Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: UNICORN WARS [Fantastic Fest 2022 - Austin,Texas]

The context of the complexity of fascism as a progressive ideal is not new in the vernacular. It has integrated with history in a myriad of ways. But doing it in animation with teddy bears and unicorns at war that turns a beautiful forest into burning embers is a definite twist. This animated endeavor made out of Spain starts off with small textures of violence and elements of trauma again what would be considered more balanced images before progressing into something more complex and surreal (a caterpillar ingesting sequence starts the ball rolling in a different way). While the film doesn't hit correctly all the time and the tone has its issues, "Unicorn Wars" creates a mash up that is both subversive but oddly forthright in certain ways. It uses more perhaps the breakdown of Europe during World War II but cross it with aspects of what ideal visual images of nature and interaction should be as well as behaviors that were frowned upon including homosexuality.

The structure is explained in an interesting way that eventually reflects back to the issues and problems of humanity. Teddy Bears evolved in their thinking to use complex tools and rebelled against the unicorns who they believe slaughtered them enmass. But the reality in many ways seems like they invade their territory and tried to take their resources. Meanwhile the Simians still in pre-historical context look on learning. What is interesting is that everyone's eyes but the teddy bears glow white which is an interesting metaphor. Now the unicorns might be more pure but they have a sickness growing inside them as well that threatens their core though they might not be consciously aware of it. The visual style is an interesting mix of pastels with alternating war imagery. "Ren & Stimpy" did similar but this is more refined in a way but also not as abstract and wild as that was. It is the gore mostly, especially after the attacks showing their aftermath that is the most bizarre at times.

The plight of two brother teddy bears, both sent to war because that is what they are expected yo, is pushed to effective the masculine versus the feminine and the notion in certain ways the macho. However the behavior profiles are made much more extreme especially in flashbacks of childhood, emasculation and jealousy. Of course there is a redemption story buried where a dark soul is a dark soul no matter what the exterior. The film is not everyone's bag and skirts the melodramatic line a bit even when it is trying to do its mix on say "Animal Farm" mixed with "Watership Down" and "The Last Unicorn". Again many of those 70s animated films show their lines now and the approach of course then was less woke than our current society but also in a way less critical and more free. It is hard to say. "Unicorn Wars" does make a statement and does so boldly yet without much subtext as an overall rule while still create interesting images, which will at times not overtly refined. are both ironic, contrasting and visceral in its own way. B

By Tim Wassberg