Well intentioned, critically well received, this Oscar nominated French animation (Ugo Bienvenu/Gilles Cazaux direct) is a ’Gaia’ friendly botch on Earth’s short & long term future. A 2070s robot serviced/A.I. organized near future vs Earth reborn centuries on via personal responsibility & humanism. The two time periods coming into contact when a ten-yr-old kid, officially too young to ‘rainbow fly’ thru time, takes a forbidden joy ride, loses control and crash-lands in the 2070s. Taken in by a young girl who lives near the crash site, they’re soon on the lam from state & police authorities and from a nutty trio of comic-relief conspiracy stooges. (Dubbed to annoying effect in the English edition by Will Ferrell, Flea & Andy Samberg.) Only when the runaway boy’s parents show up to collect their son, does he discover the true cost of his careless irresponsibility. And what of his out-of-time playmate who now wants to join him on the ride back? (Imagine Eliot going ‘home’ with E.T.*) A mess of borrowed ideas, this might have worked with a more physically appealing look. What to call it? Euro-anime? It certainly carries the minuses, if not the pluses of that style. Character design a particular problem. (What’s up with the weird mouths?) Ambitious ideas alone aren’t enough; you’ve got to execute.
WATCH THIS, NOT THAT/LINK: *Yes, lots of E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL/’82 echoed here. But the main influence is more likely youngish anime master Makoto Shinkai. Especially WEATHERING WITH YOU, his follow up to YOUR NAME./’16. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2020/11/tenki-no-ko-weathering-with-you-2019.html


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