Bescheidene Helden: Ponoc Short Films Theatre

Modest Heroes is an anthology movie. The first segment is about tiny little crab people or something. Two crab people lose their father and have to find him. For some reason, it drove me nuts. I hated how there was dialogue, but the characters only ever said each other's names or grunted/laughed/used other non-words. It was just something on a gut level that made me unjustifiably angry. I wish they'd either talked properly or said nothing at all. It looked nice visually but the no man's land when it came to communication bothered me non-stop.

The second film is a lot more grounded and moves away from fantasy. It's about a young boy who's allergic to eggs, and looks at the stresses of raising a kid who could well die if they're exposed to something they shouldn't eat. It sort of works emotionally, but the way it escalates at the end felt a bit contrived. I didn't entirely buy it. Maybe shortcuts have to be taken for some short stories to work, but eh(gg).

The third film gets fantastical again, being about an invisible man who finds himself becoming even more invisible, losing his grip on the world and becoming less able to interact with it. It's easily the most visually engaging of the three, and I think it has the most interesting premise, too. It's definitely a highlight and saves Modest Heroes somewhat. To consider it as one whole, it's not bad for something that's just an hour long and the presentation is strong, but the storytelling - outside that final short - is kind of lacklustre.

3 short series made into a movie. Not a fan of kanino&kanini as it was boring to watch compared to invisible and life aint gonna lose. Love the 2nd short and adore the 3rd. Recommended for family viewing.

I disagree with the other reviews. These three shorts were well animated, had very different plots and can be enjoyed on a relaxing family evening.

The first story focuses on a brother and sister who find their courage after their family has been torn apart and they are forced to face their greatest fear. Their heroic gesture reunites the family, and the two grow up in the process. The second story deals with the theme of food allergies and how deadly they can be. It was an eye opener as it isn't something often dealt with in media in general. The little hero of this tale has had it rough his whole life but decides not to give up and through this act, he shows his bravery and will to fight. The last story depicts the life of a lonely man who has become so invisible to everyone around him that he appears to have lost all substance. Despite his struggles, he finds his courage after being shown kindness by two characters who don't exact judgement upon him. Through his act of heroism, he regains his substance. This one is the most allegorical of the three.

Don't go into this expecting a Studio Ghibli film. Rather, enjoy these shorts for what they are and the lessons young and old can learn from them. The animation is flawless, the stories are well rounded, they are all suspenseful with happy endings, and are overall very cute. Little slices of life with sound morals.

This film is divided into estentailly four parts: three short films and an interview by one of the directors/producers.

The first two short films were good and the last short was great. The films seemed to be set up from the worst to the best.

The first short film, "Kanini & Kanino" was my least favorite out of the bunch. It revolves around two humanoid water creatures going on a dangerous journey to save their father. Now in this film, the use of CGI looked a bit odd with the 2D animation and the story felt a little inconsequential, mainly due to the short run time. This short wants to be a full length film and feels like a promo for one. Besides the negatives, the audio is done pretty nicely and the lack of verbal dialogue between characters makes for an interesting viewing experience.

The second short film, "Life Ain't Gonna Lose" is my second favorite short. It revolves around a mother and her son trying to live with the son's deadly food allergy. This film, like the previous, wanted to be a full length film. Also, some of the foreshadowing was a bit odd (pidgeon scene). Besides that, the short was good. The characters are really empathetic and the visuals are fantastic with a nice water color look to them.

The last film "Invisible" was fantastic. This film is about a lonely man, who is possibly invisible and weightless that must find a way to get out of that lonely state. Unlike the other shorts, it felt like it was made to be a short film. The visuals, cinematography, and animation were fantastic. The story was by far the most interesting out of the bunch as well.

The last segment of the film was a interview with one of the directors/producers. He discussed the creation, themes, length, and reason for making these shorts. Even though this was a bit odd compared to the rest of the film, it was rather insitful.

The only other issue and the main issue with the film is the length. It's only 53 minutes long! What you have to consider is if only three shorts are worth a full ticket price? It is sad because the prestigious Isao Takahata was going to direct a fourth short, but due to his passing they were limited to three shorts.

I had an all around good experience. I recommend watching and buying these short films. The general lack of recognition compared to their full length counterparts is really saddening. To buy this film is to not just support the foreign film and anime industry, but to also support the short film medium.

In their little nature, these segments reveal a simple, but no less deep and entertaining.

KANINO AND KANINI: The most intriguing aspect was surely the world-building, which kinda reminded me of ARIETTY, from Studio Ghibli.

I also appreciated how they used just that invented language, but managing to still make everything understandable and sweet.

I almost wish we could see a full movie out of it, let's hope Yonebayashi will eventually consider doing it XD

LIFE AIN'T GONNA LOSE: I'm pretty sure this will be the most relatable to many people.

Even I was touched in a kinda personal way, because even my mother suffers from allergies, although thankfully she never went into serious troubles because of it.

But I really enjoyed the realism of Shun's frustration, and the way his mother is constantly worried about him.

I could perfectly sense the pain, both physical and spiritual, and that's no easy task, in animation.

I think it's something it should be showed to everyone, kids and adults alike

INVISIBLE: The darkest of the three, though not in a too heavy way.

The idea is not fully original, given how the metaphor of "invisibility" to show the alienation from society has been used many times in books, movies and comic books.

But despite that, here it is shown in a very spectacular and effective way thanks to the animation and the visuals, almost like a live-action, like only Japanese animes can do.

The way the body transmits all the necessary feelings without any of it is just amazing and, again, full of true pain, it deserves all the appreciation it can get.