Exceptional animation (many awards; in the bag/yet to come), officially from Latvia, but more generally European-Union, is best described as a chamber-scaled Noah’s Ark story . . . sans Noah. Indeed without any humans or dialogue. Just a handful of different species all in their own voice, awkwardly figuring out how to share the small Asian-style boat (a ‘junk’) and outlast the fast rising waters covering the earth. Led by a smart, sleek cat who opens things by outrunning adversaries, if not those rising tides. Leaping aboard a junk in the nick of time, our feline finds a sleepy capybara as companion and before long they are joined by considerably more wary beasts: dog, lemur, and a long-legged bird. Floating toward a series of striking adventures in survival (neither cute nor jokey), they discover something like a protective friendship of inconvenience as they learn the ropes (literally; with Big Bird at the till) and bump their way thru this brave new watery world. Then, just as mysteriously, the waters recede even faster than they rose. A switch that proves equally challenging. Lead animator/director/writer Gints Zilbalodis (he’s the Latvian) handles the somewhat limited CGI animation with real artistry. With about a four mill budget, this isn’t the kind of ultra-detailed look of a Hollywood studio release (their fur coats have a modeled look, like suede over clay that works surprisingly well. (The dog not quite as successful.) But backgrounds and nature’s terrifying beauty wonderfully caught. And with an ending that might just lead to the next chapter (10?) in this animated Genesis. An enchantment, it’s the rare film that truly is for all ages.
LINK: See the trailer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=OY0DsUNNbFE
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: For another look at animated world destruction, The Rite of Spring section from Disney’s FANTASIA/’40. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2011/10/fantasia-1940.html
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