Heavy Traffic (1973)

Too much of everything

How sad is this?

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

An adult cartoon movie with smarts that rates higher than Fritz. This is the best adult cartoon I've ever seen, though also what I like here, is our main character Michael and his girl are also seen a little in human form as well. 22 year old virginal Michael (there's a few floating around) is a gifted cartoonist, who's just ain't cutting it with the ladies, and I could identify with that too, watching the character in human form, in what little screen time, here was offered. Michael's father is in the mafia, and is out all hours with tarts. He brings one big momma home, who nearly crushes him. He makes out with a young girl on a rooftop, where it doesn't really go as planned. But he's after a special woman, a black bartender/stripper named Carol. She's pestered by legless bouncer on a skateboard, called Shorty- yeah, catchy. He's a got a skinny as a rake mother, who's fed up with her boozing and womanizing husband. She's one of those real doting types, and pampers Michael with things, among him, big breakfast's. Michael is a likable character, and it's the well devised characters that really make Heavy Traffic work. There's just a lot more here than the other adult cartoon films. I like it, cause it really has smarts, the way it exaggerate moments around the story, whether it be, slurping spaghetti, doused with bird poo, or receiving one hell of a breakfast. These moments instigate laughter. Also, we can't forget that transvestite. Fu-nny. HT is very original, has morals, messages, and some over bloody moments too. Even though it's cartoon violence, I do find it still affecting. The animation is better too, and brighter. Scarborough Fair, somehow had me questioning, "Why that song". Heavy Traffic is just a higher scale quality film to the score of other Bashki films. Sorry Fritz.

I positively love animation, and I loved Heavy Traffic. In fact it ties with American Pop as my personal favourite of Ralph Bakshi's films, with Hey Good Lookin' and Coonskin not far off. The story is personal, with some fun and often moving moments, for me this is one of Bakshi's least vague movies story-wise. The satire is satire that really bites hard and all the better for it and the characters have a lot of likability. The soundtrack always has been one of my things-to-look-for in animated movies and here it is wonderful, beautiful but also moody and atmospheric. And then there is the animation, it has a charming rough-around-the-edges look to it with enough of Bakshi's style evident, and the backgrounds look gorgeous. Overall, personal and interesting, one of Bakshi's very best. 9/10 Bethany Cox

No real plot, basically a collection of events from the life of an angry young Italian-Jewish man named Michael inter-spliced with him playing pinball in an arcade, the one bright spot in his life being a black hooker named Carole.This is one mean, nasty, disgusting little film that is so relentlessly bleak and uncompromising in telling the viewer that life is a hopeless Hell that it's unbearable, and the incredibly bad animation does not help. Did I mention that the characters are mostly unsympathetic? Some genuinely funny dark humor isn't enough to relieve the strain.While I applaud Ralph Bakshi's efforts & desire to use animation for adults and show it could be used for more than just entertaining kids, he really drops the ball with this one, allegedly his personal favorite. Hell, his Lord of the Rings and American Pop, flawed as they were, were better than this.

A very gritty portrayal of city life. Heavy Traffic(not to be confused with the title of the animated film Heavy Metal) is a visual journey that contains plenty of sex and violence. It obviously isn't for all tastes. This is considered by many Ralph Bakshi's(Fritz the Cat) best work. The animation may seem a bit dated,but remember the movie was made in the early 70s, and had a pretty low budget. The only problem I had with the film was that it was too short,but despite this fact there is some good character exploration(but there could have been more with some of the secondary characters). The sound of the VHS copy I viewed seemed a bit off at times, but that's hardly a matter.