This sure is an odd piece of work. It's the best Norwegian animated feature since the extremely well made Pinchcliffe Grand Prix, but in the end it doesn't even reach up to the knees of the old classic. However, that's not saying it's bad. It's good, but it's just not perfect. I really got quite sentimental about that old junkie elephant, but then it hit me - it's just a lump of pixels. The set detail is all very gritty and gloomy, just like junkie life is supposed to be, but at some points the quality of the graphics take me a bit out of the story. Or possibly the story dragged a bit on some points, and that made me think about the graphics. I don't know, but there's something that didn't feel right. Still the film kicks back a few quite memorable laughs. But while the film has a really serious topic of drug use, I feel like it's handled a bit superficially. The reason for it I think is what seems to be the need to fill out the film with action and Brit-like complication humour all the time. I don't know, or maybe the creator was on speed when he made it... The speed scene, bye the way, is one of the funniest in the film. Most of the humour is low key and dark, but at some points it's just plain hilarious. Just the thought of a Sami biker mafia is bound to make you chuckle. Not all of the humour hit home, though, like when Nielsen (the director) tries to do a Tarantino on you. Still, the budgetary lapse of this production was worth it, because for every fault this film has, there are at least two things that makes up for it. So, if you're in for something dark, strange and funny - go see it! Or like Timothy Leary would have said it: "Turn on, tune in, drop out."
Review of Free Jimmy
