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BMZ Review: Animalopolis
By Ann Coates

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Animalopolis
Written by: Ann Coates
Source: Big Movie Zone
Date: March 23, 2009

Category: Reviews

Geared towards kids and the young at heart, Animalopolis features musical vignettes of comedic animals and their antics. The cute sequences, which includes singing lions and dancing bears, are sure to entertain young tots, but would be unable to hold the attention of the more cynical, discerning viewer.

The film began as short animal sequences pieced together from previous Giant Screen films by director and editor, Tim Huntley, for his son. As word-of-mouth grew from these first casual edits, the film Animalopolis was born. Each segment has a personality depending on the animal featured, but always keeps in tone with the whimsical disposition of the under-8 demographic. As such, a clip like the opera-singing lion manages to produce a laugh from kids and adults, but the singing sea lions, which plays off the same idea, falls flat.

The best of the animal sequences occur in the beginning of the film, like the cabbage-munching hippo and the dancing sea birds. The medium of the Giant Screen is a plus for the film, where the expansive presentation makes up for the more tedious moments. Even in a sleepy segment, such as the aurora borealis movement, gets revived on the massive screen. Getting up close to a lion should also wow the kids, where the minutest bug sitting on the lion's mane is projected large on the Very Big Screen.

For the most part, Animalopolis is a spunky, upbeat jaunt through the animal kingdom. Though no inherent educational elements are present within the film, it provides a nice introduction to animals that should pique the interest of kids. A jazzy soundtrack makes up the music interspersed with opera and classical numbers. At 32 minutes, the animals make an apropos exit for the older, wiser crowd, but kids will probably be screaming for more.