The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead & Roundhead (2014) Reviews

• Scrappy animation and Kafkaesque kookiness

  horsebeaverfoxman2019-01-26

  "Something feels familiar," the short, stumpy Roundhead says. He and his taller, more straight-laced brother, Boxhead, have traveled to a filthy city to get their home back, and they can't shake the feeling that they've been here before. And though the world of "The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead & Roundhead" ignores logic, though, in their world, jungles appear out of nowhere, cities are held together by their muck, and giant purple wolves lurk in the tall grass, you might watch the film with more than a little sickening familiarity. The simple existential quest at the core of the narrative unwinds as Boxhead and Roundhead travel from their humble prairie over mountains and seas to reach the city, snowballing into a clever denouement but failing to stick the landing. Scrappy animation projects such as this are at once inspiring and patchy. In "Boxhead & Roundhead," Elliot Cowan's voice as an artist shines through, but so do the missteps. As carefully composed and delightful as some of the film's best sequences are, the film is not consistently worthy of praise. The chase scenes so excessively recycle assets that the film feels at times like a "Scooby-Doo" parody. The character designs feel trite, especially in the city, and maybe that's the point, but the sound work accompanying them is slipshod and poorly mixed. Many scenes take on a minimalist feel, more out of necessity, it seems, than art. Fortunately, the film is bound together by its kooky, Kafkaesque plot, and animation junkies might appreciate the unpolished production more than other, more casual viewers. But the real heroes here are The Gadflys, a beautiful, folksy-sounding alternative band whose music is a constant presence in "Boxhead & Roundhead." The Gadflys try to do for Cowan's film what Cat Stevens did for "Harold and Maude" -- use cutting, resonant music to elevate an odd story to art. And sometimes, The Gadflys succeed, but the more the film gets bogged down in the capitalistic malaise of its dirty city -- itself able to be a metaphor for Los Angeles or New York City, any filthy place where dreams go to die -- the less The Gadflys are able to pierce through the muck. So something indeed feels familiar here. A dirty city, corrupt officials, and perpetual hopelessness. I only wish the film were strong enough to live up to the themes it's trying to explore.

• A Handcrafted Alternative to 3D Sheen

  Petman882016-07-23

  I was given a chance to get a sneak peak at this movie in return for my honest opinion, which I'm happy to deliver here. As a fan of Cowan's previous work I'd been looking forward to this movie for years, and I am happy to say that I walked away from my viewing satisfied. This film warms my animation-loving heart. I respect and appreciate all styles and techniques, but I'll always have a spot in my soul for the kind of 2D animation I grew up. This film might be made using the latest computer software but the art-style and fundamentals are rooted in the traditional work of Warner Brothers, UPA, and Hanna Barbera. In Boxhead & Roundhead the titular friends and/or brothers are forced to leave their rural home when a mysterious object shot out of a nearby factory crushes it. They travel through a literal jungle to the urban jungle, where they are faced with the most horrifying force of all: bureaucracy. The story isn't the most complicated in the world but as the story progressed I was pleasantly surprised to find it builds to something bigger than I'd expected. The start is a little slow but it ends in a frantic, funny, and satisfying conclusion. I fully recommend Boxhead & Roundhead to anyone looking for a funny, handcrafted, and visually interesting piece of 2D art in a world of mega-million dollar 3D movie. This movie isn't perfect but most of its flaws are to be expected given the movie's minuscule budget. Some scenes feel a little dragged out and the audio recording isn't the best. If those sound like big deals to you then knock a few points off my score. My 10/10 is for fans of independent animation, who understand the struggle animators go through to produce truly unique and independent work.