LONG WAY NORTH REVIEWED
“Long Way North” follows a young Russian aristocrat who wants to find out what happened to her grandfather. The year is 1882 and aristocrats still existed in Russia, but the citizenry rebelling is felt in the narrative. The film progresses, as our heroine ages to a point where she can seek her grandfather. Reputation cast aside, this noble young woman wants the truth. That being said, it takes nearly 30 minutes to get this movie moving.
I’m not quite sure why staging a historical drama was meant for animation. The line designs are smooth and deceptively minimal. However, it’s not until we reach the polar regions that the beauty of the art style is revealed. By going to a primal natural state, we see the abstract nature of defined color scheme. Look at the shot at the very end of this piece. What is it about that wolf that seems so menacing?
The creaking of ice, the sudden weather and the sense of strain in the voice acting helps to service these design choices. That being said, the film drags and then speeds along too fast to its conclusion. Once the narrative finally sells me on our heroine, the time is up. While that’s a creative choice, it’s one that took me out of the film. In regards to the kid opinion, she feel asleep about 15 minutes into the film. Don’t take your two year olds to this one.
FILM STATS
- 1 hr and 21 mins
- Not Rated
- Shout Factory, Sacrebleu Productions and Maybe Movies
RELEASE DATE: 9/30/16
