A Town Called Panic (2009)

In some ways I dislike giving a film a 10 star rating because that implies that I'm an expert in the cinema and have compared the film in question to the greats of all time finding the film in question to be their equal.

Here I can't possibly compare this outing to any other because it breaks the mold with huge creativity. What interested me wasn't as much that it showed incredibly clever for the first few minutes, but that it not only sustained that level of amazement but increased it as the drama / comedy / farce continued. So I am going for a 10 here because in its category of 1, it's a 10. Nothing else in my experience comes close.

If you've seen some of The Simpsons more far flung tales, then you have a slight idea of what you are in for here, but this one exceeds the excellent Simpsons in range by a good margin. Remember, the subjects are plastic toys and look like plastic toys, but their story, their setting and their emotions work at many levels. Besides the farcical bizarre adventure, we're treated to a wholly new world which hangs together rather well. If you were a horse living in a normal house what would your shower be like? This and similar questions, with the answer, abound in a constantly amusing barrage of delight.

So let me pose a teaser. If you were a thieving merman who wished to attack a horse, Indian and cowboy come to retrieve their possessions, what weapons would you use? Answer about 3/4 through the movie. Here's another - if you were two fat bald scientist practical jokers who could beat up Jet Li, how would you handle a marauding mammoth? Answer at about 65%.

See this delight or you are missing one of the great ones.