A couple of weeks ago I was introduced to this very quirky film (with a mouthful of a title!). It was produced by Sony Pictures Animation -- a company perhaps not well-known in name, but they have made films such as Open Season, Surf's Up and The Smurfs, as well as producing alongside Aardman on Arthur Christmas and The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists!.
This movie is a real treat, and a surprise. It's very polished in its production, with carefully thought out characters and colours, and more particle/fluid effects than I think I've ever seen (a lot of food rains down from the sky and flows across the ground, etc.)!
The animation is excellent, with such comedic exaggeration you'd think they couldn't get away with it, but somehow they do and it works brilliantly in the film's favour.
It was the superb humour that stood out most to me. The timing was perfect for those moments of shock-humour, and they utilised the background of the frames more than I've seen in any film -- you could always trust that something funny would be happening behind the main focus, even as far as to distract you from the lines of speech being delivered. It made me feel a little sorry for the animators having to do so much work!
I don't have a whole lot more to say except that it is genius. More and more animated films are finding this perfect balance that allows both adults and children to appreciate them -- and I can't resist some slapstick sometimes! This humble-in-reputation company pleasantly surprised me, and I look forward to the sequel in a year's time.
Caitlin :)
