FireandIce

Fire and Ice (1983)

An animated film from 1983, it kind of reminds me of Saturday morning cartoons of that day, like Tarzan but a few steps above that. I'm referring to Fire and Ice. a film by Ralph Bakshi, known for films like Fritz the Cat and Wizards, teams with Frank Frazetta, one of the most famous illustrators in the 20th century.

Bakshi uses a process known as rotoscoping in this film. Rotoscoping is when actors are shot in live action and then later drawn over and added into the backgrounds. Nowadays, you might call it a form of motion capture. Anyway, the effect is actually pretty cool; bringing certain realism to the characters that is absent from traditional animation, which looks very weird sometimes

The basic story involves a ruthless sorcerer and his mother who are intent on taking over the world, using their power to spawn ice glaciers to achieve this goal. Their last resistance is Fire Keep, a city built around a volcano. Really, the story and characters are kept simple while the showcase of this movie is the animation and action. A kidnapped princess named Tygra, a very shapely drawn character for sure, is the prize of both the evil Nekron and our hero Larn, helped by Darkwolf, a mysterious guy with his face covered by a wolf’s head.

The video is pretty good, there are some specks on some scenes but these are on the actual slides that made the movie I believe. The HD transfer looks as good as it could with this film. The audio is very good and clear with 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX tracks. Audio Commentary with Producer/Director Ralph Bakshi,
"The Making of FIRE AND ICE","Bakshi on Frazetta","Sean Hannon's Diary Notes",
Behind-the-Scenes Photo Gallery, Theatrical Trailer, Enhanced for D-Box Motion Control Systems.

I must say I was looking forward to this but I soon got bored, the hotness of Tygra wore off and what was left I just couldn’t get into it. I do appreciate the effort and the beauty of the animation but the story has been done to death by now. I would say if you love animation this one is for you but if you have fond memories of this one from your childhood I would say netflix it and see if you still have the same opinion. I will have to pass on this one but the BluRay is as always top notch.

For more information on this and other great titles visit Blue Underground

2 out of 4 Recommended for anime fans only.

Reviewed by Steve Benningfield