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“He is too skilled in communication! I should punish him by boiling him in the ink he uses for his drawings!” In the movie, Pope Leo X (played by Matt Berry from Toast of London) is extremely angry with Leonardo da Vinci for dissecting corpses. “It makes me feel sick!” Berry’s portrayal of the pope adds a touch of humor to an otherwise dull children’s film depicting Leonardo’s later years. The movie uses a combination of stop-motion and hand-drawn animation, but it lacks excitement and feels like the type of educational film that would be played for students during indoor recess on rainy days.
Stephen Fry provides the voice for the man, without attempting an Italian accent. The dialogue includes occasional “per favore” and “grazie” to make up for it. The story begins in 1516 in Rome, where Leonardo’s scientific pursuits have caused trouble with the pope. “Why can’t he just stick to painting beautiful pictures?” mutters Leo X. As a result, Leonardo agrees to an invitation from King Francis I of France to join his court.
There isn’t much of a plot left in Jim Capobianco’s script, who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Pixar’s Ratatouille. In France, Leonardo realizes that the young king is just another arrogant ruler – Francis approves of his plans for an “ideal city”, but only if there is a massive statue of himself prominently displayed. In reality, Francis has no interest in science or advancement.
Leonardo now has ample opportunity to explore and examine deceased bodies and contemplate the mysteries of life: why are we on this Earth? What is our ultimate goal? These are typically the types of inquiries that young people enjoy pondering – but at times, the movie feels as stagnant as one of the dead bodies. The fast-paced and inventive thoughts of Leonardo never truly come alive; perhaps it’s due to the lackluster screenplay or Fry’s reserved and aged performance. Additionally, his portrayal makes him appear more like Santa Claus than a Renaissance genius.
Source: theguardian.com
