Am saying this with a heavy heart. Animation was a big part of my childhood, and still holds a very special place in my heart as a young adult. A canine parody of prison films didn't seem such a bad idea and neither did incorporating a pertinent, relevant and important message about bullying.
What a disappointment 'Ozzy' turned out to be. The advertising may not have been promising but there was enough to make me want to see it (wanting to see as many animated films as possible and the concept). So some may not have been expecting much in the first place, but to me 'Ozzy' could have been decent with the right execution. Will start with the good things. It starts off well and the soundtrack is catchy. Everything else fails spectacularly. And no nobody expects Disney or Pixar level when watching an animated film not made by them, that's just silly.
One does though expect to see a film and animation that looks as though effort was put into them and the sense that those involved cared. That's where 'Ozzy' falls.
There is certainly worse animation around. Video Brinquedo is a very good example. A very good case can also be put for Spark Plug Entertainment, Dingo Pictures and the CGI 'Swan Princess' and 'Alpha and Omega' sequels. That doesn't stop 'Ozzy', although the animation quality doesn't come close to the amateurishness of the above, from looking very flat and blocky, it lacks vibrancy and crisp detail and none of the characters look appealing.
Nothing interesting or likable about the characters, with the conflict being as stock, hammy and sadistic as one can get. The voice acting doesn't fit these characters well, and some are hard to recognise (Rob Schneider especially).
It's the script and story that doom 'Ozzy' the most, after a promising start once the conflict and prison story is introduced the film falls drastically downhill and never recovers. The dialogue is mundane and contrived, while there is nothing witty or clever about the prison parodying, which will go over the heads of most children and be far too predictable and clumsily inserted for adults, or emotionally resonant about a potentially good but forced message about bullying completely lost amidst the constant target audience and tonal issues.
One seriously questions the maturity levels of the writers with potty humour so obvious and juvenile that even the most undemanding child will find their I.Q. dropping. Children and adults alike will be bothered by the tonally jarring and overdone darker elements where in particular characters are treated cruelly and the strands and types of characters being more suited to a film with a 15 or above certificate, where the writers clearly forgot about the younger viewers and tried too hard to provide content for adults and going way too far in that direction. The story lacks energy and is structurally and tonally disjointed throughout.
In short, there is worse but this is a disappointing mess. 2/10 Bethany Cox
