Valiant (film)
Encyclopedia
Valiant is a 2005 British
computer-animated
film
produced by Vanguard Animation
and Odyssey Entertainment, and released by Entertainment Film Distributors
in the United Kingdom
on March 25 2005 and by Walt Disney Pictures
in the United States
on August 19 2005. Set in May of the year 1944, it tells the story of a group of war pigeons during World War II
. Reviews toward Valiant were mixed and largely poor. The film is based on a story by Jordan Katz, George Webster, and George Melrod, and inspired by true stories of hundreds of pigeons that helped the soldiers in the war. At the end of the film, it says that of the 54 Dickin Medal
s awarded to animals, 32 of them went to pigeons.
, three Royal Homing Pigeon Service war pigeon
s are flying across the English Channel
with the White Cliffs of Dover
in sight, carrying vital messages to Great Britain
. Despite the poor weather conditions the pigeons have nearly reached their destination. They are, however, suddenly ambushed and attacked by a German enemy falcon called General Von Talon; two of the pigeons are instantly killed, yet the third is taken as a prisoner of war
.
Elsewhere a small wood pigeon
named Valiant is watching an Allied forces propaganda film in his local bar (an overturned rowing boat) in West Nestington. Wing Commander Gutsy, a war hero flies into the bar, informing everyone that signups are scheduled the next day in Trafalgar Square
, London
. In General Von Talon's lair, Mercury (the captured prisoner of war) resists interrogation by his captors. Valiant flies off to London, bidding his mother and Felix, the local barman, goodbye. In London, Valiant meets a filthy pigeon named Bugsy, who is wanted by two thugs. In order to escape the wrath of the thugs, he signs up with Valiant.
The recruits, Valiant, Bugsy, Lofty, an intellectual red pigeon, and Toughwood and Tailfeather, two strong but dim-witted twin brothers, form Royal Homing Pigeon Service Squad F, and are sent to a recruit training
facility. Under the command of Sergeant, who declares that he will toughen them up for the RHPS, the training begins. Meanwhile, Von Talon and his henchmen try numerous attempts to discover the message's departure location. However Mercury refuses to tell, despite the tortures inflicted upon him, such as irritating him with yodelling music and injecting him with truth serum
, before Mercury accidentally reveals the location: Saint-Pierre
.
Throughout the training, Valiant develops a crush on Victoria, the camp's nursing dove. Eventually, Gutsy arrives and tells the Sergeant that the recruits need to leave the next morning, despite their training being vastly incomplete. Bugsy, however, decides not to go on the "highly dangerous" mission and flees the camp that night. The next morning, Valiant and the others prepare to leave and start to board the plane headed for France, but not before Bugsy shows up at the last second. The journey becomes extremely perilous, as the plane is caught in the midst of dogfight. Their plane sustains heavy damage and the pigeons soon have to bale out, in boxes equipped with parachutes. The pigeons are dropped from the plane; however a technical malfunction causes Gutsy's box to fail to deploy. The plane goes down in an inferno of flames, presumably killing Gutsy in the resulting explosion.
In France, the pigeons meet Charles de Girl and Rollo, two mice from the French Resistance
, Mouse Division, the latter being an expert saboteur who lead them to Saint-Pierre, where they receive the message they have been ordered to deliver. They soon come under attack by Von Talon's henchmen, resulting in Bugsy and the message being captured. Von Talon takes the message from Bugsy and decides to cage him up and eat him later. Valiant and the troops follow Bugsy to the falcon's bunker, where they discover that Gutsy has survived the plane crash. Valiant takes advantage of his small size and sneaks into the bunker through the gun barrel, retrieves the message, and frees Bugsy and Mercury. Unfortunately, the falcons are alert and give chase. As Gutsy and the others fend off Von Talon's henchmen, Valiant flies to London to deliver the message, followed closely by Von Talon.
After a climactic chase by the falcon, Valiant hides in the cottage where he lives, where he is attacked by Von Talon again. With the help of his mother and Felix, Valiant finally defeats the villain by getting a giant hook caught on his medals, leaving him to be beaten senseless by the water wheel
. Valiant delivers the message, and is rewarded with a Dickin Medal
. After receiving the Dickin Medal, Squad F returns to the local bar in West Nestington, where Valiant reunites with Victoria.
