Review: A lack of wowow plagues Zak & Wowo: The Legend of Lendarys

Pretty early on in Zak & Wowo: The Legend of Lendarys, a fast-paced kid-friendly adventure that has started its theatrical rollout overseas, I hit on the way I was going to understand the movie: this is a sort of baby's first sci-fi/fantasy adventure. Reading the movie through that lens makes it a little easier to stomach some of its peculiarities and shortcomings, and to enjoy what it does well. It's not a great movie. It's not even necessarily a good one. But at only 85 minutes long, it at least doesn't overstay its welcome. 

Zak and Kyle are twins who live with their grandma in a cool cliffside home, where she trains them how to survive in an unforgiving wilderness. Each of them received half of a magic stone from their mother when died in childbirth. Kyle is already mastering the powers contained in his half, casting spells and facing off with the giant armadillo-like monsters who roam the forest. Zak, meanwhile, is a late-bloomer, always listening to music and relying on his brother to save his skin. 

Meanwhile, the rest of humanity lives within the safety of a massive walled city, guarded by futuristic soldiers under the command of a harsh governor. I dug the distinction between the city and the wilderness, the gleaming sci-fi world versus the fantastical world of beasts and magic. It's a cool juxtaposition and some fun genre mish-mash: monsters fighting against gun-toting soldiers, magical training aboard an alien spaceship. It's pretty fun!

From the city hails Indiana, a spunky young woman who is the product of both worlds. Her mom is the captain of the guard, duly serving her government and her city. Indiana's father, meanwhile, comes from the world outside, and encourage his daughter's adventures beyond the walls of the city. There, she's friends with a mystical Lendarys, a sort of tiger-horse hybrid that many believe don't exist, and that the governor views as a threat to his city. 

Indiana naturally crosses paths with the brothers, which leads to some tense confrontations, some potential romantic sparks, and a lot of exposition. This is one of the areas where I tried to give the film some grace, since a lot of the dialogue is rather clunky, and doesn't always make the most sense. There are so many moments of discover and realization that feel forced, and a lot of the plotting feels like it's a matter of convenience for the story-tellers. In one scene, a character manages to sneak around and avoid detection with complete ease. In another, a character is caught for no other reason than the plot needs them to. I didn't feel like I was in good hands, which is frustrating to say the least. 

One of the film's bright spots is the other character name-checked in the title: Wowo. He's a member of a giant ape-like species who, through a magical mishap on Zak's part, becomes tiny. He's a fun, wise-cracking character who, paired with Zak, had me thinking about Jak and Daxter, which is always a good thing. 

Sadly, Wowo isn't enough to salvage what ends up being a lethargically paced adventure that doesn't feel like it quite knows how to tell its story. By the time we get to the epic action finale, things get particularly bleak, due to some underwhelming action choreography and animation that lacks oomph. It's a bummer to land so limply, because this movie clearly has its heart in the right place, and is amiable enough in its approach to not offend. I think younger viewers might enjoy it thanks to its fun character designs, cool creatures, and colorful world. Anyone else might find it a challenge to sit through.