Unicorn Wars

It's not often when you see a film that you just weren't prepared for.

This one is certainly one. It's strange that it's initial vibe was closer to a black comedy. Then it decided to be serious with its ideas and almost get philosophical. It also seemed to take pleasure in its gruesome violence which may put off some viewers It was strange at first. But I think them being fully on board with this creation shifted the tone in an effective way.

I did have an inkling as to how it would end and it managed to do exactly what I thought. That's always comforting as it certainly makes me feel like that I'm on the directors wavelength.

Throughout the film, I was seeing influences of Princess Mononoke, Full Metal Jacket, Bambi and 300. Those are the type of combinations that shouldn't even really be thought about and yet here we are.

I think what made it work for me the most was the mix of animation styles used. The colour palette is also very vibrant to the point where it's almost like you're in a fever dream. But I did notice the constant use of purple in every scene.

The whole thing ended up being weirdly captivating. The number of animation styles on show was great to see, the commitment to its ideas was much appreciated and it's themes of the horror of war, our ignorance with nature and competitive siblings were well presented.

I certainly won't be forgetting this one anytime soon.

Before saying more, warning : this very very VERY NOT for children!

I don't ever write reviews, but this one has so few views that I feel I should contribute.

I'll try to not spoil it for you.

Visually beautiful animation, real eye candy. I'm not familiar with Spanish animation so really didn't know what to expect, but this is comparable with Japanese animation, visual and content wise, excellent.

It's not just Full Metal Jacket meets Care bears, it's much more.

It's very deep and very disturbing story which takes ideas from before mentioned Full Metal Jacket, Trainspotting, Apocalypse Now, Requiem for a dream, Mother!, Dark Knight(?) etc., books East of Eden, 1984 (two minute hate), from Tolkien (mystical nature and creatures, silently lurking evil) and from Bible (Cain and Abel, Genesis...) and packs it into beautiful and unimaginably brutal Care bear world.

It packs so many distilled dark and disturbing ideas into one pot, then softens it and dissolute them with beauty and goodness, but not in a bad way, just enough to be digestible and lets it slowly cook... Until in the end we get meal which lets us taste that all of those atrocities and all of that good and beautiful in the end makes ourselves... and monkeys worship and follow...

Definitive recommendation, but you got to have mind and stomach for it.

This movie addresses serious and dark topics in much depth: the war against the unicorns is partially used as a pretext to explore the relationship between two brothers, and along the way we are going to see the toxic envy that Azulin developed towards Gordi. It is an interesting plot line that was wonderfully integrated in the script. "Unicorn Wars" is showing the horror of the battlefield and it does not shy away in displaying a lot of gore in a pretty detailed way. It is clear that the director wanted to denounce many different elements directly connected to wars, worsening an already dramatic situation. Starting with the abuse of drugs that put soldiers in dangerous situations, the PTSD caused by certain events, the incredible power of the Church in brainwashing people, in order to convince them to fight for "noble" causes, twisting the reality. Hence, this is a movie that is full of symbolism, especially towards the end and I believe that more than one viewing is necessary to fully understand all the messages that Alberto Vázquez wanted to transmit to his audience.

Overall, this is a movie that feels narratively equilibrated, as the story progression is dynamic and does not bore. However, I feel that certain aspects of the story were a bit rushed. I believe that screenwriters could have provided more details related to the lore, establishing the context better. The animation is good, and I liked this oxymoron between the colorful, cute drawings and the seriousness of the story. I think it worked greatly. As a European, I am glad that the Council approved and financed the project. I believe that it is a great anti-war production that can be very educational. It deserves a rate of 7.5.

Right, well I figured that with a title such as "Unicorn Wars", then this would definitely be something special. And thus, I sat down to watch this 2022 animated movie from writer and director Alberto Vázquez here in 2023, without ever having actually heard about it before stumbling upon it.

Writer and director Alberto Vázquez most definitely delivered something unique here with "Unicorn Wars". This was a very special experience to watch. Given the title alone, and the fact that the story is about teddy bears waging war on unicorns, then I wasn't expecting the level of ghastly gore, visceral mayhem and chaos that writer and director Alberto Vázquez delivered. So that was quite a surprise, and a welcomed one at that.

The storyline in "Unicorn Wars" was good and entertaining, for the majority of the movie, which ran for 80 minutes. There were some slow patched throughout the course of the feature, but the overall impression of "Unicorn Wars" was fairly entertaining.

The art and animation style in "Unicorn Wars" is good, sort of reminiscent of a 1990s cartoon from something like Cartoon Network. However, spice that up with an excessive amount of violence, bloodshed and carnage, and then you have "Unicorn Wars".

I was genuinely surprised and actually entertained with the outcome of "Unicorn Wars", and if you want to watch something that is unique, then give "Unicorn Wars" a chance.

My rating of "Unicorn Wars" lands on a six out of ten stars.

As one reviewer here on IMDB put it, 'Unicorn Wars' is what happens when Care Bears meet 'Full Metal Jacket'. But it is more than just that. The art style is beautiful at times and you really have to admire the director's and writer's, who happens to be the same man called Alberto Vázquez, creativity.

There is not much to add here besides what I said in the introduction. I am excited to see more films based on this style and direction so Alberto Vázquez, if you are reading this, por favor haz más películas como esta.

This adult animated Spanish film is way better than I ever expected it to be at first glance. I particularly liked the ending but it is definitely worth checking out for the beautiful animation alone.