The film centers on Koo, a bantam chicken who finds himself in a modern industrial chicken farm called Chicken Factory. There, Koo meets Moo and a flock of chickens living under a closed-loop system, believing they are being prepared for a place called "Paradise." When the truth behind the gates is revealed, the group must find a way to escape, learning lessons about freedom and friendship along the way.

After its release on 2/10, the trailer immediately faced backlash on Threads and Facebook. Many viewers commented on the unnatural character movements, rigid facial expressions, and inconsistent drawing styles across scenes, such as the bantam chicken sometimes having teeth and sometimes not.

Beyond technical aspects, audiences debated Nguyen Quang Dung's statement that AI helped him save tens of billions of dong, opening a shortcut for Vietnamese animation. Many opinions suggested the team was equating creativity with financial optimization. A Threads user commented: "The core of animation lies in the soul of the characters and the artist's artisanal touch. Rushing to rely on AI to cut costs when domestic animation capability is not yet strong is not a breakthrough."

Conversely, some viewers argued that the public was being overly critical of AI. They believe that adopting new technology is an inevitable trend in global cinema, and therefore, the efforts of domestic filmmakers to experiment should be judged fairly.

User @damchithien noted that if the technological element hadn't been disclosed, many visuals in the trailer achieved a relatively good level of completion compared to the general standard. User @quanta0627 commented: "AI is just a tool; what matters is how users manage the process and master the tool. Professional users will control quality, seeing AI as auxiliary personnel, unlike amateurs who just type commands and let the machine decide."

From a professional perspective, Doan Tran Anh Tuan, co-founder of Colory Animation, a studio recognized for the short animated film "Under the Tree's Shadow," acknowledged the efforts of director Nguyen Quang Dung's team but suggested the trailer still had areas for improvement.

Choosing a realistic style with a high level of detail is a risky approach. This style demands high precision in character expressions and movements. If not met, the work can easily fall into the "uncanny valley," an effect that occurs when a character design mimics a human but lacks smooth movements. He believes that the connection between the director and the technical operation team is always a significant challenge and hopes the final film will overcome the limitations seen in the trailer.

Director Anh Tuan stated that viewers have every right to be critical. He cited the case of the film "Sonic the Hedgehog" (2022), which had its release delayed to redesign all character models due to criticism, subsequently achieving major box office success. He considers this a lesson in being receptive to feedback and listening to the market. Anh Tuan said: "Filmmaking has never been easy, whether through traditional methods or with AI assistance. The most important thing remains the perseverance of professionals to perfect the story."

A scene from "The Naked World" film. Photo: Film crew provided

Regarding audience feedback, director Nguyen Quang Dung stated he was not surprised and was ready to embrace the risks of trying a new direction. In the project, artificial intelligence acts as a data processing tool, learning from sketches, storyboards, and real-life performances provided by the human team. Humans remain the key factor in the creative process.

According to him, AI is the most feasible solution to realize an idea he nurtured for more than 20 years, since preparing to graduate from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Theater and Cinema. Through investors, he connected and worked directly with major technology partners in Asia, who are also preparing to release AI-applied animated films in their markets. "The team will work more carefully, avoiding complacency during the completion of the work," the director said.

Before "The Naked World," some domestic entities had already begun experimenting with AI film technology. In late September, TFS, Ho Chi Minh City Television Film Studio, in collaboration with HTV, introduced "Bai San," a short film series adapted from science fiction literature, with all visuals produced using AI. The "Hoi Thuc Khong Chien" project, directed by Pham Vinh Khuong using artificial intelligence technology, is scheduled for online release in 7/2025, with the theme of honoring fallen heroes and martyrs.

Director Nguyen Quang Dung during an exchange with students in TP HCM in 2025. Photo: Organizer provided

Director Nguyen Quang Dung, 47 years old, is the son of writer Nguyen Quang Sang. He graduated from the Film Directing program at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Theater and Cinema in 1999. In the 2000s, he was known for entertainment films such as "Nu Hon Than Chet" and "Giai Cuu Than Chet." Many of his films achieved high revenue, including "Thang Nam Ruc Ro" with 85 billion dong and "Tiec Trang Mau" with 175 billion dong.

In 2023, he directed the feature film "Dat Rung Phuong Nam," inspired by the original work of writer Doan Gioi, starring Hong Anh, Tran Thanh, Mai Tai Phen, and Tuan Tran. The director and singer Bui Lan Huong publicly announced their relationship in 6/2023, supporting each other at various events.

Cat Tien