The film opens in well-trodden territory for kids’ movies: a tiny sincere dinosaur, a somewhat irritating protagonist, a sarcastic sidekick, and a mix of other critters. Yet this Eastern European feature executes an unexpected shift.
Out of nowhere, the narrative shifts into a real-world scene. The audience discovers a human artist working in a dim studio, crafting the identical cartoon that was just on screen.
The creator is interrupted by a highly irritating woman – evocative of an over-the-top cinematic stereotype. She insists that he delete his original designs and produce something commercially viable and “charming”.
What follows is a devastating removal of non-compliant elements. Diplo becomes orphaned and, though he is a bit annoying, it’s heartbreaking that he feels the disappearance happened because of him.
The meta narrative develops as less conventional personalities are eliminated to make way for more commercial content. It provides the film conceptual weight – considering animation is the category most shaped by the appeal of market-friendly charm.
That said, even if the themes are more engaging than run-of-the-mill family films, the cast aren’t very compelling. The issue isn’t drawn figures requiring cute, but rather viewers should want to spend time watching them. In this case, it’s not fully accurate.
Diplo: The Mighty Dinosaur arrives in British and Irish theaters on the 19th of September.
