Review by Justin Bateman
Stars Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Bruce Ellison, Jeanne Balibar, Benoit Poelvoorde, Nicolas Buysse,
Frédéric Jannin, Véronique Dumont, Bouli Lanners, Christine Grulois | Written by Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar
UK cert PG | UK RRP £19.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 77 minutes | Directed by Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar
Ever since 1898 filmmakers have been using stop motion animation to tell stories. Back in the 19th century it was arguably the best way to make moving pictures – by moving objects a bit by bit and photographing each frame so as to give them illusion of movement. Although computer generated animation could have rendered this style obsolete, it remains a popular method of filmmaking, especially for the younger audience.
While Nick Park has all but perfected the art with his 'claymation' it's great to see that more rudimentary styles remain. Remember the Cravendale Milk advert with the plastic cow? That was created by Belgians Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar who have for some years been producing five-minute episodes of Panique au Village. The central premise is the daily adventures of Horse, Cowboy and Indian, three plastic toy figures who live together in a house. Horse is ostensibly the father figure while Cowboy and Indian play the role of his naughty little boys.
At the start of this feature-length instalment it's Horse's birthday but Cowboy and Indian have forgotten. With the help of their next-door neighbour Steven the farmer, they lure him out of the house so they can sort out his present. Horse goes to pick up Steven's animals from music class in the hope of seeing unrequited love Madame Longrée while Indian orders 50 bricks so they can build him a barbecue. However, he accidentally orders 50 million bricks which kickstarts a chain of events which sees them travelling to a hitherto unknown netherworld.
If this all sounds utterly bonkers then I've done my job properly because Panique au Village is precisely that. The jerky movements of these plastic toys is charmingly unpolished but add in some ridiculous voices (Cowboy is all high-pitched squeaks while Steven can only shout) and a story of sheer lunacy and it becomes one of the most surreal films of this or any year.
As well as some wonderfully imaginative flights of fancy, Aubier and Patar have written a very funny script with strong characters and a logical if bizarre plot. It's nonsense but well-thought out nonsense with no pretensions other than to entertain, something it does throughout its relatively short running time. A Town Called Panic may not be the most sophisticated film you'll ever see but it's fun for all the family and sure to leave you with a big smile on your face.
EXTRAS None