Review of Fire and Ice (1983) by Tim S — 30 Mar 2012

I think I've stated this before, but I'm not an enormous fan of Ralph Bakshi's work. I'm more fascinated than anything. I consider him the Stanley Kubrick of animated films. What I mean by that is the supposed freedom he had to make pretty much whatever he wanted containing whatever content he felt was necessary for it, AND that the studios supported it.

So yeah, I find it fascinating. Fire and Ice is probably a bit more tame compared to films like Heavy Traffic and Coonskin. It's a fantasy film in the sort of same vein as The Lord of the Rings, even though it doesn't feel all that fresh or different.

It's not a bad film, but it doesn't really bring much new to the table. It's not socially-conscious, it contains mostly the same animated techniques as his other films and it feels stale story-wise.

Having said all that, it still works. The backgrounds are beautifully-drawn, the voice acting is quite excellent and the designs are pretty well-executed. I dig it, I must say. It's definitely not for everyone, but then again, Ralph Bakshi's work never is.