Animonday: Renaissance
It’s French week on Mine Was Taller and kicking things off we have this stunning animated feature from director Christian Volckman. The film’s black and white look brings to mind Frank Miller’s Sin City (both graphic novel and movie versions) but the colour scheme is the only thing the films really have in common.
This is a futuristic tale dealing with man’s quest for immortality and the corruption that inevitably follows. It’s easy to see why the filmmakers wanted current Bond, Daniel Craig, to voice the hero as in many ways this is an animated, futuristic take on Ian Fleming’s hero. But Craig isn’t the only actor to bring some Bond baggage with him, Jonathan Pryce plays the films villain and he does a better job than he did in Tomorrow Never Dies. Composer Nicholas Dodd is clearly in tune with the film’s Bond vibe and gives it an action epic feel that would make him a good choice to score Bond 22.
It’s not perfect though. While the films visuals are breathtaking at first they do get a little samey after a while and, at 110 minutes, it’s a little on the long side. It’s well worth seeing though, with its unique look and exciting action sequences it shows that when it comes to animated features the French are as inventive as any Hollywood or Asian filmmakers.
