The Inventor

A delight, especially for those who enjoy history. This multi-style animated feature tells the story of Leonardo DaVinci's later life.

Spurning trendy 3D-driven computer animation with its dense content and over-caffeinated dialog, this film takes its time, spreads out, and dives deeply and gracefully into "The Maestro's" Italy and France that he inhabits. The primary animation style is 3D stop motion puppetry, but there is nothing old and jerky about this production. The motion is smooth, the backgrounds lush and detailed, and the pace measured and deliberate. With the occasional nod to old-fashioned elements (DaVinci's mouth that magically appears atop his thick beard when he speaks, for example), the puppetry is truly state-of-the-art.

King Francis I, King Henry VIII, King Charles I, and Pope Leo X all do the comedic heavy lifting. The scenes where the three monarchs repeatedly bicker and fight provide pure, fast-paced, and traditional animated delight, especially since these scenes are all stop motion. As the real world becomes too intense, threatening and ignorant to our hero, we are offered frequent glimpses of the world inside DaVinci's mind, and are treated with sepia-infused, gravity-defying, pencil animated scenes of pure joy, in an animated style reminiscent of DaVinci's famous sepia sketches come to life.

The score is subtle, with a noticeable lack of big, defining tunes. Instead, the songs - mostly offered by the princess (arguable the most impressive character of the movie with her understated progressivism and uncanny and hilarious ability to manager her brother, the French monarch) - seem to start and stop seamlessly with the dialog. The score weaves from lush support, to hints of Renaissance music (hinting at the Elizabethan period to come as ushered in by our hero), to a bizarre but effective hook melody in a 6/8-3/4 time signature reminiscent of Bernstein's America.

As said, a delight. An animated romp through Renaissance history with this tale teaching us that the primary agent of change, DaVinci, was no ordinary inventor.

I was quite nervous at the start here when I saw how many production companies were involved - it looked like a recipe for a mess. Well it isn't. It's certainly an amalgam of animated styles featuring everything from flat 2-D drawing to complex technical sketching and some stop-motion characterisations that really worked quite quirkily. It's the briefest of potted histories of the life of Leonardo da Vinci. We start in Rome where his sponsor - Cardinal de Medici - is constantly firefighting for him with Pope Leo X who wants him to do something a little more useful, and not dissect dead bodies in the middle of the night! It's that latter habit that sees him flee to the relative safety of King Francis I of France. The King wants the maestro to build him a castle, or a new city, or some fancy weapons - or probably all of the above. Leonardo doesn't really react well to commissions though, and soon his new benefactor is also beginning to lose his patience. Luckily, he has the princess Marguerite in his corner, and gradually the grudging support of their mother, the Queen. It can look a bit disjointed at times, the art is frequently quite contrasting - but that just makes the whole proposition a little more interesting and innovative. The drawings reminded me a little of the opening titles to Tom Riley's "Da Vinci's Demons" television drama - and the narrative emphasises quite engagingly the visionary nature of a man who quite literally walked a fine line between science, religion and a bonfire! It's probably twenty minutes too long, but once we get going there is plenty of imaginative action to keep it watchable.

Inventing flying contraptions, war machines and studying cadavers, Leonardo da Vinci tackles the meaning of life itself with the help of French princess Marguerite de Nevarre.

I think it's a great idea to teach kids about history, especially those who feature so importantly in our current, modern lives. Film, especially animation like this, is an ideal way to educate young people. I would hope and expect many families went to see this although figures so far suggest not.

For me there were too many tropes and mannerisms from today thrown in. Like the cartoon figure sawing at his neck in that Americanism that means 'cut', or 'stop talking.' I think it was dumbed down too far and felt ultra childish. Kids are much more astute than we give them credit for and while the animation was done very nicely, I feel the presentation of the material was done by those who simply don't understand kids.

I couldn't watch til the end as it's not for my age group and was annoying me. But for those with younger children they might enjoy it.

I loved this film. I took my son whose 10 to see this as well and he really liked it as well. Interesting the combination of stop motion animation and hand drawn animation and water color painting is just remarkable in this interesting combination. It story of daVinci in his final days is inspiring and touching and also sending a message to kids don't be afraid to think for yourself and stand up for what you believe in. We need more material for kids like this and let them know it's ok to be who you are. Too bad this will probably get lost in the shuffle of other movies and it's a very small production company thst put it out. Highly recommend for a thought provoking non cgi kid film.

Loved it. A VERY good tale of a misunderstood genius using his inquisitiveness to push forward the world or science, up against cynicism, ego, power and the battle with the all-powerful church which saw science as undermining to faith (on which its influence was based). Could have been set... today. Most suited to older children and definitely for adults with a interest in science, arts, innovation and the battle of discovery over power. Some powerful messages in an beautiful animation. It's a lovely mixture of humour, coupled to an authentic look at probably one of the most important stories in our scientific evolution, the work from which still influences today. Congratulations on being bold... just like Leonardo!

Weird negative quote on here about Italians getting English accents. Actually drives me nuts that so many films when aimed at an English-speaking audience have accents that I can't even understand or follow. This one was easy to listen to and the voices suited. Congratulations!!