CGI FILMS

I've been looking at some rare CGI films, well by rare I mean they are not big mainstream movies and are not made by popular production houses such as pixar, dreamworks, etc and are not immediately made in the U.S!

Here are some that I have been looking at but I have not been able to watch them yet as they are not released on UK region 2 DVDS, but I may import some of them as I have a region free player!

ARK (2003) Kenny Hwang

The planet Alcyone faces certain doom. The remnants of its two civilizations have crowded together in a great place of refuge, a domed metropolis carried upon the back of an enormous robotic city-god….the Ark. The inhabitants of Alcyone must leave the planet or perish. Designed by the Cevean people with the help of a mysterious priestess, the Ark was captured by the warlike Storrions, who forced the Ceveans out into the wastelands and now reside in it. Without the priestess' guidance and knowledge, though, the Storrions have no way to pilot or control the Ark. The daught of the priestess, Amarinth is the only one who can control and pilot the Ark. The epic story of two peoples separated by ignorance and hatred, and the doom that faces them both. It's the story of a young girl struggling to realize her independence - and finding much more in her future than she ever expected. And it's the story of a massive city, silent for almost a century, and now brought to life in great uprising and deliverance. Full of incredible sci-fi action, intense drama and brilliant, eye-popping visuals.

Kaena the Prophecy (2004) Pascal Pinon

"Originally a computer-generated, animated feature presented in 3-D, the French-American Kaena: The Prophecy still looks eye-poppingly spectacular in a regular, two-dimensional format. The post-apocalyptic tale concerns an adventurous young woman, Kaena (voiced in English by Kirsten Dunst), who is a member of a race--one of many--that inhabit an enormous tree called the Axis, rising 100 miles from Earth's surface. While her people's leader, Opaz (Richard Harris), insists his tribe's sole purpose is collecting sap and honoring the gods who provide sustenance, Kaena is more interested in exploring. Signs that the Axis might be dying sends Kaena on a mission to find out why; along the way she encounters a slavemaster race, the Selenites, and their vicious queen (Anjelica Huston). Fantastic to look at, Kaena: The Prophecy is graphically dense, constantly moving, and truly inventive when it comes to designing creatures that appear equal parts vegetable and animal. --Tom Keogh"

Dragon Hunters (2008) Guillaume Ivernel

From KIDS FIRST!: Get ready to hold your breath as you get whisked along an adventure to save the magical, floating, medieval, and breathtakingly beautiful world from an evil dragon. This impeccable animation tells the classic adventure of a band of eclectic characters focused on a single mission to save the world. Zoe dreams of joining valiant knights on exciting adventures, but because she is a girl the king has other plans in mind for her. A gentle giant, Lian-Chu, and his opportunistic friend, Gwizdo, call themselves Dragon Hunters, but seem to have an issue with getting paid. When Zoe sneaks out and accidentally meets the Dragon Hunters, she decides that they will be the ones to slay the dragon, and she also decides to join them. Not all dragons are evil in this film; a lovable small blue dragon serves as the sidekick creature of the group. This empowering film shows that girls can be courageous and adventurous, at times even more than male adults. The creative and striking animation provides constant eye-candy, and perfect timing dishes out steady laughs. The animators provide a slew of new and interesting creatures to encounter and outsmart, as well as some interesting new conceptions of physics. This film includes some violence as well as some intense scenes, however the conflict keeps the pace moving and hurdles the plot forward. The rapid succession of chases, innovative creatures, and problem solving group dynamics keeps an audience of both children and adults consistently entertained. 80 min.; Ages 5-8.

Delgo (2008) Jason Maurer

"Delgo is a computer-animated film that is at once fantasy, action, and drama, with an added dose of comedy. The most amazing thing about the film, besides the fact that it was 10 years in the making, is its rich graphic rendering of a world that's unlike any other. The backgrounds have an almost painted quality and the contrast of the stark, resource depleted planet of the Nohrins and the natural, dreamlike world of Jhamora is striking thanks to intense color saturation and an impressive level of visual detail. Despite its uniqueness, Jhamora is plagued by an all-too-common conflict rooted in the cultural and moral differences of its two peoples. This epic story follows two young teenagers, Nohrin Princess Kyla (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Lockni Jhamora native Delgo (Freddie Prinze Jr.), who share a common dream of cultural acceptance and cooperation as they fall into friendship and then love. Exiled Nohrin Sedessa (Anne Bancroft), who was banished from Jhamora for killing King Zahn's (Louis Gossett Jr.) wife (Princess Kyla's mother), and General Raius (Malcolm McDowell) kidnap Princess Kyla--an event which leads to Delgo and his bumbling friend Filo (Chris Kattan) being imprisoned for the crime and incites war between the two peoples. Can peace possibly return to Jhamora without the total extermination of either the Nohrin or the Lockni people? Battlefield action on the ground and in the sky is intense and omnipresent throughout the film and the story is interesting, if not original, but the animation is at times rather choppy and almost video-game-like and somehow the film just isn't all that engaging. Bonus features include commentary with co-writer and producer Marc Adler, co-director and co-writer Jason Maurer, and animation and visual effects supervisor Warren Grubb; a behind the scenes look at how the voice talent shaped the film's characters, a featurette detailing the composer's and sound designer's thoughts about the sounds of Delgo; meet the characters and creatures functions, and six deleted scenes. (Ages 10 and older) --Tami Horiuchi "