Hao Jile
2017 / 77m - China
Crime - Animation
2.5*/5.0*
Have a Nice Day poster

Watches

September 27, 2020

2.5*/5.0*

Chinese arthouse animation. Don't expect cuddly animals or CG superheroes, director Jian Liu take on a very down to earth crime story that could've just as well been a live action film. It's a bold move for sure, but I'm not sure it was the correct one. Fans of animation better lower their hopes.

The art style is quite nice, also very different, which gives the film a unique look. The animation though is almost nonexistent. The camera is extremely static, pretty much every action shot is a cheap effect (or is simply cut from the film) and character animations are chunky. I assume it's made to be like this for a reason, but if it's a matter of skill, then they shouldn't even have considered doing it as an animated film. It's just painful to watch.

The plot is decent, but nothing special. A typical crime tale where different parties are trying to get a bag of money. The dub is okay, but not spectacular, the soundtrack is moody but limited. It's a good thing that the film is quite short, it's certainly a novel experience, but please get some decent animators next time.