What it’s about
In this claymation farce, Horse, Cowboy, and Indian are best friends and roommates. Even their most mundane pursuits, like Cowboy and Indian tracking down a last-minute birthday present for their four-legged buddy, or Horse courting the town music teacher, tend to morph into elaborate, epic fiascos. Things really start to go awry when an alien creature (don’t ask) steals the walls of their house and the trio must track him down, fighting their way through hellish volcanic caverns, a frozen tundra and a beautiful but barracuda-ridden underwater village to get home.
Why we love it
Pinpointing the unlikely intersection of child logic and adult humor, “Panic” has all the sweetness of Gumby, the high-octane absurdism of “Peewee’s Playhouse,” and the winking intellectual playfulness of an art film for adults. The movie’s distinctive look was created from a unique blend of drawings, stop-motion claymation, and plastic figurines. Every element, from the energetic rock score to the delightfully malleable actors, feels lovingly handcrafted and original. Craving family entertainment that dares to be different? Don’t panic this deliriously funny, wildly inventive animated odyssey is the perfect selection.
Jeanne Balibar, Stphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, Bruce Ellison Stephane Aubier, Vincent Patar