Arabian knights
Azur & Asmar / Azur & Asmar is a sincere animated fairy tale about two young boys raised by the same nanny in what appears to be the Middle East. Azur, Caucasian with blonde hair and blue eyes, is the son of the lord of the castle. Asmar, dark-skinned with black hair and eyes, is the son of the native nanny. The two grow up like brothers, both playing and fighting with each other in that easygoing familial way of little consequence. Before putting them to sleep each night, the nanny tells them stories of the mythical Djinn-fairy, a legendary sprite held captive behind a series of deadly obstacles.
One day, through the cruelty of Azur’s father, Asmar and his mother are banished from the castle. Years go by and Azur, now an adult, has never forgotten his nanny, his childhood friend or the Djinn-fairy. He sets sail to a mysterious unnamed land to find them. When he does, he discovers that the nanny has become a wealthy merchant and Asmar is now a brash soldier with the Royal Guard. Unable to choose between the two, the mother funds a quest for both her “sons” to seek the fabled Djinn-fairy.
Kids weened on Wall•E, Kung Fu Panda, and even TV cartoons like Avatar may be put off by Azur’s particular brand of low-key animation style (and adults spoiled on more serious animated fare like Waltz with Bashir may be unimpressed as well). The approach is made up of blocky, pastel cutouts enhanced with computers to create stiff-moving characters and flat 2-D worlds, much like the intro to budget-minded video games, a la Katamari Damacy—one wouldn’t be surprised if the princess just up and started rolling everything up in a giant ball.
Still, the execution adds a sense of charm to the admittedly average and commonplace story. Occasionally there are striking images of genuine, Arab culture-specific wonder, like a vibrant red lion, fireflies surrounding a dark tree, an astronomy-dome that opens up to reveal a night sky full of stars and the climax to liberate the Djinn-fairy, which involves more booby traps than what Indiana Jones encountered on his Last Crusade. Composer Gabriel Yared (The English Patient) also contributes a subtle, pleasing score with the properly provocative Middle Eastern nuances.
Yet these moments may not be sufficient to hold the active interest of a grown-up. The fairy tale format and tone of the narrative isn’t meaty enough to sustain what is really a film for viewers under the age of 12. Woven within the allegory are themes and messages of tolerance, both racial and religious, as well as warnings against prejudice and superstition. At one point, a dove splattered with blood signifies to the nanny that one of her boys has been wounded. When asked which one is injured, she replies that there is no way for her to know: “Their blood is the same color.”
All things considered, perhaps this is a film the entire island needs to see right now, but children will likely get the most bang out of Azur & Asmar. It’s rated PG for some scenes of adult verbal rudeness, racism and some minor swashbuckling violence.
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