The Thief and the Cobbler (1993)

 

A film that took 28 years to complete and has several different titles: this doesn't bode well. However, it isn't a loss, as this one is worth viewing for the inventive and different animation it uses. And you can get quite a lot of enjoyment out of it as well, but you can sense there was a different film behind it all.

This is the story of Tack, a lowly cobbler, who one day upsets Grand Vizier ZigZag, an evil schemer (voiced in rhyme by legend Vincent Price). Before Tack gets thrown in prison, he catches the eye of Princess YumYum and they pretty much fall in love. But when the thief steals the golden balls that are meant to protect the city of Baghdad, terror creeps in, as the army of the evil king One-Eye approaches to conquer and destroy. So Tack and YumYum go on a quest to find something that can help destroy One-Eye, with the thief in their wake and ZigZag allying himself with One-Eye as he covets the princess. 

Yes, this is rather light on story. This is also the version that has the thief doing voice-overs, as in another version the thief was completely silent. Not going to lie, the monologuing of the thief is hilarious at times. Was it needed? Maybe not, but it does provide some extra levity. Everyone else is okay and Vincent Price is his flamboyant self, even if he already recorded his dialogue during the 70s. 

If you are only accustomed to "Disney" levels of animation, then this will be rather special, as the artwork is stunning at times. Not all animation is on the same level. The brigands do suffer from lower quality and it is painfully obvious, but many of the backgrounds are exquisitely intricate and they play around with colours and perspective. The chase through the palace of king Nod is a good example how to pull some Escher-esque tricks and it just is a feast to behold. 

This is a fun little curiosum that can appeal to you if you like interesting visuals, even if as a film it does feel thin and didn't need the song-and-dance numbers it has. The story is pretty forgettable, but the images are at times akin to fine art and that has to count for something.