Let's be realistic.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

good back-story, and good acting

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

So first of all: In general I am a big fan of low-budget and small films. I think thats where the real passion is. And Metroia really was a one-man-thing. At least that what I took from it. So there is a pretty impressive achievement here. No doubt. I respect that. I like that. So it kinda hurts me that I have to say that Metropia would have been a better short film then a feature. It sometimes just dragged. And not in a moody or artistic way (dont worry, I am all in for Tarkovsky and Co) but just with spans of scenes that are not interesting. You can argue that a certain kind of monotony helps you understand the character better. I guess thats correct. But there was still a little underwhelming taste in the end.

"Metropia" is a weak animated science fiction film by Swedish director Tarik Saleh. Shot on a low budget, the film eschews conventional animation in favour for a style in which photographs and cards are scanned into a computer and given primitive movements. The style's been compared to Yuriy Norshteyn, but Norshteyn's work is on a whole other level. "Metropia" is mostly retro scifi, filled with the usual trappings of dystopian fiction (Owell, Huxley etc).The plot? In the near future, everywhere in Europe is linked by hi-speed rail. The world is running out of oil and a cartel of shady rulers keep the populace duped with hallucinogens, spiked water and mind-altering shampoo. The idea is that certain products "brainwash" consumers into buying certain products, and that a sophisticated network of "brain hijackers" are used to convince certain people that they're hearing voices or going crazy. Those targeted by the "brain hijackers" are typically those who have uncovered the future society's grizzly conspiracy.The film's first act is wonderfully mysterious, filled with wordless stalking scenes, nods to Hitchcock and slow POV shots. Convention quickly sets in, though, and by the twenty minute mark things become wholly predictable. Saleh's character designs have been praised by some, but largely detract from the film. They look like talking balloons.5/10 - Worth one viewing.

Most of you are familiar with Jib-Jab--the comedy site that uses WEIRD animations for greeting cards and comedy clips. It's a very peculiar and distorted style you just have to see to understand. Well, with the film "Metropia", it looks like someone used the Jib-Jab software to make a feature-length movie. So, you have a BIZARRE sort of CGI with strange, jerky animation--animation that is very, very gray and dark as well.Trying to explain what I saw in "Metropia" is very, very difficult. The film is just plain weird and the plot is beyond words...but I'll try. It's set in a dystopic Europe in 2024. Everything is gray and muted...and oppressive. All the cities of Europe have become connected through their subways and everything seems dull and mirthless. The hero, or at least the main character, is a bald guy named Roger. He begins hearing voices in his head and you later learn that it's caused by a shampoo marketed by some evil corporation. None of it makes the least bit of sense and it seems like a look inside the mind of a paranoid schizophrenic. He has some odd adventures and meets an odd woman who he's not sure whether to trust or not--but he's hypnotically drawn to her. The film is filled with adult language and nudity. However, the nudity is among the least sexy nudity I've ever seen--practically as appealing as elderly porn! The people are distorted, strange and unattractive and seeing them nude is just icky. Because of this, you might want to think twice before showing this to your kids or mother!As far as the overall product goes, it is an interesting experiment--but an unappealing one as well. The film is completely bereft of energy and fun and is an endurance contest to finish. Not pleasant but innovative...and creepy. This one has practically no commercial appeal and is just plain odd... By the way, Stalingrad Station is in Paris, if you really care.

...although its odd, noir-ish animation and production design briefly intrigued; "Metropia" simply couldn't hold interest with its sadly derivative and mostly unappealing story. We've seen this all before, many times, and in far more interesting and less obtuse ways. As a dystopian warning, it would have worked much better had it been shorter, and for that very reason I'm going to keep this blurb concise as well. I respect the intent (despite the irony of American Express sponsoring what is essentially an anti-corporate piece), but the execution was overly indulgent and too soporific for its own good. Freebie viewing only.