| Overall Grade: |
B+ |
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| Story: |
B |
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| Acting: |
N/A |
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| Direction: |
B+ |
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| Visuals: |
A |
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Animated Adventure Original and Entertaining
by Timothy (movies profile)
Dec 12, 2004
8
of
8 people found this review helpful
Reflecting on box office receipts, two-dimensional animated films are really starting to go downhill. This could have something to do with 3D computer animation taking things to a new level. This could also have something to do with the fact that 3D cartoons are packed with star power and adult innuendos, while 2D cartoons provide little appeal since companies such as Disney are sticking to the same formula: a musical focusing on a hisorical figure or an average schmoe that becomes a hero and saves the day while singing songs with inanimate objects or animals. Not saying there was anything wrong with these cartoons in the first place. "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King" were both superb cartoons from the two-dimensional drawing board, but Disney decided to follow the same formula year after year to a point where they are laying off animators due to drop in revenue.
Perhaps Disney needs to change their approach. "The Triplets of Belleville" is not a kid's film, but I am willing to bet it will make more profit than Walt Disney's child-oriented "The Teacher's Pet". Haven't heard of "Teacher's Pet"? My point exactly. "Belleville" is an animated gem from our friends in France that focuses on a grandmother, an obese hound dog, and a trio of washed-up vaudville singers who go on a mission to track down a kidnapped bicyclist from a gang of box-shouldered, mafioso goons.
Here is an animated flick that decided to resurrect ideas from the past and brave into new realms as well. In a flashback scene involving a vaudeville show, the film evokes a feeling of nostalgia as performers sing and dance in a sequence that looks like what would happen if Tim Burton were crossed with Merry Melodies. The film presents a dingy world into which mainstream cartoons rarely venture. From exploring the nightmares of a nervous canine to presenting upbeat musical numbers with household appliances used as instruments, "Belleville" presents a burst of batty imagination.
Judging from the previews, I expected "Belleville" to be a hodge podge of animated vignettes that would not make much sense, but would still demonstrate its attempts at experimenting with visual style. To my surprise, this was a film with a unified plot that actually made sense. From the beginning to the end I laughed hysterically and enjoyed its charming humor. I especially felt laughter and sadness for the character that was the overweight dog named Bruno. Along with every other character in the film, Bruno does not say a word, yet I felt a sense of emotional connection just by looking into his sad, bloodshot eyes.
"Triplets of Belleville" is a wildly entertaing addition to the animation genre. Although this film is reaching arthouse crowds in its limited theatrical release, I believe this film could be enjoyed by many. In fact, I would have to recommend seeing this with a friend or group of friends that are looking for a good laugh. This is a creative project to which I give an enthusiastic stamp of approval. |
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