Truly Epic

From director Chris Wedge and his team at Blue Sky Studios (having already dazzled us with the beloved and successful animated films Ice Age and Rio), comes the story of an ongoing battle between the forces of good, which keep the natural world alive, and the forces of evil, which wish to destroy it. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she teams up with an elite band of warriors and a crew of comical, larger-than-life figures, to save their world - and ours. It's a vibrant and exciting journey that is meaningful and insightful, testing how far we will go to save nature. Bursting with a chorus of colourful characters, you can prepare yourself for fun at its most exciting as these endearing creations take us on a life-changing experience.

A forest unlike any we've seen before

Epic's world, which unites the familiar and the fantastic, is a forest unlike any we've seen before: tiny seeds look like boulders; rocks are the size of spiky mountains; flowers are gigantic and complex; and a butterfly is a nothing short of a flying tapestry. In this world, Wedge interweaves spectacular battle scenes with intimate and emotional character interactions, and seasons the tale with humour, fun and romance. While the film's visual wonders break new ground in animated spectacle, realism, action and adventure, it's the story and the people who live in the story that will capture your heart.

Amanda Seyfried (Les Miserables and Mamma Mia) is fantastic voicing the character of a smart, spirited and headstrong 17-year-old MK who finds herself on the journey of a lifetime, with Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) as Nod, whose brazen individualism doesn't square with the Leafmen's ideals of teamwork and unity, and he is forced to discover what it takes to be a true hero. MK and Nod concurrently undergo transformative journeys, which bring them together and which, in turn, trigger romantic fireworks that are initially mixed with suspicion and resistance. Colin Farrell is fantastic as the Leafmen's leader, Ronin, who faces formidable enemies and needs to save his world. Beyoncé Knowles, who makes her animated feature debut in Epic, is perfectly cast as Queen Tara, who isn't just the Leafmen's queen; she's the life force of the forest, which she presides over with respect, compassion and humour.

The comic relief in the film is dominated by the most unlikely of creatures: an incredibly Yoda-like slug called Mub (beautifully brought to life by comic actor Aziz Ansari), and Chris O'Dowd (The Sapphires), as the cheeky and relentless Grub, a snail unlike any you have ever encountered. Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds), is equally powerful as the Boggans' ruler, Mandrake, the chief force behind the darkness and destruction who is gifted, or cursed, with the ability to bring destruction to anything he touches, and who guides his Boggan minions to destroy the Leafmen and kill the forest.

Aerosmith front man and rock 'n roll icon Steven Tyler (American Idols judge) delivers a surprising performance as a larger-than-life caterpillar who is also a consummate party animal whose wisdom and practical know-how make him a key behind-the-scenes player in the epic battle to save the forest. Another giant in the music world - composer Danny Elfman (Oz the Great and Powerful, The Simpsons Movie) - brought his singular talents to Epic's music score, emotionally underscoring the incredible odyssey. It would be unfair not to mention the escapades of the three legged pooch, who will definitely steal your heart with his madcap habits.

Save our planet

During a time in which we have to help heal our planet and ourselves, it is films like Epic that offers an insightful chance to take a step forward and make a difference in saving our world.

If you are looking for ideal escapism and want to have the time of your life, make sure to team up with some friends and journey into Epic - in its 3D format it is ultra-spectacular, particularly the flight sequences and incredible detailed world of the forest and its inhabitants. Make sure to see Epic, you are guaranteed an adventure than is larger than life and epic in every sense of the word.

Behind the scenes

Wedge's initial inspiration for Epic came in 1998, when he attended an art exhibition of 100-year-old paintings that depicted intricate realms existing in the woods. "The paintings had magical notions of tiny civilizations living in the trees and bushes," Wedge recalled. "They looked like magnificent worlds and I thought there had to be a movie here." As Wedge completed work on his acclaimed animated feature Robots, ideas for a film about an unseen universe continued to percolate. At the same time, author William Joyce, who had collaborated with Wedge on Robots, wrote the children's book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, which introduced Samurai-like warriors, the Leafmen - and a war being waged in our own backyards between the forces of life and the forces of decay.

Blue Sky Studios' cutting-edge animation was the perfect fit to bring Epic alive. "Some places you can't go any other way but animation," Wedge explained "We had been developing our artistic and technical capabilities, and we now had the ability to create entire worlds based in nature. I thought I could immerse audiences - visually, intellectually and emotionally - in a realm we could experience only through animation."

Read more at www.writingstudio.co.za/page1037.html