Customer Reviews

The Legend of Sasquatch

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have to begin this review with a little clarification/ justification: this is an animated feature film targeted toward youth and the visuals alone may be enough to keep the kiddies occupied but to judge this film against the precedent set by Pixar, DreamWorks or Sony Imageworks would be absolutely catastrophic.

As such, I will do my best to keep this critique in isolation for its own good. That said The Legend of Sasquatch is a 2006 computer-animated independent film released by Gorilla Pictures that managed to snag the voice talents of William Hurt, John Rhys-Davies and cartoon legend Frank Welker. It was released on September 12, 2006 but the DVD didn't hit the scene till 2008.

The film opens with Ranger Steve (John Rhys-Davies) sitting by a campfire narrating a story about the Davis family and the power of legend. The Davis Family - John (William Hurt), along with his young daughters Khristy and Maggie, relocate to a secluded log cabin in the mountains above Seattle and soon discover a family of Bigfoot hiding nearby.

John, it turns out, has come to the area to supervise the construction of a dam that will provide electricity to neighboring areas while simultaneously teaching his family the value of life free of the restrictions of technology.

At its core, this is the tale of John being forced into a decision between job security and doing what is right for the population of Sasquatch residing in the valley that would be flooded once the dam was complete.

The list of problems plaguing this picture is plentiful to say the least but contrary to common misconception, few of them stem from the simple fact that this is an indie film on a limited budget. Yes the models are extremely simplistic and the textures, rendering, and lighting quite primitive, the visuals can't be blamed for the major shortcomings. The simple look of things could have worked just fine had the plot, characterization, and pacing been better realized but as it stands, these factors inhibit what charm the large-head/ small bodied characters bring to the table.

And speaking of, perhaps the film's biggest crime comes in the form of its pacing. Scenes flounder on painfully with attention paid to elements that should have been little more than a flash of the film's runtime. Couple this to the fact that the prime audience for this film is children (many of which have attention spans that rival mosquitoes) and the painfully slow scene development becomes downright unbearable. It is possible, or so I've discovered, to have a child sit through this one once but the replay value is slim to none presumably due to the tedious nature of the plot pacing.

And then there is the oddity sprinkled about to mention. A cabin so isolated that a plane is required for John to go to work makes one wonder where the family gets groceries, if the kids go to school, and how anyone does their laundry. The Bigfoots (Bigfeet?) themselves are passable right up until the moment they're depicted as being able to fly! In the interest of exposing children to the value of a long-standing legend (which is supposedly the film's underlying moral), shouldn't the legend be even remotely close to accurate? Inflated furry balloons with feet that act as massive propellers is such an odd portrayal of the yeti myth that viewers of all ages will find themselves puzzled.

Then there is the story. It's got some potential somewhere in there but the delivery is so muddled that most all will surely be disappointed. The plot meanders around with many hints to depth that never fully develop into anything. Perhaps the best way to describe the feeling one gets is that this was about a 20-minute tale told in 74-minutes.

On the plus side, this film does feature a charming upbeat soundtrack from the Restaneo sisters (who act in the film), who apparently boast a successful musical career as well as a wonderfully fitting score by Stafford Hebert. Additionally a few of the lessons the film heavily handedly attempts are quite powerful (especially those delivered by John Rhys-Davies).

In all it's tough to review this one. I mean it is safe to say that it possesses very little to hold the interest of youngsters and even less for adults. The intentions are admirable and while I'm a big fan of small companies doing battle with the corporate juggernauts, it's pretty safe to say Disney and DreamWorks need not fear losing hordes of animation buffs to Gorilla Pictures on this one...Lasting image of a mustached Bigfoot flying over the city or otherwise.

I totally underestimated this movie as the animation is way behind Pixar's work, but the story is great and the kids loved it.

It's about the family, trusting each other, and how powerful dreaming is.

Recommended for kids up to fifth grade and any teen/adult that likes to dream.

This 2006 CGI film made by Gorilla Pictures stars William Hurt and John Rhys Davies. It tells the story of John Davis who moves his family to a cabin in mountains of the pacific northwest. while he is there, he is to oversee a new dam that will provide power to the area. When John's daughter find a family of Bigfoot living behind a waterfall in their backyard, he soon learns that it may have put these gentle creatures at risk. Him, his family, along with their new friend: Ranger Steve must find a way to save their home while protecting their secret and ancient way of life. The film, itself, has won over 8 awards at various film festivals and is a great movie to watch with the whole family. I honestly didn't think I would like it too much but, as it turns out, I like it alot. You can't help but love the characters in the movie as it teaches you a lesson in working together and to believe in one another.

