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Many will complain about the lack of originality in
“Delgo.” Indeed, it’s an archetypal fantasy story about
a young, reckless hero, a wise elder, a damsel in distress,
a wicked conqueror, and above all, a battle between good
and evil. The only thing about this film that’s original
is the look, with typically medieval settings pushed aside
in favor of a completely fictional, computer-generated alien
planet called Jhamora. ***
The characters are anything but human; they’re divided
into the amphibious Lokni people, the winged Nohrins, and
an assortment of other strange beings that would pass for
animals on our world. The pallet reminded me of the colors
you’d see swirling on the surface of a soap bubble, bold
shades of purple and green and blue with hints of red and
orange. The visuals of this movie are so thoroughly extra-terrestrial
that I find it hard to criticize them. I thought they were
great to look at. ***
As for the story, yes, it follows a very well established
formula to a tee. But did anyone complain about the lack
of originality in “Star Wars,” which was also about a young,
reckless hero, a wise elder, and everything else I listed
earlier? What about the “Lord of the Rings” saga? Or “The
Chronicles of Narnia”? Or “Beowulf”? Poking holes in an
archetypal story is pointless, in my opinion. If you don’t
agree, then you probably never liked such stories to begin
with. ***
All I know is that “Delgo” achieves exactly what it
wanted to achieve, and because of that, I was able to look
past its shortcomings and just enjoy it for what it was.
The only thing I wondered about was how long ago it was
made; it features a vocal performance by Anne Bancroft,
who died in 2005. It seems a little odd that this movie
was delayed for so long. ***
The setup: Long ago, when Nohirn lands became inhospitable,
King Zahn (voiced by Louis Gossett, Jr.) made an agreement
to share land with the Loknis. It wasn’t long before tensions
grew, the Nohrins claiming more land than was necessary.
Then Zahn’s power-hungry sister, Sedessa (voiced by Bancroft),
launched an unnecessary attack against the Loknis, many
of which were slaughtered. ***
She then planned the murder of Zahn, his wife, and
his infant daughter; she was caught before she could finish
the job, which led to her being banished and having her
wings cut off. The Loknis and the Nohrins formed a very
shaky truce after that, forming a border that neither species
is allowed to cross over. ***
The story proper: We meet a teenage Lokni named Delgo
(voiced by Freddy Prinze, Jr.), whose parents died when
Sedessa attacked his village many years ago. Ever since
then, he’s been living with Elder Marley (voiced by Michael
Clark Duncan), a Zen-like master with mystical powers whose
speaks almost entirely in proverbs. ***
As hard as he tries to train Delgo with mind exercises,
Delgo is stubborn, careless, and intolerant of the Nohrins.
One day, while spending time near the border, he meets the
headstrong Princess Kyla (voiced by Jennifer Love Hewitt).
While there’s an immediate attraction, there’s also hostility,
and it’s made worse when Kyla’s escorts--Raius (voiced by
Malcolm McDowell) and Bogardus (voiced by Val Kilmer), both
in Zahn’s army--attack Delgo for making a wrong move. ***
Raius is secretly in cahoots with Sedessa, who’s plotting
to steal the throne away from her brother. This involves
kidnapping Kyla and blaming Delgo for it, which in turn
will start a war between the Nohrins and the Loknis. In
order to save both Kyla and their peoples, Delgo and Bogardus
reluctantly form an alliance; hopefully, they can put aside
their differences long enough to stop Sedessa and prevent
Zahn from launching the first attack. ***
No archetypal story would be complete without some comedy
relief. On the Lokni side, there’s Delgo’s best friend,
Filo (voiced by Chris Kattan), who sounds like a tweaker
on a bad amphetamine high. On the Nohrin side, there’s Sedessa’s
servant, Spig (voiced by Eric Idle), a bumbling dragon-like
creature. Neither one adds much to the story, but then again,
that’s not what comedy relief is for. Filo and Spig provide
the audience with a break from the action, and nothing more.
***
If what I’ve said hasn’t piqued your interest, then
it’s probably best you avoid this movie. As I’ve already
said, “Delgo” gives us nothing new in the way of story or
character; with the exception of the visuals, it’s about
as formulaic as it gets. I’m recommending it mostly because
it delivers at a basic level--you want a tried and true
fantasy, you’ve got a tried and true fantasy. Some may not
appreciate the animation, and I agree that it wasn’t as
polished as it could have been. Still, I’ve seen worse-looking
CGI characters (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” comes to mind).
***
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