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Cast
(voices only):
Jan
Lamb
Sandra
Ng
Anthony
Wong
Chet
Lam
Andy
Lau
'The
Pancakes'
Director:
Toe
Yuen
Score:
 
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MCDULL,
PRINCE DE LA BUN
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2004 Reviewer: Andrew
Saroch
After
his successful big screen debut in the excellent 'My
Life As McDull', the porcine protagonist returns for
another animated musing on life. As with the original, this
feature is far more complicated than the cute eponymous
character would initially imply, managing to head in a
philosophical direction that sets it apart from even the most
celebrated of its contemporaries.
As
Hong Kong's landscape changes and its redevelopment continues
apace, young piglet McDull continues his journey of
self-discovery and self-examination. The shy, socially-deficient
youngster is sternly supported by his tough-talking, yet
loving matriarch whose own desperation for a better future
leads her to constant distraction. While his primary school is
teeters on the brink of closure, McDull finds himself
returning to the fantasies that help him cope with the upheavals
in his life. His mother, though, is keen to involve her son in
the fantastical adventure of the 'Prince De La Bun' - a story
which proves to be a thinly-veiled adaptation of what really
happened to the piglet's father.
Perhaps
even more than the original, 'McDull, Prince De La Bun' is a
film that revels in its own visual magnificence. Toe Yuen's
creation throws together standard animation with 3D effects to
conjure up a style that is as breath-taking as it is unique.
Flooding the screen with this colourful and utterly beguiling
look, it's difficult not to get swept along by the sheer
potency that Yuen's work offers; while McDull is simply drawn,
the monolithic Hong Kong surroundings that provide the
backdrop to his adventures are made up of said 3D effects - a
mesmeric blend.
While
it is easy to fall in love with the style of the film, it's
important to remind oneself of the actual objectives of the
work and try to examine if the narrative is successfully
executed. It is in this area that 'McDull, Prince De La Bun'
really flounders for much of its running time. The first 40
minutes are crammed full of ideas - far too many in fact - and
the storyline suffers as a result. Jumping from one plot
thread to another, the story never feels as if its anchored to
a particular point and appears to be content to remain
aimless. Such distractions aren't helpful to the overall
cohesion of the film. It's true that, when one realises what
the point of these vignettes really is, the message rings
true. However, the earlier frustrations are nonetheless
difficult to forgive.
Admirably,
the final twenty minutes of 'McDull, Prince De La Bun' has the
kind of emotional punch that great animation often boasts. As
the story of McDull's errant father becomes the focus of the
film, it becomes increasingly difficult not to be moved by the
themes it tackles. The adult McDull's statement that while his
father was desperate to be in the past and his mother always
looked to the future, he was alone in the present, is a line
that resonates long after the credits roll.
'McDull,
Prince De La Bun' is flawed, though certainly worthwhile
viewing. The story staggers around for more than half of the
running time, but eventually reminds the viewer why McDull is
so much more than a bog standard animated feature. With
musings on death, love, nostalgia and responsibility, 'McDull,
Prince De La Bun' is a mature work that provides entertainment
with enough substance to appeal to every generation, with
characters that it's impossible not to care about.
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