Review of The Illusionist (2009) by Christopher N — 24 Feb 2011

The visuals in The Illusionist (L'illusionniste) are nothing short of AMAZING! I loved the style of the animation, and was so happy that it was not done with computer animation or 3D like most animated films that come out now because it would have absolutely ruined this movie! There is very little dialogue in the movie, and many of the spoken words are in french.

Many people may complain about this, but I don't think it did a disservice to the movie at all. It is very easy to understand what is going on and you learn to rely on the character's body language and facial expressions.

The story is slow paced and the story is both charming and funny with a bit of a sad ending. I think its geared more towards adults and those who enjoy animated movies. Kids who are expecting a fast paced or action packed movie that contains the same kinds of humor found in today's Dreamworks or Pixar films may not understand or enjoy it as much.

Unfortunately, it was nominated the same year a Pixar movie came out, so it won't stand a chance at winning an Oscar. I loved Toy Story 3 and it deserves to win, but I wish The Illusionist (L'illusionniste) received more recognition.

I'm glad animated films like this one are still made in a time when computer and 3D movies dominate the film industry.