Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1989)
Director(s): Masami Hata and William Hurtz
Watched: 9/24/20
Rating: 4/5 stars
“That Other Nemo”
Charming hidden gem hybrid anime,
with whimsically delightful fun
in Slumberland and Nightmare Land!
Suspend your disbelief now,
your notions of physics-
airships, flying beds,
and morphing doors!
Not Pixar’s
Nemo,
all!
No
lost son
or whale speak,
but lessons in
thwarting temptations
and unlikely heroes.
Camille’s the feisty princess,
Flip’s a flipping funny villain,
Icarus a flying squirrel bestie,
Nemo’s our shy but brave boy of the hour!
Plain plot and poor pacing lessen appeal,
but lots of laughs and heartwarming scenes-
plus gorgeous eye-candy visuals,
so skilled and realistic
that during darker parts
might be too scary
for grown adults-
let alone
little
kids!
Further Reading: The animation style for the film was initially much closer to the comic strips; unfortunately this was axed in favor of a different studio. Here is what remains: https://www.deviantart.com/filbarlow/art/1989-Little-Nemo-Character-line-up-503539230