Today’s quick review: MFKZ. Angelino (Kenn Michael) and his friends Vinz (Vince Staples) and Willy (Dino Andrade) are just a trio of losers trying to eke out a living in Dark Meat City, a sweltering, crime-ridden California metropolis. But when an encounter with Luna (Dascha Polanco) awakens strange new powers in Angelino, the friends wind up at the top of the government’s most wanted list, courtesy of a shadowy organization with eyes everywhere.
MFKZ is a heavily stylized French and Japanese animated action movie based on a comic by Guillaume “Run” Renard. MFKZ combines an eclectic urban setting, oddball characters, a whirlwind of a plot, dashes of sci-fi and fantasy, and a distinctive art style to produce an experience that’s messy, inventive, and stylish. Its unique vision and solid craftsmanship make it a worthy pick for those who think they’ll appreciate its aesthetic.
MFKZ’s most distinctive and most polarizing feature is its sense of style. The characters are edgy and exaggerated, with many who aren’t fully human. The environments are bleak and dilapidated, yet visually interesting. The film uses a wide range of techniques to control its ebb and flow, including tilted camera angles, schlocky title cards, and shifts in art style. Rampant gore, swearing, and sexual content also make MFKZ a mature watch.
MFKZ’s story is just as eclectic. The plot involves a global conspiracy, supernatural beings, corrupt cops, luchadors, gang warfare, cockroaches, and a harsh world that just seems to want Angelino, Vinz, and Willy dead. The film keeps up a nice sense of energy throughout, bouncing rapidly from one insane situation to the next. It also manages to balance tension with comedy, hitting a broad range of the emotional spectrum with skill.
However, MFKZ is not as good at finishing what it starts. Scenes that start strong don’t always stick the landing, while the movie as a whole has more interesting plot threads than it knows what to do with. MFKZ manages to avoid any major blunders; each aspect of the movie has sufficient payoff to justify its inclusion. But MFKZ misses several chances to take its ideas even further and accomplish something not just good but great.
Watch MFKZ if you’re interested in something stylized, energetic, and experimental. Its mature content, edgy art style, and loose storytelling will turn off most viewers, but those with the right set of tastes will find MFKZ to be a rare treat. For an experimental sci-fi movie based on a French comic book with a more subdued tone, check out Immortal. For a similarly chaotic sci-fi comedy with a lighter tone, try The Fifth Element.
6.9 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for a vivid and unique style; your score will vary wildly depending on your taste.