“Ted the Traveler and the Secret of King Midas” is a typical animated sequel to the adventurous cartoon about an ordinary builder who acts like he is Indiana Jones.
Background
After two animated shorts about the adventures of Ted (Tadeo) Jones, the animator from Spain Enrico Gato decided on a full meter. In 2012, he presented to the audience a animated sketch of “Ted Jones and the Lost City”. This animated buffoonery was recognized as a modification of the theme of "Lara Croft" and "Indiana Jones." The protagonist of the project was not a professional archaeologist, but a simple builder from Chicago, but he dreamed of studying ancient artifacts and suddenly got a chance to realize his dreams in reality.
In the United States, the cartoon was greeted coolly, but in Spain the audience liked it. Therefore, five years later, Madrid's Lightbox Animation Studios and the creative duo of David Alonso and Enrique Gato created the second full-length film about the adventures of Ted and his companion, potential lover Sara Lavrova. Despite the fact that the heroine has a Russian name, there are no specific national features in her. Duration of the “Ted-traveler and the Mystery of King Midas” reviews of the cartoon are considered to be the advantages of the project. For 85 minutes of timing, the tape does not have time to bore the young audience.
Storyline description
The cartoon “Ted the Traveler and the Secret of King Midas” received both positive and negative reviews, his movie rating IMDb: 6.40. This assessment was largely due to the secondary narration of the tape.
According to the plot, archaeologist Sara Lavrova during the next expedition discovers an ancient papyrus indicating the location of the necklace of King Midas. The artifact, as legend has it, gives the owner the ability to turn everything into pure gold. The builder Ted, who is interested in archeology and is in love with Sarah, arrives at the exhibition dedicated to the announcement of the find. The celebrations of the presentation are interrupted by the attack of a gangster group that kidnaps both the papyrus and the girl. The leader of the gang, Jack Rackham, is sure that the archaeologist will come in handy in search of the lost treasure, he is impatient to gain the ability of Midas. Ted, along with student assistant Tiffany, rush in pursuit of intruders. Find the latest they will help Sarah's notebook, containing mysterious clues.
Main character
The cartoon “Ted-traveler and the secret of King Midas” is positioned as an independent project, connected only by the personality of the key character with the 2012 animated film. Unfortunately, most reviewers indicate that, most likely, the authors of the project were not visited by inspiration. The tape does not surprise, does not impress the audience, acquainted with the contents of the previous work, as well as a number of games on which it is based. Film critics in reviews of “The Ted-traveler and the Secret of King Midas” indicate that the animated masterpiece is a template adventure comedy, during which the central character moves from one country to another, crawls along the sewers, finds secret passages, pressing statues on the heads, and collects an artifact from three fragments.
During the search, Ted comically fights off the mercenary villains, although he does not possess combat skills. Closer to the climax, the abducted Sarah returns to the story, and her relationship with Ted comes down to choosing a place and a suitable moment for a declaration of love. If in the original tape their relationship developed, then in the sequel froze in place. Therefore, the reviews of “Ted-the traveler and the secret of King Midas” indicate the mandatory viewing of the previous picture.
Minor Characters
In the adventures of Ted, Tiffany helps, although the plot role of the character is extremely insignificant. A brighter protagonist becomes a light and talkative mummy who migrated from the original cartoon, who loves to try on various outfits, which, together with the smart dog Jeff, serve as the dominant generator of humor. True, this duet makes only a young spectator laugh, in adults it causes irritation.
On the one hand, the reviews of Ted the Traveler and the Secret of King Midas are described as a beautiful and Hollywood dynamic animated film with a lot of action scenes inherent in the animation, but too crazy even for the Dream Factory. After all, real actors are not able to carry out half the tricks performed by animated characters. Of such moments, the chase scene through the streets of Granada stands out. True, this episode is in the middle of the story, and not at the climax.
On the other hand, if “Lara Croft” and “Indiana Jones” glorified the finds of professional archaeologists, although sometimes working as black diggers, the cartoon Alonso and Gato is able to convince the beholder that sincere enthusiasm and minimal considerations are enough to study ancient artifacts . This is a very dubious idea, because of which many antiquities were lost forever.
On the C grade
The project cannot be called the worst work of the Spanish animators, but it is impossible to rate it higher than the “troika” of the five. The plot of the tape is recognizable, it is not new. All sorts of genre innovations are absent as such. Although the picture is qualitatively improved graphics. Now the action equally encompasses elaborate light landscapes, underwater expanses and vibrant architecture, details. The creators maintain a harmonious balance between small things and space, depicting the voluminous world of glossy characters and almost toy, chubby objects.
Critics recommend the animated project to be viewed in reviews of Ted the Traveler and the Secret of King Midas. The cinema schedule of the Russian Federation begins on October 19 of the outgoing year.