*Spoilers up ahead* I've heard about this movie from a YouTube reviewer named RaisorBlade, and I've agreed with a lot of what he said in this movie. The animation looks good (even if at times it can be too fast-paced),and the story could've been interesting. Instead, there's a lot of show-don't-tell, some adult themes are put in there inappropriately (such as a pollen fetish),and the characters are forgettable.
But one character is unfortunately unforgettable: Gary. That snake really got on my nerves with his "totally dude!" accent and his blatant disregard of his sister when she's in trouble. Not to mention that he's very whiny and stupid and bratty, and I was rooting for Ajar to actually end him! And when he wants to help rescue his sister near the end of the movie, that came too little, too late. Thus, Gary turns out to be not only the worst character in this movie but also one of the worst characters in animated history.
I do want to like this movie, but there are a number of problems that keep me from doing so. Anyone who likes this movie, that's perfectly fine, but it's definitely not my can of soda.
Plot summary
Two clans of snakes cohabit in the desert. Beautiful green serpents that live under the shelter of an oasis, protected and venerated by men and venomous snakes that survive in the sand, dust and heat, hunted and killed by the Tuaregs. Here is the story of Ajar, a young venomous serpent, laughed at by his peers because he still has not done his first molt and that of Eva, rebellious princess of the oasis who wants to escape an arranged marriage. These two will meet and fall in love. Alas, Eva will be kidnapped by the Tuaregs and Ajar, accompanied by his best friend, Pitt the Scorpion, will have to cross the ruthless Sahara to save Eva from the terrible fate awaiting her.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Movie Reviews
One MAJOR thing wrong with this movie
Cocaine, sexual harassment, human trafficking
Not suitable for kids.
One snake has a "pollen" addiction...sniffs it to get high.
A female snake is abducted and one (creepy) male snake immediately starts offering unsolicited sexual advances that she clearly feels uncomfortable with.... and to top that off, another snake tells him to back off, but his response is "it's just a joke"... the literal epitome of sexual harassment.
Shortly after, the kidnapped female snake is forced to dance...she appears to be under the influence/hallucinating. Afterwards, she says she couldn't seem to control herself, and is basically dismissed and told to deal with it.
And, of course, the lead main character points out that "he" is the only one who can save the "helpless female" snake.
No thanks.
Bizarre
The animation here is decent and the voice acting is mainly good.
HOWEVER
This is a film about a watermelon-eating cobra teaming up with a substance-abusing green snake to rescue another green snake from a racist caricature. There is a lot that this film gets wrong factually. Some can be attributed to artistic license, but a lot is just laziness. There are also some extremely questionable artistic decisions, such as the aforementioned stoner snake in a children's film, which leads to scenes in which he gets high, and snorts sand in the desert like cocaine. While most of the character design is good, there are a couple of notable exceptions where the character looks disgusting, or where they have clearly copied a character from elsewhere. The plot is okay, but a lot of it feels recycled from previous films, including some extremely cliched set-pieces.
In general, this is not the worst animated film ever. That does not make it good. I'd say put it on for a child then leave the room, but that would teach them that quality does not matter in children's films. Also, the drugs-based humour probably needs a responsible adult to put into context for them. Instead, put on a good film for your child, like Shrek or Chicken Run.