By Animated films are the best, aren’t they? They give more life to their worlds than most live-action films do with their mixed use of CGI and human actors. Even as technology advances to the point where CG characters will be flawless and seamless next to their human counterparts, it’ll be the fully-animated films that truly explore our imaginations.
Is the world in April and the Extraordinary World extraordinary enough to rank it alongside recent animated French classics Persepolis and The Illusionist?
April and the Extraordinary World
Directors: Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci
Rating: PG
Release Date: April 8, 2016
In an alternate 1870 France, scientists were being mysteriously kidnapped. As it’s revealed, Napoleon III was in search of a serum that would turn his soldiers invincible, created by a scientist who successfully injected the serum into two lizards. Frightened by their ability to talk, however, Napoleon III destroys the makeshift lab and everyone inside. The next day, Napoleon IV signs a peace treaty with Prussia. As time passes, notable scientists like Albert Einstein and Alfred Nobel go missing, halting the advancement of science in the late 1800s. By 1931, the world is still reliant on steam and charcoal to run their machinery, essentially creating the steampunk setting of April and the Extraordinary World.
The scientist’s descendants are on the cusp of re-creating the serum that would essentially grant immortality. However, they are hunted down by a French officer under orders to kidnap them for enlistment into France’s weapons program. The incident culminates in the loss of many lives and the family’s young daughter, April, left alone with their talking cat, Darwin. Ten years later, April is on the brink of remaking the serum when she suddenly finds herself in the middle of a dark mystery that ties her missing family in with a secret government conspiracy that can change the entire world.
April and the Extraordinary World is a mix of Hayao Miyazaki’s fascination with machinery and strong female leads, Pixar’s overarching theme of strong family bonds, and the distinctly “French” style of animation. As previously mentioned, the art style is more or less governed by steampunk, giving this alternate Paris a very bleak and dull look that permeates beyond the visual elements of the film. Everything is very detailed and looks technically amazing; however, it just lacks that certain “IT factor” that Studio Ghibli films have.
The film’s plot is very predictable, even down to the plot twists that you know are coming. Given the film’s PG rating, there just weren’t many risks that could have been taken with its plot. However, despite this, the film is aimed more so at adults, given the strong ties to issues that aren’t important or captivating to the normal child. There’s much to be said about the political issues at hand, the sci-fi elements of an alternate universe that runs on steam, and the outdated notions of a modern film falling into an all-too-familiar trope, but that’s better left for armchair activists and essayists.
While April and the Extraordinary World is a solid family film, I wish it explored its “extraordinary world” more. Given its title, one would assume the setting, which is admittedly the most exciting aspect of the film, would play more of a focal point in the film’s narrative. All of this isn’t to say April and the Extraordinary World isn’t enjoyable, it just leaves you wishing for something truly extraordinary.