The film opens in well-trodden ground for family films: a tiny well-meaning dinosaur, a somewhat irritating main hero, a sarcastic partner, and an assortment of supporting creatures. However this Czech/Polish/Slovakian feature executes a startling turn.
Out of nowhere, the narrative moves into a live-action setting. The audience discovers an illustrator working in a dim studio, designing the very same film the audience just viewed.
The draftsman is disturbed by an extremely grating figure – evocative of a hyper-girly cinematic stereotype. She insists that he remove his original characters and produce something more marketable and “cute”.
What follows is a devastating destruction of the insufficiently cute. Diplo is separated from family and, even if somewhat irritating, it’s emotional that he thinks the disappearance is his fault.
The self-referential story develops as kookier personalities are removed to create space for something more palatable. It adds the movie thematic resonance – considering animation is the category most shaped by the appeal of adorableness.
That said, even if the concepts are more engaging than average children’s entertainment, the cast lack charisma. The issue isn’t animated critters needing to be cute, but rather viewers should want to spend time alongside them. In this case, that isn’t completely accurate.
Diplo arrives in UK & Ireland movie houses on 19 September.
