The Magician's Elephant

Director: "Looks really good! Just one thing, have you ever seen a cloud before?" Animator: "No." Director: "Me neither. I'm sure it's fine."

This one's got quite great deal of tender, genuinely moving scenes. And for the most part the animation looks striking and original despite the obviously lower budget.

(Aside from the clouds, which I know are supposed to look odd but they're just...so obviously not clouds.)

The compelling story is unfortunately often dampened by poor dialogue. It's unbearably contrived and stilted, too often clumsily telling us what has already been expressed visually just in case we're too dumb to pick up on characters' emotions on our own.

But there's so much vibrant content and heartwarming elements that it's impossible to disregard this film, or even dislike it, entirely.

A young orphan "Peter" has been brought up by a disciplinarian former-soldier, but longs to find his long-lost sister from whom he was parted at the height of war. Out for the daily shopping (stale bread and fish), he espies a tent in which a fortune teller offers to tell his future. It seems that he might be reconciled with his sibling - but for that he has to follow the elephant, and there hasn't been one in his town for an age. Meantime, a rather hapless magician is trying to entertain the great and the good in the town's theatre when - low and behold - he conjures up... The king arrives in the town to inspect this magically contrived and noisy pachyderm and decrees that if "Peter" can carry out three impossible tasks, he can keep it! The three impossible tasks are quite entertaining, as is the whole film. The story is all a little predictable and it does stray into sentimentality just a bit too often, but it's an engaging family drama with some fun characters and colourful scenarios. Maybe a bit too wordy and probably fifteen minutes too long - it takes an age to get going - it is still a gently entertaining watch that imbues the lead character with some imagination and legerdemain and one that I quite enjoyed on a big screen.

Started off great w a good premise, captivating animation.

... then the plot absurdities start to plonk in one by one until there's such a deluge of nonsense that all sense of connection to the plot or the characters are gone.

Yet AGAIN another animation which throws all its budget on the visual graphics and a tiny tiny pittance on good writers who can flesh out a viable plot with characters that can hold the viewers interest.

But here we have rubbish plot, rubbish dialogue, characters which held early promise all plonked down the tunnel of showy absurdity.

Good visual animation but the nonsense plotting is for animation trash heap.

Amidst a whimsical city, orphaned Leo learns his missing family might be found through a mystical elephant's appearance, setting him on a spellbinding quest. Guided by a quirky ensemble of characters, Leo navigates a world woven with wonder and peril. As the enigmatic magician reveals the elephant's powers, Leo's determination grows, and a heartwarming odyssey begins. Through mesmerizing landscapes and breathtaking feats, Leo discovers the true magic of belief, leading to an emotional reunion that defies imagination. This film unveils a tapestry of emotions, celebrating family, hope, and the extraordinary in the ordinary.

First off, the plot is predictable, and you can guess where the tale is headed, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing because this film is meant to make you feel happy and heartfelt. That caused us to marvel and enjoy the journey, and there were a number of things that contributed to my enjoyment of the journey. First, the directing was excellent; I was astounded by how, in some essential scenes, the camera switched to the character's point of view, giving me the impression that I was a part of the setting they were in. Second, the sound effects and visuals did a lot to make me enjoy the film; for example,the stunning sound effects inspired awe and wonder and were so calming and uplifting that it seemed as though the characters were in the room because of how expressive and lifelike their voices sounded. The character movements were fluent and natural, giving a lifelike experience, and the character animation was so lifelike and detailed that it felt like they were real. The brilliant and fascinating colors of the film made for an exciting and immersive experience. The unpleasant aspects of the movie are kind of concealed, so there aren't many of them. I believe they have discovered the recipe for the ideal animated feature.