The Prince Of Light: The Legend Of Ramayana (Animated, Japan-India-U.S., color, PG, 1:36)
By Robert Koehler
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - A curious fusion of an interesting if simplified literary adaptation with emphatically second-rate animation technique, ``The Prince of Light,‘’ in the works for the better part of a decade, leaves much of its magic on the drawing board.
While the picture manages to compress the sprawling Indian epic ``The Ramayana’’ into a 96-minute action-oriented piece shorn of the tale’s Hindu notions – a compression seemingly in line with recent animated features and shrewdly designed to appeal to a global, non-Hindu audience – that audience is nevertheless, also firmly accustomed to highly refined animation conceptions and technology. It’s here, as well as in the gratingly poor vocal casting and direction, where the picture is thoroughly sub-standard and looks profoundly dated.
After a short invasion of theaters, pic will survive as a video item for parents looking to introduce their kids to world literature.
Story begins with a primal battle of good vs. evil as the nasty king of Lanka (the mythic version of Sri Lanka), Ravan (Tom Wyner), attacks and pillages his neighbors. He hasn’t yet gotten to the land of King Dasharatha (Mike L. Reynolds), who ensures his rule by bestowing trust in his two eldest sons, Ram (Bryan Cranston) and Lakshman (Richard Cansino).
Producer Krishna Shah’s and helmer Yugo Sako’s script adapts the Valmiki version of The Ramayana'' with an eye toward maximum action and minimal court intrigue -- and even less Hinduism -- so it's no accident that the brothers' (especially Ram's) training in superhuman powers has more than an echo in it of Star Wars.‘’
Having defeated monstrous witch Tataka (Catherine Battistone), Ram triumphs in a contest to win the pretty Sita (Edie Mirman) as his wife. Unlike in the original epic, matters become murky, as Ram, Sita and Lakshman are abruptly sent into a forest exile due to a misguided promise Dasharatha had made to one of his wives. Sita is exposed to the clutches of Ravan, who kidnaps her and sets up a battle royal with Ram. Epic’s division into two halves is roughly adhered to, but the animation suffers badly from the wait until Ram’s troops – comprised mostly of wily monkey soldiers – wage war on the island of Lanka. The combination of Manga and the Indian animated style of Ravi Varma might have worked with the right artists, but Sako’s team produces stiffness all around, from silly mouth movements to ludicrous facial expressions and mechanical body motion, which are more visible in the exposition and court scenes than on the battlefield.
Ram finally takes over in the inevitable face-off with Ravan, which also finally allows animators to display some dynamic range of colors and movement – and the kind of fun stuff that recalls Ray Harryhausen, as when Ravan, seemingly beheaded, revives with seven heads.
Just as the background illustration appears stylistically removed from the forms of the characters, so the blatantly American vocal casting and direction are painfully out of kilter with the 5,000-year-old Indian setting.
Voices: Bryan Cranston, Edie Mirman, Tom Wyner, Richard Cansino, Michael Sorich, Mike L. Reynolds, Tony Pope, Mari Devon, Simon Prescott, Barbera Goodson, Kirk Thornton, Steve Bulen, Eddie Friarson, Jeff Winkless, Catherine Battistone, Michael McConnohie.
A Showcase Entertainment release of a Showcase Entertainment and Krishna Shah presentation of a Nippon Ramayana & MRI Inc. production. Produced by Krishna Shah, Yugo Sato. Executive producer, Atsushi Matsuo.
Directed by Yugo Sako. Screenplay, Krishna Shah, Sako, based on ``The Ramayana’’ by Valmiki . Animation director (WRS Motion Picture and Video Lab color), Kazuyuki Koyabayashi; editors, Makato Arai, Wayne Schmidt; music, Vanraj Bhatia, Alan Howarth; art director, Hajime Matsuoka; sound (Dolby), Raj Dutt; sound designer, Howarth; supervising sound editor, Matthew Mitchell; special visual effects, Tokiko Tamai, Takeshi Soto, Kaoru Tanifuji, Matsuko Shibata; associate producers, Daniel M. Levine, Sean Brennan, Mark Dolev; assistant directors, Koichi Sasaki, Ram Mohan; voice direction, Steve Kramer; casting, Reuben Cannon. Reviewed at Big Time Picture Co. screening room