Lovely visuals are key for the success of any animated film, arguably more so even than for live-action movies. But a compelling story is also essential, and that’s where “Long Way North” trips up.
This tale of a late 19th Century Russian teen on an Arctic quest is undeniably dazzling to behold, but as an epic action-adventure saga it must, by definition, be exciting and brisk. It is instead stately and a bit bland.
Intrepid young aristocrat Sacha (voiced in the English-language version by Chloé Dunn) has a lifelong fascination with the adventurous exploits of her grandfather, a famous scientist and Arctic explorer.