Love animation (films like 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Pinocchio', 'The Lion King', 'Bambi', 'Sleeping Beauty', 'Snow White', 'Aladdin', 'The Little Mermaid, the 'Toy Story' trilogy, 'Inside Out' 'The Secret of NIMH' 'Watership Down', 'The Prince of Egypt', 'The Iron Giant' and many of Studio Ghibli films are among my favourites), always have, always will. Russian animation fascinates me, especially the older, traditional animation from Soyuzmultfilm.
There are certainly far worse animated films out there than 'Quackerz', as strange a film it is it actually looks like effort was put into it and not an amateurish hack job. It is however sadly a case of an interesting concept executed weirdly and blandly. There are good points certainly. Apart from the mediocre work on the humans, the animation is very good. Very vibrant in colour with colours that leap out of the screen and rich and meticulous in detail.
While not exactly incredible, the voice cast (that doesn't rely on celebrity voices and didn't need to) do bring energy and soul to their roles. The soundtrack is infectiously peppy. There are a few amusing jokes and the sparring leaders and dim-witted thieves provide a little entertainment value.
Most successful is the romance between Erica and Longway. That had wit and heart and the characters have chemistry and are likable and confident, regardless of it being a very familiar story trope.
However, 'Quackerz' is a very strange film. Not just in the bizarrely confusing mishmash of accents that make what seemed to be a very clear setting initially increasingly more ambiguous. But also in elements like the steam-punk style that seems to be there for no reason and the gramophone/duck break dance scene that come over as out of place, bizarre and takes one out of the film.
Although the writing has its moments, a lot of it is awkward and some of it is culturally insensitive in a way that's not for the easily offended. It often sounded like a very clumsy attempt to appeal to international audiences. The story execution underwhelms outside of the romance. It has too many familiar elements done with little freshness and its most original element, the legend of the sun duck plot, is under-cooked and may confuse younger audiences. The ending is rushed. There are a few nice lessons and values but they're lost amidst the strong aroma of strangeness.
Characters-wise, while Erica and Longway are likable and the thieves and leaders have some entertainment value, the others are a mix of bland and annoying. The villain is a very superficial one who isn't particularly entertaining or memorable let alone menacing. As mentioned, the human character animation is mediocre at best.
In summary, okay but completely quackers (admittedly very bad pun intended). 4/10 Bethany Cox
