Leo Dilles

You got to keep on your toes for this movie. The pace is quick. The plot is intense. The characters are deep and devious. The dialogue is crafty. The script keeps you engaged and wondering what is going to happen. The effects are okay and the music and dancing is entertaining enough for what the movie needs them to be. There is an interesting theme of forgiveness throughout the movie. I wish the main character had been more forgiving to round out her character. The film quality is pretty good for the most part except for a few scenes. other than that, this is a very enthralling film. I recommend this movie to those who want suspense and to watch characters stand up for themselves.

If you approach this movie from a very artistic point of view, you might have a decent time. There are lots of cool shots and cool images. The cinematography was certainly interesting. The director was trying to tell us something, but what? From a structural point of view this movie lacks. It bounces all over the place with little focus. There might be a story in there somewhere but it is jumbled with mostly random imagery. The beginning is slow, but the patience is worth it for a few minutes then the film quality plummets. It wanders for much of the movie. It is not boring necessarily but it does not grab you attention. A story of sorts starts to sort of come together at some point but the audience's mind and the movie has wandered off at that point. They can no longer focus on what it going on Vague ideas can be put together, but the movie lacks cohesion. Nothing seems strongly connected to anything else. The music was really great, but didn't often match the scenes. There was not enough quiet. Some of the quieter music was really effective during tense scenes, especially on the boat.The characters looked rugged as they should. There was a lot of attention to hair that I appreciated. The premise of the movie seemed good but the synopsis did not give the real impression of the movie. The movie seems to be more artsy and less story driven than it thinks it is. I wish it had just committed one way or another and made it obvious to the audience. I was not sure if I was supposed to look for a through line or just enjoy the creative shots and "Classical" music.

Bakshi's style is stylized and interesting. It is almost ugly but it holds your attention. I remember when I first saw this movie. I didn't choose to watch it, it just happened to be playing. But it intrigued me. It was a truly weird and strange experience. It felt like an adult raunchy movie in disguise as a classic animated fantasy movie for a young adult audience. It turned out to be quite adult, but that was a good thing. I think the slightly off animation and more zany tones fit the vibe. Dark humor is a tricky thing, but I think Bakshi balances it alright. The soundtrack has a nice rolling rhythm of 70s out thereness, high fantasy adventure, and something like Flash Gordon. The ending is on the nose, but fits the tone and I think makes the movie worth rewatching just to understand it better. Though the characters might pop in design they lack some depth, but they work for what this is. If you want an adult animated movie that is pretty different and has a strange deeper message hidden in there somewhere, give this a watch.