Fantastic Fest 2022: Unicorn Wars — Adult Themed Cartoon Bloodshed With A Strong Anti-War Message
For ages, teddy bears have been locked in an ancestral war against their sworn enemy, the unicorns, with the promise that victory will complete the prophecy and usher in a new era. Aggressive, confident teddy bear Bluet and his sensitive, withdrawn brother Tubby could not be more different. As the rigors and humiliation of teddy bear bootcamp turn to the psychedelic horrors of a combat tour in the Magic Forest, their complicated history and increasingly strained relationship will come to determine the fate of the entire war.
Alberto Vazquez blends genres and pits cuddly teddy bears against the mythical unicorn in his latest adult-themed animated feature, Unicorn Wars. Picture Care Bears squaring off against My Little Ponies in a senseless display of cartoon bloodshed that’s equal parts Bambi, Happy Tree Friends, Full Metal Jacket, and Apocalypse Now, and you’re close to the sheer insanity of this dark, meditative march into the magical forest of madness. Beautifully animated and bleak, with light touches of humor and gruesome spurts of brutality, this savage and surreal slow-burn dives deep into the human soul and boasts a powerful message that makes you wonder why war and violence is so ingrained in our DNA.
After a horror-tinged open that recalls the dark force from FernGully, we’re introduced to a band of bear cub soldiers in a Full Metal Jacket-esque basic training as they prepare for their war with their sworn enemy, the unicorns. We learn that the bears’ hatred for these majestic creatures is mostly indoctrinated and stems from them inhabiting the magical forest, which the teddy bears believe to be theirs by right. Although there are many characters amidst the huggable military company, including a priest and a commander, our central characters are a pair of brothers named Bluet and Tubby, who couldn’t be any different. Tubby is incredibly soft and kind; whereas, Bluet is more hardened and mean-spirited, and they embody the two fundamental ideologies at war with one another in the film.
As much as the film is about a war between two different factions, it also heavily focuses on the warring disparity between the two brothers, which has a Cain and Abel quality that funnels into the film’s religious theme. Amidst all of that, the company’s commander and tagalong priest find themselves philosophically and spiritually at odds. Vazquez is more concerned with establishing his world, evoking a sense of wonder, and methodically working his many themes, than he is giving into to all-out war. Admittedly, it takes awhile for the film to work up to the bloody battle that its title promises, but when it gets there, it goes hard.
The film goes to a lot of places you wouldn’t expect, even dipping into full-on psychedelia in a memorable moment where the bear cubs indulge in some multi-colored caterpillars. The film’s cute demeanor creates an interesting juxtaposition with its adult content, which creates another subtle layer that plays into its war theme. Its content is thoughtful and deep, and its bolstered by its wonderfully stylized, beautifully illustrated, and cleanly animated visuals. Vazquez does a wonderful job creating different situations that give the film permission to experiment with different animation styles, which makes it into an candy-colored feast for the eyes. There’s an old-school Disney vibe to most of its style and use of color (think Sleeping Beauty meets Bambi), but there’s many moments where it leverages a dreamy watercolor style for its backdrops and fills and swerves into trippy psychedelics.
There’s too many gratuitous fades to black that stitch its scenes together, which left us feeling like it would have benefited from a bit more transitional cohesion. Each fade breaks up the flow of its pacing and momentarily snaps you out of its spell, but fortunately, Vazquez and his team continuously manage to mesmerize you time and time again. Its harrowing, horrific, and hypnotic journey is thought-provoking, dirty, and absurdly funny, but its terrific conclusion ultimately brands it as something astounding and special. The manner in which Vazquez ties things up surprisingly hard hitting and poignantly powerful.
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of cartoon bloodshed, anti-war epics, or adult-themed animation, definitely give Unicorn Wars a watch when it releases. It’s darkly comedic and obscene meditation on war and humanity is truly a sight to behold.
On a warpath for more?! Check out the links below:
Fantastic Fest 2022 articles
Fantastic Fest 2022 reviews
Fantastic Fest 2022 podcasts
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!