April and the Extraordinary World 2016
I had never heard of this movie, but I looked it up when I came across it in a library for which I had a Screen Pass. It has a very, very good 97% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes and an 85 at Metacritic, so it was an easy blind pick. An animated movie from France, but dubbed with some pretty big American names, it grossed less than $300,000 in the United States in 2016. More critics must have seen it than people. The big draw is the rich 2D animation featuring steampunk designs, set in Paris in an alternate universe from the 1860’s and then mostly around 1940. One problem I had though is the science is way off. There are dirigibles, but they have these giant riveted wrought iron cabins that could never be lifted. Rather than railways (which were totally steam powered for a long time) there are aerial cable cars from France to Germany? It is neat looking and it is imaginative, but in a way that is contrary to any sort of common sense. Some of the things in it, like an armored house that can swim underwater, are not remotely realistic. The story is also a little lacking, sometimes a little too much of a cartoon adventure, when I would expect something that resonates a little more. Still, it is a neat looking movie, and imaginative, with a strong and smart heroine in April. I felt like it dragged a little on its way to the big finish and the motivations of the villains were a little questionable. I watched the movie over a few days and I did find myself wanting to see how things ended, which says something.
Written: 30 Oct 2021