"The Fantastic Adventures of Cloudman" seamlessly blends different styles of animation, hazy 8mm live action footage, and 8-bit video game tones to create an engrossing and one-of-a-kind trip. We start out in an animated world where a fighter pilot is about to meet his doom. An enemy blows up his aircraft and its remains are engulfed by an unsuspecting cloud. Our hero emerges from the cloud, reborn with a block-headed body and red longjohns, into a colorful world ruled by yellow-headed henchmen whose heads explode in firecracker bursts upon defeat.
Besides creating a genuinely interesting trip into childhood giddiness, director Phoebe Parsons has also achieved a perfectly dreamy tone. The innocence of her various animations provide a moody backdrop to what is essentially a cartoon kung fu story.
"Cloudman" is a sublimely magical and visually rich treat.
Besides creating a genuinely interesting trip into childhood giddiness, director Phoebe Parsons has also achieved a perfectly dreamy tone. The innocence of her various animations provide a moody backdrop to what is essentially a cartoon kung fu story.
"Cloudman" is a sublimely magical and visually rich treat.
