Journey to Saturn

Rejsen til Saturn is at heart a comedy, filled with jokes, slapstick humor, and a story that itself is mostly a joke. This makes the film feel like a 90 minute stand-up show, where there is far between the jokes that make the entire theater roar with laughter, and only a quarter of the jokes will make you giggle. All the characters except Susanne (Iben Hjejle) are caricatures and coupled with a story that never lets you suspend your disbelief, we are left with a mediocre stand-up show built on a mediocre story.

With a star-specked cast you would definitely have expected more, and you get the feeling that it is not for lack of trying, but more likely a result of trying too much. Trying to get so many jokes and fantastic events and places packed in, that too many unfunny jokes and badly paced elements slipped through.

The animation and sound effects don't break any new ground, but are very competent and never gets in the way of the story. Considering the story and humor are both sub-par that may actually have be a bad thing, because with some greater artistic depth in the scenery the film might have been worth watching for that alone.

It's hard to recommend Rejsen til Saturn, but at the same time it's a movie you don't really want to see fail. There is great potential all around, the execution here just doesn't do it justice, but you are left with the clear feeling that the next film can be much better - if there will be one.

If you want to support more Danish animation films I suggest you go see it. It won't be a complete waste of your time, and there will be some good laughs - but unfortunately not nearly enough.