Mutant Reviewers from Hell do
"Noids do not have sex with doodles."

1992 PG-13 / Animated Fantasy Directed by: Ralph Bakshi Starring: Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne, Brad Pitt

Tagline

Holli Would if she could

Summary Capsule

Detective trapped in animated world, film at 11

Mutant Meter

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Amazon.com: DVD | Amazon.com: Soundtrack

DnaError's Rating: Animation After Dark
DnaError's Review: Watching Cool World is a lot like eating an entire bag of chips in one sitting. You know you shouldn't do it, but enjoy it anyway. Cool World is a guilty pleasure without all the greasy fingerprints. The feeling is probably because Cool World was the first movie I ever saw that was downright dirty. Full of violence, naughty language, a sex scene... and all when I was a wee lad and my Mom foolishly thought that it was a kid flick.

"Yet, despite being almost universally planned by critics, audiences, and household pets, I still have a small, dark piece of my heart for the movie."

Cool World was animation legend Ralph Bakshi's attempt to subvert the genre once again with a ribald, adult version of Roger Rabbit. The plot concerns the voluptuous toon Holli Would trying to seduce the creator of Cool World (a very sweaty Gabriel Byrne) so she can get out her cartoon prison and into the real world. Brad Pitt in a very early role also appears, sporting the ridiculous hairdo since Johnny Suede.

Animation quality wanes, the characters can be really good, or really bad... but the ultra-stylized backgrounds are something to look at. The movie may not be the funniest Bakshi ever did, or the most controversial (Really a shame, since Bakshi's former works are hilariously crude satires long before anyone killed Kenny). Anime would own the whole Cartoon-sex-and-violence thing, but there is something endearing about it. The animation isn't slick or polished or carefully stylized and marketed. You don't get the feeling that the movie is trying to sell you a whole line of toys/clothing/backpacks/videos/soundtracks/lamps/bedsheets/underware/snack packs/lifestyle. It's just one guy and a small team creating a very weird, very offbeat cartoon that is about as far away from traditional American fare as possible.

But like I said before, it's an odd, acquired taste. I'll admit it's not nearly as funny as it SHOULD be, (although a scene with a very cute, and very violent bunny is gut busting) and the plot gets really twisted and long winded at the end. Yet, despite being almost universally planned by critics, audiences, and household pets, I still have a small, dark piece of my heart for the movie. Probably coming from the rush of watching something your not supposed to.

Hell YES. Brad Pitt leans on Egon That's it, I've sworn off real girls forever.

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• Kim Basinger can't sing for her life?

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

No.

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

Ralph Bakshi originally wanted Drew Barrymore to play Holli.

The movie was originally sold as an animated/live action horror film about a cartoonist that sleeps with a cartoon and fathers a child that can travel between both worlds. The original script was scrapped and re-written without Ralph Bakshi's knowledge.

As a publicity stunt, Paramount placed a huge cut-out of Holli Would on the D of the HOLLYWOOD sign in Los Angeles. Although they didn't have to pay any fees, the studio still had to make a donation of $27,000 to the sign's maintenance fund, another $27,000 to the Rebuild L.A. fund (this was just after the L.A. riots), and the cost of two park rangers to guard the sign 24 hours a day.

Groovy Quotes

Frank Harris: Noids do not have sex with doodles. It's the oldest law in Cool World. I've never had to enforce it. You cross that line I'll slap you around and make you piss like a puppy. Jack, you think she got a thing for you, don't you? That's sweet. But don't flatter yourself. She's a waste of ink. Truth is she's been after me and every other noid who's come through here. It's just that no one's been insane enough to get involved with her. You keep your pencil in your pocket. Know what I mean?

Jack Deebs: I'm a cartoonist. I drew all this. I have visions. I translate this.
Frank Harris: You do nothing, man. This place exists with or without you. You believe me, right? I'm not one of your creations.
Jack Deebs: Right. You're not pretty enough.
Frank Harris: Good one. Have a seat.

Soundtrack Review

A lot of hard rock, trash rock, death rock, shiny rock, and for some reason, David Bowie.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
• Monkeybone
• The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle