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Saturday, December 22, 2007

Bakshi Review: Cool World (1992)


Plot: An underground cartoonist, recently released from jail, is seduced by his own creation. However, sex between noids (humans) and doodles (cartoons) is strictly forbidden. When they do have sex, the girl becomes real and all hell breaks loose. This was Bakshi's last completed film.


Virtues: This film is filled with creativity and wonderful art that almost makes up for its low budget. The backgrounds by Barry Jackson add a nightmarish feeling to the film. This is not the kind of Toontown that you'll find at Disneyland. The characters here are much like other Bakshi film stars: everybody is a complete asshole. The only difference in Cool World is that there are actual good guys, people with heroic attributes. The character designs are excellent, done by great cartoonist Milton Knight. The characters look like they popped out of an old Fleischers or Terrytoons short. The voice actors do terrific jobs with their characters, especially Charlie Adler as Nails the Spider. The animation of the doodles is excellent. It's very cartoony.

Vices: Where to start. Let's start with the actors. The live-action people were horribly miscast. Kim Basinger was not meant to play the kind of woman that Holli Would is. Bakshi said he would have preferred to have had Drew Barrymore play the part. By the way, Kim Basinger is not that attractive as a noid. Also, Brad Pitt was too young to play the kind of grisled detective he played. Maybe if he redid the role today it would be better. Also, as cartoony as the animation is, it's also just pure chaos like the old Terrytoons. Nothing ever stops and there's no structure to it. The plot is so full of holes that you could market it as a new type of cheese. Lastly, the mixture of live-action and animation is not that convincing. It doesn't feel like they're touching.

Best Scene: The ending, where Detective Harris (Brad Pitt) is revived as a doodle and is reunited with his love, fellow doodle Lonette. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a happy ending.

Final Grade: 5.5 out of 10

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3 comments:

Mr. Trombley said...

Are you going to review Mr. Bakshi's short lived "series" for Cartoon Network Malcom and Melvin. I really like Babe He Calls Me a lot.

Episode 1: Malcom and Melvin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejA7ALtb43U

Episode 2: Babe He Calls Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hlmNo_sEa0

Would you mind leaving me a post so I know whether or not your doing one?

Jimbo said...

These storyboards are great. Did Ralph do them? They remind of Ira Turik a great artist who worked with Ralph off and on for years.

.Jon Garaizar. said...

malcom and melvin are so great.

whats that image from?