"The Triplets of Belleville"

The Triplets of Belleville (2003): 10/10

Poster (c) Sony Pictures Classics

It's amazing that a film like The Triplets of Belleville would even be released here in America. Not only is it a foreign film, it's animated, and most of all, it has huge anti-American overtones. They make fun of American movies, they make fun of New York, they make fun of our loose morals, and most of all, they make fun of America's huge obesity problem. Therefore, I'm surprised that the MPAA even let it into the country, what with their censorship masquerading as the MPAA ratings. But I digress. Luckily, it got in here, and is not only nominated for two Oscars, but turns out to be one of the weirdest movies every created, and a spectacular one at that.

The original plot has Champion, a lonely boy living in a prison-like house with his grandmother and his dog Bruno. He dreams of racing in the Tour de France, and he does. However, he's kidnapped by the French mafia for reasons known later. It's up to his grandmother, Bruno, and the title characters (who are former stars) to save him.

This film is quite possible the most unique film ever to be seen. Not only is the plot original, but so are the visuals. There's a mix of animated characters and some real things in there, and it's all amazing to look at. Although I can barely draw a stick figure, I can imagine that it's a lot easier to draw fat people than skinny people, hence why almost every character is outrageously humongous. Of course, that's also a reference to how fat America is, which I'll get to later. The characters were all oddly drawn, but each had their own distinct personality. Even the dog had its own feelings. The individuality of each separate character was amazing, each had its own flaws and characteristics, and with such a short movie, it was great to see that. To make the movie even more original, there is barely any dialogue in the entire movie. To convey a story like this is amazing.

The Triplets of Belleville also has scathing humor. When Champion is taken to Bellevile, a hellish, New York-ish place, there's a Statue of Liberty-type statue that is extremely fat and has a hamburger. The best one is simply a t-shirt that says "I ♥ Big" on it. It also plays on the clichés of American cinema, particularly action movies, where the bad guys never hit the good guys, and anything that can explode will. Sometimes it's good to see things from another's perspective.

From the first frame, which is the Belleville triplets singing, you're captivated into this all-to-familiar world of quirkiness and fat people. It's an experience you truly need to see to believe.

Rated PG-13 for images involving sensuality, violence and crude humor.

Review Date: February 14, 2004