Review of Renaissance (2006) by Noel S — 19 Sep 2007

I was really expecting to be blown away by this movie, but when it finished I could barely muster up the enthusiasm to think much more about it, let alone write a review. It wasn't anything special, and despite using really cool-looking animation, didn't keep my attention for as long as it really should have been able to.

It's unfortunate that a movie that looks so unique, and so slick, comes across as feeling gimicky and dull. I went in expecting Sin City, and came out feeling as though I'd just watched The Spirits Within again - those two movies being works that, for me, exist on near opposite ends of the quality spectrum.

The main difference, I feel, is that Sin City didn't rely on it's unique presentation and style, but rather used its animations to augment the stories being told. That relationship was inverted for Spirits Within and, similarly, Renaissance, where the story only seemed to be there as an afterthought; only there to showcase the graphics.

I can't deny that it took a lot of talent to make Renaissance look as impressive as it did. And the voice acting was very good. But it needed a better story, and more profound characters, in order for me to think of it as much more than a flashy but ultimately shallow peice.