A Town Called Panic - review

Based on a Belgian TV show called Panique au Village, this feature by Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar is like a very lo-fi Toy Story with the vibe of a live-action Terry Gilliam cartoon and the addled craziness of SpongeBob SquarePants; it's funny for adults and children alike in a refreshing, barking mad sort of way. This is basically an outrageously homespun animation – though with that homespun look that only clever and expensive animation techniques can contrive – about three small children's toys who all live together in a house: Cowboy, Indian and Horse. When one accidentally orders a million bricks from the internet for the other as a birthday present, construction work begins, but the resulting walls are stolen by sea monsters, who have to be pursued to their oceanic lair, a mission that badly disrupts Horse's piano lessons. At least, I think that's it: but this strange film is difficult to pin down. At least one fit of the giggles is guaranteed.