Mech Chain Movie

Let it be said once and for all that I don't particularly like chain movies. Most of them are rarely consistent or coherent enough to really make watching them worthwhile. They are usually a clash of a million different styles and I can't help but feel that the director's creative energy is best spent on something of their own.

Nevertheless I was willing to give Mech Chain Movie a chance. It does, after all, have some pretty old school names attached to it. The project was originally started by Brad Ross back in 2001, but as people dropped out (myself included), it was put on hold for some time. After numerous attempts at getting people to finish it, the chain movie finally ended up with Ben Rice, who finished it in time for the 2008 festival - seven years after the project was started.

As the title subtly suggests, it is a chain movie about mechs. Fighting mechs, of course, though (for reasons I never completely understood) most of the movie seems to be men fighting robots. Anyway, it is an 11-minute action galore where the directors do their best to show off their animation skills - and there really is a lot of great animation to be seen here - especially considering how old most of it is. And how does Ben Rice hold up to all the veterans? Surprisingly well, I would say, even if his character design could need some work.

However, animation doesn't carry a movie on its own, and in terms of flow and pacing, Mech Chain Movie falls short. While I don't expect there to be a fleshed-out storyline (it is a chain movie after all), I would like to see an introduction to the main conflict in the movie rather than cutting straight to the action. I also expect there to be at least some coherence between the entries. As an example, Stan Pennant's entry prepares for an epic showdown between two mechs, but as another director takes over the wheel, it is over in a matter of few seconds. I feel cheated.

In addition, the movie constantly jumps between different fighting scenes, making the first half frustratingly difficult to follow. Guy Collins is perhaps the only one who truly succeeds as far as pacing goes, but Mr. Rice's entry comes close.

As it is, Mech Chain Movie is hardly going to change my views on the nature of chain movies. It is a movie best enjoyed as a showcase for some proper old school animation and a few entertaining action scenes. Unfortunately that is about it.

5/10

Originally posted on IN THE SPOTLIGHT.