"The Triplets of Belleville" isn't just far from your ordinary animated film, it's also pretty far out in general.
This endearingly loopy, Academy Award-nominated French import certainly doesn't look or sound like anything we've come to associate with cartoons, especially not the industry-leading, computer-graphics-heavy Pixar co-productions with Disney, or the Mouse House's more traditional cel-animated features.
Truth be told, it doesn't look or sound much like a French film either — at least not the dour dramas they've been exporting of late. Although "Triplets" may remind some of "Delicatessen," the delightfully odd 1991 debut from "Amelie" filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet, "Triplets" also has some similarities to Chaplin and Keaton's silent comedies. (Although most of the film is in French, the dialogue is somewhat nonsensical, and your enjoyment of the film doesn't rely on being able to understand it.)
This animated adventure-comedy follows elderly Madame Souza, who has taken her grandson Champion under her wing. In fact, she's training him to be a championship bicycle racer, and he actually gets the chance to compete in the prestigious Tour de France.
However, Champion is left behind by the front-runners, though it appears he will finish the race. That is, until he's nabbed by the French Mafia, which has its own sinister plans for him and some other kidnapped racers.
So it's Madame Souza to the rescue, aided by her faithful canine companion Bruno. Unfortunately, the gangsters have taken Champion and the others to the United States, where she has few friends or allies. And that's where the title characters come in — former Broadway stars now barely eking out an existence by performing in backstreet cabarets.
This is not a film for all tastes. It's very peculiar, and some of the material could be considered racially insensitive (animal lovers may also have a problem with at least one scene). But if you have an open mind, and an appreciation of film animation, you will surely enjoy the film's clever gags, as well as the sensational blending of cel animation and computer-enhanced backgrounds and action.
The film moves so quickly that it scarcely feels as long as its relatively scant running time, and director/screenwriter/storyboard animator Sylvain Chomet and composer Benoit Charest use music to heighten and alleviate the tension.
"The Triplets of Belleville" is rated PG-13 for scenes of animated violence and menace (gunplay and some slapstick), crude gags involving bodily functions, and brief animated nudity (female). Running time: 77 minutes.
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