| 3 Bahadur | Starring: Muneeba Yaseen, Hanzala Shahid and Zuhab Khan | Directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

The protagonists of the film, Kamil, Saadi and Amna | Publicity photo

Two years ago, when I heard that production of the first Pakistani animated feature-length film was in the works, I felt a spark of childlike excitement. This anticipation did not fade throughout the long wait up to the moment when I sat at the premiere screening of 3 Bahadur last week. I was not alone in having this sense of expectation. As soon as the film began, the older gentleman beside me suddenly leaned forward and the fussy child on my other side stopped complaining. We all knew that we were about to behold something big.

A children's adventure film about superheroes, 3 Bahadur is about fighting evil with good. Roshan Basti is a beautiful and happy town that will soon fall victim to great impending evil. The villain, Manju, who attains his power from the key of evil, has to reckon with our three heroes – Amna (Yaseen), Saadi (Khan) and Kamil (Shahid) – who get their powers from the key of good. The guardian of the key of good is a security guard, Deenu (Behroze Sabzwari), who is a dubious character, suspected to be working for the bad guys.

The villains of 3 Bahadur | Publicity photo

Right off the bat, local elements are conspicuous in the film; a pirate ship at an amusement park, a mela and other attractions perhaps set the film apart as a unique experience of being rooted in local culture. The movie also attempts to subvert norms. Initially, it is the girl Amna who gets the most action-packed power. She is no damsel in distress as she takes on the lead role and is the one responsible for getting the boys to safety. Oh, and the three heroes are all raised by single parents.

However, at times, in its effort to deliver a message the script sounds too preachy. The dialogue is too on the nose and assumes that the young audience needs everything spelled out to them. On the contrary, most kids are smarter than the filmmakers give them credit and like the three superheroes, they do understand the implications of the society they live in.

Another visual obtrusion was the consistent and too obvious brand placement throughout. In one scene, as Saadi moves in front of his bedroom window during an argument with his mother, a billboard for a biscuit brand smacks the audience in the face.

— Publicity photo

The redeeming moments are the touching portrayal of parent-child interactions and the genuine depiction of dialogue. The scriptwriting is at its best where it deals with the relationship between the three children.

Even if we don't yet have the high-definition technology of studios like Pixar or DreamWorks, the talent behind 3 Bahadur shows potential to compete with the best in animation film. The 2D sequences in the movie sometimes look better than the 3D scenes. The landscapes are beautiful; the night sky is rich in colour and the texture of the clothes and skin is quite realistic. The action sequences are of high quality and the sound and lighting are utilised perfectly.

3 Bahadur is a must-watch family movie just by virtue of being the first Pakistani animation feature film about local superheroes.