EAT • SLEEP • REVIEW • REPEAT
MY FATHER’S DRAGON
Cartoon Saloon deliver again with a wholesome dragony delight.
We really are in a golden era of animation right now. Whether or not you can class it a full-blown renaissance is up for debate, but there’s little doubt that the animation world is going through one hell of a purple patch at the moment.
While rapidly advancing technology has seen computer generated animation become all-consuming in its dominance, perhaps the most pleasing aspect of all this is the resurgence of more traditional styles. With Aardman and Laika showing that the painstaking process of stop-motion still has a place in the world, the continuing popularity of Studio Ghibli and anime as a whole has proved that traditional hand drawn animation is also very much here to stay.
Nestled neatly in the middle of all this is Cartoon Saloon, a little Irish gem whose body of work as a fledgeling studio may not have set the box office ablaze, yet has earnt them the kind of critical praise and awards attention that belies their tender years. Their rise to prominence via a unique, overtly traditional approach has been an impressive one and, almost inevitably, has drawn comparisons with titans Studio Ghibli.
With a penchant for young protagonists, folktales, and gorgeous hand-drawn visuals, such comparisons certainly aren’t far off the mark, yet for Cartoon Saloon to truly take things to the next level, they’ll have to step out from Ghibli’s substantial shadow eventually.
Struggling to adjust to his new life in the big city, Elmer (Jacob Tremblay) decides, with the help of a talking cat, to head out to sea in a bid to find a wild, floating island and rescue a young dragon (Gaten Matarazzo) held captive there. Embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, Elmer’s quest will lead him to encounter ferocious beasts, make fantastical discoveries, and strike up a new friendship that could change his life forever.
From The Secret of Kells to Wolfwalkers, Cartoon Saloon have been on a red hot streak since the minute they stepped onto the scene, but while every one of their four features to date have garnered almost universal praise, none have quite caught fire at the box office. These financial failures, as disappointing as they are, really shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, especially when you consider the decidedly niche nature of their unique brand of astute, folksy animation.
Whether a fairy tale set during Oliver Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland or a coming-of-age drama set against the backdrop of the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan, for all their incredible, award-winning artistry and critical acclaim, Cartoon Saloon’s output just hasn’t had the broad ranging appeal or attained the level of box office success their incredible endeavours have warranted.
For the first time since their inception, however, the tectonic plates appear to be shifting for Cartoon Saloon, with a distinct broadening of their appeal starting to show through. As their very first collaboration with streaming giant Netflix, the studio have clearly made a conscious effort to broaden things and skew far younger than they ever have before, and while may sound very much like Cartoon Saloon selling out, nothing could be further from the truth.
Based on the 1948 children’s novel by Ruth Stiles Gannett, there’s little doubt that My Father’s Dragon both looks and feels markedly more child-friendly than anything Cartoon Saloon have done before, yet therein lies the film’s beauty. With elements of Where the Wild Things Are, James and the Giant Peach, and even Alice in Wonderland, the film, like its source material, pulls from a long tradition of imagination-stoking children’s fantasy that, while not having as much depth or emotional bite as the likes of The Breadwinner or Wolfwalkers, offers a fantastically broad and infinitely entertaining story that will make easy family viewing.
Full of dragons, talking animals, and a suitably fantastical setting, the story leans in heavily on well-established fantasy elements while making a concerted effort to avoid over complicating things with a story that knows its limits and sticks to them. The result may not win many awards for originality, yet the story’s simplicities form a major part of the film’s appeal, and if Netflix play their cards right, should garner Cartoon Saloon with the kind of recognition their endeavours so richly deserve.
Like any good animation, My Father’s Dragon ensures that its appeal is a wide ranging one, and despite its youthful leanings, there remains a lot to take home for older audiences. Of course it wouldn’t be a Cartoon Saloon film without some form of emotional weight behind it, and, as one might expect, underneath all the bright and breezy fun lies an engaging coming-of-age tale of change and self-realisation that offers a much needed anchor for the film’s lighter elements.
Themes of family, friendship and faith in oneself constantly bubble just under the film’s gorgeously drawn surface, and while the harsh edges of such topics have been softened somewhat here, their impact remains as potent as any previous Cartoon Saloon effort.
Ultimately, however, it’s physically impossible to resist My Father’s Dragon’s soul-nourishing charm. Beautifully brought to life by Cartoon Saloon’s unique animation style and given added buoyancy by an enviable voice cast fronted by the delightful Jacob Tremblay and Gaten Matarazzo, the story is a whirlwind of fun-filled fantasy that overcomes any shortcomings with a brightness, a charm, and an exuberant energy that sweeps you up in its wholesomeness and sets you on your way.
As one might expect from a Cartoon Saloon offering, My Father’s Dragon is a feast for the eyes and an absolutely crucial part in the film’s charm. While bolder in design and less flamboyant than the likes of The Wolfwalkers, the film’s animation positively pops off the screen while drawing a distinct line between Elmer’s two worlds. While the greys, browns, and washed out backgrounds paint Elmer’s real world situation in cold, bleak, rain-soaked tones, they’re wonderfully contrasted by the kaleidoscope of colour, kinetic imagination, and the expressive, swirling lines of Wild Island.
Combining simplistic illustrated backdrops with sweeping, boldly drawn character animation, director Nora Twomey has crafted a spectacular piece of hand-drawn art that pulls influence from masters like Hayao Miyazaki and Ghibli, yet feels utterly its own thing. Truly awe-inspiring in places, the colour and energy is an inspirational showcase for what can still be done through traditional animation.
Cartoon Saloon’s first collaboration with Netflix offers something far broader and young-skewing than anything they’ve offered before, however, My Father’s Dragon still burns with the same emotion, storytelling skill, and animated prowess we’ve come to expect from the studio. While it may not have the depth of its predecessors, there’s just so much sweet, wholesome charm and infectious energy to My Father’s Dragon that it won’t fail to soar into the hearts of young and old alike.
