Review of Animalympics (1980) by Jonathan Y — 19 Feb 2009

The spirit (and individual sports) of the olympic games get charmingly anthropomorphized in this strange but entertaining mock-newscast coverage of the "Animalympic Games". Alligators, otters, lions, penguins and other critters take their shots at glory, with the humor often simply revolving around watching how, say, a flamingo would handle herself on a pair of ice skates.

There are some digs at the cheesiness of tv sports coverage, and also the shallowness of the modern sporting industry itself, but mainly director Steven Lisberger (he went on to do "Tron") and company are content to mine slapstick laughs out of gags like a squadron of squids trying to cope with a runaway bobsled.

Its lack of a cohesive storyline (there are few 'main' characters, and only occasional glimmers of any recurring plot arcs) may keep you from really immersing yourself in the movie, but it also keeps things breezy, light, and above all, fun.

Special mention should be made of Graham Gouldman's outstanding original songs and music, which sparkle with both bouncy charm and lyrical poignancy.