Aachi & Ssipak

For what it's worth, "Aachi & Ssipak" represents a stylistic and technical milestone for Korean animation. Now, even if it might not be good or enjoyable, it does manage to drop jaws in the sequences that do work. Quite obviously inspired by the glut of web animation on the Internet, the film twines absurdity, political lampoons and sexuality into an incoherent mess that's just much too energetic and maniacal to take your eyes off. In his simplest form, it's about a ragtag crew of criminal elements caught in the middle of a war between the city's Big Sister government and a terrorist group called the Diaper Gang. The prize, ultimately, being the proliferation of an addictive candy delivered in phallic-like packaging called a Juicy Bar. In an animation so concerned with faecal matter and the anus, there's not much subtext to be gleaned from its fascination with derrieres other than its producer's willingly gleeful lapses into iniquity

I like to think of myself as above potty humor. You know what I mean? Fart jokes, clever references for the butt, an absurd interest in what goes on in the bathroom..

The world is full of giggling children who can't pronounce the word "defecate" but can use the s--t word with great effectiveness. For some reason, this type of humor never grows old to some folks, but sticks itself into the collective psyches of many adults permanently.

It was never my thing. So how did I end up watching this? Well, for starters the whole movie is a not so subtle metaphor for society in general. The idea of breaking down the advanced and intricate systems of the world and then articulating it all in overly simplified terms is always a winning movie making formula to me.

This movie is vaguely similar to a film called "Equilibrium," where the basic foundational idea of society is presented as a single statement: "Obliterate all human emotion to create the perfect society." The film then grows out of that idea. The plot grows organically as a result of trying to maintain the believability of the original idea.

In the case of this film: "All energy comes from collecting human feces; encourage the populace to defecate profusely." The idea is so simple it leaves you wondering immediately if there is more buried underneath it. Well, unfortunately there isn't. The basic plot flow of this film is not original. It has been done before in hundreds of movies. It's very formulaic really. But it still works because of the setting.

But no one is really watching for the plot. By now word has gotten around that this movie is violent as heck. It really is. Gore, explosions, torture.. it's got it all. DO NOT play a drinking game with this one, especially if you need to drink every time someone dies. There are several sexual references, so don't think this is appropriate for your kids. There's also some pretty creepy looking characters. The police Captain in particular was worthy of a cringe or two.

The voice acting is acceptable (if you are watching the English dubbed version), but not great. The animation itself is somewhat difficult to follow from time to time; characters wiggle like jello and bend like Gumby.

All told, the film holds itself together admirably and is very entertaining. It's not going to be a favorite of mine, but I do not regret watching it. It was worth a watch.

The only thing it doesn't have (surprisingly) is the actual showing of fecal matter. The mere reference to it is apparently enough.

Holy ****(pun intended) this movie never apologizes for where it goes and where is goes caused me some problems laughing so hard at 1 in morning amid housemates. I suggest you read nothing of the plot and just go in blindly, unless you dislike childish potty humor even if it is done in satire and with skill and class.

This is not for kids and not for folks who can't take satire and black humor that lives somewhere between the bottom of the toilet and the sewer.

Japan has been giving us lewd b-grade porno/potty toons for decades now and I have seen nothing that trumps this South Korean gem. It is way too much fun and very pointed. The subtitles felt natural and true to the story. The animation was slick but not overly proud of itself (and it mixed styles and types of animation fluidly).

This film is not for everyone, even I usually hate potty humor. But this film isn't really potty humor because it basks so directly in it's filth that is rises above the immaturity of say something MTV or Adam Sandler to make a greater point. In fact I wonder if the folks who made this weren't making a direct statement about North Korea. But anyway...

I laughed and loved it!!!

This is the best cartoon movie I saw in the last few years. Surely a movie for adults, you'll find it out in the first 2 minutes where the body count starts raising, and rockets to the sky.

Hope this wont take away anyones appetite watching it, because this is a movie with lots of black humor, beautifully graphics, lots of action.

Why not to watch it? Disgusting, sick story, 3-4 deaths for each minute.

Why to watch it? Disgusting, sick, and 3-4 deaths for each minute.

You either like it, either hate it.

The good guys are violent hoodlums who want to get rich by selling drugs on the black market, the bad guys are the diaper gang, the police is the tyrannic force in the city. The power source of the future is human feces. And the state collects it and rewards the people with addictive juicy bars.

The funniest characters are the ant like diaper gang members. They are the addicts of the drug that can be received after defecation. These poor guys/girls (they have no longer any sex) need the juicy bars, but because they cannot defecate they have to find other ways to get the desired food. In their efforts they loose their live by the dozens. Mostly because of the cyborg police officer Geco. He is like Robocop, defying the laws of physics, mainly with unlimited ammo usage. The diaper gang calls themselves orphans of the city. Their small size, and as they act I think they are like kids turned into addicts. (Despite the original story that they were normal citizens.) The rest of the characters are bad guys too: Aachi and Ssipak are always arguing on something. They are marauders attacking people on the toilet. Beautiful the woman is a porn star, or prostitute. The leader of the police is much like an angry chiwawa: a little blonde girl, shouting with her inferior officers.

Overall: lots of action, lots of location, good storyline, weird ideas.

4 stars for guts and the direction it takes in the first 30 minutes. Snore-fest thereafter (seriously, I fell asleep). The rest of it is nothing special and the movie progresses as just another lame commercial movie. Once you get over the surprise factor, there is nothing much to talk about.

The animation quality is pretty good. However it isn't enough to cover-up the faults. I believe the producers could have made a better film if they spent a little longer in contemplation and creativity.

There was no place for this to be played in the Auckland film festival. I believe the authorities should be more careful in selecting movies in the future. I am certain that the Korean dialogues must have been funnier than the subtitles as I could figure out by the loud laughs generated by the Korean audience members. To a non-Korean speaker, it wasn't too funny.

Watch it only if you must.