Ahmed, Prince of Alhambra

My wife and I had been attracted to this animated picture on three counts. First it was suggested by a Washington Irving story. Second, it featured the Alhambra Palace as its key setting. Third, it was a family film, an ideal genre for our then twelve-year-old son. As a result, we were triply ... let down!

Let's start with Washington Irving, this great American writer who had his "Tales of the Alhambra" published in 1832. Sadly enough, we soon realized that nothing but the skeleton remained of what initially was, a subtle, very entertaining philosophical tale. The characters were dull and lifeless, uttering a litany of platitudes throughout. To say nothing of the humor, tragically absent from the movie, with the exception (?) of the trite, repetitive gag of the talking parrot.

As regards the Alhambra Palace, we had visited it and, following the example of millions of tourists we had been mesmerized by the splendor of its architecture, its decoration and its gardens. We had expected the filmmaker (A Spaniard into the bargain) to capture at least a small part of this beauty. What a disappointment! The layout and artwork couldn't have been cheaper and the colors uglier!

To crown it all, that was in no way a film for children. Basically, it was a love story and kids are not interested in them. They are too young for that! Of course many Disney films contain a romantic aspect but children are also given gags, funny animals and strong emotions. Not here : they must go through a dreadfully flat love story while supposed not to fidget in their seats. Our son, who loved ALL the movies he saw at that age, just hated that one. A telltale sign the film was a flop.