DVD Review: The Blue Elephant
Jim Henson Discoveries, Weinstein Company Movie Stars Martin Short
Aug 18, 2008
Most movie animators have it all backwards; crude animation can be ignored if the story is powerful enough, but no amount of razzle-dazzle can save a flick if the script isn't there.
Case in point: The Blue Elephant, a direct-to-DVD animated movie released by Jim Henson Discoveries and The Weinstein Company.
This flick, starring the voices of Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly, School of Rock), comedy legend Carl Reiner (The Dick Van Dyke Show) and Martin Short (Primetime Glick), flew in so far under the radar that it doesn't even have an IMDb listing. The CGI animation, rendered in Thailand by Kantana Animation, is undeniably crude and the characters' lips often don't match what they're saying.
However, the story is surprisingly affecting, blunting such technical criticisms. This is a sweet, sincere little film, with no attempts at relevant-for-fifteen-minutes gags or Shrek-style winks at the audience. It's simple fairy tale storytelling that works.
The Blue Elephant: Based On Thai Tale
The movie os based on Chao Praya Prah Hongsawadee, a story by Ariya Jintapanichkarn. It follows the adventures of Khan (voiced by Jeremy Redleaf), a baby elephant who is clearly destined for big things. Possessed of a big heart despite his small stature, Khan dreams of following Prahn, his absent father, and becoming the royal elephant for the King of Thailand (Richard Epcar).
However, Thailand is under siege by the evil Burmese army, and his father mysteriously disappeared during the war. When Khan becomes separated from his mother, he goes in search of Prahn. During his search, he meets up with a kindly elephant trainer named Tian (Reiner), a hyperactive messenger bird called Jai (Short) and a comely female pachyderm named Kon Suay (Cosgrove), who train Khan to become a war elephant, and help defend his country against the evil Burmese.
This is an absorbing story in the classic mould, not a fractured fairy tale a la Shrek, Hoodwinked or Happily N'Ever After. Some will see a superficial resemblance to The Lion King, but Khan is a more sympathetic leading character in his refusal to give up. Martin Short's attempts at comic relief don't exactly bring the funny, but at least they don't get in the way of the central story. There are some flashes of brilliance in Kantana's animation work; a larger budget would have helped this movie immeasurably.
Extras?
This DVD is about as bare-bones as it gets. There's the movie, a chapters section, and a couple of trailers for other direct-to-DVD flicks like The Goldilocks and the Three Bears Show and Tortoise vs. Hare. Oh yes, there's also the option of seeing the feature with either English or Spanish subtitles. And that's all she wrote, folks.
The Final Analysis
The Blue Elephant is rated PG for thematic elements and some battle scenes, but it's no more violent than anything in C.S. Lewis' Narnia books. This film is that rare bird in children's entertainment: a simple, effective tale that doesn't try to be too cool for the room. The animation won't win any awards, but when the story is this strong, who cares? 7/10.