Mexican cast
Spanish cast
." The film's use of WWII imagery is apparent throughout; for instance, the villainous characters in the film hold obvious links to the Nazis, although Nazism is never specifically mentioned, nor are Nazi symbols ever overtly visually depicted - edited symbols are however discreetly inserted. For example, General Von Talon wears a large Reichsadler
badge that depicts the German eagle, taken from the coat of arms of Germany
. Yet this version, unlike the Hoheitszeichen (Nazi Germany's national insignia), has the eagle grasping two bones, whereas the Hoheitszeichen depicts the eagle clutching a swastika
. Furthermore, the film's primary antagonist
, Von Talon, holds specific links to Adolf Hitler
. For example, Von Talon states whilst holding Mercury as a prisoner of war that he would not eat Mercury, as he is a vegetarian, a direct reference to Adolf Hitler's vegetarianism.
, west London
. Valiant was the second computer-animated
film to be made in the United Kingdom
, after The Magic Roundabout
. John H. Williams
of Vanguard Animation
stated "we knew a lot of European animators who had worked at Pixar
, Disney and DreamWorks
, and were interested in going back to Europe. We thought it would be important to be the first company to produce a CGI feature fully made in Europe with a major studio attached." Williams stated this before he new about The Magic Roundabout. He also explained the attraction to making the film in Britain, saying "It would have been $3 million cheaper to make in LA
but we had $10-12 million in tax and co-production money that we were able to attract because we made it here." Additionally, the bonus of locating to Britain was that the UK Film Council
offered Valiant a record-breaking £2.6 million grant. Valiants budget of $35,000,000 is considered low in comparison to other CGI productions, with films which Williams had previously worked on, such as Shrek 2
having a budget of $150,000,000.
described as "a piece of guerrilla film-making" in comparison to the other CGI animated films created by major studios. At least 5 computer animators worked together for every scene of the 76 minute film, working on effects such as colour, movement and shading. As a result of the low number of animators some critics called the film's animation "amateurish-looking". However, other reviewers stated that the film was "nicely animated".
Tom Jacomb, line producer for Vanguard Animation stated that the biggest difficulties whilst making the film was the detail required for the birds' feathers. He stated that "most — no, all — our problems were feathers", and described them as a "misery in computer animation". Director Gary Chapman insisted that each bird must look distinctive, and as a result, the pigeons came in various colours, including beige, blue, yellow, red and grey. He also requested that each bird be dressed in clothing, and clothing accessories appear throughout the film on characters, usually hat
s, belt
s, and military medals
and, in the case of the villainous Von Talon, a black leather cape
. However, before Valiant, Bugsy, Lofty Thaddeus Worthington, Tailfeather, Toughwood complete their military training, they appear entirely clothes-free, equipped with no military regalia.
based on 109 reviews with an average rating of 5/10. The film did business of $19,478,106 in the U.S. and $42,268,782 internationally. This gives it a worldwide total of $61,746,888, which is considered successful, but low by CGI film standards. The film held the record for lowest box office of a CGI animated film, until its record was later beaten in 2006 by Doogal, the re-dubbed version of The Magic Roundabout
.
and mostly performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
. The orchestral music is in keeping with the military theme of the film, especially in the case of tracks such as "March of the R.H.P.S.", which was performed by The Central Band of the Royal Air Force
. The tracks were recorded at AIR Recording Studios and at Angel Recording Studios in London
and at Right Track Studios, New York
. The only track not composed by Fenton, and the only track featured on the soundtrack with vocals, is "Shoo Shoo Baby
", sang by R&B girl group Mis-Teeq
. "Shoo Shoo Baby" was originally sung by the Andrews Sisters, a popular American wartime group. Although "Shoo Shoo Baby" was the only track on the album containing lyrics, it was not the only lyrical track used in the film; "Non, je ne regrette rien
" by Édith Piaf
is played in one scene in the film, despite it being recorded in 1960, 16 years after 1944, when the film was set.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
computer-animated
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
produced by Vanguard Animation
Vanguard Animation
Vanguard Animation, LLC. is an American animation studio founded in 2004 by producer, John H. Williams. It produces computer animated films. Films produced include its debut film Valiant, Happily N'Ever After and Space Chimps....
and Odyssey Entertainment, and released by Entertainment Film Distributors
Entertainment Film Distributors
Entertainment Film Distributors is a British distributor of independent films in the UK and Ireland for various production companies; it is owned by Nigel Green who started the company in 1978. Their first big success was the successful horror Terror made by cult filmmaker Norman J...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on March 25 2005 and by Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on August 19 2005. Set in May of the year 1944, it tells the story of a group of war pigeons during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Reviews toward Valiant were mixed and largely poor. The film is based on a story by Jordan Katz, George Webster, and George Melrod, and inspired by true stories of hundreds of pigeons that helped the soldiers in the war. At the end of the film, it says that of the 54 Dickin Medal
Dickin Medal
The Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in war. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on a ribbon of striped green, dark brown and pale blue...
s awarded to animals, 32 of them went to pigeons.
