Jane and the Dragon

I stumbled across this show one Saturday morning, and was thoroughly impressed. It is something completely unique and refreshing that much of children's programming has been lacking of late. The main characters are far from flat or one-dimensional--they have history, issues, and deal with pretty serious moral or ethical issues that many young kids might face in their own lives. And yes, they do tend to come away unscathed, learning a lesson about doing the right thing, but there are moments of tension and gravity along the way, and the lessons are far from heavy-handed. The animation is a bit different than most of the other CGI shows around, but I like it--it looks like a page from a children's storybook brought to life. The music is upbeat but unobtrusive, and the dialogue is actually pretty funny--there are several jokes (especially from Dragon) that are really funny, even for adults. I highly recommend taking a look with your kids--you won't regret it!

Caught this by accident while channel hopping and was blown away by its quality both in the animation and its humorous tone. The stories have a medieval setting based around a castle and Jane(her quest to train as a knight), the other kids in the castle and her best friend,who just happens to be a dragon. The dragon steals the show, as his mannerisms and sense of humour are just laugh-out-loud funny. The animation uses motion capture. I know that this is not the first time its been used in a cartoon(remake of Captain Scarlett)but nevertheless it adds quality and helps to lift this above the ordinary. The backgrounds appear to have been created to make them seem as if they were done in pencil;the subtle blend of this and the CGI work just gives this a fresh,different look.

At first look I thought this was going to be awful - the look of the animation is pretty much as you'd see in a computer game. However, within 2 minutes my 3 year old daughter and I were hooked. Motion capture techniques really bring the animation alive - it's done by Weta, who did the Lord of the Rings CGI so you know it's going to be expressive, though of course it's not got the LOTR budget, hence the computer game look.

The script is full of dry humour - especially Dragon - which makes this entertaining for parents as well as kids. The stories have morals of sorts, but not in a Disney-like "hit 'em over the head with it" way. The characters are diverse and well observed - the king winds me up, but I think he's kind of supposed to.

Check it out on Milkshake on C5, weekend mornings at the moment. I don't know if it will come out on DVD in the UK in the near future, if at all. However, go to the ABC Australia shop (google "Jane and the Dragon DVD" to find it) and you can buy there for the equivalent of about £13.50 per DVD of three episodes incl. postage. There are two available at the time of writing.

Fabulous and highly recommended, though I have to admit my wife loathes it!

I'm not a big fan of CGI, but for me the real attraction in this show is the writing. The writers do not write down to their audience. The characters are well defined, and the stories well done and with good humor. There is also a hint of mysteries to unfold, with the dragon runes and Jane's sword. "Jane and the Dragon" is more mature than "Arthur" or "Clifford", closer maybe to "Wild Thornberrys" or "Avatar". Definitely not "Invader Zim" :-). But certainly above the average of most "cartoon" programming. The style and flavor may not be to everybody's taste, but it is worth your time investigating. I just wish the Qubo schedule made the show more accessible in my area.

I discovered this show a few months ago and have been addicted to it ever since. I showed it to my husband, and even he was blown away. We've seen every single episode, and can't wait for more.

"Jane and the Dragon" showcases Weta's incredible animation techniques (also seen in such movies as "Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia"), which in this case combine lifelike movements--created through sophisticated motion capture technology--with artistic effects that give the show a delightfully unique visual style.

The characters are engaging and diverse, and all of them display both strengths and weaknesses--particularly Jane herself. It is refreshing to see a strong and charismatic heroine that also has clear weak points, and messes up frequently and often spectacularly. Of course, she always learns something by the end of each episode.

The plots are engaging and novel, masterfully juxtaposing delightful comedy with surprisingly compelling drama. Kids can learn along with Jane, gaining insight into important topics such as courage, integrity, and diverse aspects of friendship. Although the plots are always didactic, the show manages not to be boring or tedious for adults to watch.

The only audience I would not recommend "Jane and the Dragon" for (aside from those who have a problem with dung jokes) is very young children, purely for the reason that the show can be somewhat slow-moving compared to other children's shows, having extended scenes of fairly serious dialogue and long, beautiful shots of the fantastically animated scenery. Toddlers may lose interest, and get little out of the often very insightful dialogue. Otherwise, I recommend "Jane" for all ages. It is a pure delight--definitely worth watching. Sit down with your kids and enjoy!