The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb (1993)

What makes it different from others?

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

"The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb" is extremely bizarre. It often reminded me of Czech animator Jan Svankmajer. The story concerns a tiny Tom Thumb who's oddly born to a regular sized couple. They live in the slums in a bleak sort of future. Tom is kidnapped and taken to a science lab of mutated creatures. The lab does horrible experiments to animals and wants to try some tests on poor Tom. Tom has to fight against the evil Jack the Giant Killer, and try to find a way home to his family. Some viewers will find the the film frustrating since the characters talk in grunts and squeak noises. If you enjoyed "Eraserhead" or bizarre stop motion films like "Alice" (1988) and "Faust" (1994), you should definitely witness "The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb".

Last night i had the chance to see this excellent piece of animation and I truly enjoyed it. For all those interested in clay/latex animation (Aardman style) the s/fx are awesome.As for the storytelling: absolutely wicked ! One of the best adaptations of a nursery tale I've seen, with somber dystopia tones: think Aldous Huxley and Brothers Grimm meet Chicken Run.Fantastic flick !

This is definitely a visually unique movie, but I also found it to be poignant, provocative, emotionally disturbing, and sad. The heart-wrenching and unfair fate of Tom's laboratory friend and fellow escapee, which was based solely on the way he looked, almost made me cry. I was also moved by Tom's innocence and non-judgemental nature, despite the horrors and tragedies that surrounded him.

I am a big fan of twisted, dark, and weird movies. This film filled in all three quite nicely. It is a stop motion animation film, with live actors. I don't mean that it is a film where stop motion and live action are combined, but a film where live actors are stop motion animated and interact with the more conventional stop motion models. This gives the film a strange, jumpy feel that keeps you on edge right from the start. Also, the makers took the time to make every set seem dirty and stained. They even have insects crawling on just about every surface.On top of this, it also has a wonderful soundtrack supplied by bands like "Sheep On Drugs", "Startled Insects" and a Theme by John Paul Jones, the former bassist for Led Zepplin.The plot is similar to the original Tom Thumb, but told in a more current time and twisted around a bit. This gives the film a strangely familiar feel, which I found wonderfully unnerving. The characters don't really speak so much as mumble, which, along with the jerky motion, adds to the un-ease.All in all, this movie stands right up there with David Lynch and Jan Svankmajer films as a twisted masterpiece.