Plot
In May 1944, 5 years since the declaration of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, three Royal Homing Pigeon Service war pigeon
War pigeon
Pigeons have long played an important role in war. Due to their homing ability, speed, and altitude, they were often used as military messengers. After World War II, they ceased being used.- Nineteenth century :...
s are flying across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
with the White Cliffs of Dover
White cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are cliffs which form part of the British coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliffs are part of the North Downs formation. The cliff face, which reaches up to , owes its striking façade to its composition of chalk accentuated by streaks of black flint...
in sight, carrying vital messages to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. Despite the poor weather conditions the pigeons have nearly reached their destination. They are, however, suddenly ambushed and attacked by a German enemy falcon called General Von Talon; two of the pigeons are instantly killed, yet the third is taken as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
.
Elsewhere a small wood pigeon
Wood Pigeon
The Wood Pigeon is a species of bird in the Columba genus in the Columbidae family. It is a member of the dove and pigeon family Columbidae.- Distribution :...
named Valiant is watching an Allied forces propaganda film in his local bar (an overturned rowing boat) in West Nestington. Wing Commander Gutsy, a war hero flies into the bar, informing everyone that signups are scheduled the next day in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. In General Von Talon's lair, Mercury (the captured prisoner of war) resists interrogation by his captors. Valiant flies off to London, bidding his mother and Felix, the local barman, goodbye. In London, Valiant meets a filthy pigeon named Bugsy, who is wanted by two thugs. In order to escape the wrath of the thugs, he signs up with Valiant.
The recruits, Valiant, Bugsy, Lofty, an intellectual red pigeon, and Toughwood and Tailfeather, two strong but dim-witted twin brothers, form Royal Homing Pigeon Service Squad F, and are sent to a recruit training
Recruit training
Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
facility. Under the command of Sergeant, who declares that he will toughen them up for the RHPS, the training begins. Meanwhile, Von Talon and his henchmen try numerous attempts to discover the message's departure location. However Mercury refuses to tell, despite the tortures inflicted upon him, such as irritating him with yodelling music and injecting him with truth serum
Truth Serum
Truth Serum is an independent comic book series created, written and drawn by author Jon Adams.-Overview:Originally published as a mini comic in 2001 and given away for free, it appeared as a three-issue mini series published by Slave Labor Graphics in 2002...
, before Mercury accidentally reveals the location: Saint-Pierre
Saint-Pierre
- Surname :Saint-Pierre is the surname of:* Charles-Irénée Castel de Saint-Pierre , who in 1728 proposed the creation of a European league of 18 sovereign states, with common treasury, no borders and an economic union...
.
Throughout the training, Valiant develops a crush on Victoria, the camp's nursing dove. Eventually, Gutsy arrives and tells the Sergeant that the recruits need to leave the next morning, despite their training being vastly incomplete. Bugsy, however, decides not to go on the "highly dangerous" mission and flees the camp that night. The next morning, Valiant and the others prepare to leave and start to board the plane headed for France, but not before Bugsy shows up at the last second. The journey becomes extremely perilous, as the plane is caught in the midst of dogfight. Their plane sustains heavy damage and the pigeons soon have to bale out, in boxes equipped with parachutes. The pigeons are dropped from the plane; however a technical malfunction causes Gutsy's box to fail to deploy. The plane goes down in an inferno of flames, presumably killing Gutsy in the resulting explosion.
In France, the pigeons meet Charles de Girl and Rollo, two mice from the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
, Mouse Division, the latter being an expert saboteur who lead them to Saint-Pierre, where they receive the message they have been ordered to deliver. They soon come under attack by Von Talon's henchmen, resulting in Bugsy and the message being captured. Von Talon takes the message from Bugsy and decides to cage him up and eat him later. Valiant and the troops follow Bugsy to the falcon's bunker, where they discover that Gutsy has survived the plane crash. Valiant takes advantage of his small size and sneaks into the bunker through the gun barrel, retrieves the message, and frees Bugsy and Mercury. Unfortunately, the falcons are alert and give chase. As Gutsy and the others fend off Von Talon's henchmen, Valiant flies to London to deliver the message, followed closely by Von Talon.
