Film #108 - Valiant (2005)
I know I’ve mentioned Valiant a few times since my original review. It’s the perfect example of a film that doesn’t impress too much on first viewing , but slowly, inexorably creeps into one’s consciousness.
At this point, I really like Valiant. Sure, it’s formulaic and lacks the polish and storytelling skill of a Pixar film or the sheer bombast of a Disney production. But what it does have is the British army. (Well, pigeons, anyway.) I’ve always liked British army films and TV shows, particularly the comedies (like Carry On, Sergeant or Dad’s Army) and it is this distinct aspect to Valiant that kept me coming back.
Even the British don’t make films like this anymore, so an animation company with fond memories of the genre may be the only way this kind of film could get made these days. I’m still not willing to recommend this to most viewers, but I’m not ashamed to say it’s become one of my most regularly viewed animated films. Valiant at least has the distinction of being unlike any of the other six thousand CGI films that have come out over the last five years. And that wins it plenty of points in my book.