Cool World

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source: Cool World

Cool World

As an animator, I have a thing for movies where real people and cartoons collide, so I decided to watch this film and after wards I thought it was a really good movie. First off, the animation is great. The characters are likable and fun to see on screen, and the whole idea of the movie is interesting. Though some of the acting is bad, and the plot isn't fully explained, and the ending is a little anti-climactic, the rest of the film makes up for it. I also enjoyed the sub-plot of the film, and Holli Would's dancing (thought it was obviously rotoscoped). But overall I really do believe this is an underrated film, because it contains the sexiest cartoon ever made: Holli Would. I'd recommend this film to a friend, and watch it the second time. It really is a film you'd remembered.

"Cool World" is the first-ever mature-themed animated film that I have seen so far. Actually, the movie is a combination of live action & animation. The film's poster looked good, and the film had 3 big movie stars: Brad Pitt (from "Ocean's Eleven"), Gabriel Byrne (from "The Usual Suspects"), and Kim Basinger (from "LA Confidential"). Although many people seem to hate this movie, I actually enjoyed it. Sure, the actors didn't act too well and there were lots of visual mistakes, but the animation was dreamy, dreary, and had Gothic background features. I love the way the funny & crazy cartoon characters mingled with the dark architecture of Cool World (the toon world). This was a little treat for me since, when I was a kid, I always imagined cartoon characters in crazy cities. The main female character, named Holli Would, is a real dream diva. She's hot & sexy, but at the same time seems to be villainous. To me, she is a sexier alternative to Jessica Rabbit (from the live action/animation film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"). The soundtrack is excellent, featuring some early 90's dance songs. I particularly like the opening song at the beginning of the movie called "Play With Me". The only thing that I didn't really like about this movie is that the last 30 minutes seemed rushed. The beginning of the movie was exciting and had the feel of a great movie. But in the next hour of the movie, the actors start acting lazy, the jokes get cheesy, and the animation spins out of control. And most of all, the ending was stupid. All in all, I kinda enjoyed this film. It's definitely not for everyone, but the movie had an interesting idea. It's too bad that the movie didn't manage to achieve success at the box office in 1992 (it had to compete with better films such as "Terminator2: Judgment Day" and "The Silence of the Lambs"). I give this movie a 6/10.

I had heard many negative comments concerning this film. So, when I saw it recently, it was a pleasant surprise for me to find out by myself that it is an interesting allegory in the form of a charming fairy-tale for big children. The story deals with the ability of the human brains to fall back on an imaginary world when the reality is too miserable and painful (the case of ex-soldier Frank Harris - Brad Pitt - after a horrible accident) or when somebody longs very much for something that is impossible to attain in the real world (the case of writer Jack Deebs - Gabriel Byrne). This world of imagination may strike as existent as the real one. Yet, in the far end of our mind we know that it is not real: indulging in a fantasy may help someone to bear the reality, but doesn't give him the satisfaction he would feel if he lived his fantasy in the flesh. (Frank finds consolation in his love affair with Lunette but he can't consummate this relationship. He can't have sex with her, he's human while she's a creature of imagination, a cartoon). Sex is forbidden between humans and cartoons. In general, interaction is forbidden between the two worlds, the real and the virtual, something like that could destroy both of them. This is a slick way to be pointed out that imagination is dangerous for the establishment of our (real) world, so don't use it at all and stop visualizing a different (maybe better) future for mankind, if you want to be a good citizen of this world. This is also a smart way to be noted that the real world's malice and ugliness may destroy the ideal virtual world our imagination has constructed so carefully. The return to the real world is a painful procedure and when you're back there you are reminded (as Frank is) that there are 8.000.000 ways for you to die, literally and metaphorically (spiritually). Some technical flaws in the animation didn't prevent me from enjoying the surrealistic vibrating universe of Cool World, where always something happens. I found the film entertaining from the beginning up to its redemptive end, a kind of entertainment I had as a child, when cartoons were my favorites. I enjoyed the fine performances, as well, especially that of a young Brad Pitt in his pre-stardom era. Even in this early work one can perceive his inherent gift that he has developed gradually, so that to become the great actor he is today. He is terrific in the opening scene of the accident and absolutely convincing as a man who has been stoically compromised with his destiny: his greatest dream (a consummated relationship with Lunette) can never come true, neither in the real nor in the imaginary world. Concluding I would say that Cool World is a beautiful entertaining movie that it's worthwhile discovering it.

Ralph Bakshi. The very name conjures up such successes and ground-breaking movies as "Fritz the Cat", "Heavy Traffic", the taboo-shattering "Coonskin" and even later triumphs as "American Pop". He even made good in re-animating cartoon versions of "Spider-Man" and "Mighty Mouse". I even remember the funny characters he created for that video for The Rolling Stones' "Harlem Shuffle". So... why did his usual command of the medium slide down so much in quality with "Cool World"? We all know what Bakshi is capable of. That he allowed something so slip-shod to be released without any re-tooling is shameful. With a surer touch and better script, this could have been a latter-day success story for him. Instead, Bakshi shows as much uncertainty in his live-action direction as he does his animation here: none of the characters have much charisma, personality or reason to be given screen time. Rather than that, what you have is a sad, cynical exercise to cash-in on the animation craze that was rightfully set off with "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" in 1990. Yes, cash-in; you heard me. Something so slapped-together and ungainly as to have cartoon characters simply run across the screen without announcement just to keep the audience off-guard is saying something, and it's not something nice. What actors like Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne and Brad Pitt are doing in this is anyone's guess, unless Bakshi is just a master pitch-man. But even their scenes, animated or not, add next to nothing. And that's sad seeing, under certain circumstances, they have all done great things before and since - though, admittedly, it's hard to imagine Kim as an Oscar-winner after watching her gallivant around in a school-girl skirt and a Barbie-voice. SO many scenes are either too short or go on and on and on without a sign of actually being about anything (like the night club scene - Frank Sinatra Jr??!). Someone must have REALLY wanted to rush this film through badly, allowing a product so obviously unfinished as this to be unleashed on the unsuspecting movie-going public at large. It's typical of Hollywood, but nothing that should be allowed for anyone the likes of Bakshi and company (SHOULD BE, that is). Someday, maybe Bakshi will take this film, redo it and re-release it with the bad and unfinished scenes either removed, repaired or made more coherent, and he'll have his renaissance yet. But so far, this "Cool World" is set on quick thaw. One star, some of the animation is indeed well-done and the vast cityscape of the "Cool World" is fascinating. If only something else as interesting had happened around it.