Director Michael Ocelot's dazzling*, 2006 full length animated film, Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest, although almost painfully slow and plodding in the beginning, is an unqualified feast for the eyes, with its exotic, beautifully detailed artwork, saturated with rich, vibrant colors and intricate detail. It is also an obvious attempt on Ocelot's part, to demystify the Muslim culture, by portraying sympathetic characters from diverse backgrounds, in a classic medieval folk tale set in Africa and the middle east.

After his mother's death, Azur (Steven Kynman), the  blond, blue-eyed son of a nobleman, and Asmar (Nigel Pilkington) the dark-eyed, dark-skinned, son of Azur's nursemaid, Jenane, (Suzanna Nour) are raised like brothers, playing and fighting together just like any other siblings. They listen avidly to Jenane's stories about the enchanting Djinn Fairy, imprisoned in a crystal cage, who can only be freed by a handsome prince, until Azur's harsh father sends him away to school and dismisses Jenane.

Years later, Azur, on a mission to rescue the Djinn Fairy, is shipwrecked in North Africa, where he encounters prejudice by local inhabitants, who consider his blue eyes to be a curse. There he meets a grumpy, disheveled, French beggar, Crapoux, (Nigel Lambert) and is re-united with Jenane and Azur who are now wealthy, in an ironic twist of fate. Azur and Amar resume their competitive relationship as they set out with Crapoux, a tiny princess, and a Jewish sage to free the Djinn Fairy, and in the process rediscover their brotherhood.

While the visually captivating animation will likely appeal to children, unfortunately, due to the painfully slow pacing, most of them will likely lose interest within the first 15 to 20 minutes of this film, which seems a longer than its 99 minute run time. The film also opens with a bold scene, depicting Jenane nursing both boys on her bare breasts; a scene that may be a bit shocking and unexpected for some viewers, in an animated film.

The real value in this film, however, is in its attempt to present a message of tolerance and acceptance of different cultures, and characters that display the values of loyalty, bravery, and friendship, despite their diverse cultures. Despite a rather straightforward, slow developing plot, the action and adventure really escalate in last half hour of film, in which Azur and Asmar make their perilous attempts to free the Djinn Fairy.

Originally produced in French and Arabic, the English version features realtively unknown actors who do a reasonably good job capturing their character's emotions, although I did find the exaggerated English cockney accent of the character Crapoux to be a bit distracting. The English version does include some Arabic, with English subtitles. Gabriel Yarred adds a lush, Middle Eastern style, musical score. Unfortunately, the DVD version does not include any bonus features outlining the process used in bringing this highly artistic film to the screen.

Still, the most appealing feature of Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest is the unique style of animation, that superimposes 3-D  images on 2-D backgrounds with a strikingly vibrant colorburst of images including intricate mosaic designs and flower gardens, and elegant silhouette still shots, that add to the film's magical quality. Ultimately, this film is an enchanting, curious, mix of fantasy and reality with some valuable lessons, for those with the patience to sit through the rather tedious first hour of the film.

*a trailer of this film, as well as the artwork, can be seen on the film's website at http://www.theprincesquest.com/

My Rating:

Story **1/2
Animation ****
Overall Rating ***1/2

Many thanks to Sue for promptly adding this to the database

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older