Adventures in Plymptoons!

Genial, enjoyable, but not very deep documentary portrait of gonzo, wildly creative (and twice Academy award nominated) independent animator Bill Plympton.

Director Anastasio takes a jokey tone, as if trying to find the documentary equivalent of Plympton's unique, absurdist style. Right up top, Terry Gilliam pronounces very seriously he's only doing an interview about Plympton to get paid, and Ed Begley Jr. deadpans that he thought he was there to do an interview about Bill Clinton, not Bill Plympton, and gets up to leave. That sort of sets the tone as the film becomes various short pieces about Plympton's history, philosophy, art and humor.

We only see short bits and pieces of Plympton's work, which can be frustrating, and might make the uninitiated wonder what the fuss is about. To me, Plympton's cartoons are often about nothing as much as the build. The slow repeating of variations on a joke until the very repetition is part of what make it so funny. That's hard to capture in an 85 minute documentary.

Plympton himself comes off as an extremely likable, eccentric character, who seems to have inspired a lot of friendship and good-humored admiration from the many worked with him or befriended him. And there a lot of fun moments here, along with some interesting stories about his life and work. I just wish it felt a little bit less like a celebrity tribute show/comedy roast, and more an exploration of an artist's work.

I've been a fan of Bill Plympton's work for a long time, his weird, surreal, and hilarious animations have always stood out. But until watching Adventures in Plymptoons!, I didn't actually know much about the man behind the art. This documentary does a great job of telling his story, from his early days in Oregon to turning down a million-dollar deal from Disney just to keep his independence. Alexia Flora, the director, kept the things fun making this really fun to watch. How else would you tell the story of Bill, someone whose work is so hilarious and offbeat?

The film flows really well, mixing in clips of his work with interviews from some big names like Weird Al, Matthew Modine, Ed Begley and Moby along with friend, family and a film critic who genuinely hates his work and doesn't hold back. There's a lot of really interesting stories that kept me engaged and the chapter points helped move things a long and peaked my interest.

One of the cool things I respect about Bill was learning how he stuck to his guns when it came to creative freedom. He could've gone the mainstream route, but instead, he chose to do things his own way, and that's what makes his work so unique. The more I watched, the more I wanted to see even more of what he's created. It gives another reason to love indie filmmakers.

If you're into animation, especially the kind that's weird, edgy, and completely original, this is a documentary worth checking out. It's not just a look at his career; it's a celebration of an artist who refused to play by the rules. Now that I know more about Plympton, I'm going on a binge-watch of his films.

Bill Plympton is probably one of the world's most important animators alive. He has been nominated twice to the Academy Awards, and the list of trophies in festivals is nothing less than amazing: more than 30, including the top prize in Annecy four times, between 1998 and 2013. His unique style is an inspiration to young filmmakers that search for beauty, humor and significance on their work.

The documentary 'Adventures in Plymptoons!' gives us the opportunity to find out more about his life and work, filling one's hunger for this real master. Alexia Anastasio, the director, conducts us in a movie that every independent animation lover should watch at lest once, and not only because all data and artist's curious facts. The movie itself is full of jokes that reminds the audience about Plympton's singular style of directing. The interviews both inform and amuse ranging from fans, colleagues and film critics. Excerpts from many of the director's movies are there to be appreciated. And Plympton himself is just as eccentric as admirable.

For sure, an inspiring documentary to every person linked to animation worldwide. A film not to be missed, that proves itself as inspiring as any of the director's animations.

For fans of his work, this film about Bill Plympton's work is a definite must-see. It celebrates his work and gives you some insights into the man's formative years (though nothing about his life today). However, for folks who are NOT familiar with it, perhaps it isn't the best introduction. Part of it is because you only get small snippets of his films and part of this because the sexual drawings might scare you (though if you saw them in their entirety, most are pretty innocent). I'd watch a few of his films first, such as "Guard Dog", "Guide Dog" or "One of Those Days". And, part of it might be because without knowing Plympton's sense of humor, they may not realize that many of the interviews are fake! For instance, there are some funny ones with Ed Begley Junior and Terry Gilliam in which they say NOTHING nice about the man! There's also a funny bit with a bald bearded guy who HATES Plympton's work--and it's all a put on.

Well worth seeing and I like the film's unusual style. Clever and unique--just like Plympton! And, probably NOT a film for the kids!

First things last: Miss Anastasio has done an impressive job capturing the accomplishments of a fine (successful) artist. Anybody walking the lonely, unbeaten path of independence, owes it to themselves to watch this flick... as for independent animators, watching is a must!

In the age of the animation renaissance, Mr. Plymoton is a holy beacon of hope, the lone wolf standing proud on his own, and setting the standards for the next generation to come.