The Firefly Man (2003) User Reviews

Lovely

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 20 February 2008]

This is a truly unusual short film because it uses both computer generated images and puppets. In both cases, the quality is exceptional and you can't help but notice how beautiful a little film this is--particularly the puppets.

Now as far as the story goes, it is touching and interesting--a story about a lonely man whose family was killed many, many years earlier in a bear attack. The man himself did survive the attack and much of the film concerns the man having memories of these loved ones as he is lying on his death bed.

Considering this appears to be the first film made by Todd Fjelsted, it's an awfully impressive start so it's not surprising that he is now very active in the film and TV industry.

A marvelous short film. Touching tale told with 2D and 3D animation.

[jamiewwhite · 10/10 · 17 January 2004]

Marvelous short. A combination of animatronics puppetry and computer animation used to tell a tale of life and loss. A story about the cycle of life - all shown to us through the director's fable/fairy tale - fantasy world of images, icons and symbols. An incredible amount of time and creativity obviously went into the making of this short, using both 2D and 3D.

Eleven too-short minutes

[creampopp · 10/10 · 18 October 2003]

I really liked this short when I saw it at Kings. Without the use of dialogue, a lifetime of information about the old man is conveyed in 11 too-short minutes. The beautiful visual imagery and sound effects spurred the imagination.

Its a sad and beautiful world.

[disenhour · 10/10 · 15 October 2003]

I had the opportunity to see The Firefly Man at Telluride and left with the undeniable feeling that I had seen something groundbreaking. Most of the shorts one encounters these days are traditional animation, digital animation or solely claymation, but rarely is one ambitious enough to involve all of the above, and then some (robotics, sculptural set design, etc.,). Todd Fjelsted has kicked a mossy, decaying log to reveal a beautifully tragic tale of loss and enlightenment. If you have the privilege to see this unique short, be sure to look beyond the incredibly well done surface, to a poetic subtext surging underneath. I heard from sources at Telluride that Fjelsted is working on a feature based on the life of Johnny Appleseed and I look forward to experiencing more of a meal from this promising young director.