I could not sit through this animation movie and everything I read up on it prior to seeing it, I've now since forgotten. Point is, this movie is highly forgettable; I certainly do not have any intention to watch it again, let alone view it with or recommend it to my twin 8 year old nieces (who are avid film fans and have their own list of Netflix favourites).
The premise sounds a little like Spirited Away, except in this movie it is the grandparents that need saving instead of the parents. This small similarity does not bother me, after all there's hardly a thing called original nowadays (if there is, it's once in a blue-moon sort of phenomenon).
My expectations were high for this movie, particularly as I'm an avid viewer of animation (films or TV shows) – I consume a respectable amount for someone my type. The problem with this movie is that I never once felt absorbed in the story. If it was meant to be an adventure, I surely felt stranded rather than compelled to go along with the journey. I felt distant and disconnected towards the characters, the plot and the main protagonist's task. I sussed it out why this was so; for my part, it came down mainly to the in-your-face shoving-down-your-throat of morals. Almost every scene is about dispensing of some moral or two. Felt like I was being hit on the head with a moral stick.
Speaking generally and mainly just about animation, even the worst or best of Disney films are not culprit to this excess preaching. A good animation and story allows the viewers to come up with their own conclusions and at their own pace discover the qualities or lessons to be taken-away after viewing. In the end, it should always be the story and characters that should do all the talking and impressing onto the audience. (In Dayo, I felt like I was standing in front of a lecturer – the story and development was definitely not organic).
Not all animation I have seen so far is good, but regardless of the overall quality, I still somewhat got swept up in some of the stories because the characters are engaging if they are not likable, the plot interesting even if plagued with plot-holes, or, even in the slightest, a semblance or spark of something different or smart or humane in the overall piece. In the very, very least, it could be amusing or entertaining. What I found in Dayo is I found none of these, and I have seen animations wherein the 2D or 3D renderings of characters or world are ugly (in my view) and yet had me captivated and involved. So the problem with Dayo isn't the look of the animation but its execution of the story.
The intentions are good with this movie; it is obvious from the message. The fault within is its need to constantly remind the viewers of it almost every turn. This obviously got in the way of its storytelling and character development, resulting in bland and boring – a very uninspiring animation (regardless if it was part of a film festival).
Too preachy for my taste and lacking in adventurous scope: 4/10
