Short films are a wonderful thing.
They allow you to enter someone’s world for a brief point in time, catch a ride on the narrative of their life for a stop or two and then leap, wiser, enthralled and amused for having met them.
The really good ones, and there are an extraordinary number of well-made, intelligently-wrought ones out there, combine a short, sharp story, some pithy insights into the human condition, serious or flippant, and engaging characters who have the ability to draw you in quickly and completely.
Good old Geek and Sundry recently gathered three of the best animated examples of the craft and they are every bit as quirky and delightful and beautifully and wonderfully as the best examples of this briefest of cinematic genres.
Watch and enjoy.
DUCKMANBOY
SNAPSHOT
[DuckManBoy is] about an endearing half-boy, half-duck wannabe superhero named Dwayne, and his bossy accountant brother Neil, who are desperate to stop an evil mogul from producing savory shakes out of… watch it to find out. (synopsis (c) and via Geek & Sundry)
Dice Productions make a lot of great animated and live action shows for British TV and this hilarious tale of a would-be half-boy half-duck – was he bitten by a duck as a child? – who yearns to be a superhero and gets his chance against the unlikeliest of villains, was their inspired effort for the Nickelodeon International Shorts Program 2014-15.
It’s cleverly-written, has a real Archer meets Rugrats meet Bond thing going on – yes let THAT sink in for a moment – and an irreverent sense of humour that comes complete with some hilarious zinging oneliners.
Oh and you may need new shoes after watching it … just sayin’ …
GRANDMA’S HERO
SNAPSHOT
We follow a big kid called Lulu in Grandma’s Hero, who’s just graduated from Hero Academy. He’s not the fittest of the bunch and wears a confused expression most of the time, but his teensy tiny overprotective Grandma is on his team (for better or worse) and she insists on escorting him on an epic adventure to prove his worth. Turns out she’s a pretty cool grandma. (synopsis (c) and Via Geek & Sundry)
What if violence wasn’t the solution to everything? What if cookies and giant carrots and reassuring pats on the head worked just as well against scary creatures as great big sharp swords? What then huh?
It a major philosophical conundrum and not Lulu, who isn’t quite the other heroes and simply wants to fit in, is about to entertain.
But when his grandma goes off with him on his grand proving himself adventure – oh the embarrassment! – all kinds of expectations get blown away in the most heartwarming and entertaining of ways.
SHAVE IT
SNAPSHOT
Shave It drops you right in the jungle, where giant bulldozers keep shaving the lovely vegetation. One monkey won’t stand for this nonsense, so he finds a razor and tries to be a human. Literally. He moves to the big city, dons real clothes and climbs society’s ladder. (synopsis (c) and via Geek & Sundry)
This is a brilliantly clever short film.
Using bright, in-your-face colours and a pleasingly frenetic style of animation that suits its subject perfectly, it provides poetic commentary on everything from the destruction of the environment to the great gaping flaws in human society in a delightfully quirky but meaningful narrative.
It got some lovely poignant moments thrown in as well as some great visual gags all wrapped in a psychedelically inclined bundle.
3DAR‘s Shave It has the lot and is a joy to watch; and if you think that the ape in question has sold his soul to the human evil, then the ending will entertainingly disabuse you of that notion.