I'm not exactly an animation buff. Last year I did watch 50 feature-length toons (13 in movie theaters), but so far in 2008 I've cut back to only 17 (including 14 in theaters). Since most of the previous comments seem to have an ax to grind on the extreme ends of the scale, I'll just try to stick to some comparative impartial facts to help others decide if this is their cup of tea (like so many others, I was the only one in the theater during my screening, so I obtained no benefit from the reactions of fellow audience members).If you enjoyed AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATERS, absolutely do NOT see DELGO (it has no fake fast food to feed your warped tastes). This story is more original and less revisionist than HAPPILY N'VER AFTER, and the comic relief characters of Filo and Spig are no lamer than their counterparts in TMNT (2007). The sense of peril in DELGO is not as great as kids would experience during ARTHUR & THE INVISIBLES, but children can better identify with the actual humans in the similarly sci-fi MEET THE ROBINSONS. Though Michael Clark Duncan as Jedi-like/Jedi-lite Marley and the late Anne Bancroft as the evil self-styled Empress Sedessa provide DELGO's most distinctive voice work, they really can't compete with SHREK III's Eddie Murphy and Carmeron Diaz. I would say, however, the faux history of DELGO is just as understandable and even richer than that of SURF'S UP. Furthermore, the violence is not as gory as anime offerings such as PAPRIKA or VEXILLE. Make no mistake; this movie is not a gem like RATATOUILLE, WALL-E, PERSEPOLIS, or even KUNG FU PANDA. But at least with DELGO you don't have to worry about a favorite story from childhood being butchered, as you might with HORTON HEARS A WHO. Though FLY ME TO THE MOON topped SPACE CHIMPS, it does not add as much to the cartoon universe as DELGO. Sure, it's not topical like the SIMPSON'S MOVIE or the BEE MOVIE, but it did a better job of keeping me awake than either the abysmal DOOGAL or THE PIRATES WHO DON'T DO ANYTHING: A VEGGIE TALES MOVIE. And regardless of whether DELGO rips off the George Lucas empire, it's still more worthwhile than STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (talk about beating a dead horse!).

I LOVE movies. I LOVE computer animation. I LOVE sci-fi / fantasy. That is why I hated this film. It gives them all a bad name. Hate is a strong word I suppose. More like overwhelmed to suicidal levels with disappointment. The sarcastic term "REALLY?" popped in my mind constantly as scenes artificially set up to predictably (and very poorly) spoof classic moments from various hit movies. At no time did I connect with the characters. When they went to war I just didn't care. In fact, the only thing I found myself hoping for is that someone would kill (slowly and painfully) Delgo's mentally retarded and epileptic sidekick. That would have gotten cheers from the entire audience (which comprised of just me.) As a hobby I have been making a movie for years. writing and editing a script, creating music, and I'll soon start the CGI work on my home PC. I was really worried that my hobby movie would be worthless because the graphics and animation won't be Pixar quality but DELGO has proved to me that graphics don't make a film. The music was also dismal. My first impression of the art was positive. It looked original and unique but soon decided that nothing was particularly attractive to look at and many of the creatures had extra eyes or appendages just because... like a Jr. High school kid on crack spent too many hours in the SPORE creature creator. Overall the biggest downfall was just direction and delivery. Imagine going to see a stand up comedy show where two comedians had to deliver the same material and one is hilarious while the other is awkward, flat and has no sense of dramatic effect and timing. Delgo is the latter. If anyone from Fathom studios reads this and says, "Hey Mr. Negative Insult Guy, think you could do better?" The answer is YES. I really do. and I would jump at the chance to try.

This movie was an enjoyable archetypal hero story that used a wholly creative new style of animation that I have not seen before creating a very strong feel to the film. The visuals were absolutely vivid. Fast paced, sometimes to its own detriment, this movie does a great job of keeping the story moving but often short changes some details that could lead to stronger character development. However if this movie in fact is a part of a trilogy as has been proposed, then this is a strong start setting the stage for more complex character development and even greater involvement in this fantasy world that clearly had a lot of thought and depth to it. I liked it. The characters each grew and evolved throughout the film. Even if only slightly, the changes were noticeable. The all-star cast lends charisma and charm to the characters. I felt immersed in their alien world. I felt that the characters were both real and grounded. They didn't consist of airy nothingness like the characters in so many created worlds. It was an interesting story based on political mistrust, fear, diversity, misunderstanding, and love. It was a movie that we can relate to and that can inspire. Go see it. More than anything this movie suffered from a total lack of an advertising campaign. With no advertisement it is no surprise that this movie had such a poor start.

It's sad. There was so much hope in me that the little guy could stare down the Hollywood gods (in this case Pixar and DreamWorks) and come out a winner. I new going in that this film had problems; no advertising, no studio release backing, many production trials, a relatively expensive cast of voice actors for a venture of this type. Still I had hope.What I was left with was, oh how glad I am that few will see this film and remember that it was Anne Bancroft's last work. Orson Wells didn't fare as well with his, but his last wasn't as bad. This film had a brief glimmer at the beginning then quickly sank into an abyss of unoriginality, cliché, confusion, too much narration rather than exposition, and too many irritations. The movie felt like a little pebble that gets into your shoe and just irritates the crap out of you until you take off your shoe and dump it out. I haven't had this bad of a time at a movie since "Blindness" and in fairness, "Blindness" was more of a masochistic experience to watch than this.It all started for me Monday when I was off work, bored and had nothing better to do, so I figured I'd give this underdog a shot. The worst I thought could happen would be that I'd be bored and watching a movie instead of just bored and staring at the walls at home. That's your options when all your friends are at work and you can't bare the drivel of daytime TV.Anyway, I was worse than bored and watching a movie, but I kept in there, hoping for the little guy to give me something to grab a hold of. Unfortunately it never came. I hoped that this movie could have been something triumphant in the face of adversity. Something that overcame the great odds against it and at least made back the money invested in it. I was looking for some unlikely cinematic surprise like "Facing the Giants" or its kin "Fireproof," but to no avail. Ultimately, I lost an hour and a half and $6.50.