The first Honduran animated film generated with artificial intelligence, Copán: La leyenda, has been met with harsh criticism in its home country. Produced by Level 7 Studios and directed by Ricardo Morales, it was promoted as a technological milestone that would democratize local cinema. However, the result has been considered an artistic and narrative disaster.
Generative AI: the broken promise of Honduran cinema 🤖
Level 7 Studios bet on generative AI tools to create animation and dialogue, seeking to reduce costs and time. But the final product shows obvious flaws: robotic movements, lifeless facial expressions, and poor lip-syncing. Instead of democratizing, the film demonstrated that technology, without solid artistic control, produces results that do not meet the minimum standard of traditional animation.
The legend no one wanted to see 🎬
The creators hoped Copán: La leyenda would be a source of national pride, but the public has compared it to a poorly rendered 90s video game. Some joked that the AI not only generated the film but also the negative reviews. At least it serves as a reminder that, in cinema, technology without talent is like a treasure map without the X: just a pretty wallpaper.