The
astronomy of it is terrible, but the world-building of this French fantastical
fable is quite a wonder. According to this world’s creation myth, the original
Guardian of the Sun reeled in the celestial body with a harpoon, while the
Guardian of the Moon brought back the nocturnal satellite from the land of
dreams. Ever since then, their apostolic predecessors have used fantastical
pack animals to drag the sun and moon through their world, maintaining the
balance between night and day. Nobody would choose a confidence-challenged
forest faun like Mune to be a guardian, but the decision is made for him in
Alexandre Heboyan & Benoît Philippon’s Mune:
Guardian of the Moon
(trailer here),
which screens this Saturday as a special GKIDS Fathom Events presentation.
In
a special ceremony incorporating dwellers of both day and night, the
apprentices of the Guardians of the Sun and Moon will succeed their masters. It
is supposed to be a mere formality, but the lunar ewe (a lamb, how archetypal)
selects Mune instead. That looks like a bad call when Mune crashes the giant ostrich-bound
temple, losing the moon when its gossamer bonds are severed.
Matters
get even worse when Sohone, the preening new Guardian of the Sun leaves his
post to give Mune a good chewing out. Minions of Necross, the Miltonian former
Guardian of the Sun-turned evil, take advantage of his absence to steal the
sun. Obviously, Mune and Sohone will have to put aside their differences to
reacquire the sun and moon. Fortunately, Glim, the dusk-living wax creature serves
as a peacemaker and motivational coach for them both. However, they must take
care to look after her. She stiffly coagulates in cold temperatures and would
fatally melt in excessive heat.
Mune is one of the most
visually arresting works of feature-length computer animation ever produced. It
is a richly detailed world, filled with exotic creatures, constructed atop a
compellingly original mythos-foundation. This film looks great, but the
characterization is rather pat and predictable (the reluctant quest-hero who
rises to the occasion, the spurned apprentice who gets played by the super
villain, and the arrogant young guardian who learns a lesson in humility).
Several of the shtickier characters, such as Necross’s bumbling minions and Glim’s
hand-wringing father also quickly wear out their welcome.
