Review by Pete Roche
It’s been forty years, but Oblio
has finally returned from The Pointless Forest.
Available now from MVD Visual,
THE POINT: DEFINITIVE EDITION
recaptures the wonder of Harry Nilsson’s animated fable for a new
generation—and the timing couldn’t be better.
Sprung from the mind of one of
pop music’s quirkiest creators, THE POINT
tells the story of Oblio, a round-headed boy living in a land where
everything—and everyone—has a point.
When Oblio and his trusty blue dog Arrow get on The Count’s bad side,
the benevolent old King is forced to follow the letter of the law and banish
them as "involuntary outlaws."
But Oblio comes to find that
points are like opinions, and you know what they say about opinions. The Pointless
Forest has points aplenty, on
treetops and pterodactyls, paths and promontories. Even characters without triangular noggins
(like the dancing fat sisters) have a method to their madness. Which is to say, they’ve got points,
too. The ultra-hip Rock Man informs
Oblio he needn’t have a point on his skull to have one in mind, and industrious Leaf Man imparts lessons not unlike those
memorialized in The Byrds’ bible-based hit, “Turn, Turn, Turn.”
In fact, just about the only
creature in The Pointless Forest without an actual point is the three-headed Pointed
Man.
Sure, his body sprouts arrows in all directions and his six hands jab
fingers every which way, but—as Oblio realizes—he speaks in circles.
It’s a charming, terrific, even
pointed parable for an age wherein ostracism itself is outlawed, Hate Crimes
are particularly heinous, and tolerance is enforced within the boundaries of
ubiquitous No Bully Zones. It’s never
been less cool to dismiss people for nonconforming or insult others for inherent traits. Produced in an era when race relations were
still tense, the Vietnam
conflict was on full boil, and the American government was hoodwinking the public
and lying about it, THE POINT
advocated acceptance and open-mindedness as an ABC Movie
of the Week in February 1971. The message is just as potent for kids and parents today.
Nilsson began writing songs for
fun (and extra income) while working as a bank clerk in the Sixties; Three Dog
Night topped the Billboard charts with his earnest ballad, “One.” Blessed with a three-octave range and uncanny
sense of melody, he scored a hit with the Fred Neil-penned “Everybody’s
Talkin’” (from MIDNIGHT COWBOY). Nilsson’s singing and songwriting struck a
chord with The Beatles and Monkees, whose members starting hanging with Harry
in hopes a little of his magic might rub off.
Nilsson died in 1994, but his
quirky tunes (“Coconut”) and stratospheric interpretations of others' material (Badfinger’s
“Without You”) still resonate today.
Harry conjured THE POINT earlier in his career—months
before the critically-acclaimed Nilsson Schmilsson earned him a second
Grammy. Determined to get his children’s
green-lighted, he cornered producer Jimmy Murakami on an airplane and pitched
his project. Fred Wolf took on
illustrator and director duties while Harry wrote up a batch of tunes befitting
Oblio’s trippy, WIZARD OF OZ-like
quest. “Me and My Arrow” and “Are You
Sleeping?” were breakout hits, but “Poli High,” “POV Waltz,” and “Lifeline”
also pluck the heartstrings. Even
the Nilsson non-initiated will remember the silly circle-of-life song “Think
About Your Troubles (The Bubble Song).”
Wolf’s graphics are a blend of
simple strokes (Charles Schultz’s Peanuts)
and psychedelic motifs (The Beatles’ YELLOW SUBMARINE). The colors are watery
but vivid, the motion mildly choppy—but quaintly unhurried by today’s
CG-assisted, manga-dominated standards. The
townspeople (including Oblio’s distressed parents) are predominantly orange,
with villains inked in purple and Oblio and the King rendered in neutral white. Pointed Man and Rock Man are still
fascinating to see and hear; their dialogue will tickle youngsters’ ears as
much as their outward appearances dazzle the eyes.
The film boasts the voice talents
of Bill Martin (Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Lennie Weinrib
(H.R. Pufnstuf). Mike Lookinland—best
known as youngest son Bobby on The
Brady Bunch—effectively projects vulnerability and curiosity as Oblio.
And oh yeah, Ringo Starr is the
narrator.
The film clocks in at 75 minutes,
lending itself to convenient pre-bedtime viewing for kiddies or a Saturday
afternoon sofa matinee. The bonus
features tack on another 25 minutes, including a Nilsson profile and interviews
with artist Fred Wolf and Harry’s attorney pal Lee Blackman. But junior can skip those. 3 out of 4 stars.
As published on Examiner.com
No comments:
Post a Comment
We approve all legitimate comments. However, comments that include links to irrelevant commercial websites and/or websites dealing with illegal or inappropriate content will be marked as spam.
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.