My Father's Dragon

DON'T WATCH MY FATHER'S DRAGON ON THIS APP at the 1hr and 7minute mark it just ends even though the movie is clearly not over, I don't know what happened but I'm pissed. Because it's a truely charming movie that I know can't finish

I was really looking forward to this film because I remember really liking the book as a child and because I'm a fan of Cartoon Saloon. However, after I finally got around to watching the film, I was greatly disappointed. While the animation is lovely to look at and some of the voice acting is good (especially Jacob Tremblay), the rest is just a mess. The story is dumbed down to standard kiddie fare, the tone is uneven, and Boris the dragon is straight up annoying. This is by far the worst film I've seen from Cartoon Saloon. Here's hoping that their future films never stoop this low ever again.

I didn't have any expectations or preconceived notions before watching this movie. I didn't even know that it was based on a children's book until after it was over. It caught me by surprise and I don't know where to start. Acting: Ok, I'll start here. The voice acting was incredible. Every actor did an amazing job. The best though was Gaten Matarazzo as Boris. He perfectly played the character. Animation: How beautiful is this animation? Seriously, can someone please explain to me why this looks a hundred times better than 3D CGI animation? It's absolutely gorgeous! Every shot is beautiful! Score: Oh my goodness. The score blew me away. Every note. Every instrument. Just *chef's kiss*. I don't normally listen to score outside of a movie, but I'm definitely going to listen to this one. Boris: Besides Gaten's phenomenal performance of Boris, can we just appreciate how adorable Boris is?! I want a Boris plushie so badly! Conclusion: My Father's Dragon is without a doubt the best movie of 2022. I know there's a lot of people who disagree, but ignore them. I can't wait to revisit this movie again and again.

The average Cartoon Saloon movie is incredible. Gorgeously animated, wonderfully written, tightly paced, and overall an incredible experience. However, My Father's Dragon feels much more geared to a young audience than their other films. It has a similarly tight pace, as well as very good animation, but I can't help but feel that some of the heart that oozed from their other works is missing here. It's definitely not a bad movie, I liked the home conflict with the mom and grumpy housekeeper. In fact, I almost wish the movie was solely focused on that as an original film with light fantasy details and saving the concept of My Father's Dragon for a later date, as the home life vs island comparison is vast. If it weren't for how intriguing their other movies and the home life was, this could have been a 7 or even 8, but a combination of surrounding factors makes it feel worse by comparison.

The in thing today is to do children's movies loaded with insider jokes and social references, so adults will feel engaged too. Nope, not this one. This is old school and darn good. In the iconic story Alice Through the Looking Glass, the character of Alice is focused and serious and just a little frenetic. Those traits are used for "dramatic contrast" to the many amazing things she encounters in Wonderland. Same here. Elmer is one super-tough little kid, the kind teachers like, but other kids might avoid. He is the perfect foil for the creatures he meets in the movie, and the movie is better for that. And the voice casting of Ian McShane as the leader of the island creatures is brilliant -- his voice has never been better utilized to convey authority and command. Highly recommended. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Toon Saloon is one of the animation studios that I am most excited to see what they come up with. From "Secret of Kells" to "Wolfwalkers" they have yet to make a bad movie. I love their use of traditional 2D animation, a medium that we don't see very often anymore. And "My Father's Dragon" continues Toon Saloon's solid track record, although it is not their best film. I can basically sum up what I didn't like about the movie in one word: "Isekai". Meaning, this is a story where the protagonist finds himself in another magical world. Now I know there are some all-time great films that use this format. "Coraline", "Spirited Away" and of course "Wizard of Oz". But in the context of this story, any sense of tension, plot or progression derails and can simply be explained away by magic. I acknowledge it as a personal bias against this kind of story. I just got really caught up in the early grounded story, that the magical story, though imaginative, loses the hook the beginning set up. The magical world stuff is well done, beautiful animation and music. The story is captivating and loaded with clever symbolism that can be interpreted in various ways. The movie is exciting and funny for the kids, but still deep and thoughtful for the adults. Both a good kids' movie and a good fathers' movie.

Well, anything could happen. I wasn't expecting anything bad, in fact, considering that Wolfwalkers and Breadwinner are some of the best animated movies of the decade, I had a lot of hope for My Father Dragon. Not everything is bad, things like the animation or the soundtrack continue to meet the high expectations that we all have towards Cartoon Saloon. As for the story... ug... well, it's not bad at all, but I feel like they didn't understand the phrase the one that covers a lot, little squeezes (and in this movie it could also be translated to the fact that it last less than it should), that and in addition to feeling rushed (I don't know if Netflix will have something to do with it). The movie first begins MAGNIFICENTLY, telling you about the financial problems of her mother and her son, and she lies to him that she doesn't worry that they will be able to save up and have the store back so as not to disappoint him. The film not only makes you very motivated in this part and worried about what might happen to it, but it also tells you a very good message... but... here the problems begin. The movie after Elmer finds the cat, from here becomes fantasy, and dont get me wrong, I wouldn't have a problem with this kind of movie, but the transition from "real" to "fantasy" feels very forced. They never explain to us why no one found the island, why these animals exist in the town or anything. I feel that it is very wasted in that sense. Then when Elmer goes to the island, it's not that everything is bad, since the realistic messages are still there and I really like the artstyle, although here everything begins to decay... The dragon that accompanies the protagonist is... frankly annoying. It's really irritating to have to see him stumble and do nothing over and over again, it's not until the end that he suddenly plucks up the courage and does what he has to do (go to know how he found out, although at least again, they deliver a good message). The two monkeys as antagonists work very well, and the movie, as I already said, picks up a bit near the end, but ugg, it does show something rushed. There are many things that don't matter, and the conflict at the beginning is resolved as if by magic. Although after all that has been said it may seem strange that I give it a 7, the truth is that I enjoyed it to a certain extent, mostly because of the super original animation that seems to be taken from a children's book (in a good way), in that way we dont have to worry; Cartoon Saloon will never disappoint us, but in history? I think this movie is the weakest of the studio... And for them who came so well with a good run of masterpieces, it's disappointing...

Few things are harder than bringing a well lived kids book to film. People who love the source material won't be happy. But they are forgetting---its based on an idea or book or adapted from source material. Being able to see another person's vision requires an open mind. That seems rare around here. This was fine. It told a good story and showed kids that it's OK to be scared. Some action didn't mange perfect sence, but that's OK. The voice acting was good and I liked this style of animating. It's a nice change from extreme cgi. I loved the ending song, too. I knew the book, and I still liked the film. Nothing wrong with that, if you think wth an open mind.