Renaissance
Renaissance
R | 23 September 2006 (USA)
Renaissance Trailers

To find Ilona and unlock the secrets of her disappearance, Karas must plunge deep into the parallel worlds of corporate espionage, organized crime and genetic research - where the truth imprisons whoever finds it first and miracles can be bought but at a great price.

Reviews
Hellen I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much
Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.
Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Imdbidia Renaissance is a French-UK-Luxembourg motion-capture animation movie whose story revolves about Detective Karas' investigation to find a kidnapped young scientist working for the Avalon Corporation. It is Paris, year 2054.Renaissance is a detective sci-fi thriller, with a visual style strongly based on classic detective comics, film-noir and German expressionist movies. The film is very artistic, with great dynamic action scenes, and superb lighting, shadowing and texturing. The atmosphere is great, as well as the music. The recreation of Paris in the future is completely believable, as the city still looks like modern Paris, but projected and transformed according to urban development and organisation of the space that have futuristic verisimilitude. The emotional drawing of the characters is good, and it has depth, and the story is intriguing enough. What is more, it poses some interesting questions to the viewer: Is life meaningless without death? Is murder excusable if, by murdering someone, you save humanity from an uncertain future? If the answer is yes, who decides that the future is already written and a person is responsible for it? Despite everything, the movie never lifts up and, despite being a thriller, it is never thrilling enough. All the characters seem lot lack human warmth, despite the story having warmth in it, and that's the result of the poor performances of the actors lending their voices to the characters, especially Daniel Craig, who destroys Karas's character with his dull lazy dubbing. On the other hand, there are too many clichés in the story, from the cigarettes to the femme-fatale/cop affair, to the evil-good approach, while the interesting philosophical questions are never truly explored with seriousness or the challenges of the near future either. Being so, the viewer finds difficult connecting with the characters, despite enjoying the animation or being intrigued about the fate of the kidnapped girl.Renaissance is marvellous from the animation point of view, but the story struggles to grab the viewer's attention. Still has wonderful elements, and is worth watching, even if it is only for its visuals.
MisterWhiplash If I weren't writing a review of Renaissance right now, I probably wouldn't remember it tomorrow. I realize that a lot of care went into the animation (or is it rotoscoping?) of this movie that blends film-noir and sci-fi into a slick story about a company in the future that can provide ageless beauty, and the one guy around played by Daniel Craig who thinks something is not right. Then there's a kidnapping, twisted doings in the underworld, befuddled if good-intentioned cops, and other things like genetic research, car chases, fights, and so on. I'm not sure what it is that makes the movie so forgettable as it should be up my alley (that is, re: Philip K. Dick fan, it's that kind of material if two or three times removed by generations). And I also like this rotoscope style animation... that is when it's done right. When watching it it's like there is rarely any space for another hue in the animation. Black and white could be fine, but what about depth and texture? Most of the scenes are either in black-black or white-white, very few grays I could really spot, and while it would be effective for a short film stretched over a feature length narrative it becomes irksome. Coupling that with a story that gets overwhelmed by its style, and some mostly bland voice-work (yes I'm looking at you Daniel Craig), and it becomes kind of dull. And it shouldn't be. It's like watching the slick cut-scenes from a new X-Box game or something. If that's your bag, then go for it. But the story itself is too weak to support the visuals.
Frederick Malouf I read that this did not well, that the story is not solid, that Volckman feels he has failed in some way.I disagree. First, it is well executed. Volckman is doing well to not only to try a new technique, but to have a focus that is worth thinking about: would immortality reduce the value of life? Big question ...I can see he trying hard to build a feeling, and he is not compromising. This is to be applauded. I am sure it was an interesting exercise to build characters in such a form. I have seen artists reduce a form to bare minimum to build the intensity of a moment. I identify this film with this.Further, it is much more interesting than Richard Linklater's roto-scoping, and Volckman's story has more meaning than Linklater's later stories of a wasted life on drugs. Old news. Everyone knows it, but no one does anything about it. Renaissance has more to offer, something new to think about. And there are many more stories out there with loads of holes in them that do far better.Well done, Volckman. Really nice work.
TermlnatriX There's about 25 years worth of inspiration packed into it. Beginning with existential themes of Blade Runner, as well as the vision of the future - with corporate billboards advertising their products, to the technology of the later Matrix films and Spielberg's A.I., and finally the black and white graphic novel look similar in style of Sin City. The creators have put in a lot of effort in the visual department and the outcome is a well crafted future neo-noir. Add a detective story and you've got an interesting film. I know what it wanted to be, but regardless of the stunning visuals, it wasn't enough to get it to the final destination.