Closing Night: Monster Hunt
Former Bay Area animator Raman Hui directed this box office–busting tale about a broken truce between the human and monster worlds. Blending brilliant live action with expertly rendered CGI, the action-packed and hilarious fantasy adventure is based on the idea that humans have forgotten the real existence of beasts and ogres. However, when a coup erupts within the monster world, forcing their queen to hide within the human world, the long-separate realms collide with comic fury. Recommended for ages nine and up.
Description
Former Bay Area animator Raman Hui (animation on Shrek, Antz) directed this box office–busting tale about a broken truce between the human and monster worlds. Blending brilliant live action with expertly rendered, deliciously quirky CGI, the fantasy adventure is based on the idea that humans have forgotten the real existence of beasts and ogres. However, when a coup erupts within the monster world, forcing its pregnant queen Fat Ying and her husband Zhugao to hide within the human world, the long-separate realms collide with comic fury. Monsters, many of whom are able to disguise themselves as human, begin showing themselves throughout the countryside, sometimes as bounty hunters intent on capturing the queen and her soon-to-be newborn child, sometimes to help frightened and confused human beings. Full of action, humor and technical wizardry, Monster Hunt appeals to audiences of all kinds, as evidenced by the film becoming the highest-grossing Chinese film in history. Recommended for ages nine and up.
Biographies
Raman Hui started his animation career at Quantum Studios in Hong Kong where he worked as a cel animator. Soon thereafter he moved to Canada where he attended Sheridan College, and quickly found himself creating hand-drawn animated productions for TV commercials in Toronto. In 1989, Hui started full-time at PDI (later acquired by DreamWorks) where he worked on many 3-D characters like a computer-generated Mickey Mouse for Jim Henson’s Muppetvision. He also helped create the first computer-generated Pillsbury Doughboy. Hui is credited with writing, directing and producing PDI’s animated short Sleepy Guy, which has won several festival awards. When PDI was acquired by DreamWorks, Hui was given supervising animator duties for both Antz and Shrek.