Based on a Belgi TV series, A Town Called Panic is a stop-motion animated film that manages to pack a lot of crazy into its 72-minute run time. Over the course of the movie, roommates Cowboy, Indian and Horse have a party, rebuild their home, get kidnapped by mad scientists and chase down undersea creatures who keep stealing their walls. It takes a while for the episodic nature of the film to smooth out but once it does A Town Called Panic never lets up, blending kinetic claymation with a fast-moving story. If you miss the Michel Gondry who made The Science of Sleep, this will probably scratch that itch more than The Green Hornet does.
This article appears in Jan 27 – Feb 2, 2011.