*No Spoilers!*
About 100.000 feature films are made each year. Of these, every 1000'th might turns out to be a masterpiece. Yet many other movies will ever find their deserved recognition and are indirectly robbed of their status as 'masterpiece'.
I would contently lay back if my cup is filled with only 12 of these countless of annual masterpieces over a duration of 12 to 18 months. 'Prodigies' deserves to be on the list of 'twelves', setting itself apart as a symphony of technology, artistry -which also extends to the creative camera-work - and a strong, resonating story (which truly moved me).
Rather than the typical animated PG-13 flick, that is family-themed and wrapped in a nice-chlichee story, 'Prodigies' is one of a few CG-animation movies with an adult-theme.
*Visually the movie makes a good compromise between quality and a medium-budget. The CGI world is physically well modeled, light is raycast and all characters are Motion-captured, with full facial expression capturing. (There's a 'making-of', on youtube for those interested.) Out of over a thousand movies I have watched, 'Prodigies' is amongst the most powerful I have ever seen.
With the right promotion this movie is bound to get its share of awards.
*Story-wise and to some extend also visually, CG-animation movies that come closest are "Parasite Eve" and "Resident Evil".
'Prodigies' is one of the few movies, I will definitely buy.
PS: To resonate with the story, bear in mind that the five prodigies share a psychic connection and as such also shared the trauma of the rape. The extend to which Miss Ji Lian was involved in the events -turning out they way they did- was treated somewhat ambiguously (at least to me)
The Prodigies
2011 [FRENCH]
Action / Animation / Drama / Fantasy / Horror / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Plot summary
NYC, Central Park, 2010. Five young teenagers are violently assaulted. But they’re not your average teenagers… they’re prodigies. The trauma of the assault incites them to lash out against the world in a cold and calculating way. The five chillingly brilliant minds come together to concoct a perfect revenge. The only person aware of the pending doom is Jimbo Farrar, a sixth prodigy, who has gathered them. As long as he fights against his five counterparts with all his might, there’s hope for the world. But should he turn over to their side, it’s only a matter of time before a disaster of apocalyptic proportions ensues…
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
August 27, 2024 at 02:58 AM
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
A revolutionary benchmark for visual storytelling
Not your typical animated picture
But then again, if you watch Japanese animation, you should be used to that and more. Again let me make this clear to you: This is not intended to be seen by kids. The theme is mature and it has a bit of graphic nature/pictures to support that. I wasn't as touched as another reviewer on here, but I can see where he/she is coming from. The movie has a few things going for it.
Overall though it is predictable and has some storytelling flaws to sport. It tries to involve the audience members emotionally, but might not be able to do so (at least with the majority of them). Studio Ghibli has nothing to fear ... yet.
Surprising
For a movie I never heard about, this one blew me away. While it's a generally familiar plot of afflicted mutants vs non-mutants, it's done in a unique way with surprisingly good character development. And with its non-conventional ending, it felt like the beginning of an epic story. The only reason I didn't give it 10/10 is its style of animation, which feels somewhat dated by todays standards and reminds me of the quality you'd come to expect from a Saturday morning cartoons (a testament to how spoiled we have become). Despite that, the art direction is flawless, with cinematic sequences that rival some of the best eye candy silicon has ever offered.
Watch this movie!