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With
school holidays just around the corner, Adventures
in Zambezia is sure to be one of the top films to take your
children to.
Kai
( voiced by Jeremy Suarez) is a young falcon who lives a very sheltered
life
under the guidance of his father, Tendai (Samuel L. Jackson). Kai by
chance
meets some birds who are on their way to the bird paradise on the edge
of
Victoria Falls, Zambezia. As he has always longed for adventure and to
travel
outside his boundaries, Kai takes flight to Zambezia after a row with
his
father. It is here in Zambezia that Kai discovers that his father has
been
keeping more from him than he ever realised when he meets Sekhuru
(Leonard
Nimoy) and his daughter, Zoe (Abigail Breslin), who holds a very
special link
to his parents.
Adventures in Zambezia is
perhaps one of those animated films which is more of a children’s
animation
than an animation for those of all ages. It is a very simple film with
a
slightly lifeless script and predictable storyline. It is easy to
understand
and follow for children, although just dull for adults. Yet as the
school
holidays approach and parents look for something to do with their
children for
a few hours, Adventures in Zambezia may
just do that.
However,
to say that the film is completely boring for adults is not true. The
creation
of Zambezia itself is quite fun. It is set out to resemble what visions
the
word “paradise” conjures up for people, which is basically that of a
tropical
island resort. There is an airport style landing port with Customs to
get into
Zambezia, hotel-style accommodation for birds, tour guides that give
day and
night tours and gossipy and flamboyant hairdressers. It almost makes
you crave
a holiday at such a place…but for humans.
There
are some spectacular animated moments that deem the film watchable. In
particular, the recreation of Victoria Falls is awe inspiring and the
African
desert landscape is incredible. There is
incredible use of colour throughout the film for both the scenery and
for all
the characters.
The
characters themselves are fairly likable, but don’t stick with you for
too
long. In other words, they are not particularly memorable. The Marabou
Storks
steal the show with their comedic conversations with one another. Adventures in Zambezia is one of those
films that serves its purpose, without pushing its boundaries a great
deal. A
great film for the school holidays.
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