Crwthod
A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.
Robert Joyner
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
Janis
One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
Myriam Nys
Superbly inventive animation movie devoted to the lunatic adventures of three old-fashioned toy figurines. The figurines are 1) a horse called Horse, 2) an indian (or native American) called Indian and 3) a cowboy called Cowboy. This may sound simple to the point of idiocy, but beware : the movie is far from simple, it is a riotous concatenation of visual and/or verbal puns, jokes, spoofs, tableaux vivants, Freudian slips, tricks, echoes and "anything goes" nonsense. Indeed, the movie is so clever that some of the jokes only become evident after a second or third viewing. Note, by the way, that not everything is sweetness and light in the "Panique" universe : some of the ideas are so sharp that you could cut marble with them.By now you may have guessed that the movie has Belgian roots. (It's something in the water. Why else would we drink all that beer ?) The movie is so long, and so abundant, that it's best not to watch it in one sitting, in the same way that it's best not to go through a bowl of nachos and a plate of vodka martinis on your lonesome. If you're technically able to do so, create intermissions and watch "Panique" in short episodes.If you like the movie, watch out for "The Christmas log", which has earned more laurels and praise than Caesar.
Dalbert Pringle
To me, A Town Called Panic was something like witnessing the off-kilter, nightmare world of a hyperactive child who was clearly overdosing on a massive sugar-rush. And in this hellish state the delirious child was plunged headlong into a claustrophobic nether-land of plastic-toy figurines. (Believe me, as an onlooker, this was not a pleasant vision to behold) Unlike Pixar's 'Toy Story', where toys were generally treated with a certain amount of regard and respect, this 'toy story' seemed to me to be hellbent on showing endless ways of damaging and, yes, destroying children's playthings.This truly bizarre and quirky stop-motion picture left me with too many unanswered questions, such as - Why did these plastic figurines need to sleep? Why did Indian want to build a barbecue for Horse? (I thought that all of these figurines (men & animals, alike) were on equal terms with each other and the act of eating one another was unthinkable) With 5 million bricks at their disposal, why did Cowboy make such a ridiculous fuss and go to so much trouble to get their walls back? Anyways - I certainly can't argue that some of the stop-motion animation was actually quite imaginative and amusing. But, before long, "Panic" inevitably lost its initial novelty and appeal. This was mainly due to the sheer nuttiness of a disjointed story which carried its situations too far to the extreme. (This picture could have also stood for a 20-minute haircut) I guess, when it comes right down to it, there just doesn't seem to be enough of a child's wonder and awe still left inside of me, so I was not able to find any real enjoyment in "Panic" as, it seems, so many others have.
Raoul Duke
So I just came out of retirement and reviewed the horrible salt. I need a movie that doesn't suck. So I give you the crazy ass french stop motion animation flick called " A town called panic" from 2009. This movie has been described as surreal, i just call it awesome. What I loved about this movie is it made no sense, well so did salt but i hated that, so why did I love this one? Well because it is not supposed to make sense, It is just a crazy film with a crazy adventure that all starts when someone orders way too many bricks and the movie just keeps rocking from there. It is in french so don't watch if you don't like subtitles and don't get an English version, it is animation but I can't see anyone portraying the zaniness of these characters other than the original actors, all though it may be possible. Look if you like to just have good clean fun, or you like to enhance your movie going experience through chemical experiments, or you just love good art that doesn't beat you over the head with how smart it is than kickback and laugh. If you like concise reviews please see my other reviews at http://raouldukeatthemovies.blogspot.com/
Paul-271
In some ways I dislike giving a film a 10 star rating because that implies that I'm an expert in the cinema and have compared the film in question to the greats of all time finding the film in question to be their equal.Here I can't possibly compare this outing to any other because it breaks the mold with huge creativity. What interested me wasn't as much that it showed incredibly clever for the first few minutes, but that it not only sustained that level of amazement but increased it as the drama / comedy / farce continued. So I am going for a 10 here because in its category of 1, it's a 10. Nothing else in my experience comes close.If you've seen some of The Simpsons more far flung tales, then you have a slight idea of what you are in for here, but this one exceeds the excellent Simpsons in range by a good margin. Remember, the subjects are plastic toys and look like plastic toys, but their story, their setting and their emotions work at many levels. Besides the farcical bizarre adventure, we're treated to a wholly new world which hangs together rather well. If you were a horse living in a normal house what would your shower be like? This and similar questions, with the answer, abound in a constantly amusing barrage of delight.So let me pose a teaser. If you were a thieving merman who wished to attack a horse, Indian and cowboy come to retrieve their possessions, what weapons would you use? Answer about 3/4 through the movie. Here's another - if you were two fat bald scientist practical jokers who could beat up Jet Li, how would you handle a marauding mammoth? Answer at about 65%.See this delight or you are missing one of the great ones.