After a climactic chase by the falcon, Valiant hides in the cottage where he lives, where he is attacked by Von Talon again. With the help of his mother and Felix, Valiant finally defeats the villain by getting a giant hook caught on his medals, leaving him to be beaten senseless by the water wheel
Water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of free-flowing or falling water into useful forms of power. A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface...
. Valiant delivers the message, and is rewarded with a Dickin Medal
Dickin Medal
The Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in war. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on a ribbon of striped green, dark brown and pale blue...
. After receiving the Dickin Medal, Squad F returns to the local bar in West Nestington, where Valiant reunites with Victoria.
Cast
- Ewan McGregorEwan McGregorEwan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
as Valiant, - Ricky GervaisRicky GervaisRicky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, radio presenter, producer, musician, and writer.Gervais achieved mainstream fame with his television series The Office and the subsequent series Extras, both of which he co-wrote and co-directed with friend and frequent collaborator...
as Bugsy, Valiant's friend in the Royal Homing Pigeon Service. - Pip TorrensPip TorrensPip Torrens is an English actor.He was born in Bromley, Kent, England. He studied English Literature at Trinity College, Cambridge...
as Lofty Thaddeus Worthington, Valiant's friend in the Royal Homing Pigeon Service. - Dan Roberts as Tailfeather, Toughwood's brother and Valiant's friend in the Royal Homing Pigeon Service.
- Brian Lonsdale as Toughwood, Tailfeather's brother and Valiant's friend in the Royal Homing Pigeon Service.
- John CleeseJohn CleeseJohn Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
as Mercury - Olivia WilliamsOlivia WilliamsOlivia Haigh Williams is an English film, stage and television actress who has appeared in British and American films and television series.-Early life:Williams was born in Camden Town, London, England...
as Victoria - John HurtJohn HurtJohn Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
as Felix - Annette BadlandAnnette BadlandAnnette Badland is an English actress best known for her work in children's television.-Biography:Her training took place at East 15 Acting School, London...
as Elsa - Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
as Sergeant - Hugh LaurieHugh LaurieJames Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
as Wing Commander Gutsy - Tim CurryTim CurryTimothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
as General Von Talon - Rik MayallRik MayallRichard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
as Cufflingk - Michael Schlingmann as Underlingk
- Sharon HorganSharon HorganSharon Horgan is an Irish actress, writer and comedienne.Horgan was born in London and moved to Dublin at age seven. She grew up in Bellewstown, Co. Meath, Ireland. She went to school in the Sacred Heart Secondary School in Drogheda. Later she went on to an English degree at Brunel University...
as Charles De Girl - Buckley Collum as Rollo
- Sean Samuels as Jacques
Other versions
French cast- Ramzy Bedia as Vaillant
- Éric Judor as Bugsy
- Richard DarboisRichard DarboisRichard Darbois is a Canadian actor. He is especially known for his voice: he is the French dub voice of Harrison Ford in some of his films, Batman in the animated series, Captain Harlock, the Genie in Disney's Aladdin, etc...
as "Guénéral" von Griffes - Patrice Dozier as Cufflingk
- Henri Guybet as Underlingk
- Claire GuyotClaire GuyotClaire Guyot is a French actress and singer, known for her prolific dubbing of foreign productions. She is also artistic director of dubbing...
as Victoria - Emmanuel JacomyEmmanuel JacomyEmmanuel Jacomy is a French voice actor who specializes in dubbing. He is the official dubbing voice of Pierce Brosnan as of 1995.-Television animation:*Superman: The Animated Series *Justice League...
as Commandant James Courage - Bernard Métraux as Sergent Mortimer Monty
- Christian Pelissier as Félix
- William Coryn as Snoby
- Michel Prudhomme as Mercury
- Boris Rehlinger as Tango et Charlie
- Céline MonsarratCéline MonsarratCéline Monsarrat is a French actress best known for her voice dubbing work. Monsarrat is the French dubbing voice of Julia Roberts in almost all of her films, the voice of Dory in the French dub of Finding Nemo, the French dubbing voice of Anne Heche, and the voice of Anastasia in the animated...