I'll admit, though, that the animation leaves alot to be desired. It's not quite up to par with such CGI classics as "Toy Story", "Monsters Inc." or "Cars". Even so, the story helps push this film along and, in that respect, this movies does fine.

I definitely recommend this movie. I loved it. you will too.

You can disregard the reviews below with people belly-aching that this movie does not have Pixar-quality computer animation. Seriously people, only Pixar (the undisputed kings of kids computer animated movies) makes Pixar-quality animation, and if you read the box, this is not a Pixar movie. Does that automatically mean that all non-Pixar computer animated movies are bad? Of course not!! The animation quality in this movie is comparable to the computer generated stuff you regularly see on Nickelodeon, Sprout, Disney Kids Channel and Discovery Kids. It's bright, clean, colorful and charming. This movie is great for younger kids, the sasquatch characters are super-cute, furry and not-at-all scary. My 3 year old and 5 year old loved the movie (even my 11 year old sheepishly admitted it was cute). The story is good, usual kids movie fare, with a positive message about respect for nature. This is good-clean family fun, with adorable characters that your kids will love. If your expectations are realistic, this is a solid addition to your kids DVD collection, I highly recommend it. Enjoy!

It features subpar animation, and the voice acting isn't so good (looking at you big name actors), but for some reason my 3.5 yr old can't get enough of it!! We got it at ToyRUs and it had the furry slipcase cover, fyi. One time he watched it twice in one day. Had it several weeks as of this point and he probably watched it 10 times at least. Adults will possibly get bored, but you aren't buying this movie for yourself. It's for your kids. Maybe yours will feel otherwise, but for my 3.5 yr old son he loves it (older sibling can watch anything so that's irrelevant, and younger one is too young to care).

First off, the animation and the "acting" ate not so great in this movie, but we don't let our kids watch a lot of TV. Our 4 kids from 3 to 12 have all watched this movie multiple times, and for some reason, this is the FIRST movie that our youngest has EVER sat through and watched the whole thing!! We were amazed, and she STILL asks for it every time we're in the Suburban! Glad we bought it!! It just proves that you don't have to have all the fancy animation to make every kid happy, sometimes
it just takes a good story!!

I was Christmas shopping for my 3-1/2 year old great niece when I found this DVD. I was intrigued by the preview provided by Amazon. I liked the gentle people and magical critters portrayed in this video, as well as the woodsy, wild scenery and the normal little girls who turn into heroines. The animation makes the characters appear puppet-like. I found that endearing. It doesn't detract from the story at all. I also liked the ecological, critters-share-our-world message.

I was looking for a story without dark, scary, evil characters and the graphic themes of kidnapping, danger, and the death or disappearance of a family member. I still remember the nightmares I had after seeing Pinocchio when I was little. There is plenty of time later for the littlest kids to be introduced to the Wonderful World of Disney.

I'm still not sure how much my great niece appreciated this video (she's currently infatuated with everything princess), but her father liked it! Turns out that his childhood nightmare obsession was Bigfoot, and he thought this story struck just the right chord. There is even "real" fur covering the big-eyed baby Sasquatch on the cover (shades of the Nauga monster?) Cute and sweet - just right for the very young (and their dads).

Contrary to one or two of the other reviews, I LOVE the animation. Our sixteen month old does, too. Awesome family story. This is one I definitely would watch with kids and adults of all ages - grandparents included. Way worth it - we found this at the Family Video in free children's rental section but decided to find a used copy to buy instead. And we don't own ANY other DVDs. (Yet.) This is one of VERY few movies our toddler truly enjoys.

This is not a movie that was made to entertain the whole family, unless you can get your kicks entirely by watching your small children smile instead of from the film. The sasquatch is very, very cute and the story is very non-threatening and soft. Think Kipper. In other words, you might be inclined to take a little nap. Except for the fact that, for adults, the movie is so disengaging you might be stunned to see it through, there is no attraction. I compare this to movies like Kung-Fu Panda and Surf's Up where adults will actually laugh. Don't bother if you aren't buying it for kids. Unless you like that kind of thing.

This movie is a huge disappointment. The animation is sad. The story is very lame. The kids enjoyed watching it, but never asked to watch it a second time. As for a film for the WHOLE family to enjoy, forget it! Adults will loathe this movie. The storyline also is way out there, almost drug-induced with flying sasquatch and humans. We wish we had not wasted our money on this.