Buck is an electrician in a small town that is both small town USA and France at the same time. His life is generally one of disappointment as he finds himself made fun of and very much secondary in the affections of Mady to the butch and strong Sheriff. However, when distracted one day Buck finds himself electrocuted and suddenly granted the ability to stop time when a current runs through him. They say that "avec grande puissance vient grande responsabilité", but I guess Buck hadn't heard this one since he decides to specifically use his powers to impress Mady and win her over.
The credits inform the viewer that this short film was made from a Graduate School for Arts as part of a student project and it is important to remember that, not so that you lower your expectations but more so that you really take in that you are not watching a so-so Pixar short but rather a student film. I say "so-so" because for sure this film is not up there with the quality from Pixar, but it is impressive how close it gets in terms of the animation but also the content. Feeling a bit familiar perhaps, the plot is amusing even if it is a bit obvious and it amused me through. The animation is very good indeed and I liked the switch to a cruder style in the middle. The sound quality of the voice work is not quite where it needed to be (a bit tinny for some reason) but it still works.
It may not be as funny and punchy in the content but it is still amusing and very impressive considering this was a student film which really would not be too out of place alongside the short films coming out of Pixar – which is really quite the achievement when you think about it.
The credits inform the viewer that this short film was made from a Graduate School for Arts as part of a student project and it is important to remember that, not so that you lower your expectations but more so that you really take in that you are not watching a so-so Pixar short but rather a student film. I say "so-so" because for sure this film is not up there with the quality from Pixar, but it is impressive how close it gets in terms of the animation but also the content. Feeling a bit familiar perhaps, the plot is amusing even if it is a bit obvious and it amused me through. The animation is very good indeed and I liked the switch to a cruder style in the middle. The sound quality of the voice work is not quite where it needed to be (a bit tinny for some reason) but it still works.
It may not be as funny and punchy in the content but it is still amusing and very impressive considering this was a student film which really would not be too out of place alongside the short films coming out of Pixar – which is really quite the achievement when you think about it.