Terror Toons 2 (2007) - 1.5/4

It's about as hard to review Terror Toons 2 as it would be to review a Melies film, which Terror Toons reminded me of, in fact. Is it a good film? Well, not by the conventions of a good film. Is it a bad film? Not really, because it's entertaining and original, even if highly processed through Adobe Premiere and/or After Effects. It's a film strung together of setpieces, setpieces that are best described as a fusion of Tom & Jerry with H.G. Lewis. Terror Toons is essentially an inventively violent cartoon show taking place with real flesh and blood people.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2747/4132803365_013370809b.jpg - That cat will soon be Adobe Premiered right out of frame.

The plot is pretty simple. Hansel and Gretel have been turned into a giant rat and a bug-eyed bitch. A DVD made by the devil (anyone can get into distribution these days) allows these jackass toons to escape into the real world at a birthday party, where they wreak havoc. What follows is several violent and often gory setpieces. Eventually some of the party guests leap into the cartoon world to try figure out how to stop the madness. More violent, gory setpieces ensue. They venture into hell. Gain superpowers. Then come back to do battle with a rainbowslug thingy.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4132803387_fabe399395.jpg - Brinke is gonna teach Hansel und Gretel a lesson.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/4133563232_7050aceff2.jpg - Hansel is a rat pfink.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/4132803269_1d6d3b42dc.jpg


The setpieces are, I think, quite impressive. They're not as inventive as Tex Avery or Chuck Jones--is that even possible?--but they're as inventive as a good many of the violent cartoon shows we grew up enjoying. Brains are removed, monkey brains are installed; people are flattened, ripped apart, exploded, and often vomiting. It's a wet and wild film, to say the least.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/4132803297_5a1a872fed.jpg - "What has Adobe done to meeeee?!"

What I really didn't like were the bursts of reality that interrupt the setpieces. They take the time for a harrowing, sad moment after daddy is killed by a toon. Why do that? Joe Castro is a sadistic man! Also, there's way too much pleading by these annoying characters. Everybody asks the toons at least once, "Why are you doing this?!" and says "This is sick! Sick!" Just shut up and let the toons kill you already!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2780/4133563166_f5e811c011.jpg - Welcome to chroma key hell!

I was surprised, too, to discover that Joe Castro is a married man, because unlike most horror films, we don't get any babes. The women are pretty plain and stay clothed. No, we get studs--handsome young men, or boys, rather, seeing as they're pretty young: muscular, callow youths, who are only too eager to take off their shirts and shorts.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2690/4133563116_db630bd855.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2491/4133563146_2417dba6fa.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2628/4132803439_610555c4c9.jpg - No dignity allowed on the set of Terror Toons.

So that's Terror Toons 2. I haven't seen the first part and I won't be going out of my way to watch it. It was a mildly entertaining film, I liked the highly-processed style and the setpieces; but it's still dopey and uneven, with no sense of pacing or narrative at all. But if you want to let your inner child play fetch with your inner gorehound, Terror Toons is one of the few ways you can do it.

Bonus points:
Creepiest clown birthday song ever
Clown-killing action
Animated GIF animals