This is one of the more popular animated films on Openfilm, and it's easy to see why: It has a classic three-act structure, and tells a lovable underdog tale with bright and colorful animation. What's not to like?
The movie takes place at open tryouts. The hero wants to be a Roman guard, never mind the fact that he stands about three feet shorter than his husky competitors. They look like the savage, inhuman he-men we've come to know in such films as Caligula and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, while he looks like he just stepped out of an old Warner Bros. cartoon. Who would you want to win?
Like all classic underdog tales, the hero fails at first, but with some good-old-fashioned luck and persistence eventually triumphs. The movie has a charming tone and several good gags. What's missing is a companion for this little guy, but I guess that'll have to wait for the sequel.
