Should you watch this for free? If it happens to be on television.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? No.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 86 minutes (~1.5 hours)
“Norm of the North” is a 3D animated film about a polar bear who can talk to humans. When he discovers a foul plot to commercialise the North Pole, he travels to New York with his friends to save his homeland. It features the voice talents of Rob Schneider (Norm), Heather Graham (Vera Brightly), Maya Kay (Olympia Brightly), Ken Jeong (Mr Greene), Colm Meaney (Grandfather), and Bill Nighy (Socrates).
“Norm of the North” offers decent animation, although it features nothing groundbreaking in terms of animation style or effects. In fact, it could even be mistaken for just a generic cartoon if you weren’t paying attention. What makes it worse is that the film doesn’t seem to have a purpose, other than to show us a dancing polar bear. It results in a movie with a memorable title but little significance.
Highlights
Commercialisation jokes
Admittedly, the parodies of theatrical performances and references to the commercial nature of the entertainment industry were pretty amusing. It’s the type of joke that appeals to adults, so it’s good to see that the film caters to parents as well. In any case they’re mostly throwaway lines, so kids aren’t left wondering what exactly those jokes are supposed to reference.
Letdowns
Poor structure
The plot stutters along like a dying engine, propelling the plot forward in bursts and then suddenly stalling for no reason. It takes too long to establish the basic premise of the film, and any character progression just feels plastic. The script feels like it was hastily edited to ensure that set pieces had enough screen time, with little regard for the story. It has no idea where it’s going or what’s going to happen next. As a result, the final resolution feels like a disappointing plop into the ocean.
Small crowds
The crowd shots in the film are… underwhelming, to say the least. The entire Arctic is made up of only a handful of animals, and it’s rather odd that Norm’s family can span generations when there are so few of them. Even New York City, which would be presumably packed with people of all sorts (and easier to generate crowds for), looks like a small town with random skyscrapers. It’s incredibly odd to see such miniscule crowds when the technology exists to create better effects, so you’re left wondering why, of all places, the budget had to be cut here.
Feels like a television show rather than a movie
The stakes are just so inconsequential, whether it be the physical or emotional stakes. There’s not enough focus on the importance of Norm’s mission, and neither do you see why those stakes matter in the first place. The plot can be found in any children’s animated series, so it doesn’t have that novelty value either. It’s not even straight-to-DVD movie quality, it’s just… television.
Characters are horridly hyperactive
Everyone on the film is constantly shouting at each other, as if they’re all in constant life-or-death situations. They exaggerate their lines, and fill the script with so much ADHD energy that it tires you after the first few minutes. It’s not a positive type of energy, but the artificial type that feels like the voice director is screaming at them from behind to go bigger, and louder. It’s for children, yes, but even children have moments of silence.
“Norm of the North” is a cartoon for kids, but kids deserve better than this.
“Norm of the North” opens in cinemas 4 February, 2016 (Thursday).
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