Customer Reviews

The Best of Zagreb Film - Laugh at Your Own Risk/For Children Only

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I grew up watching "Pinwheel" on Nickelodeon and was thus exposed to wonderful foreign animation such as Zagreb's own "Professor Balthazar." While I don't explicitly remember any of these cartoons appearing on that show--although I think Maxicat's adventures may have--this was still a wise purchase. It is utterly fabulous to see the oft-neglected animation of Zagreb Film's talented stable of artists. I have always been amazed at how much these animators conveyed without dialogue; without language, these cartoons could find a home more easily in a multilingual world. The innovation in technique, storytelling, and themes should be required viewing for all students of animation, especially those who only have seen Hanna-Barbara and anime. A personal favorite of mine is Zlato Grgic's "Krek," a charming tale of the powerful bond between a man and his frog (think Michigan J. Frog without the singing) in the face of military oppression. A quick note to parents: just as standards of moral conduct vary from home to home, so do they from country to country. While I know some parents won't mind the very brief --only about two seconds--animated nudity, I know there are some who would and feel they should be alerted.

If you remember the Maxicat cartoons from the PBS series "International Animation Festival" from the mid-1970s, you will be pleased to know that five of those cartoons are included on this DVD. The other cartoons aren't bad either, if you like the "Zagreb style" of animation, which is so refreshingly different from the American cartoons you may have grown up with. (up with which you may have grown?) I just wish the running time was longer.