Today’s quick review: Robot Carnival. In a dungeon laboratory, a crazed scientist tries to bring his robotic creation to life. At a futuristic amusement park, a robot falls in love with a visitor. In an advanced society, a man (Michael McConnohie) builds a robotic companion (Lisa Michelson) in secret. In 19th century Japan, two rudimentary giant robots square off. Elsewhere, a mysterious robot transforms a city’s machines into horrific creatures.
Robot Carnival is a Japanese animated science fiction anthology that contains eight short films about robots. The stories have a wide variety of settings and tones. Some are light-hearted romps. Others are love stories infused with flashy action. And still others are unsettling tales of machinery gone wrong. Each of the tales in Robot Carnival has a high degree of artistry, but their surreal and abstract nature will limit the movie’s appeal.
Robot Carnival showcases an impressive array of art. Every short film has its own style, and all of them are a treat to look at. The films also explore interesting ideas, whether they are musings on the nature of being or simply striking images brought to life. The only major downside is a general lack of narrative. The stories tend to be dreamlike and open-ended, without much dialogue or context to lead the audience to a particular conclusion.
How much you get out of Robot Carnival will depend heavily on your taste in sci-fi. Fans of the surreal and visually striking side of the genre will find the movie to be a fascinating exercise, even if not every short film hits the mark. Viewers who are used to focused stories with a clear point will find the anthology a little too abstract to get into. Anyone curious should give it a shot.
For an animated fantasy anthology with darker subject matter and even more variety, try Heavy Metal. For a science fiction anthology featuring stories about robots, try The Animatrix. For a dark fantasy movie featuring haunting mechanical designs, try 9.
7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a high degree of artistry that doesn’t always pay off.