Review of Alpha and Omega (2010) by Matthew M — 06 May 2011

If you've noticed, most animated films consist of animals. Maybe it's because most animated films are targeted at children, and children love talking animals. Maybe it's because animals are easier to animate than humans (although I highly doubt it because I would find it hard to animate fur). But for whatever reason, the majority of animated films consist of talking animals, and it looks like filmmakers are finding new ways to push it forward. Much like Rio and the cancelled Pixar film Newt, this film tries to get the idea of an endangered species reproducing to repopulate. Now that plot point alone would be enough to cause parents to pause, but actually that's not what this movie's about. It's about a lot of other stuff that is intertwined somewhat well.

As already mentioned, the film juggles a lot of plot points, and while it sometimes feels jerky, most of the time it does flow surprisingly well. None of these stories feel forced or uncomfortable. These stories serve a purpose and they all work well.

However the film does have some missteps that shouldn't be overlooked. Some of the jokes in this movie are not very funny and are extremely disgusting. You also can't really sympathize with Humphrey at first because, well-he's a jerk. The movie also starts off really slow and takes it's time to get to the point. The first 30 minutes are not very engaging and are disappointing, which is a huge problem that the film never truly overcomes. The film doesn't understand that in order to fully pull the audience in, you need a strong solid beginning. But as we near the second act, the film really picks up the pace with some funny jokes, clever dialogue, some great atmosphere, and great pacing. The characters also overcome their one dimensional shadows from the first act and actually develop into two-dimensional and likable characters. Even though this film is extremely predictable, the film also manages to draw some intense scenes that actually had me on the edge of my seat.

While this film is a "silly" film, I was surprised by some of the more heartwarming scenes in these movies. Certainly they're not up to par with some of heartwarming scenes that Pixar has pulled off, but they did surprise me, and I found myself smiling as these characters overcome their obstacles to pull off the impossible.

This film is nothing remarkable, but it does do a few things right. It has some decent animation, some funny jokes, and a heart that I wasn't expecting from this film. I'm sure that kids will eat this film up, and this is actually an animated film that parent's won't be completely bored by. Although the film makes quite a few mistakes, I was able to overlook most of this film's flaws and just enjoy. But I agree that the howling scene near the beginning is so extremely ridiculous that I found myself rolling my eyes at the absurdity of it, but if you stick with this movie, who knows? You may find yourself surprised.

5.8/10.