Hamilton Mattress (Claymation)
Picture:
B- Sound: B- Extras: B- Film: B-
Claymation
seems to be holding up better than the hand-drawn type against the rise of
digital, as recently witnessed by Chicken
Run in 2000. When rhythmic, likable,
kind aardvark Sludger decides he wants to go to the city and to exciting things
with his life besides eating ants, it is off to the bird world of Beak City with a caterpillar named
Feldwick. Determined to be a musician,
he names himself after a Hamilton Mattress
(2001) and it is the big time, they both hope.
Like Chicken Run, this is an incredibly
colorful, detailed, and funny work that is remarkable for its depth and how
well-thought out it is. Like Chicken Run, this is from England, now the world capital of this
art form. The reason we do not see
enough of these is that it is just picking up, and these are as hard as
anything to produce and do right. The
program only runs 30 minutes, but it is as accomplished artistically as others
in its field, including Wallace &
Gromit (whose producer is behind this) and the cheaper, cruder Rex the Runt (reviewed elsewhere on
this site).
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is pretty good, though there is still
some softness in the finer detail. Color
fidelity is exceptional and diverse; a problem with many animated works in all
fields, meaning it offers extreme rewatchability for kids of all ages. Paul Smith was the main cinematographer and
he deserves special mention here. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo offers healthy surrounds, though I was surprised this
was not in some kind of 5.1 mix. Extras
include a commentary with the makers, and three featurettes: Making of, Birth of an Aardvark, and Behind
the Voices. With such a short
running time, these were needed.
Despite
its length, this is bound to get buzz, especially in the absence of other
Claymation titles. Barry Purves directs
the already award-winner which is bound to grow and grow in reputation. Even though the script by John Webster and
Anna Farthing might be hard to get with easily at first, it is well thought
out. In Hamilton Mattress, a new kid’s favorite may have arrived.
- Nicholas Sheffo
