Tripping the Rift

This was hysterical!

I'm not sure whether it was the snappy (and oh, so beautifully profane) dialogue, or the idea of Sci-Fi Heresy that caused the tears of laughter; either way, this animation was a refreshing change in an area that is fast-becoming homogenized.

From start to finish, I was helpless with laughter .... I pity you if you see this and don't have the same reaction.

"Tripping the Rift" is a hilarious comedic send up of "Star Trek", "Star Wars", and pretty much any other science fiction film or television show that takes itself too seriously. Be warned that extensive profanity, extreme violence and brief nudity means that the kids, grandma, and anyone else easily offended or damaged should be kicked out of the room before this gets played. The computer animation is excellent and the voice acting is superb. I was surprised to learn that Stephen Root (News Radio, Office Space) and Terry Farrell (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) were among the voice actors. The music and sound effects editing are also quite strong. The trailer for the sequel has been released, so we can expect more fun from the creative, twisted folks who brought you Tripping the Rift.

Aside from the astounding animation and excellent gags, what sets this short apart is the music, alas a too much overlooked portion of film, especially short animated ones.

One should watch this short again while devoting most of his attention to the background music, which flows along with the action, precisely delivering the mood of the moment, be it dramatic, cocky or hilarious.

Indeed, Reg Powell is a seasoned film composer, whose works spans three decades.

One has to look back half a century or more to the works of Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn to find such finely cued-in incidental music, especially for an animated short.

More than any other small background detail, it is the soundtrack that makes this animated such an outstanding jewel, at par with "One Froggy Evening" or "Alice in Wonderland".