The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb (1993)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The acting in this movie is really good.

From what I've seen in the animation genre, this comes closest to the work of Jan Svankmajer, technique-wise. But compared to what I've seen of Svankmajer, this doesn't come close, if you catch my drift. This one has cheap looks (which in itself doesn't have to be a bad thing, but this lacks atmosphere), uninspired characters (flesh or clay), (too) little imagination, poor lighting and hardly any momentum story-wise. Though certainly it is not all bad, and some small parts were particularly convincing, especially more towards the end. And then I'm simply a sucker for the stopmotion technique, so, for me, it's not that hard to get through - but one may as well be forewarned.A very small 6 out of 10.P.s.: The 5 minute bonus short 'The saint inspector' is far more superior in idea and deed.

Dave Borthwick has made a film that is wonderfully textured and is a masterfully executed motion picture. It is a rare example of magnificent story telling with animation. This is one of the great animation films of all time.

This is definitely a visually unique movie, but I also found it to be poignant, provocative, emotionally disturbing, and sad. The heart-wrenching and unfair fate of Tom's laboratory friend and fellow escapee, which was based solely on the way he looked, almost made me cry. I was also moved by Tom's innocence and non-judgemental nature, despite the horrors and tragedies that surrounded him.

I am a big fan of twisted, dark, and weird movies. This film filled in all three quite nicely. It is a stop motion animation film, with live actors. I don't mean that it is a film where stop motion and live action are combined, but a film where live actors are stop motion animated and interact with the more conventional stop motion models. This gives the film a strange, jumpy feel that keeps you on edge right from the start. Also, the makers took the time to make every set seem dirty and stained. They even have insects crawling on just about every surface.On top of this, it also has a wonderful soundtrack supplied by bands like "Sheep On Drugs", "Startled Insects" and a Theme by John Paul Jones, the former bassist for Led Zepplin.The plot is similar to the original Tom Thumb, but told in a more current time and twisted around a bit. This gives the film a strangely familiar feel, which I found wonderfully unnerving. The characters don't really speak so much as mumble, which, along with the jerky motion, adds to the un-ease.All in all, this movie stands right up there with David Lynch and Jan Svankmajer films as a twisted masterpiece.