add a bit of character, which is why it feels like a shame...

It's visually a beautiful and colorful world that feels like a waste because it is a child's book, meaning it's one-and-done.

It's got a message for girls, somewhat of a message for boys, but at least it's positive. Not bad considering this was a TV special film. I give it an extra point because I found Zog adorable.