I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Such a frustrating disappointment

Best movie ever!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Circa 2002, several French and Italian production companies and TV channels joined forces to create an animated series of shorts and features based on the adventures of popular Italian comic book character Corto Maltese, a laconic adventurer and former sea captain who travels all across Europe and its colonies as well as Asia, South America and other places during the 1910s and the 1920s and witnesses first hand the many horrors and atrocities that the brutal bloody history of the early 20th century had to offer, from World War I to various civil wars and communist and other revolutions. This is why the comic book was (and still is) very popular in Europe, but is virtually unknown in the US.Every story has a basic formula - Corto is hired, convinced or has reasons of his own to go to a certain exotic location where treasure, people or mystery await, but gets caught up in local infighting on the way there and becomes a witness to history. With the help from the people he meets along the way, he eventually reaches his goal, only to discover that the trip was more interesting than the destination. Here however, we have somewhat of an exception since one of the stories seemingly turns out profitable for Corto.Corto himself is a trustworthy tall, thin, slick, charming man with very sentimental and laconic view of life, who easily makes friends and can handle himself in most fights, although on occasion he does act brash and bites off more than he can chew. Corto has no problems with violence or killing when deemed necessary, but he is disturbed by death and pain of the innocents. He often tries to help those oppressed or in need he meets on his journeys, which often gets him into serious trouble. However, he never fights lost battles and has a distinctive sense of self-preservation, as well as lots of acquaintances and luck. The ladies are often attracted to his charm, attitude and willingness to take action, but also to his slight naiveté that sometimes they and even some of his temporary allies try to take advantage of. However, Corto is no James Bond and while he often cares about his female companions in a platonic way, he rarely beds the girl, unless he's actually interested in her. In one of the stories here, Corto's sentimentalism towards a certain woman costs him his treasure, but then again, that could be for the best.One could call him the European Indiana Jones, although Corto, as a fan of poetry and art, has only superficial knowledge of archeology, kills somewhat more indiscriminatingly, often waxes poetic and his world is much more adult, dramatic and darker than Indy's with little to no magical, fantastical or sci-fi elements. However, one of the stories here indulges in fantasy happily in a partly serious tribute to Celtic mythology and the Arthurian legend.Although this film is called The Celts (or Celtics), it's also known as "Under the Flag of Gold" and it's a compilation of four of Corto's short adventures. This is unfortunate because some of the stories don't get the time to become engaging, although others benefit from this, since longer running time would turn a fun bizarre Arthurian tribute or a simple to the point real life soldier's story into a nonsensical drawn-out mess.Every entry in this animated franchise has similar qualities and faults.Most Corto's adventures are like a cross between an old b&w Hollywood epic adventure combined with the sensibilities of a serious historian. Although Corto's feats may seem ridiculous at times, the locations he visits and the events he witnesses are presented in a highly atmospheric, quite brutal and often realistic way with a touch of comical, while the slow depressing intensity of the adventure never dissipates. The stylistic brooding conservative art design is quite atmospheric, very faithful to the comic and the animation looks less cheep than it is. You'd never guess the films were partly animated in North Korea (no joke). On the other hand, stories in this compilation have a much less tense tone and some even have straight up comical elements. The episode about Monetenegrin gold almost starts to feel like a Python sketch after a while and the fantastical set up of the unique and poetic Stonehenge episode must be seen to be believed. These are not necessarily faults, just slightly jarring novelties for this somber, sarcastic and dramatic franchise.As for the faults, the story sometimes references moments and characters from Corto's past that are never explained. It's nothing major, but if you have seen the other movies and shorts, or read the comics, you'll have that much extra context. The pacing is a bit off. Some stories feel rushed, while others seem a bit irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Finally, the tone is a bit off. Some stories are light in tone, and others have only slight gravitas. This makes the whole movie feel less important than it should be.Still, in the end, this is a more or less enjoyable sit, but it's kind of middle of the road. The stronger elements compensate for the weaker ones.The movie is available on DVD and has English audio track, which is not the best, but it gets the job done, I guess. You can also get "Corto Maltese - Collector's Edition" that's in English and contains all of Corto's animated adventures.