as Charles De Girl
Mexican cast
- José Antonio MacíasJosé Antonio MacíasJosé Antonio Macías is a Mexican voice actor best known as the voice of James in the animated television series Pokémon and the Latin American dubover artist of Leonardo DiCaprio.-Television animation:*Ed, Edd n Eddy...
as Valiant - Javier Rivero as Bugsy
- Pedro D'Aguillon Jr. as Mercury
- Mario Sauret as General Von Tuerten
- Carlos Segundo as Félix
- Armando Réndiz as Sargento
- Humberto Solórzano as Capitán Valor
- Dulce Guerrero as Victoria
Spanish cast
- Paco LeónPaco LeónPaco León is a Spanish comic actor born in Seville. His first television experiences were playing in the childlike comedy "Mariquilla Ríe Perlas" and "Castillos en el Aire" on Canal Sur....
as Valiant - Florentino FernándezFlorentino FernándezFlorentino Fernández Román, Flo, is a Spanish actor, comedian, conductor and showman.He worked as a security guard before taking part in TV shows like Esta noche cruzamos el Mississippi or La sonrisa del pelícano with Pepe Navarro, where he impersonated Chiquito de la Calzada and created new...
as Bugsy - José Luis GilJosé Luis GilJosé Luis Gil is a Spanish television, cinema, theatre and voice actor.His most popular role is Juan Cuesta in the TV series Aquí no hay quien viva, but he had worked as a voice actor since the 1970s.- As an actor :...
as Mercury - Ramón Langa as General Von Tuerten
- Julio Nuñe as Félix
- Salvador Aldeguer as Sargento
- Luis Bajo as Capitán Valor
- Mar Bordallo as Victoria
Themes
Valiant sets the Second World War as its backdrop, and thus the film has various factual references to World War II. McGregor himself called it "a good old-fashioned war movieWar film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
." The film's use of WWII imagery is apparent throughout; for instance, the villainous characters in the film hold obvious links to the Nazis, although Nazism is never specifically mentioned, nor are Nazi symbols ever overtly visually depicted - edited symbols are however discreetly inserted. For example, General Von Talon wears a large Reichsadler
Reichsadler
The Reichsadler was the heraldic eagle, derived from the Roman eagle standard, used by the Holy Roman Emperors and in modern coats of arms of Germany, including those of the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany...
badge that depicts the German eagle, taken from the coat of arms of Germany
Coat of arms of Germany
The coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle on a yellow shield ....
. Yet this version, unlike the Hoheitszeichen (Nazi Germany's national insignia), has the eagle grasping two bones, whereas the Hoheitszeichen depicts the eagle clutching a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
. Furthermore, the film's primary antagonist
Antagonist
An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...
, Von Talon, holds specific links to Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. For example, Von Talon states whilst holding Mercury as a prisoner of war that he would not eat Mercury, as he is a vegetarian, a direct reference to Adolf Hitler's vegetarianism.
Production
179 modellers, animators, shaders, texturers began work on Valiant at Ealing StudiosEaling Studios
Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever since...
, west London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Valiant was the second computer-animated
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
film to be made in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, after The Magic Roundabout
The Magic Roundabout (film)
The Magic Roundabout, , is a 2005 British computer-animated film based on the television series of the same name...
. John H. Williams
John H. Williams
John H. Williams is a film producer known for his work both in live-action and in animation. He is famous for co-producing the 2001 animated feature Shrek...
of Vanguard Animation
Vanguard Animation
Vanguard Animation, LLC. is an American animation studio founded in 2004 by producer, John H. Williams. It produces computer animated films. Films produced include its debut film Valiant, Happily N'Ever After and Space Chimps....
stated "we knew a lot of European animators who had worked at Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
, Disney and DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
, and were interested in going back to Europe. We thought it would be important to be the first company to produce a CGI feature fully made in Europe with a major studio attached." Williams stated this before he new about The Magic Roundabout. He also explained the attraction to making the film in Britain, saying "It would have been $3 million cheaper to make in LA
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
but we had $10-12 million in tax and co-production money that we were able to attract because we made it here." Additionally, the bonus of locating to Britain was that the UK Film Council
UK Film Council
The UK Film Council was set up in 2000 by the Labour Government as a non-departmental public body to develop and promote the film industry in the UK. It was constituted as a private company limited by guarantee governed by a board of 15 directors and was funded through sources including the...
offered Valiant a record-breaking £2.6 million grant. Valiants budget of $35,000,000 is considered low in comparison to other CGI productions, with films which Williams had previously worked on, such as Shrek 2
Shrek 2
Shrek 2 is a 2004 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film, produced by DreamWorks Animation and directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury and Conrad Vernon. It is the second installment in the Shrek film series and the sequel to 2001's Shrek...
having a budget of $150,000,000.
