Film review: Animated comedy 'Hundreds of Beavers' must be seen to be believed
One of the best arguments for watching movies in public are those rare "What did I just watch?" gems that must be seen with at least one other person present to prove that the production you both witnessed actually exists. Without a friend or family member to back up your descriptions, it might be hard to convince people that the film you're ranting and raving about wasn't just some fever dream.
Shot in Wisconsin for a budget of $150,000, "Hundreds of Beavers" does not exaggerate or over-sell what happens in the movie, but it can't begin to spoil everything that director Mike Cheslik has in store for the audience. A hybrid of live action and animation, "Beavers" is equal parts technical marvel and side-splitting comedy inspired by silent film-era physical hijinks and cinema history's most renowned masterpieces.
The feature-length film opens in limited theatrical release at Ciné on Friday, May 3.
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Though the time period and location in which "Hundreds of Beavers" takes place isn't specifically stated in the film, this reviewer's best guess is the Wisconsin wilderness circa 1820-1840, when the North American fur trade was at its most prevalent. Leading man and co-writer Ryland Brickson Cole Tews plays Jean Kayak, a bumbling but determined soul who spends the first half of the movie just trying to find food and survive in the snow-covered landscape.
With basic hunting skills and a surprisingly hearty constitution, Jean battles rabbits, wolves, bears and other woodland residents to reach a fur trading post run by a rifle-toting merchant (Doug Mancheski) and his daughter (Olivia Graves), a furrier whose job is to relieve dead animals of their bones and innards and turn their hides into fashionable pelts, coats and hats that will aid travelers in living through the harsh conditions.
In keeping with the classic themes present in "Hundreds of Beavers," Jean falls in love with the merchant's daughter at first sight, and the cost for her hand in marriage is where the film gets its title. In order to claim his desired prize, Jean must return to the forest and wage all-out war with its animal population, who are ready to go toe to paw with Jean lest they end up in a big furry ball of frontier currency.
One of the many gifts that "Hundreds of Beavers" gives viewers is the experience of seeing black and white cartoon reels on the big screen, an activity that typified the American public's movie-going experience for decades. Through clever use of green screen, location shoots and $10,000 worth of mascot-like animal costumes, Cheslik and his talented crew pull off an avalanche of Tex Avery-style sight gags that are guaranteed to split the audience's sides, but parents should be aware of the infrequent moments of crude "South Park" style humor and gore.
As the survival plot gives way to the romantic quest, "Beavers" must offer up more than just pratfalls, injuries and comedic misfortune, and that's where the movie's third act goes from Harold Lloyd and The Three Stooges to a transcendent nod to the innovation of early film pioneer Georges Méliès ("A Trip to the Moon") and Fritz Lang ("Metropolis"). By making "Beavers" look like a grainy old film, the digital gloss falls away, and nothing we see feels real. With the title characters in constant pursuit of the human protagonist, the production skyrockets into levels of artistry that recall the exhilaration that first game movies a magical quality.
Ciné is located in downtown Athens at 234 W. Hancock Ave. For tickets and show times, visit athenscine.com.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Film review: Humans wild out in 'Hundreds of Beavers'
