[Fantasia 2024] In Sunburnt Unicorn, What is Alls Well Doesn’t Bode Well for Those Scared of the Future

The big question some people may have is with where in the world does the adventure in Sunburnt Unicorn takes place. It can be the Osoyoos here in British Columbia, or somewhere in Arizona–or could it be further?

Sunburnt Unicorn Movie Poster
North American premiere at Fantasia Film Festival 2024

Spoiler Alert

Frankie’s got a horn in Sunburnt Unicorn, and he doesn’t know how to use it. That’s because it may well be a car part embedded on his forehead after an accident has stranded him and his dad in a desert. As. for whether the fever dream that comes from being in the dry world for too long is real or not, I’m enjoying the concept! Here, the fauna identifies him as a saviour. Amusingly enough, I can imagine voice actress Diana Kaarina actually wearing a facsimile during recording.

This boy has issues. He’s not thrilled with the fact he’s going to a new school. Based on what I got from the argument they had preceding the crash, this lad was voicing his dissatisfaction. And with both their eyes off the road, just what he’s dealing with is a rather surreal parable concerning why it’s best not to behave; each talking critter he meets represents an aspect of himself, and what he learns to change his and their attitude makes for an interesting film.

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[Fantasia 2024] With The Umbrella Fairy, Can Anyone Truly Keep The Faith?

There’s lots to take in with the international release of The Umbrella Fairy. One view is not enough to take in everything that happens here. From kawaii to romance to sisterhood, everything has weight.

The Umbrella Fairy Movie Poster
International Premiere at Fantasia Film Festival 2024

The belief that every object has a spirit is quite common in many Indigenous and Asiatic cultures, and to see them parley in The Umbrella Fairy (伞少女), this English transliteration of the literal Umbrella Girl is much more poetic and attention grabbing. Even though I think of them as pixies more so than as children of Xiwangmu, that’s because I have a love for all things faerie in the Celtic sense of the word.

It’s possible that this idea is alluded to, though I would want to read the original source material to find out. Although this film begins with a humorous set piece about how cute these entities are, there’s also a more heartfelt existential piece to explain why some of them are what they are, especially if they’re attached to an instrument of war.

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Taking A Quick Look at Fantasia’s Short Film Selection, 2024 Edition

What’s offered here is a brief taste of Fantasia’s Short Film programs. There’s 17 different collections that’s still continuing to play. They may well appear at your local film festival next!

Fantasia Film Festival 2024 - Fantasia's Short FilmAs Montreal’s most beloved genre film festival enters its last week of celebrating an eclectic range of genre cinema, Fantasia’s short film celebration will have me keeping an eye out on these up-and-coming talents! Although I didn’t view everything in this category, what I saw so far is a great way to see what may get dreamed up to become feature length works in the future!

These filmmakers have come up with some fairly cool concepts. The following reviews do not make up a top five list, but are a sampler of what is there. I’m thankful to those who provided me with a screener, and I wish them all the best.

The True Shape of a Daisy

George MacDonald‘s narrative, “The Day Boy and the Night Girl,” provides the foundation for the cinematic The True Shape of a Daisy, and I’m fairly sure no one has ever compiled this tale into a book. This short story is available online.

What’s presented is a faithful adaptation, where we meet a witch named Watho, who would shape Photogen and Nycteris’ environments. True to their namesakes, one would live in perpetual daylight and the other at night. They don’t get to meet until later, and in this anime, they don’t live in enormous rooms. Instead, they are from a world of contrasts. The girl is from a beautiful forest, and the boy lived most of his life in a dark dungeon.

As an anime by Naoki Arata, I hope what she produced is more than just a tease, but an examination of how opposites can get along.

True Shape of Daisy

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When Mantra Warrior: The Legend of the Eight Moons Lands At Fantasia 2024…

After Fantasia Film Festival 2024, Google Search says Mantra Warrior is destined to Netflix next!

Mantra Warrior: The Legend of the Eight Moons
Played at Fantasia Film Festival on July 21, 2024 1:50 PM

Every country has a legend, and in Thailand, The Ramakien is one of several epic tales that paint a solid picture of good triumphing over evil. Here, King Rama and Tosakanth are opposites, and when the latter kidnaps the queen because he’s in love with her, this lord will fight back! What’s presented in Mantra Warrior: The Legend of the Eight Moons requires knowing the source material to truly appreciate it; otherwise, what’s presented like a Siamese version of Final Fantasy on steroids.

That’s because of the bold character designs and colour choices used to bring this mythic world to life. I want to compare this work to Gundam because of all the giant robots featured. Even though they look nothing like, the fact they carry oversized weapons with crazy nicknames is enough to make me think that director Veerapatra Jinanavin had this anime in mind!

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When Despicable Me 4 Attempts to Be Fantastic By Making It Marvel, There’s Something Missing

When Pierre Coffin is not co-directing, some of that early film charm is missing in Despicable Me 4.

Despicable Me 4 Movie Poster MinionsEven after five films, I am still asking where all the heroes have gone in Despicable Me 4? In this latest, Gru (Steve Carell) is an agent for the Anti-Villain League (AVL) and will go undercover to undo the criminal element. Whether his motive is to right all his past wrongs, this franchise rarely goes deep into his mind to understand why he is now what he is instead of the rascal from times gone by.

That also includes dealing with threats like Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrel), whom he was once buddies with. This new character’s plan for world domination isn’t as crazy as what past films imagine. I wish they had dedicated more attention to Poppy Prescott’s (Joey King) attempts to convince Felonious to engage in criminal activities, instead of focusing on the other aspects.

Elsewhere, five Minions undergo mutation to become superheroes as part of the AVL’s attempt to give this world some heroes. Just like the previous films, their antics are fillers, and while they learn how to use their newfound powers, what’s presented is more slapstick moments than anything good. When these simple organisms have little purpose in life other than to serve Gru, well, all I have to ask is what happened to the prior team of Kevin, Stuart and Bob? Continue reading “When Despicable Me 4 Attempts to Be Fantastic By Making It Marvel, There’s Something Missing”

There’s No What IF, But Rather A Why It’s Best To Remain Forever Young

The best thing about IF is that it makes a lot of callbacks to familiar IPs without directly saying these imaginary friends are them.

IF (2024) Movie PosterStill playing at theatres and available on VOD

Unless the film buff hasn’t seen the promotional material for IF, not everyone will know it’s short for an imaginary friend. And just why they have this nickname is that once they’ve lost their way, their connection with the person who created him/her/it can threaten its existence, and that being will fade away.

Just why this matters in John Krasinski‘s delightful film is that it’s about how to remain true, but yet understand why facing adversity matters.

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