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One Movie Punch


Feb 22, 2020

Hi everyone!

We’re closing out the week with another entry in our series, Under the Kanopy. Kanopy is a library and university funded streaming service that grants card holders six free streams a month, featuring a combination of classic, mainstream, independent, and international films. They currently have streaming deals with some of our favorite distributors, like A24 and Kino Lorber, which offer the critically acclaimed, if not commercially successful films.

Today’s film is a Chinese film that has some of the best soundtracking I’ve ever heard, especially for an animated film. It’s a film more akin to a motion comic, but with a story that screams Tarantino crime thriller. I’ll be up in a moment with my thoughts on HAVE A NICE DAY. And for a few other films in this series, check out my reviews for TO DUST (Episode #717), TRANSFORMER (Episode #710), and FOR SAMA (Episode #703).

Before the review, we’ll have a promo from our friends at the Pop Pour Review podcast! Every week, the PPR crew review a film, then craft a cocktail based on the movie. I don’t drink myself, but I know a few people that do, and every recipe fits in surprising ways. You can find them on Twitter and Instagram @poppourreview, or by searching for Pop! Pour! Review Podcast on Facebook. Thanks for all your support last year!

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Here we go!

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<< POP POUR REVIEW PROMO >>

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Today’s movie is HAVE A NICE DAY(2017), the Chinese animated film written and directed by Jian Liu. Xiao Zhang (Zhu Changlong) is a mob driver who steals 1 million yuan to fix his girlfriend’s failed plastic surgery. Once on the run, he’s pursued by an ensemble cast of characters, each of which is happy to screw over another for the stolen bag of cash.

No spoilers.

Animation is a fascinating medium, which has a long and dynamic history, which predates even film. Before animation would ever grace film, a variety of different contraptions like the zoetrope or flip book would use static drawings and mechanical devices to give our eyes the impression of movement. Penny arcades across the globe used to sport these for a penny a viewing. I loved the one they had at this Wild West Museum near where I grew up. The frames were eventually translated to film stock, and eventually the rise of Disney with 1937’s SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. It wasn’t the first animated feature, but it would launch animation as a viable and profitable venture.

The early animation houses worked by leveraging floors of artists, all working underneath managing artists who helped work out the frames to get a scene from point A to point B. While early animation required a great deal of repetition, it also thrived on a reductionist approach to animation, using as few movements as possible, and re-using content and faces. The jump to computer animation, at least at first, looked to automate this process, before motion-capture and other advanced techniques at Pixar would change the entire approach to animation. When we think of modern animation, we think of these sleek, detailed figures engaged in complex animation based on algorithms and rendering. Sometimes we forget about the power of more minimalist animation, which is why HAVE A NICE DAY is such a treat for animation fans.

I got really sick of Disney animation growing up, not because I couldn’t appreciate the films, or wouldn’t roll tears while watching them, but because I couldn’t believe there wasn’t more adult-oriented animated affairs. It seemed to either be cartoons or Disney features, with the occasional stop-motion relic. All that changed when I was given a copy of 1981’s HEAVY METAL, which was based on the adult-oriented illustrated magazine of the same name. Not only did it tickle my teenage lizard brain with all its tantalizing content, but it also featured a collage of animated styles and stories using its loosely connected anthology format. The lack of adult-oriented animated content would eventually lead to the rise of shows like “The Simpsons”, “South Park”, and “Family Guy”. In fact, I’m kind of surprised no studio has thought to reboot Heavy Metal into an anthology series.

HAVE A NICE DAY, style-wise, most accurately reflects a motion-comic approach to its animation. It reminded me immediately of the opening futuristic cab driver story from HEAVY METAL. Liu’s incredibly detailed backgrounds provide a nice backdrop for minimalist, repetitive animation. Once you get a feel for the animation style, your eyes are free to roam around the backgrounds, picking up clues and bits and details. The content may not be as tantalizing as HEAVY METAL, but the style makes for a gorgeous viewing experience, especially for early animation fans.

What really separates HAVE A NICE DAY from other motion comics is the beautiful soundtracking added to every frame. Just like animation tricks the eye into processing still frames as motion, the soundtracking also helps elevates the pictures we see into something more with the sounds that we hear. Liu’s soundtracking is full of incredible detail, with rich ambient noises and clear vocals, that matches the detailed backdrops and the pacing for the story. Liu also leverages excellent music for transitions, montages, and action scenes. It’s the same synergy that makes today’s console games so immersive, leveraging the ability to make incredible sounds to help elevate animated visuals.

The only barrier to the film is the content. Ensemble crime thrillers, especially darkly comedic ones, are definitely not everyone’s cup of tea. The film runs about 75 minutes, and the story begins in media res, leaving the viewer a bit off-kilter as the characters are introduced. It takes a while to finally catch on to the story, and when you do, it’s also heading towards its unexpected ending. If you don’t like the story, then you aren’t really going to appreciate the animation techniques or style. Many wholesome Disney fans will never appreciate HEAVY METAL, and likely for the same reasons they will never appreciate HAVE A NICE DAY. The content hurdle will simply be too much for some viewers. Just not for this one.

HAVE A NICE DAY is an exquisitely animated and soundtracked motion comic. This get-the-money comedic thriller features a cast of engaging characters, once you are able to engage with the story, assuming the content is not too much for the viewer to bear. Animation fans owe it to themselves to see a more minimalist approach to animated film. Everyone else, if you like darkly comedic crime thrillers, then you’ll love this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 77% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 77

One Movie Punch: 8.5/10

HAVE A NICE DAY (2017) is not rated and is currently playing on Shudder and Kanopy.