Ghost in the Shell (which is getting a Scarlett Johansson-starring live adaptation this month), this manga-turned-movie is considered one of Japan’s most interesting works of animation and has a huge cult following. Robin Hood performs out like a fairy story, with a whistling rooster narrator, a good maiden (Maid Marian, Robin’s foxy love curiosity), and a squad of furry friends that helps Robin recuperate what the Trump-ish Prince John has taken. Like a Salvador Dali-fied Dr. Seuss book, this Franco-Czech animation from René Laloux is a wierd sci-fi oddity about blue-skinned creatures called Draags who have enslaved people (“Oms”) on a faraway planet.
Occasionally diverting, it’s more often forgettable and well-worn, with wannabe cuteness that’s more frantic than endearing. It cribs from “Despicable Me,” “Antz” and “Lilo & Stitch.” Key characters, however, are admirably diverse.
Fantasia really is pure magic, with spectacular dancing hippos, centaurs, and a rating that includes … Read More
