POPCORN Reviews #Mutafukaz #MFKZ Animated Feature
SYNOPSIS: "Angelino and his skull-and-flame pal Vinz live in a seedy tenement in a burnt-out, gang-and-cockroach-ridden dystopian metropolis. Following a scooter accident, Angelino starts experiencing migraines and strange hallucinations, as well as fits of rage-inspired superpowers, as he slowly awakens to the truth of his origins: he is half-human and half-Macho, a supernatural alien race that is bent on taking over the planet."
"Mutafukaz" or "MFKZ" animated feature film is based on the comic series by Guillaume 'Run' Renard and stunningly animated by Japan's Studio 4°C in collaboration with French Ankama Animations. What this movie was, was a tour de force of visual spectacles which mashes up the kinetics of anime, the tone of european graphic novels, the violence of modernity, and the cliched romance tropes that are liable to get your brains blown out, if you're not too careful!
Parallels to Tekkonkinkreet came immediately to mind (Art Director Shinji Kimura also did "Tekkonkinkreet", FYI), with the sprawling urban landscape, said kinetic movements, and delicious visual story-telling, like a twisted music video oozing out of a pop-culture blender.
"Mutafukaz had its world premiere on June 13, 2017 at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The film was released in France on May 23, 2018. Parco released the film in Japan on October 12, 2018. GKIDS released the English dub of the film in a limited theatrical run in the U.S. and Canada on October 11 and October 16, 2018." (Wiki)
I had been gagging to watch this since blogging about the trailers and clips incessantly on TOYSREVIL - where it was initially a comicbook and a series of mini figures released by Toy2R (circa 2007)!
I'd finally sat down to watch the English dubbed edition (trailer up top), released by GKIDS Films, and you can purchase said movie online via Amazon links here:
Buy MFKZ Blu-ray + DVD + Digital here on Amazon.
Buy the Mutafukaz DVD (Non USA Format) online here.
Buy Soundtrack here.
Buy Artbook here.
Buy Japanese Artbook here (Designs by Shinji Kimura).
PRESS: "MFKZ is a wild, action-packed mashup of anime, sci-fi and hip-hop influences, featuring the voices of Michael Chiklis, Giancarlo Esposito, Dascha Polanco, RZA, Vince Staples and Danny Trejo."
Here is an extract from (the now defunct) Playtimes magazine (previously featured here), of the genesis of MUTAFUKAZ from Guillaume 'Run' Renard, circa 2007:
"During Halloween of 1998 the idea of the principal character of Mutafukaz came to me. The original document was a short, black and white comic strip improvised in my student’s bedroom. Over time the story became more structured and set in a wider universe and today Mutafukaz is filled with a world of original characters that interact with each other. I produced an animated, short length 7 minute movie in 2002, intended as a trailer and this was shown at a number of festivals and had the distinction of receiving a nomination at The Sun Dance Festival in Salt Lake City in 2003. The Mutafukaz web site - www.mutafukaz.com - is the very latest creation. A “Qee mini figure” came out for the official launch of the website and today Mutafukaz can now claim to have a wide community of followers. Mutafukaz is is an original concept, the universe is a mix between 60’s science fiction and contemporary ingredients like Hip hop influences & modern references, thereby creating a dark, fun, and paranoid universe."
One day I really hope to view the film in original French (Above), and would be interesting to view the trailer in JAPANESE language dub (below);
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