Anthology films can often be a hit or miss category of filmmaking given how scatteredly diverse the talent involved is, but sometimes the quality on display can show how consistently phenomenal the work actually is. In the case of the 1987 Japanese animated anthology film Robot Carnival, the movie consists of nine distinct shorts done by different well-known animation directors focusing on themes of robotic storytelling. The film itself was even one of the earliest cult classics in the then growing anime fanbase of the 1990s, so it's time to see if this ambitious project has aged like fine wine or rusty oil.
Now with the film's opening and closing done by Akira director Katsuhiro Otomo, it establishes exactly what you're getting into by blending death and destruction with a huge dazzle and lights show of robots coming into the picture. By displaying the actual robot carnival as a gigantic children's toy that causes mayhem everywhere it goes, the film starts and ends with one heck of a bang. As far as the segments themselves are concerned, Kouji Morimoto's Franken's Gears is a shaggy dog story related to an insane scientist bringing his own robot to life albeit to an unfortunate demise, whereas Hiroyuki Mitazume's Starlight Angel details a conflicting love ballad between a teenage girl getting stuck in a futuristic amusement park ride. These shorts differ in tone where one is more darkly comedic and the other feels like a fantasy drama, but they're far more enticing than Hidetoshi Ohmori's straightforward action flick Deprive. While beautifully animated and unapologetically 80s, it might be the film's weakest segment due to it focusing more on its goal than interesting character personalities.
Fortunately, what might be the feature's most thought provoking segment comes in the form of Mao Lambdo's Cloud. Focusing on a robotic young child who walks through the beauty of nature in the form of cloud spirits, this segment is slower paced yet dreamy in its tone with a lot of experimental symbolic imagery that makes one think about the prosperity of planet Earth. In contrast, Yasuomi Umetsu's Presence is a disturbingly haunting tale focusing on the consequences an inventor faces in creating a fembot to find any sort of human attachment within a society that has outlawed robots. As creepily depressing as that segment is, Hiroyuki Kitabubo's A Tale of Two Robots is arguably the funniest segment in the whole film by parodying the Japanese WWII propaganda films and showcasing some hysterical characters one wishes had their own television series. Finally, Takashi Nakamura's Nightmare might be the closest we'll ever get to a futuristic rendition of Night on Bald Mountain detailing a drunken human desperately trying to flee the hellish robotic landscape.
In regards to the film as a whole, what's fascinating about most of the segments is that they're executed through pantomime, with the exception of Presence and Tale of Two Robots. Perhaps partially done as a way to pay homage to Disney's Fantasia, it nonetheless allows for the visuals to speak for themselves through shocking imagery and broad character acting. What's also interesting to note is that the film was brought into America by Carl Macek and Jerry Beck's now defunct media company Streamline Pictures, complete with an English dub of the notable dialogue oriented segments. Although it did rearrange the segments from the original order listed above and removed the credits of each segment until the very end, it still allowed American viewers to appreciate the hard work shown on screen, especially in contrast to the art house crowd the film initially targeted. Whether you're viewing the feature in a film festival environment or at home with anime buffs, there is more than enough to admire on screen as far as differienting sci fi themes are concerned.
As far as ambitious anthology features go, Robot Carnival is a remarkable effort mixing drama, comedy, horror, action, and all other sorts of mood pieces each individual director is known for. Whether you're a fan of the works from each director mentioned above or a sucker for obscure 80s animation, this film is a must watch that should be getting far more attention than it has right now. It's hard to say if this film will remain an underrated gem in the years oxnard given how far Japanese animation has risen through international audiences, but only time will tell if this treasure gets further notice in the years to come.
Now with the film's opening and closing done by Akira director Katsuhiro Otomo, it establishes exactly what you're getting into by blending death and destruction with a huge dazzle and lights show of robots coming into the picture. By displaying the actual robot carnival as a gigantic children's toy that causes mayhem everywhere it goes, the film starts and ends with one heck of a bang. As far as the segments themselves are concerned, Kouji Morimoto's Franken's Gears is a shaggy dog story related to an insane scientist bringing his own robot to life albeit to an unfortunate demise, whereas Hiroyuki Mitazume's Starlight Angel details a conflicting love ballad between a teenage girl getting stuck in a futuristic amusement park ride. These shorts differ in tone where one is more darkly comedic and the other feels like a fantasy drama, but they're far more enticing than Hidetoshi Ohmori's straightforward action flick Deprive. While beautifully animated and unapologetically 80s, it might be the film's weakest segment due to it focusing more on its goal than interesting character personalities.
Fortunately, what might be the feature's most thought provoking segment comes in the form of Mao Lambdo's Cloud. Focusing on a robotic young child who walks through the beauty of nature in the form of cloud spirits, this segment is slower paced yet dreamy in its tone with a lot of experimental symbolic imagery that makes one think about the prosperity of planet Earth. In contrast, Yasuomi Umetsu's Presence is a disturbingly haunting tale focusing on the consequences an inventor faces in creating a fembot to find any sort of human attachment within a society that has outlawed robots. As creepily depressing as that segment is, Hiroyuki Kitabubo's A Tale of Two Robots is arguably the funniest segment in the whole film by parodying the Japanese WWII propaganda films and showcasing some hysterical characters one wishes had their own television series. Finally, Takashi Nakamura's Nightmare might be the closest we'll ever get to a futuristic rendition of Night on Bald Mountain detailing a drunken human desperately trying to flee the hellish robotic landscape.
In regards to the film as a whole, what's fascinating about most of the segments is that they're executed through pantomime, with the exception of Presence and Tale of Two Robots. Perhaps partially done as a way to pay homage to Disney's Fantasia, it nonetheless allows for the visuals to speak for themselves through shocking imagery and broad character acting. What's also interesting to note is that the film was brought into America by Carl Macek and Jerry Beck's now defunct media company Streamline Pictures, complete with an English dub of the notable dialogue oriented segments. Although it did rearrange the segments from the original order listed above and removed the credits of each segment until the very end, it still allowed American viewers to appreciate the hard work shown on screen, especially in contrast to the art house crowd the film initially targeted. Whether you're viewing the feature in a film festival environment or at home with anime buffs, there is more than enough to admire on screen as far as differienting sci fi themes are concerned.
As far as ambitious anthology features go, Robot Carnival is a remarkable effort mixing drama, comedy, horror, action, and all other sorts of mood pieces each individual director is known for. Whether you're a fan of the works from each director mentioned above or a sucker for obscure 80s animation, this film is a must watch that should be getting far more attention than it has right now. It's hard to say if this film will remain an underrated gem in the years oxnard given how far Japanese animation has risen through international audiences, but only time will tell if this treasure gets further notice in the years to come.