Frollo

Three twenty-something friends live on a remote island in the easternmost part of China. When one of them, a school teacher, is transferred by his employers to the westernmost part of the country, his friends decide to accompany him on the journey. They all have their own motives to leave home and during the trip they will get to know their country and the people that inhabit it, as well as each other and themselves.

Director Han Han is one of China's most famous writers, so with only one other IMDb user review thus far, I'm surprised to see this film doesn't have received much more attention. A shame, really, for it's an entertaining road movie, with some quirky characters and fun story developments. Of course, I may have missed a layer or two. Chinese moviegoers may very well view it as a satire of Chinese society. I don't know enough about this fascinating country to be sure about that.

The pacing is calm, perhaps a bit boring to some, but the Chinese cityscapes and countryside make for breathtaking visuals at times.

Not a great movie, but worth a watch.

When I saw it for the first time in the theatre, I didn't like it. Compared with Aladdin and The Lion King, I found it slow and boring. But being a Disney fan and all, I had to buy the tape anyway, and that's when I really started to like the movie. The backgrounds are beautiful. I like the trees. Where I live, we don't have trees that tall. I found them impressing. And for the story... I'm not that familiar with American history, so I'd never heard of Pocahontas before. That's why I don't judge the story on historic accuracy, I simply consider it a beautiful Romeo & Juliet-like story. And after 4 or 5 viewings, I even started to appreciate the slow pace. If you'd asked me in 1995, I'd given it a 5 out of 10. Now, it's an 8.

Though I agree with Mr Appleton that The Hunchback may be too difficult for young viewers, that's exactly why I like it so much. When I was a kid, to me the word 'Disney' meant kindness, a happy ending, and sweet furry animals. I'm impressed by the courage the people at Disney's displayed by choosing a totally different path. Maybe the time has come one should go and see a Disney animation *before* deciding to bring their children! Funny, ain't it?