ARCO (2025)

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