Fake horses

Rating: 4/10 (21 April 2016)

While the story is visually stunning and gripping in its detail, the use of life size stuffed toys challenges suspension of disbelief to it's stretching point. When in close ups the actors are clearly riding stuffed animals on trailers with wheels the scenes take on a ridiculous aspect that is impossible to overcome. This starts early on in the film in the opening scene which clearly indicates the production was geared towards depicting the conflict with much detail and realism until the stuffed toys become front and center. The actors are clearly riding real horses when the horses are moving faster than a walk later in the film. What could have possibly been behind the decision to use fake horses when walking for close ups. How unskilled were the cameramen and production crew that the shots could not be done without fake horses?