Unicorn Wars review: A cartoon anti-war epic that goes beyond horror 

This review was published in conjunction with the film’s screening at Fantastic Fest 2022. See below for release information.

Perhaps every generation needs a devastating animated film about the horrors of war.that’s one way to explain unicorn warsa brutal and painstaking answer to movies like 2022 when the wind blows Or Ralph Bakshi’s WizardSpanish writer-director Alberto Vazquez’s latest is so transcendent and aggressive that it’s hard to understand. Weaponizing cute cartoon creatures against the viewer, it introduces innocence and beauty to tear it apart in the most terrifying ways possible on screen. It is a movie that remains.

Vasquez’s 2015 follow-up Birdboy: Forgotten Children Unfold the age-old feud between unicorns and teddy bears. It sounds like a story born out of creepy children banging stuffed animals against each other, but Vasquez’s version of the story is exaggeratedly adult-oriented. Pastel-colored, soft-looking creatures who are petty, cruel, and self-righteous about their prejudices. Their hatred of unicorns has its roots in biblical scriptures, such as that bears once lived happily in sacred groves, but were called “houses of gods” (literally homes in the woods). and climbed above all other animals.

Then, according to the book, the unicorn became jealous of the bear’s bounty and started a war to drive it out of the forest. Now the bear’s descendants live in a permanent military state, endlessly training new recruits and planning their next assault on the forest. , Tubby and Bluey form part of a squad that undertakes a grueling trek into the woods in search of a lost scout group.

From the beginning, Vasquez emphasizes how bears are ill-suited to war. They are fearsome, soft creatures who prefer to cuddle and pet each other (or themselves) than carry rifles and grenades. Their training camp is called Camp Love. Its motto is “Honor, Pain, Hugs”. They are archery trained with adorable little cupid bows that shoot heart-tipped arrows. They look more like swollen care bears than their grizzly-esque ancestors found in sacred book art.

But they’re also absolute bastards who take every opportunity to hurt and abuse each other, and Bluey is the mastermind who sets up his brother Tubby for humiliation at every turn. No, it’s completely sadistic. The story starts out as just a quirky “lovely creature doing something not cute” story. Vasquez sharply nudges the audience with a close-up of Teddy’s tiny genitals in the shower. Later, another bear pissing in the woods accuses Tubby of staring at the crap and tries to turn the moment into a sexual encounter. But as the story expands and deepens past its initial minor and mischievous taunts, the Bluey-Tubby conflict continues to grow darker, uglier, older, and even predates its birth.

Vasquez has a knack for scripting characters that will tear the audience’s heart apart. The unicorn symbolizes the natural world, while the bear is depicted here as a bitterly painted portrait of the military-industrial complex and the way it indoctrinates and cynically consumes its victims for reasons that have nothing to do with war. is included. he claims to be fighting. Capital-G Good and Capital-E Evil are spread throughout the film, and it’s never hard to tell them apart.

But even in that black-and-white spirit, you can feel a little sympathy for some characters who perpetuate their worst fears. The way Vasquez shapes this world to reinforce all of Bluey’s worst tendencies and crush all of Tubby’s best tendencies, pitting them both into an inevitable confrontation. The unicorn is depicted with far less nuance and detail, but it’s equally carried by a system that shatters innocence and consumes carelessness.

Having said that, unicorn wars It veers into territory so ugly and relentlessly grotesque that it has the potential to challenge the stamina of all but the most cult movie-loving gorehounds. heavy metal or recent followers spine at night It’s possible that the Care Bears are fully on board with the spectacle of being traumatized by a never-ending series of graphic murders, suicides, eviscerations, and mutilations. It’s filling, but it’s like a familiar grindhouse horror, minus the cute animal element.

But Vasquez’s sheer dedication to building and burning beautiful environments, or setting up and tearing apart vulnerable characters, loses power over the course of the film. No. Every shred of hope or light ruthlessly fades away as the film heads toward its surprisingly savage ending.

deep despair of unicorn wars Purposeful: It’s a vicious and misanthropic look at war and the unrelenting political forces behind it, especially those who see conflict as a means of perpetuating domination. bird boy, unicorn wars Feeling angry and sad at the same time, criticism of fascism, militarism, authoritarianism, and religion, especially the kind used as an enabling tool for the rest of the population.

However bird boy at least offer a hint of possible escape or hope, unicorn wars there is no.It feels like a statement of despair and nihilism, delivering a slap of shock value to faces wrapped in colorful candy-coated shells. unicorn wars If playful violations are possible, fritz the catA style strike that goes against the idea that “cartoons are for kids” should be beefed up for something that hits harder and more accurately. unicorn wars It’s about the devastation that war brings, and Vasquez makes sure it’s an appropriately devastating experience.

unicorn wars Opening in Spain on October 21st. Acquired by GKIDS unicorn wars Scheduled to be released in the US in 2023.