Philadelphia Film Festival 2009

The off-the-wall adventures of a horse, a cowboy and an Indian set the stage for this animated crowd pleaser that might just be the first cult film made for the whole family.

Welcome to Panic. The brainchild of Belgian directors Stephane Aubier and Vincent Patar, this quiet little village is home to a series of rickety farm houses inhabited by animals and people alike, all going about their daily lives. It is here that our three heroes, aptly named Horse, Indian and Cowboy, make their home. On this particular day, Indian and Cowboy are about to discover that they have forgotten their roommate’s birthday and a frantic attempt to build a gift out of bricks ordered online will turn into an insane misadventure that includes a giant snowball-throwing robot penguin, a pack of parachuting cows and, with a little luck, some equine romance. This maniacally paced, giggle-inducing stop-motion animation features meticulous recreations of iconic 1950s figurines for characters and beautifully painted backdrops for sets, creating a magical world all its own.

Based on their immensely popular TV show, Aubier and Patar’s feature is a bizarre breed of animation, crazy enough to please packed midnight crowds around the world while also appropriate for children under six. Packed with enough silliness to keep children of all ages in laughs for a lifetime, A Town Called Panic is the “don’t miss” animation event of the year. –– Michael Lerman