Animation
The film, on a tight budget and with a relatively small group of animators, was created in 106 weeks, in what The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described as "a piece of guerrilla film-making" in comparison to the other CGI animated films created by major studios. At least 5 computer animators worked together for every scene of the 76 minute film, working on effects such as colour, movement and shading. As a result of the low number of animators some critics called the film's animation "amateurish-looking". However, other reviewers stated that the film was "nicely animated".
Tom Jacomb, line producer for Vanguard Animation stated that the biggest difficulties whilst making the film was the detail required for the birds' feathers. He stated that "most — no, all — our problems were feathers", and described them as a "misery in computer animation". Director Gary Chapman insisted that each bird must look distinctive, and as a result, the pigeons came in various colours, including beige, blue, yellow, red and grey. He also requested that each bird be dressed in clothing, and clothing accessories appear throughout the film on characters, usually hat
Hat
A hat is a head covering. It can be worn for protection against the elements, for ceremonial or religious reasons, for safety, or as a fashion accessory. In the past, hats were an indicator of social status...
s, belt
Belt (clothing)
A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...
s, and military medals
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
and, in the case of the villainous Von Talon, a black leather cape
Cape
Cape can be used to describe any sleeveless outer garment, such as a poncho, but usually it is a long garment that covers only the back half of the wearer, fastening around the neck. They were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon, and have had periodic...
. However, before Valiant, Bugsy, Lofty Thaddeus Worthington, Tailfeather, Toughwood complete their military training, they appear entirely clothes-free, equipped with no military regalia.
Reception
Valiant received a 30% "rotten" rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
based on 109 reviews with an average rating of 5/10. The film did business of $19,478,106 in the U.S. and $42,268,782 internationally. This gives it a worldwide total of $61,746,888, which is considered successful, but low by CGI film standards. The film held the record for lowest box office of a CGI animated film, until its record was later beaten in 2006 by Doogal, the re-dubbed version of The Magic Roundabout
The Magic Roundabout (film)
The Magic Roundabout, , is a 2005 British computer-animated film based on the television series of the same name...
.
Soundtrack
The musical score was composed by George FentonGeorge Fenton
George Fenton is a British composer best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, although he also writes music for the theatre. His real name is George Howe but he is better known by his pseudonym of George Fenton.-Selected film and television credits:Fenton has composed...
and mostly performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
. The orchestral music is in keeping with the military theme of the film, especially in the case of tracks such as "March of the R.H.P.S.", which was performed by The Central Band of the Royal Air Force
The Central Band of the RAF
The Central Band of the Royal Air Force is a military band, and the RAF's main band. It has brass, percussion and woodwind instruments. Like the RAF's two other bands, the Central Band is part of the Royal Air Force Music Services...
. The tracks were recorded at AIR Recording Studios and at Angel Recording Studios in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and at Right Track Studios, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The only track not composed by Fenton, and the only track featured on the soundtrack with vocals, is "Shoo Shoo Baby
Shoo Shoo Baby (song)
Shoo Shoo Baby is a popular song made famous by The Andrews Sisters. They sang it in the 1943 film Three Cheers for the Boys and it became a big hit for them in 1944, reaching No. 6 in the chart. Their version features a jazzy vocal pop arrangement typical of the time, with a key hook provided by...
", sang by R&B girl group Mis-Teeq
Mis-Teeq
Mis-Teeq are a British R&B girl group, comprising singers Alesha Dixon, Su-Elise Nash and Sabrina Washington. Originally a quartet which included Zena McNally, the group was formed in 1999 and released three major studio albums and seven consecutive UK top ten singles, including international hits...
. "Shoo Shoo Baby" was originally sung by the Andrews Sisters, a popular American wartime group. Although "Shoo Shoo Baby" was the only track on the album containing lyrics, it was not the only lyrical track used in the film; "Non, je ne regrette rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
"Non, je ne regrette rien" , meaning "No, I'm not sorry for anything", is a French song composed by Charles Dumont, with lyrics by Michel Vaucaire. It was written in 1956, and is best known through its 1960 recording by Édith Piaf....
" by Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
is played in one scene in the film, despite it being recorded in 1960, 16 years after 1944, when the film was set.