Review: Allegro Non Troppo (1976)

Allegro Non Troppo is Italian animator's Bruno Bozzetto's aberrant parody of Walt Disney's magnum opus Fantasia, and has fallen mostly into obscurity.

And after a viewing, I can see why.

The animated segments are imaginative, yes, but due to being animated in a style that is obstinately cartoonish to the extreme, it makes it feel like a cheaper product then it might have actually been. Effort was obviously put into it, but due to the (intentionally) sloppy animation, much of the enjoyment is taken away.

Now, that isn't to say it isn't a total loss. The Boléro segment is especially imaginative, demonstrating how life evolves on an alien world due to an astronaut's leaving a coke bottle behind. The Vivaldi segment, depicting a bee trying to eat a flower's pollen while getting constantly interrupted by two humans making out, is the cutest sequence. The other one's have their moments, but again, the overall product is rather lackluster.

I suppose its worth checking out for fans of obscure animated features, but for me, it was overall rather mediocre. The undercurrents of social commentary are subverted by the juvenile humor, and due to those moments of commentary feeling very adult, and the animation being very childish, leads to mood whiplash.

I suppose 2 stars should suffice. A neat idea, but executed in a manner that leaves much to be desired.