BEST OF THE INTERNATIONAL TOURNEE OF ANIMATION

THE BEST OF THE INTERNATIONAL TOURNEE OF ANIMATION is a series of eighteen short animated films ranging in subject matter from dancing G.I. Joes, to animals discussing zoo life, to the end of the world. At least three award-winning shorts are featured: the British CREATURE COMFORTS; the German BALANCE; and, ODE TO G.I. JOE, the winner of an Oscar for student films in 1991.

The styles and techniques of animation vary widely from one to the other, as does the tone of the shorts. Cel animation in one short gives way to “stop-action” in the next, which, in turn, is followed by “claymation.” Some shorts are very dark and pessimistic, while the majority are light and humorous. Throughout, the technical aspects are impressive, especially in the THE FLY, which gives the viewer a “fly’s eye view” of the world, and in the rather macabre DOOR, a jarring and poetic apocalyptic vision. Even for animated films, this collection contains little offensive material except for the usual animated violence, the brief discreet scatological humor of CREATURE COMFORTS and two shorts where nudity is used for comic effect. For the most part, contemporary animated shorts are not for children. THE BEST OF THE INTERNATIONAL TOURNEE OF ANIMATION does a good job of reflecting the state of the art.