Cool World

 

PLOT:

The film’s plot transposes two alternate dimensions: the real world, and the Cool World, a world of animated characters, called “doodles.” The film begins in 1945-era Las Vegas. Frank Harris, a returning GI (Brad Pitt) is reunited with his mother. Soon he takes her for a ride on his motorcycle and they are involved in an accident resulting in her death. Grieving and hallucinating, he is transported into another dimension, the fully animated “Cool World.” The film flashes forward to 1992. Cartoonist Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne) has been incarcerated for murdering a man he found in bed with his wife. During his prison sentence, he has visions of the Cool World and of the sexy blond doodle, Holli Would (Kim Basinger). Jack passes the time by creating a comic book series based on his visions of Cool World. Shortly after being released from prison and returning to his home in Las Vegas, Jack is pulled into the Cool World by Holli, who wants to have sex with Jack so she can become real and enter the real world, but sexual relationships between noids (humans) and doodles (toons) are illegal in Cool World.

By now Frank Harris has become an officer in Cool World and, aided by his partner, Nails, the spider-like doodle, keeps a sharp eye on Holli and Jack. Their job is to make sure that humans don’t have sex with cartoons, since that act can rupture the fabric between the two universes. The twist lies in the fact that after all these years, Frank has fallen in love with Lonette, a sexy animated waitress who is similar to Holli. Meanwhile, Holli and Jack have sex and she turns into a noid. Jack and Holli head to Jack’s home dimension. The barrier between the Cool World and the real world has now been damaged. Jack and Holli repeatedly turn into clown-like doodles. In Las Vegas, Holli manages to find the Golden Spike of Power, which keeps the InterworldMatrix between the Cool World and the real world intact. It turns her back into a doodle and releases many monstrous doodles into the real world. Jack turns into a super-powered humanoid doodle, and puts the Golden Spike back into its place; Jack is stuck, perhaps forever, in the Cool World, but he has plans to marry Holli. Frank is killed trying to stop Holli, but in the process is reborn as a doodle, allowing him to pursue his relationship with Lonette.

REVIEW:

This film is often refered to as a “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” for those that prefer darker films. Not sure I agree with that. The only similarities are that they are both films that mix animation with live action.

Ralph Bakshi’s warped animation is quite a sight to see, but I have an issue with the casting or depiction of Holli Would. She’s is obviously supposed to be your typical sexpot, possibly a mix between Marilyn Monroe and Jessica Rabbit, but when she comes to life she is Kim Bassinger. At the time this film was released, Kim Bassinger was one of the hottest actresses alive, but I believe they could have found someone a little more true to Holli’s proportions or, if they just HAD to use Kim Bassinger, then they shoukd have altered her accordingly.

I somewhat expected there to be some sort of showdown between Lonnette and Holli, especially after she learned that it was Holli that pushed Frank of the building. It just seemed like it should’ve happened. I mean, we have the blonde bombshell and her brunette “rival”. It was set up perfectly, but alas, it didn’t happen.

That goes for a lot of the characters tha twere introduced in the Cool World. We met them, but that was about it. Some of them had some screentime an were involved in the plot, but not enough to say they were.

Still, this movie is very enjoyable.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

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