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Directed by: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet Starring: Ron Perlman, Judith Vittet In a semi-steampunk, little-explained world, a circus strongman sees his little brother kidnapped and is determined to find him. It is soon revelead that the evil Krank, who lives in a tower in the middle of the ocean with an odd group of henchmen, is kidnapping children in order to steal their dreams-- because, as he was made flawed by a mad scientist, he cannot dream. One, the strongman, teams up with an orphan named Miette to find his brother and the rest of the missing children. The plot, on the surface, is simple, but there are so many intracacies to the world that are hardly explained. Krank's army of Cyclops are apparently a race of humans trying to rise above by blinding themselves, and using computerized 'third eyes' to see until they can fully rid themselves of the 'world of appearance.' There are orphans all over the city, several of which are being manipulated by a pair of Siamese twins called The Octopus-- room and board in return for robberies and loot. The whole world is definitely set deep in a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, but even when the plot stretches to the extremes of these genres, it is easy to suspend disbelief. I really found this movie amazing and after seeing it twice I'm about ready to rush out and buy the DVD. There isn't a single thing I didn't love about this movie, except for the fact that so many interesting aspects of the world were touched on very briefly-- however, taking length into consideration, this can't really be helped. It's still one of the two or three best movies I've ever seen, and I've seen a drat lot of movies. RATING: 5.5 PROS: Amazing art direction, engrossing world CONS: Many very interesting aspects of the world are touched on only briefly ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112682/
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Aug 2, 2004 09:04
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 10:32 |
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GOD drat, I love this movie. The story is told with an almost child-like simplicity, and has an ethereal, dream-like quality to the sets and costumes (I believe done by Jean-Paul Gauthier (sp). Jeunet and Caro are masterful film makers, their Delicatessen is one of the best movies ever. It is readily apparent why Terry Gilliam backed them (surrealist imagery + fantastic plot lines) and why these films were so critically acclaimed. Both films feature C&J staples: the actors, rube-goldberg-esque contraptions, serendipitous plot twists, a truly unique sense of the absurd, and yes, great love stories. Don't watched the dubbed version of anything, there are very lyrical passages, and the few seconds of the dubbed version I saw were terrible. It is hard for me to concisely state why I love this movie so, but as someone who is insanly critical regarding film, I sincerely urge you to see it. (check out delicatessen as well) Rating: 5+ Pros:awesome in its entirety. Cons: needs more Jean-Claude Dreyfuss (marcello)
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Aug 2, 2004 21:58
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One of the most wonderful films in terms of visuals that I've ever seen, that's for sure, but that can't help a boring/corny plot. I felt disappointed... we get introduced to a cool surreal world but are never really taken any deeper than a "wow, that looks cool" phase. 4.0
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Aug 2, 2004 23:29
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hate to bump up an old thread but this is an excellent and disturbing film. if you get the chance, check it out. it's not shot like any film I've seen in recent memory.
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Oct 21, 2004 22:05
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I think the fact that I watched the dubbed version ruined it for me. Terrible American voices and accents. If you can get a hold of the subtitled version, watch that instead. This movie was really, really weird and I didn't understand it. If you want to see a cooler French-looking film, watch The Fifth Element. 1/5
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Jul 7, 2007 22:26
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I thought that the plot was terrible and the only redeeming aspect of the movie was the visual element. Nothing was properly explained, everyone was stupid, and I felt it lacked depth. 2/5
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Jul 8, 2007 00:13
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This is still one of my alltime favorite films, for me personally. The film is like a live-action french comic book, complete with Jules Verne inventiveness and delightfully dark and twisted creativity. The characters really come across well and the film plays out like a wondrous dream. I give it the highest score I can. Pros: Awesome film. One of the best I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. Entirely unique and has no peer I can think of to this date. Cons: People who aren't easily enraptured by the visual poetry of the film may not like it, as will people who are unfamiliar with French comics and cinema. Side note: Watch it in French with subtitles or be prepared to be aggravated by lame voice-acting ruining an otherwise amazing film.
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Jul 9, 2007 06:45
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This is a movie that when I tell people about it, I say, "If you tend to like movies on a purely visual level, you'll LOVE this one." And it's true. Though the story is only mediocore to decent, it's the quirky visual style that puts City of the Lost Children above and beyond the rest. It's so bizarre and interesting that I can't help but love it. 4/5 Everyone who likes this movie also needs to check out Delicatessen, another movie by the same director.
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Jul 9, 2007 09:35
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| # ? Apr 23, 2024 10:32 |
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For the first thirty minutes of this movie, I was floored by the amazing visuals and breathtaking world Jeunet created. After thirty minutes I was bored to death by the lovely plot and could barely make it through to the end. 2/5
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Jul 26, 2007 03:32
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